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: 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: With simple ingredients and mostly pantry staples, these healthy cookies are made in one bowl and no dough chilling is required.
- Diet friendly: 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: 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.
Hey Olena!
I would like to add another banana to the cookies to make them sweeter. What else should I adjust in the cookies to make that change?
Hi Annie. Problem is that extra banana might make dough more runny but maybe it will work. I have not tried. Add more dried fruit instead of some nuts and cookies will be sweeter.:)
Very good! And I don’t have to feel guilty about eating them….very filling. Can be used as a healthy quick pick me up if you get hungry during the day.
Awesome Ren!
Delicious, easy to make and I’m very picky.
Hi Linda! So glad that you enjoyed the cookies!
Hi Olena, I’m thrilled with this recipe!!! My husband is devouring these cookies. I used sugar free chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins for the add ins. I substituted the oat flour for bleached white flour (that’s all I had on hand) and I used butter since I didn’t have coconut oil. I look forward to trying other variations. Thank you for inspiring me to think outside the box and believe that that “delicious” is possible even w/o the sugar!!!!
Licking my lips,
Carrie
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback, Carrie! So happy hubby approved.:)
Yay. A recipe that doesn’t replace sugar with honey or loads of cream and fat. No expensive sweetner either. This worked out perfectly. I replaced the coconut oil with butter because coconut makes me feel ill. Cut everything quite small, so that did take a bit of time. Also added sugar free choc chips, cause that makes everything better. Overall I’m thrilled with this recipe. Ended up making 20 cookies that cooked for 25 mins.
Awesome and those are great ideas!
This is a keeper! I decided to go sugar-free for the first few months of 2020 as part of my New Year “clean up the diet” resolve.
I’ve tried lots of mashed banana and GF desserts. Very few beg repeating, lots end up in the bin, and of the “survivors” most I’d be embarrassed to give to a friend. I was pleasantly surprised that these were so yummy I proudly gave some to a friend. I’m working on batch two already!
I too used a mix of nuts, but I might try a batch with salted peanuts and raisins. Batch one, I only had apricots and dates. I’m going to try the next batch with raisins and after reading Esther used dried cranberry, I might try a tangy dried fruit like dried tart cherry.
Thank you so much Olena. I’m going to try more of your recipes
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Margery! Thank you for the wonderful review! You should try these muffins.
Great recipe! Loved the convenience of everything mixed in one bowl. And I did what you recommended, I added lots more nuts including chopped Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, unsweetened shaved coconut and dried cranberries! All that practically doubled the recipe.
I was pretty excited it came out to my liking but then I shared them with friends and several asked for the recipe. That’s good enough for my 5 star rating!
Yay, so happy to hear, Esther!
As always I modified this recipe with my own twist(s)
I’m quite sure it would be wonderful as it was
I added Sm amounts of stevia vanilla and Bob’s red Mill egg replacer (had no ground flack on hand)
Delicious! I’m sharing with my siblings who are gluten free!
Glad you enjoyed the cookies and thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Olena
Greeting from Singapore
Thank you for your generosity in sharing your recipes and goodness.
I enjoyed reading this so much, tho as yet to try them I am sure it will taste great.
cheers
Aw, you are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my blog! Please don’t be shy to leave me a comment with a star review once you make any recipe. Have a great weekend!