Years ago, catering to a sweet tooth was out of the question if you suffered from diabetes. Today, with the availability of sugar substitutions and sugar-free variations of traditional products, diabetics can eat sweets safely. Diabetic licorice offers the flavor and consistency of traditional licorice with none of the sugar.
About Licorice
Typically flavored with licorice root and pure anise extract, licorice is a chewy candy often served in four to five inch ropes or one inch bite size pieces. Most modern candy contains anise, not licorice root. It was thought to be originally made by Arabs for medicinal purposes, such as treating coughs. The original recipe contained honey because sugar was not readily available in that region at the time. Sugar was later substituted when availability increased.
Sample Diabetic Recipe
To make this sugar-free licorice, combine seven packets of unflavored gelatin powder and 3/4 of a cup of sugar substitute in a coated nonstick saucepan. Add 1/2 a cup of cold water and stir until the mixture is semisolid and spongy. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the mixture is melted. Add a tablespoon of pure anise extract and five drops of black food coloring and continue stirring for one to two minutes. The consistency should be similar to thick maple syrup or molasses. Drizzle the mix in four to five inch long strips on a lightly greased, foil wrapped pan and allow it to set up for one to two minutes. Place the pan in the refrigerator for about five minutes, or until the strips are gummy.
Nutrition Facts
One serving, or four ropes, of traditional name-brand, store-bought licorice candy contains roughly 35 g of carbohydrates and 18 g of sugar. The diabetic variation above contains roughly 18 g of carbohydrates and 0 grams of sugar, making it an ideal sweet treat for carb counters and diabetics alike.
Variations
To make a strawberry version of this diabetic licorice recipe, replace the unflavored gelatin mix with sugar-free strawberry gelatin mix and do not add any food coloring. This rendition also makes one serving containing 18 g of carbohydrates and 0 grams of sugar. Each of these recipes makes only one serving. The flavor possibilities are numerous with this recipe. Add any sugar-free flavored gelatin to modify the taste. Consider blueberry, orange and raspberry flavored gelatin. For more interesting diabetic licorice, combine different flavors, such as lemon and strawberry.
