If you have a sweet tooth, you’re not alone — many people crave a treat after a meal, with their morning coffee, or as a midnight snack. But it’s easier than you may realize to overdo it on sugar. Per day, men are best off limiting added sugar to 9 teaspoons (tsp) or less, and for women it’s 6 tsp or less, according to the guidelines from the American Heart Association. There’s a good chance you’re eating more than that: The U.S. population regularly consumes three times that amount, according to a review published in 2019 in the Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences. You might be surprised at how easy it is to reach your daily sugar limit. For example, a typical 12-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams (g) of sugar, the company notes. That’s 10 tsp per can — greater than the daily limit for both men and women. Eating too much sugar may increase your risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and high blood pressure, according to Harvard University researchers. And a past study suggests that added sugar is particularly detrimental to heart health. Researchers studied the health data of nearly 12,000 adults and found that those who consumed 25 percent or more of their calories from added sugar were twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who got 10 percent or less of their calories from added sugar. The study authors also analyzed Americans’ intake of sugar over time, from a separate pool of about 31,000 people, and determined that between 2005 and 2010, 10 percent or more of participants met or exceeded that 25 percent threshold. For these reasons, sugar isn’t something to eat freely; it’s all about balance, notes the Mayo Clinic. You’ll want to get plenty of calories from healthy, filling foods, and then enjoy the occasional sweet treat, if that’s what you’re craving. (You can also monitor your sugar intake by checking the package’s nutrition label and looking for the line labeled “added sugar,” which is a relatively new addition to the label, notes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.) “Treating yourself with food is part of normal eating and can be healthy once in a while,” says Christy Brissette, RDN, the Chicago-based president of 80 Twenty Nutrition. One easy way to indulge while keeping your health goals on track? Opt for sweets that hit the spot but also offer nutrition. “Anytime you can add in some vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants by adding fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds to your desserts, you’re improving your diet,” says Brissette. “Eating should be fun, not a source of more stress!” These 10 registered dietitian–approved desserts are nutritious and simple to bake, so you can easily whip them up next time you need to bring a little sweetness to your day.