Fruit-Forward Desserts for Diabetes-Friendly Holidays

Thanksgiving tables are often a patchwork of traditions: pumpkin pie, pecan bars, and maybe that mysterious “salad” made with gelatin, whipped topping and marshmallows. Delicious? Yes. Blood sugar–friendly? Not so much. If you or someone you love is managing diabetes, dessert can feel like the holiday’s biggest challenge. But here’s the good news: choosing fruit-forward desserts can be both festive and smart for blood sugar.

What the Research Tells Us

Recent studies have flipped the script on fruit and diabetes. Published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, a 2023 meta-analysis found that increasing fruit consumption significantly reduced fasting blood glucose in people with diabetes, by about 8 mg/dL on average. And while long-term markers like HbA1c didn’t shift in that timeframe, the daily glucose benefits are meaningful.

More impressively, a 2025 pilot study showed that adults with type 2 diabetes who followed a fruit-rich Mediterranean-style diet not only improved blood sugar control but, in some cases, reduced their medication needs. Even large population studies have linked higher whole fruit intake with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

The takeaway: fruit isn’t “sugar in disguise.” Thanks to fiber, water, and phytonutrients, fruit behaves differently in the body than refined sugar, slowing absorption and often leading to more stable blood sugar responses.

How to Put It Into Practice

So how can you bring this to the Thanksgiving table without sacrificing flavor? A few strategies can help:

•    Bake, don’t add sugar. Baked apples or pears with spices develop natural sweetness. This apple crisp is one of our Dole favorites. 
•    Go crustless. The crust is often loaded with fat and unnecessary calories.  Our Crustless Pumpkin Pie is a better alternative.
•    Pair fruit with protein or fat. Nuts, Greek yogurt, or oats help balance blood sugar.
•    Choose fruits with fiber. Berries, apples, and pears are excellent options – check out this cran apple combo.  
•    Watch portions. A fruit-forward dessert should replace, not pile on top of, traditional sweets.

From roasted pears with cinnamon to no-added-sugar cranberry compote, fruit-based desserts can feel just as celebratory as pie and with the bonus of fewer consequences for blood sugar.

Published November 1st 2025