Pregnancy Dessert Recipes To Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings
August 21, 2023
Pregnancy comes with a ton of side effects, including cravings! It’s super common to have food cravings when pregnant; this can include odd food combinations or a specific taste. However, we don’t really know why women experience this. “Rapidly changing hormones might be to blame. Cravings might also happen because of the extra work your body does to quickly produce a lot more blood. Or it might be as simple as the comfort certain foods bring as your body changes,” says Healthline.
Sweet cravings are one of the most common, which can be difficult for women trying to be extra healthy during pregnancy. Luckily, you can indulge your cravings for sweet stuff through healthy pregnancy dessert recipes.What Dessert Can I Eat Pregnant?
Yes, mama, you can indulge your sweet cravings during pregnancy! It’s best to not increase your glucose levels too much—especially if you are at risk for gestational diabetes—but you can still enjoy desserts. Life is too short to skip treats!
To reduce your overall consumption of sugar, you can lean more toward natural sources of sugar, such as dates, agave, honey, and maple syrup. Also, you can focus on desserts that include fortified flours or fruits to get the vitamins you need.
Is Ice Cream OK For Pregnancy?
It is perfectly fine to eat ice cream during pregnancy (in moderation, of course). Ice cream is made from milk, therefore has calcium, which is an essential nutrient for pregnant women. “It’s important to consume adequate amounts of calcium in pregnancy to support the musculoskeletal, nervous, and circulatory systems. Pregnant women who do not consume sufficient amounts of calcium are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis later in life,” says the American Pregnancy Association.
The American Pregnancy Association endorses the brand Nighttime Ice Cream for pregnant women. This brand includes more protein as well as prebiotic fiber, digestive enzymes, amino acids, magnesium, and calcium, making it a healthy addition to our first easy pregnancy dessert:
The Baby Definitely Wants This Gluten-Free Summertime Cobbler
This cobbler will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth, while also helping you get vitamin C through blackberries, lemons, and peaches.
Vitamin C is vital during pregnancy, as it assists with tissue repair and immune function, plus it helps your baby’s bones and teeth develop.Tip: This is the perfect dessert to make to anticipate your sweet cravings as it’s freezer-friendly! Make a big batch and freeze in individual portions for a quick dessert.
Get the full recipe here.
Blackout Chocolate Banana Bread
Craving chocolate? Well, good news! Chocolate contains magnesium, an essential nutrient for a healthy pregnancy! It’s known to lower blood pressure, help regulate blood sugar, and it is associated with lower levels of gestational diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan, Diet, and Recipes
What to Eat When You Have Gestational Diabetes During Pregnancy
Get the GuideIf you’re experiencing elevated blood sugar during your pregnancy, we’ve got you covered. From what gestational diabetes is to recommendations for foods to eat and avoid, this in-depth guide covers everything you need to know for handling gestational diabetes and keeping you and your baby as healthy as can be.
A peek inside:
- The most common questions about gestational diabetes—asked and answered
- Why gestational diabetes occurs
- How many meals a day you should be eating
- The best ways to balance starches and a list of non-starchy vegetables
- The best fats and proteins that we recommend for a gestational diabetes diet
- Ways to limit your carb intake (and why you should!)
- Examples of low carb-friendly snacks
This recipe also calls for yogurt, which is a fantastic source of calcium and iodine. “In pregnancy, more iodine intake is needed to make thyroid hormones in both the mother and the baby…Very low levels of iodine in the mother during pregnancy have been associated with subsequent decreased child IQ and school performance,” says the American Thyroid Association.
Get the full recipe here.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake with Buttery Bits
The hero in this recipe is strawberries. This fruit is one of the best ways to satisfy pregnancy sweet cravings as they are rich in vitamin C and fiber. It’s important to make sure your pregnancy meals include fiber as this nutrient prevents constipation and decreases the risk of diabetes.
When going shopping for this recipe, make sure to pick flour fortified with folate. Folate is a vitamin that is associated with a decrease in neural tube defects.
Get the full recipe here.
This cheesecake is also a great recipe for mamas struggling with heartburn.
Download our free Heartburn-Free Foods Guide!
Noticing some burning in your chest after eating? We’ve got you, mama! With this guide, you’ll have a list of heartburn-free foods, trigger foods you should avoid, and tips for snacking and meal times. Eat it up!
A peek inside:
- Which foods are best for preventing pregnancy heartburn
- Which ingredients you should avoid at all costs
- Hot tips for when and how much to eat
The Morning Muffin Motivation We All Need
If you’re looking for a sweet treat you can have for breakfast, this is the muffin recipe for you!
The bananas and chia seeds that this recipe calls for will help you get the potassium that you need during pregnancy. This is an essential mineral as it is associated with maintaining proper fluid balance in cells—super important as your fluid levels increase when pregnant.
Your sweet tooth will be satisfied through the chocolate chips and honey, while the oats are rich in B vitamins, including niacin (B3), which “…helps the body break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy, plays a role in producing certain hormones in the adrenal glands and helps remove harmful chemicals from the liver,” explains What To Expect.
Get the full recipe here.
Part of being hungry during pregnancy is listening to your body and satisfying your cravings! When it comes to what desserts you can eat when pregnant, focus on recipes that include natural sources of sugar and ones that feature fruits and other vitamin-rich ingredients that will ensure you reach your nutritional needs.
