These Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies are loaded with oats, flaxseed, nuts, fruits and do not have any added sugar.
Other oatmeal cookies we love are these breakfast cookies, healthy oatmeal cookies and healthy banana oatmeal cookies.
Reader’s Review
I make these for my grandchildren and husband, I can not make enough. The way you explain everything is wonderful and the recipes always turn out so well.
Mary Richardson
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I started making these sugar free oatmeal cookies back in 2018 when we hiked with small kids and I was extremely passionate about the healthy eating. Not that I am not anymore, but as kids grew I became more understanding with “balance and moderation”.
- No added sugar:Â No maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar or low glycemic sugar substitutes in this sugar-free oatmeal cookie recipe. Fruit is the only sweetener!
- Easy recipe:Â With simple ingredients and mostly pantry staples, these healthy cookies are made in one bowl and no dough chilling is required.
- Diet friendly:Â No eggs, dairy or wheat. Vegan and gluten-free when using certified gluten-free oats.
- Nutritious: Each giant cookie contains 5 gr of fiber and 5 gr protein. And they taste amazing!
- Freezer friendly:Â Make a big batch of sugar free oat cookies and store in the freezer when you need a healthy snack or breakfast.
Ingredients for Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Bananas: Make sure you use very ripe bananas with many black spots to ensure sweet cookies. They add natural sweetness and moisture.
- Flaxseed and warm water: Flax eggs keep this recipe vegan and add extra healthy fats.
- 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. I don’t recommend to use instant oats as they will not produce a nice 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. One reader used grapeseed oil and they turned out well.
- Nuts: Use whichever nuts you love. I use peanuts, almonds and cashews. I think sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazilian nuts and hazelnuts will go well.
- Dates: You can use regular dates or Medjool dates. Chop them into bite sized pieces. Also raisins or dried cranberries will work.
- Baking essentials: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
How to Make Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Make flax “eggs”: In a small bowl, whisk together flaxseed and warm water, and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork and add melted coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add in the flaxseed mixture and whisk well.
- Make the dough: 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.
- Bake and cool: Scoop cookie batter onto baking tray with large cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, then flatten with the back. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cookies cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Best Results
- Follow the recipe: For best results, I recommend to follow this recipe exactly as written. Baking is truly a science!
- Use warm water with flax: To make flax eggs use warm water and let mixture sit, so it thickens.
- Shape them: Sugar-free oatmeal cookies do not spread because there is no sugar or butter. So you have to form them into a desired size round cookie shape.
- Cool the cookies: So they have a chance to set, otherwise cookies might fall apart.
Add-ins and Variations
- Chocolate: Add up to 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar.
- Shredded coconut: Add up to 1/3 cup of unsweetened dried coconut flakes.
- Spices: Swap cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger or all spice.
- Lower in sugar: Dried fruit makes cookies sweeter. If you are OK with not sweet cookies, you can omit dates.
How to Store
Store: It is best to place the 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 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.
I don’t recommend it. Bananas are quite unique, binding and make the base of this recipe.
Sugar free cookies will not be chewy or crispy because it’s a result of baking cookies with sugar and butter. These cookies will be soft.
More Oatmeal Cookies Recipes to Try
- Healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies
- Oatmeal pistachio cookies
- Blueberry oatmeal cookies
- Healthy no bake cookies
- Oat flour cookies
- Oat flour monster cookies
Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
- 9 tablespoons warm 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.
I just pulled the last pan from the oven! These are delicious cookies, though I’m not a fan of bananas (they grow in our yard). Do you recommend a substitute for bananas?
Following the recipe exactly, I wound up with 18 cookies! That’s a good thing.
I have a question regarding storage. As we live in a tropical climate, right on the beach and do not use A/C, it is very humid, and leaving a container open would invite moisture. Shall I store them in the refrigerator? I prefer not to eat “cold” cookies, but will adhere to your suggestion.
Thanks!
I tried only with bananas. Maybe applesauce will work but I have no idea. Maybe store them in the fridge in a ventilated container sort of.
A fantastic, sugar-free cookie, with a great nutty fruity flavor. 5/5!
That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed my recipe!
I actually did a date paste before adding the rest (I also added macadamia and sugar free 100% cacao chocolate), worked great can’t stop eating these cookies lol thanks for the recipe!
best cookie I’ve ever made since going vegan, gluten and sugar free. AMAZING. DELICIOUS.
So good! My picky, oatmeal-raisin cookie loving husband loved them too:-). Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!
You are very welcome! Husbands are kids too.:)
First time to your blog to make these cookies and we LOVED them. I love healthy eating for myself and my family so I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Jo Anne!:) Tx for making an effort to find a Comment tab.
These cookies are so good!
Hey, Olena. I was just wondering, what is the flax seed for?
It acts as a binder instead of eggs.
Hi Olena, Just like you I’m an expat – a Swede living in the UK. I also have two children, two girls of 5 years and 15 months, and I can identify with so much of what you write about as being a mum! I also share your interest in healthy eating, so your blog is a great inspiration. I just made these cookies and they are great! I wanted to use them as grab-and-go snacks for the girls so made them with finely chopped hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds in place of the nuts you had, so that my youngest wouldn’t choke on them. They came out absolutely delicious – the girls loved them :)! I also can’t believe how light they are, not at all dense like I had imagined. Thanks so much for this brilliant recipe, and for a really entertaining and funny blog! Cecilia x.
Hi Cecilia. I can bet every mom’s life is pretty similar.:) My boys have the same age difference. They are very good friends now. It helps that kids are same sex so they share same interests. In my case it is crazy loud lol.
My kids love these cookies too. I already forgot about the details feeding babies.:) Great creativity. Well, you are a mom. You know how to work around things. All the best to you. I will try to think of similar healthy cookie recipe on the go. Get tired of muffins.
These cookies look absolutely wonderful!! I can’t believe they’re sugar free!