Diabetic cookies can be a marvelous way to raise the spirits when a person is feeling miserable about the restrictions of living with this serious but manageable condition. Having diabetes is often not much fun and we cannot cheer ourselves up with normal chocolate and sweet treats the way we may have done in the past when we needed a boost.
Most diabetic cookie recipes involve using artificial sweeteners. Just about all of the artificial sweeteners available on the market today have raised some concerns about health risks. Often this is to do with what happens to laboratory rats who are fed on very high quantities of the sweeteners.
Diabetic Cookies Sweeteners
Whether you want to let this worry you is up to you, but it may be a good idea not to indulge in huge amounts of artificial sweeteners. Instead, let your taste buds return to enjoying the natural sweetness of whole foods, as they did before sugar corrupted us to expect a very high level of sweetness.
When choosing a sweetener, check that it is suitable for baking. Aspartame loses its sweetness at high temperatures so avoid any products that are based on aspartame. Others are fine. The packet will tell you. Depending on your diet plan you may be able to use a blend which may be 50% sugar.
I love this recipe for diabetic peanut butter cookies with its mix of sweet and savory tastes. You can try it with less or more sweetener according to taste.
Peanut Butter Diabetic Cookies
- 0.5 cup sugar free peanut butter (experiment with creamy or crunchy styles)
- 1.25 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 cup margarine
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- equivalent of 0.5 cup sugar
Margarine should be soft (not straight from the refrigerator). Mix all ingredients except for the flour into the margarine, then slowly add the flour. The dough should be crumbly but you can add a splash of water if it is too dry.
Make 1 inch balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet. Press down with the base of a glass to flatten them to about a half inch thickness. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes.
If you have diabetic kids, why not teach them to make these diabetic cookies for themselves? That way they will have a treat that they can prepare themselves and share with others in the family if they choose to. It is going to be important that your diabetic child understands how to prepare the right kind of food to manage his or her condition, so starting to learn to cook is important for both boys and girls. Just be sure that all food consumed, including diabetic cookies, is included in the day’s eating plan.