These Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies are chewy thanks to oats and flaxseed, and have a sweet pop of nuts and dried fruit. They prove that it is possible to avoid sugar and still bake cookies!
Other oatmeal cookies we love are these breakfast cookies, healthy oatmeal cookies and healthy banana oatmeal cookies.
Table of Contents
Here is a giant healthy cookie recipe with no added sugar and whole food ingredients!
I started making these sugar free oatmeal cookies back in 2018 when we hiked with small kids and I was extremely passionate about healthy eating. Not that I am not anymore, but as kids grew I became more understanding with “balance and moderation”.:)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No added sugar: No maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar or low glycemic sugar substitutes. Fruit is the only sweetener!
- Easy to make: Minimal ingredients and mostly pantry staples, these cookies come together in only 40 minutes.
- Special diet approved: No eggs, dairy or wheat and when using gluten free oats, these are both vegan and gluten-free oatmeal cookies.
- Eat any time of the day: Made with wholesome ingredients these are perfect for a healthy breakfast, snack or even dessert!
- Freezer friendly: Make a big batch and store in the freezer when you need a healthy snack on the go!
Ingredients for Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
To make sugar free oatmeal cookies recipe you will need common pantry staples plus bananas.
- Bananas: Make sure you use very ripe bananas with many black spots to ensure sweet cookies.
- Flaxseed and water: Flax eggs keep this recipe vegan, add extra healthy fats and help to eat less animal products.
- Oats: I prefer to use rolled oats or also known as old-fashioned oats. You can use quick oats but cookies will have less chewy texture.
- Oat flour: You can use store-bought oat flour or here is a quick tutorial on DIY oat flour. Don’t use just ground up oats, they have to be sifted.
- Coconut oil: I tried this recipe with both coconut oil and Nutiva buttery flavored coconut oil. Both worked great! I think vegan butter like Earth Balance will be fine too but I am not sure how recipe will work with oil that you can’t melt.
- Nuts: Use whichever nuts you love. I use peanuts, almonds and cashews. I think sunflower seeds, Brazilian nuts, pecans and hazelnuts will go well.
- Dates: You can use regular dates or Medjool dates.
- Baking essentials: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
How to Make Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
These sugar free oatmeal cookies are so simple to make! There is also a full recipe card below.
- Prep wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together flaxseed and water, and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. In another large bowl, mash bananas and add melted coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add in the flaxseed mixture and whisk well.
- Add dry ingredients: Add oats and oat flour and mix well. Don’t be surprised that cookie dough will come out pretty thick. Throw in chopped nuts and dried fruit, stir.
- Form cookies: Scoop cookie batter onto baking sheet using a large ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop (a large tablespoon works too!). Flatten with the back of the scoop or a large spoon. Don’t worry, these cookies will not spread out more during baking.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack. Let them cool completely.
Tips for Best Results
- Follow the recipe: For best results, I recommend to follow this cookie recipe as written. Baking is truly a science!
- Chop dried fruit: If using larger dried fruit like apricots, dates or even prunes, chop them into dried raisin sized pieces. Also raisins or dried cranberries will work, no need to chop them. Just make sure you are not using sweetened dried fruit.
- Do not substitute flour: Oat flour is lighter than wheat flours and if you substitute it, your cookies will turn out dry or crumbly.
- Flatten the cookies: These cookies need some help to spread out. Flatten them slightly to ensure they bake all the way through.
- Cool for only 1 minute on the pan: After baking, cool for 1 minute on the pan to ensure the cookie holds shape, then move to a baking rack. Leaving them longer on the pan, might “bake” them longer and your cookies might be dry!
Additions and Variations
No matter what mix-ins you use, either as written or with add-in variations, be sure to use only 1 cup total.
- Mix-ins: Mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (just remember this will change the sugar amount), unsweetened dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, blueberries or even crystalized ginger will work.
- Shredded coconut: Unsweetened dried coconut flakes.
- Nuts and seeds: Pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts or pecans, pistachios, chia seeds, flax seeds or sunflower seeds. Unsalted is best!
- Warm spices: Swap cinnamon for gingerbread spice, pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger or allspice.
- Lemon or orange zest: Just a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon will add a delicious flavor.
- Extract: Swap vanilla extract for pure almond extract for a nutty taste.
- Peanut butter: Add just 1-2 tablespoons otherwise you will upset the balance of wet to dry ratio of ingredients. You could also use a small amount of peanut butter powder.
How to Store
Store: It is best to place sugar free oatmeal cookies in a cool, dry ventilated or partially closed container. I don’t recommend storing in an airtight container or the cookies will get soggy.
Freeze: Place in a freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours.
Shipping? I would ship cookies only to a short destination where a receiver can pick up parcel immediately. For 5 days in transit maximum.
I recommend to place cookies in a ventilated container big enough to fit all cookies but so they don’t tumble in it and break.
FAQs
I have not tried this swap, so can’t vouch for results. You will need to skip flaxseed and water and try to add 2 large eggs. That’s what seems to work out for some readers. Please let me know how cookies turn out.
I don’t recommend it. Bananas are quite unique, binding and make the base of this recipe. Maybe pumpkin puree or applesauce will work.
I have not tested this recipe with any oil that you can’t melt like avocado oil, olive oil etc. A reader made these cookies with grapeseed oil and they turned out well.
Dried fruit makes cookies sweeter. If you are OK with not sweet cookies, you can omit dates.
Sugar free cookies will not be chewy because it is sugar that causes cookies to be soft as it melts while baking. These cookies will be soft, but not chewy.
More Healthy Cookies Recipes to Try
- Healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies
- Healthy no bake cookies
- Cottage cheese cookies
- Protein cookies
- Oat flour cookies
- Oat flour monster cookies
- Healthy pumpkin cookies
Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
- 9 tablespoons water
- 2 large over ripen bananas
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 cup mixed nuts & seeds, chopped, if too large
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted & chopped, or 1 cup raisins
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk flaxseed and water. Let sit for about 10 minutes while you are getting other ingredients ready.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add flaxseed mixture and whisk really well.
- Add oats and oat flour; stir to combine. Add nuts and dried fruit; mix well. Dough will be very thick.
- Using large ice cream scoop, place batter on previously prepared sheet and flatten with the back of a scoop into large size cookies. Cookies do not spread. I had about 6 cookies per sheet. Bake in batches for 20 minutes or until nuts start to brown a bit.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for a minute, then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool off completely. Enjoy for breakfast, snack or a healthy dessert!
Notes
- Store: Store in a cool dry place open. Do not wrap or place cookies in a jar. The more air, the better. That way cookies do not get soggy. Remember there is no sugar.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, I want to make these cookies, they look awesome with great ingredients. Can I reduce the number of dates and use unripened bananas?
Lower number of dates may affect consistency. They add to the batter. Unripened bananas will make cookies less sweet. You may try but not sure about how tasty and proper texture cookies will be.
What is the purpose of the flaxseed? Is this, with the water, supposed to replace eggs? I usually use baking soda and vinegar as my sub.
Yes, egg replacement.
Can I substitute date sugar and if so how much?
Unfortunately not in this recipe.
Can I use steel cut oat flour instead. If so then does any thing change in the recipe.
Thank you for sharing dying to try your recipe .
Yes I think you should be fine as it’s not a large amount. Cookies might be a tad more dense which is fine. Enjoy!
Hi Olena thank you for this awesome recipe for these cookies they are so good.And they turned out realy nice made with grape seed oil instead of coconut oil.Thank you very much.June .
So glad you enjoyed them!
Hi Olena can I use grape seed oil instead of coconut oil for this cookies .Thank you June.
It has not been tested but should work, texture might change.
Hi! Thanks for this amazing recipe. Tho my family prefer a bit of sweetness to it i added a little bit of dark chocolates in it. But all in all I super love this cookie! Thank you so much.
Yum, you can never go wrong with dark chocolate!
Hi Olena thank you very much for the great recipe for the healthy oatmeal cookies they are so good my family and I love them .
I want to give some to my daughter what can I use to put them in so they stay crispy and not go soggy .Thank you June.
Are you shipping them? Here is what is recommended if shipping – ship cookies only to a short destination where a receiver can pick up parcel immediately. 5 days in transit max. Place cookies in a ventilated container big enough to fit all cookies but so they don’t tumble in it and break.