One of the biggest challenge in diabetic baking is finding a substitute for powdered sugar says Barbara Reynolds, a Lawrence resident who has been baking diabetic treats for her husband for the 14 years since he was diagnosed. These diabetic-friendly sugar cookies are frosted using a butter cream recipe that features the sugar alcohol xylitol.

Halloween sugar shock is pretty familiar to most people in the United States, where tiny fun-size candies are as synonymous with the holiday as ghouls and goblins.

But for an ever-growing group of Americans, ingesting a huge amount of sugar isn’t on the table, even for such a sweets-heavy time of year as Halloween.

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, and that number is growing every year. In 2007, the last year for which data was available, there were 57 million people with pre-diabetes, and about 1.6 million people were being diagnosed yearly with the full-blown disease.

That means a whole lot of people with much more to worry about than cavities from eating too many sweet treats. But it also means a large number of people are feeling a bit left out on holidays like this one.

Barbara Reynolds, whose husband, Mike, has had diabetes for 14 years, says that whenever a holiday or social occasion rolls around, she feels like he gets left out in the cold because there’s nothing he can eat.

“It’s totally frustrating, as many diabetics as there are around nowadays, you’d think that people would be a lot more sensitive,” says Reynolds, who is constantly bringing sugar-free alternatives to social gatherings so her husband can have a treat. “There are so many people now who are diabetic, I’m just really surprised at a number of places that don’t provide diabetic healthy snacks and treats.”

After talking with Reynolds, Richard Njoroge with the Lawrence Diabetes Support Group, and Nancy Donahey, a registered dietitian with Lawrence Memorial Hospital and certified diabetes educator, we decided Halloween would be the perfect time to scare up diabetic-friendly recipes for any time of year.

Note, however, that not all of these may be appropriate for your specific diabetic meal plan. Make sure to talk to your health care professional if you have any specific questions about diabetic baking. Also, Donahey says to remember portion control when indulging, even in low-sugar and diabetic-friendly foods.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

1 1/3 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener, brown sugar blend

1/2 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener, sugar blend, divided

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

3/4 cup light margarine

1 (8 ounce) container fat-free cream cheese

3 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9-inch pan with foil and spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine flour, brown sugar blend, half of the sugar blend, oats and walnuts. Cut in the margarine with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

Press all but one cup of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Beat cream cheese, eggs, the remaining half of the sugar blend, the pumpkin and the pumpkin pie spice until well blended.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the pre-baked crust and sprinkle with the 1 cup of remaining crust and the chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes or until set. Lift from pan to cool. Cut into 24 bars.

— Recipe from www.splenda.com.

Sweet Cinna-Ginger Spice Cookies

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

6 tablespoons margarine

1 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix together shortening, margarine, sweetener, egg and molasses in a large mixing bowl.

Sift dry ingredients together and add to shortening mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Chill dough in refrigerator until firm (approximately 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 30 balls, approximately 1 level tablespoon each. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and pat down gently with fork making a criss-cross pattern.

Bake cookies in the center of the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies will look chewy when they come out but will become crisp. Cool cookies on wire cooling rack.

— Recipe from www.splenda.com.

Sugar Cookies and Buttercream Frosting

1 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups low-calorie confectionery sweetener

2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream together sweetener and butter; beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture. Blend well until ball is formed; cover dough and refrigerate 2 hours. Temper dough until soft enough to roll; roll out in between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shape; set cookies on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool slightly on pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

For the frosting: Beat butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Gradually add sweetener to creamed butter, alternating with milk until frosting is consistency for spreading. Stir in the vanilla extract.

— Recipe from www.idealsweet.com.

Chocolate No-Bakes

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup peanut butter (natural, crunchy)

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)

Mix together cocoa power, milks, sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in medium saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour hot mixture over oats and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

When cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. (Because these have less saturated fat, they do not set up “solid” at room temperature like the traditional No-Bakes. Expect them to be gooey and good.)

— Recipes from www.diabetes.org.

Pecan Pie

1 unbaked, 9-inch pie shell

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated stevia-based sweetener

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon molasses

Assemble all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine: corn syrup, stevia, oats, melted butter, salt, beaten eggs, pecans, vanilla, water and molasses. Pour into a prepared unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until set. For a crisper bottom crust, preheat a cookie sheet in the oven before placing unbaked pie on sheet to bake. Allow pie to rest on a cooling rack for an hour before slicing.

–Recipe from www.truvia.com.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup no-calorie granulated sweetener

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt (preferably Greek-style)

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

4 ounces fresh raspberries, gently washed

Confectioner’s sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add paper liners to a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice and lemon zest. Add in the buttermilk, yogurt, and oil. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add in one egg, and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add in some of the flour mixture, and beat for 1 minute. Add in another egg and the vanilla, and beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour, and beat for 1 minute.

Gently fold in the raspberries by hand. Pour the batter into all the muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a tester inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Allow them to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes, place on a cooling rack, and cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

— Recipe from www.diabetes.org.

Crispy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned (not quick cooking) oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup 67 percent vegetable oil butter-flavored spread, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to mix well. Set aside.

Combine the butter-flavored spread, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the oat mixture and beat at low speed until moistened. Stir in raisins.

Drop mounds of dough, 2 level teaspoons each, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned but centers remain soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool completely on wire racks. The cookies can be covered in an airtight container and stored at room temperature up to 2 days.

— Recipe from www.diabetes.org.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup granular no-calorie sweetener

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 medium bananas)

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, no-calorie sweetener, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to mix well.

Combine the banana, applesauce, chocolate chips, oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir to mix well. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. The bread can be covered in an airtight container and stored at room temperature up to 3 days.

— Recipe from www.diabetes.org.

Chocolate Crackles

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 67 percent vegetable oil butter-flavored spread, at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to mix well. Set aside.

Combine the butter-flavored spread and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until a stiff dough forms. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 52 balls, 2 level teaspoons each. Toss in confectioners’ sugar to coat, shaking off excess.

Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottoms and have a crackled appearance on top.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes.

Remove from the baking sheets and cool completely on wire racks. The cookies can be covered in an airtight container and stored at room temperature up to 3 days.

— Recipe from www.diabetes.org.