The goal is to, “lower your ‘sweet thermostat’.  The less you eat sweets, the less you crave them.  I have found that even chewing sugar free gum raises my blood glucose and I do not use erythritol or xylitol anymore.

Few facts:

• Monk Fruit -is my favorite but it can be hard to use because it is tricky to know how much to put in a recipe. I bought Pure Monk Ultra from Julian Bakery and I put one small scoop (1/2 tsp) into 1 c allulose to cook.  It works well!
• Xylitol (I do not use it any more) has no aftertaste, but it is fatal to dogs and seems to cause gut biome changes.  I only have it in gum because it can kill bacteria in the mouth.
• Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. ( I do not use it anymore) It has cooling aftertaste and is only ¾ as sweet as sugar – so you need more to taste like normal dessert.  It is often mixed with other sugar free sweeteners and I used to use it, but I don’t now.
• Stevia – people usually either love or hate it -some people notice a bitter aftertaste.  Pure stevia is too sweet and is hard to use in recipes – it does not give bulk.  Also, Make sure powdered stevia has no maltodextrin or dextrose
• Truvia is a blend of stevia and erythritol and many people like that. I don’t use it any more.
• Truvia Sweet Complete has Erythritol, Chicory root fiber, Stevia
• Sukrin is another blend – it is made in Denmark.  “Sukrin Natural Origin” is erythritol.
• “Sukrin melis” is like powdered sugar and it is erythritol and steviol glycosides. Good for icing
• Fiber syrup is isomaltooligosaccharides, malt extract and stevia glycosides- good for pecan pie

All have zero net carbs but can raise blood glucose in many people and can be a slippery slope out of keto.  I suggest you taste as you cook – sweeten to taste.

There are a number of different companies that make stevia. The quality, flavor, and sweetness varies from product to product. Your best option is to try a few different brands and choose the one you like best.  Here are 2 brands – one says 1 c sugar = 1 T stevia and the other says 1 c sugar = 1 tsp stevia.  The difference is Sweetleaf has inulin soluble fiber and Pyure Stevia does not

2 T stevia = 1 c sugar
1 T stevia = 1/2 c sugar2 tsp stevia = 1/3 c sugar
1 packet = roughly 2 tsp sugar

1. chocolate dessert 7.6 carbs
2. vanilla treat 6.1 carbs
3. Chocolate Mousse – delicious! good for any group
4. Coconut granola – can use for topping
5. Hot cocoa-
6. Ice Cream & chocolate sauce & vanilla sauce
7. Kelly’s Awesome dessert
8. Oatmeal cookies – these have too many carbs for many people and I can only have 1 small one occasionally.  They taste great -I cook some of the batter and save the rest in freezer so I can cook up about 6 cookies at a time.
9. Pumpkin Cheesecake
10. Raspberry coconut oil, cream cheese frozen bite
11. Walnut Fudge
12. Zucchini Chocolate cake –
13. Orange Cream Cheese frosting
14. Berries with real whipped cream!  whip heavy cream with a dab of monk fruit for 11 min.

1. Chocolate ice cream 7.6 carbs

• 1/4 c coconut cream (the hard part when a can of coconut cream or milk is put in fridge
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 tsp cacao pwder
• 1 packet of Sweetleaf Stevia or little monk fruit.

2. Vanilla ice cream treat 6.1 carbs

• 1/4 c coconut cream (the hard part when a can of coconut cream is put in fridge
• 1/4 heavy cream
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 packet Sweetleaf Stevia ( 1/8 tsp)

3. Chocolate Mousse- could use as a frosting or topping on another dessert

• 2 oz butter softened
• 2 oz cream cheese- softened
• 3 oz heavy cream – whipped.
• 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
•  packets of stevia to taste

use hand mixer to whip cream until fairly stiff.  In separate bowl use hand mixer to mix butter, cream cheese, cocoa & sweetener.  Then mix both together. Spoon into small glasses and Refrigerate

Total recipe has 950 cal, 100 g fat, 10 net carbs (13-3) and 9 protein

4. Coconut Granola (make this up and keep in fridge.  Have 1/4 c of this with 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk & 1 T cream – like granola snack.  Or it is wonderful as topping on other dessert)

• 1/2 c coconut oil
• 1 1/2 c finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp powdered stevia (be sure it is pure stevia)
• 3/4 c chopped nuts – walnuts, pecans etc
• 3 T cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• when cooked, can sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Melt coconut oil in big skillet. Stir in remaining ingredients, spread on parchment and put in 350 degree oven about 10 stirring frequently.  You want it lightly browned but not burned. The sprinkle with salt.

5. hot cocoa – melt 1/4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate in 3/4 c water in mug in microwave.  Add 1 T butter, coconut oil & 2-3 T heavy cream & little stevia or monk fruit

6. Ice Cream –

Low Carb Ice Cream

• warm 1 1/4 c heavy cream in pan
• add 3-4 egg yolks
• sweeten to taste I’d start with 1/8th tsp Sweetleaf Stevia
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

cook until slightly thick.  Cool and pour into Popsicle molds and freeze.  May need to microwave 15 -20 seconds to get the Popsicle out.

7. Kelly’s awesome dessert

1^st layer – mix butter, 1/8 tsp Sweetleaf stevia or monk fruit  & almond flour and sprinkle & press in 8 x 12 pan, sprinkle sliced almonds over & bake 10-15 min & cool

• 1  c melted butter
• ½ c almond flour 
• 1 c sliced almonds
• Sweetener

2^nd layer

• 8 oz cream cheese softened and blended with
• 1 ½ c heavy cream whipped with little sweetener

3^rd layer:

• Whipped cream with little sweetener to taste
• Top layer – fresh blackberries

8. Oatmeal cookies

• 3/4 c softened butter
• 1 c allulose & 1 sm scoop (1 tsp) pure monk fruit
• 2 eggs

Use hand mixer on above then add ingredients below and bake small balls 8 min or until done

• 1 c my almond flour baking mix – or just almond flour,1/2 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c water
• 2 1/2 c quick cook oats (non GMO & no gluten) or you can soak steel cut oats in water, then cook & cool

9. Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

• 3/4 C pecans (finely chopped)
• 3/4 C almond flour (meal)
• 4 T butter (melted)
• 1-3 packets  Stevia (pinch powdered stevia)

Combine pecan and almond mixtures. Stir melted butter into the nut mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a springform pan. Set aside while you make filling. I use a 9 inch springform pan.

Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (softened)
Sweetleaf Stevia to taste – start with 1 tsp
15 oz. can of pumpkin
3/4 C sour cream
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 T of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Blend cream cheese with the stevia until creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients except the eggs together well. Then add eggs one at a time until blended. Pour over the crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Run a knife around the outside edge of the pan to loosen and to keep it from cracking. Let cool completely.

After it cools refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. Cheesecake may shrink from the sides while cooling.

10. Raspberry, coconut oil & cream cheese bites.

• 8 oz organic cream cheese
• 3/4 c melted coconut oil
• 1/2 jar sugar free raspberry preserves
• few squirts liquid stevia – to taste

Put all of the above in blender and blend 2 minutes until smooth.  Put mini cupcake papers in 3 mini cupcake pans (so there will be 36 raspberry bites.)  Pour a little in each cupcake paper and freeze.  After frozen, pop out of pans and put them in a bag in the freezer – YUM

11. WALNUT  FUDGE
Serves: 12

• 120g/ 4.2 oz butter melted
• 120g / 4.2 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 tbs dark cocoa powder
• 2 tsp Sweetleaf stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 40g / 1.5 oz walnut pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix the melted butter and the softened cream cheese until there are no lumps.
2. Add the cocoa, stevia and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add the walnuts and gently mix.
4. Place into a lined dish, or plate. Put in the fridge to set.
5. Slice and serve.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving size: 1/12th piece
Calories: 134 Fat: 14.1g Carbohydrates: 2.2g Sugar: 0.5g Fiber 1.1gProtein: 1.8g

12. Zucchini Chocolate Cake – fantastic and smaller than #13 below- It was moist and delicious. Could have topped it with whipped cream or one of the fudge recipes would be wonderful icing.  The cake below has a frosting recipe

4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
6 oz butter
6 oz cream cheese
2 tsp Sweetleaf stevia – to taste
1 c almond meal
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 small zucchini – grated & put in paper towel & squeeze out water.
Chopped walnuts

Melt butter and chocolate in glass bowl. Add rest of ingredients and blend with blender (I just use hand blender). Put in 9×9 glass or ceramic pan
Bake 20 min.

13. ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 2 sticks butter (1/2 package)
• 1/2 tsp stevia to taste
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 t finely grated orange rind
• Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.   Beat in the sweetener, vanilla, and orange rind, and continue beating until fluffy.