As a PCOS dietitian, let me reassure you that PCOS friendly desserts are something that you can continue to include in your diet if you have a sweet tooth.
In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through what a PCOS friendly dessert is and how to include them in your diet. I’ll also provide you with some easy recipes and PCOS friendly desserts you can buy right at the grocery store.
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What Are PCOS-Friendly Desserts?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects up to 20% of women worldwide. It’s associated with insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and high androgen levels (such as high testosterone levels). Some common symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, weight gain, food cravings, hair loss, hirsutism (excessive hair growth on the face and body), acne, and fatigue.
Because of the insulin resistance and inflammation, balancing blood sugar levels and lowering inflammation are key. The good news is that a healthy diet and lifestyle changes can be a great way to accomplish this.
While the internet and social media are filled with misguided advice that everyone with PCOS should go gluten-free or low carb, you’re probably wondering how your favorite delicious desserts could ever fit into a PCOS diet.
The truth is that eating a lot of traditional dessert options will drastically increase your carbohydrate and sugar intake. This can cause higher rises in your blood sugar levels, which may worsen your insulin sensitivity over time (aka make insulin resistance worse).
My version of PCOS friendly desserts are desserts that are lower in added sugar and maybe have other beneficial nutrients that support your PCOS, such as protein, fiber, or healthy fats.
Simple ingredient tweaks can easily make a traditional dessert recipe into a healthy dessert recipe if you like to make your own. There’s also several options on grocery shelves that can line up with your overall health goals too.
You can read more about a balanced PCOS diet and grab a meal plan here: A Dietitian’s 7 Day PCOS Diet Plan (PDF Included).
Do I Always Have To Eat PCOS Friendly Desserts?
Absolutely not. As someone who lives with PCOS, I totally understand that the birthday cake at your cousin’s birthday party or the brownies at another special occasion aren’t always going to be the most PCOS-friendly options.
Eating well for PCOS is all about balance. Not everything that you eat is always going to be the better option or the healthiest version that it could be. Follow the tips in the next section for how to eat your desserts…it’s especially helpful in this situation!
How To Include Dessert With PCOS
The time that you eat your dessert will make a big difference in your blood sugar levels. If you eat your dessert alongside a meal, you’ll see less of a blood sugar spike because that meal will have other nutrients like protein, fiber, and fat to slow down how quickly your meal is digested.
Additionally, if you’re finding that you’re frequently craving dessert often between meals, your meals may be missing something.
For in-depth guidance on how to put meals together for PCOS, check out The PCOS Playbook. This is an all-inclusive downloadable e-book that highlights everything you need to know about nutrition and eating well for PCOS.
Store-Bought PCOS Friendly Dessert Ideas
You don’t have to tell me that sometimes you just want to be able to pick something up at the grocery store when the cravings hit. Store-bought desserts are easy and convenient. With a bit of selectivity, you can also have a PCOS friendly treat.
Here’s some of my favorite store bought PCOS desserts:
- Yasso frozen bars
- Kind frozen bars (the dark chocolate almond sea salt and nut one tastes like a frozen Snickers bar!)
- Chocolate covered nuts like this one or this one
- Chocolate hummus
- Honey roasted nuts or seeds without a ton of added sugar like this one or this one
- PB chocolate cups like this one or this one
- Smart Sweets
- Brownie squares
- This caramel cashew bar. I’m not sure how they do it but it tastes like a candy bar.
If you’re a baker or homemade dessert lover, let’s dive into some delicious recipes that are PCOS friendly.
Easy PCOS Dessert Recipes
Like I mentioned before, some simple tweaks to traditional recipes can be a great way to create delicious sweets that also align with your health goals.
If you’re an avid baker and want to experiment more with healthier alternatives for PCOS, there are some ingredients that I recommend keeping on hand as pantry staples, such as:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Natural sweeteners such as monk fruit sweetener, honey, maple syrup
- Dark chocolate chips (these are my favorite brand, they have 5 grams of fiber and no added sugar per serving)
Ok, let’s dive into some PCOS-friendly dessert recipes!
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups
If you’re looking for a dairy-free dessert option, these peanut butter chocolate cups are a great idea. They’re easy to make, only 5 ingredients, and require zero baking. Plus, they will satisfy your sweet cravings, while also giving you fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
What you’ll do: combine oat flour (or make your own like I did with some rolled oats and a food processor or high speed blender!) with melted peanut butter and maple syrup. Then melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave and add to the peanut butter muffin mixture before refrigerating for a couple of hours!
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
This avocado chocolate mousse recipe combines heart healthy avocados with cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, milk, and sweetener of choice. If you don’t like avocado but want to reap the nutritional benefits of this fertility superfood, this is for you since you can’t even taste the avocado!
Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
Ok, this snickerdoodle mug cake has several ingredients, which may feel intimidating. But if you do like it, you could always prepare several servings in ziploc bags for the next time you want this mug cake!
Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
If you’re looking for a frozen sweet treat, this cottage cheese bark is a great one! It combines probiotic and protein-rich cottage cheese with peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, granola, and honey.
Baked Apples
Baked apples, like this recipe, are always a nice sweet dessert, especially on a cool fall or winter day! Apples are a great fruit choice for PCOS since they’re filled with fiber and antioxidants.
PCOS Dessert FAQs
How do you eat dessert with PCOS?
If you enjoy your dessert alongside or immediately following a meal, your blood sugar levels will be more balanced. That’s because your meal will likely have other nutrients that can slow down the blood sugar rise, such as fiber, protein, and fat.
What is a good evening snack for PCOS?
A good evening snack for PCOS should combine at least two macronutrients together, such as protein and carbohydrates, or carbohydrates and fat.
Here are some examples of great snacks:
- Greek yogurt with fresh berries and walnuts
- Chia seed pudding
- Trail mix
- Popcorn
- Fruit with a cheese stick
For more healthy snack ideas, check out this post: .
Is dark chocolate ok for PCOS?
Yes, dark chocolate is typically a good source of antioxidants, particularly flavonols. Here’s one of my favorite dark chocolate chips options for baking or snacking.
The Bottom Line
Just because you have PCOS does not mean you need to exclude your favorite sweet treats.
Traditional desserts when eaten alone may increase your blood sugar levels too high. If you’re having sweet cravings, I’d recommend enjoying a PCOS friendly dessert alongside your meal to reap the most benefits.
PCOS friendly desserts are typically lower in carbohydrates and added sugars. They may also provide a nutritional boost by including beneficial nutrients such as fiber, protein, or essential vitamins.
You can find PCOS friendly dessert options either in your local grocery store or you can make your own.
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