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Many dessert brands, including those that produce cookies, cakes, and chocolates, now have a great range of low sodium products available in stores and online. Below, I’m going to cover the best low sodium store-bought desserts.
But, before we get into the best products, I’m going to cover what defines a ‘low sodium dessert’ so that you understand the criteria that are used when selecting these specific desserts.
What Defines A “Low Sodium” Dessert?
It’s now mandatory for all food manufacturers to state the amount of sodium that is in each of their products. Sodium content is usually stated as the amount of sodium per serving and this is measured in milligrams.
When a product contains 140 mg or less of sodium per cup, the words ‘low sodium’ can be placed on the label. Products that contain fewer than 35 mg of sodium per serving can be labeled as ‘very low sodium’, and those that contain less than 5 mg of sodium per serving are ‘sodium free’.
Learn more How Much Sodium Is A Low Sodium Diet?
Low Sodium Store-Bought Cookies and Brownies
The four best low sodium store-bought cookies are:
- Simple Mills Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Maxine’s Heavenly Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
- Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie Bars
1. Simple Mills Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies
For a low sodium store-bought dessert, the simple Mills crunchy chocolate chip cookies are a suitable option. They contain just 32 mg of sodium and just 150 calories per serving, yet they taste delicious.
These cookies are made with plant-based ingredients. They are a healthy alternative to traditional choc chip cookies due to being sweetened using coconut sugar and natural sweeteners.
Due to the lack of added sugar, these cookies may be a better option for those with diabetes. The natural sugars are less likely to cause a large spike in blood glucose, making it easier to manage blood insulin levels. This can reduce the risk of hyperglycemia, a condition where there are excessive amounts of glucose in the bloodstream that causes you to feel tired, thirsty, and nauseous.
- Sodium per 1 cookie: 32 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
2. Maxine’s Heavenly Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The Maxine’s Heavenly Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies contain 110 calories and 35 mg of sodium per serving.
These cookies are made with oats, flaxseed, and rice flour, making them richer in nutrients than most standard cookies. Flaxseed is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation, improve digestion, and boost brain health.
Each cookie is sweetened using coconut sugar and dates, meaning there are no refined sugars. They are flavoured using cinnamon, which has been shown to provide a range of health benefits in and of itself.
- Sodium per 1 cookie: 35 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
3. Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
With 50 mg of sodium per cup, the Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups is a delicious way to indulge in something sweet.
Made using organic cacao beans, which are beneficial for the body in many ways due to their high polyphenol content. Polyphenol-rich foods can improve cardiovascular function, improve lipid and glucose metabolism, and reduce inflammation.
A serving of 2 cups provides 4% of your daily iron intake. Iron is an essential mineral for oxygen transportation around the body and, although 4% is not a huge number, every little helps when it comes to your micronutrient intake!
- Sodium per 1 cup: 50 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
4. Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie Bars
If you are a fan of chocolate brownies, you will love these Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie Bars. With just 65 mg of sodium per brownie, you can enjoy a soft-baked Heaven without consuming too much sodium.
This product is dairy-free so it is suitable for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant. It is also free of high fructose corn syrup, a substance that has been linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Sodium per 1 brownie: 65 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
Low Sodium Store-Bought Cakes
The four best low sodium store-bought cakes are:
- Stern’s Seven Layer Cake
- Little Debbie Natural Flavor Banana Twins Snack Cakes
- Smart Baking Company Vanilla Latte Smartcake
- Bakery Fresh Goodness Sour Cream Angel Food Cake
1. Stern’s Seven Layer Cake
The Stern’s Seven Layer Cake is a great low sodium store-bought dessert that contains just 60 mg of sodium per slice.
This seven-layered cake provides a rich, decadent dessert. There are sweet buttercream layers that are sandwiched between soft sponge cake, which creates a taste that is like no other.
- Sodium per 1 slice: 60 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
2. Little Debbie Natural Flavor Banana Twins Snack Cakes
For a fruity flavored cake, the Little Debbie Natural Flavor Banana Twins Snack Cakes is a great option. There are 70 mg of sodium and 260 calories per cake.
The recommended serving is 2 cakes, which adds up to 140 mg, still within the ‘low sodium’ range. This banana-flavored cake is made using enriched bleached flour that contains the B vitamins niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid, each of which plays important roles in metabolism, oxygen transportation, and cell growth.
- Sodium per 1 cake: 70 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
3. Smart Baking Company Vanilla Latte Smartcake
If you’re on a weight loss journey and you’re also trying to reduce your sodium intake, the Smart Baking Company Vanilla Latte Smartcake might be exactly what you’re looking for. Each cake contains just 38 calories and 95 mg of sodium.
Each cake contains 9 grams of carbohydrates, making it a suitable option for those of you who are following the ketogenic diet. There are also 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein in each Smartcake.
With a delicious blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and ground coffee, a vanilla latte Smartcake is a great way to finish up your day. Smart Baking Company has a range of different Smartcake flavors to choose from.
- Sodium per 1 cake: 95 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
4. Bakery Fresh Goodness Sour Cream Angel Food Cake
Although the Bakery Fresh Goodness Sour Cream Angel Food Cake has the highest sodium contents out of all of the cakes in this list, it is still within the ‘low sodium’ limit. There is 140 mg of sodium per slice.
Sour cream might not be a typical cake ingredient, but it adds the perfect flavor to this angel food cake. Alongside a sweet ice cream or a side of whipped cream, it creates a delicious and healthy dessert for the whole family to enjoy.
- Price: $2.99 for 13 oz
- Sodium per 1 slice: 140 mg
- Buy from Kroger here
Low Sodium Store-Bought Ice Cream
The four best low sodium store-bought ice cream products are:
- My Mochi Cookies & Cream Mochi Ice Cream
- Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars
- Edy’s Slow-Churned Light Classic Vanilla Ice Cream
- Perry’s Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
My Mochi Cookies & Cream Mochi Ice Cream
Each Mochi ice cream bar contains just 110 calories and 25 mg of sodium, making it a sweet, yet healthy alternative to many other ice creams on the shelves.
My Mochi offers this product in a range of different flavors, but the Cookies & Cream Mochi Ice Cream is one of the most popular options due to its delicious combination of ingredients.
- Sodium per 1 bar: 25 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars
With 40 mg of sodium per serving, the Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars are another one of the best low sodium store-bought desserts.
The vanilla ice cream is coated in rich milk chocolate and chopped roasted almonds. Each bar provides 6% of your daily calcium needs, which can promote healthy bone mineral density, growth, and maintenance, and the ingredients are all gluten-free.
- Sodium per 1 bar: 40 mg
- Buy from Amazon here
Edy’s Slow-Churned Light Classic Vanilla Ice Cream
For a rich and creamy way to finish up your dinner, try Edy’s Slow-Churned Light Classic Vanilla Ice Cream. Each serving (one cup) contains 65 mg of sodium.
This product is non-GMO and contains no artificial colors, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children. It also contains half the amount of fat and two-thirds of the calories found in the regular Edy’s ice cream products.
- Price: $5.99 for 48 fl oz
- Sodium per 1 cup: 65 mg
- Buy from Fresh Direct here
Related Article: Is Ice Cream Good or Bad For Bodybuilding?
Perry’s Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
The Perry’s Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are a little higher in sodium than the other ice cream options in this list, but they are still below the 140 mg limit.
This product contains a smooth vanilla ice cream sandwich between two crispy chocolate wafers. It contains no high fructose corn syrup.
- Price: $4.99 for 6 sandwiches
- Sodium per 1 sandwich: 125 mg
- Buy from Fresh Direct here
Looking for an ice cream recipe, check out Protein Ice Cream Recipe For Bodybuilding (Easy To Make)
If you’re looking for low sodium spice blends, check out my review of Flavor God.
Why Should You Buy Low Sodium Desserts?
Registered Dietitian Brenda Peralta says that most people think that a dessert cannot fit into a healthy lifestyle. However, enjoying a dessert every now and then can help us have variety and don’t feel very restricted. Remember that any problem arises when we don’t have moderation with our foods.
But it can be counterintuitive to eat desserts when you are trying to cut back on your sodium intake. Most of the desserts on the shelves are packed full of ‘hidden’ sodium. By choosing low sodium alternatives, you can continue to eat your favorite delicious desserts without worrying about consuming too much sodium.
Due to the essential role of sodium in the human body, consuming too much of this mineral can disrupt a range of physiological functions in your body. Most notably, your fluid balance and the function of your kidneys, nerves, and muscles are affected by excessive sodium.
Excessive sodium consumption has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Around a quarter of all deaths in America each year are due to cardiovascular disease. Decreasing your dietary sodium consumption can reduce your blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications, and improve kidney function.
It’s worth switching to the low sodium store-bought desserts wherever possible to cut your sodium intake so that you can stay within the recommended daily limit and reduce your risk of disease.
Other Low Sodium Foods
About The Author
Athina Crilley is a Biochemistry graduate, a qualified personal trainer, and nutrition coach. She is passionate about helping women to balance their hormones and cycle. She is the host and producer of Finding Flo podcast, which covers all things women’s health and nutrition.