Vegan and gluten free Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies prove that it is possible to avoid sugar and still bake cookies! This healthy snack is made with wholesome oats, flaxseed, bananas, coconut oil and dried fruit with no wheat flour or added sugar in sight.
We love putting new twists on old favorites such as oatmeal cranberry cookies, oatmeal cookies and pumpkin cookies. All made with good for you ingredients!
Table of contents
Sugar Free Cookies
Here is a giant healthy cookie with no added sugar and whole food ingredients! These trail mix cookies contain only naturally occurring sugars found in bananas and dried fruits.
These flourless oatmeal cookies are made without any wheat flour, naturally sweetened and super delicious. A cookie that serves a dual purpose. It can be eaten for both healthy breakfast and for a snack!
Our other favorite giant cookie that we find irresistible after dinner is this almond flour skillet cookie!
Why Make No Sugar Oatmeal Cookies?
- Easy to make: Minimal ingredients and mostly pantry staples, these cookies come together in only 40 minutes.
- No added sugar: No maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar or low glycemic healthier sugars.
- 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 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!
These sugar free oatmeal cookies turn out super soft, but not chewy like chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles. What makes cookies chewy is the sugar melting when baked. Sugar free cookies can’t be chewy, period.
Ingredients for Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Flax eggs: These sugarless cookies are vegan. Flax egg add extra healthy fats and make us eat less animal products. If you want to use eggs, use 3 large eggs (and omit flaxseed and water).
- Bananas: Make sure you use very ripe bananas (think black spots). This is true for most baked goods that contain bananas.
Have spotty black bananas but not ready to use them yet? Store them peeled or unpeeled in the freezer, then later just defrost and use them in your favorite healthy banana recipes!
- Coconut oil: What are cookies without some sort of butter?! I used buttery flavoured coconut oil which I just got from Nutiva. I was curious and it worked so well! Coconut oil would work just fine or use vegan butter like Earth Balance.
- Oats: These cookies are truly gluten free and are a flourless oatmeal cookies. No traditional whole wheat or white flour here.
How to make your own oat flour: While you can buy oat flour at the grocery store these days, it can still be hard to find and can often cost more especially if you need gluten free. A budget friendly way to make your DIY oat flour is to just grind oats to a fine powder in your blender or food processor, then sift. Use leftover oat flour to make healthy oatmeal muffins!
- Trail mix cookies: Use what you love. I use peanuts, cashews and dates. When I am out of dates I make sugar free oatmeal raisin cookies. Dried fruit makes cookies sweeter. Just make sure you are not using sweetened dried fruit. I think sunflower seeds, Brazilian nuts, hazelnuts and unsweetened dried cranberries would all go so well in these cookies.
- Baking essentials: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
How to Make Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
There is a full recipe card below.
These healthy trail mix cookies are so simple to make!
- Prep: Get your oven ready by preheating to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper or use a silicone mat and spray with cooking spray.
- Make “eggs”: Whisk together the flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine wet ingredients: Mix 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 your dough will come out pretty thick.
- Add trail mix: Throw in nuts and dried fruit and 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 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.
Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Vegan egg: If you do not have flaxseed, you can substitute 3 eggs or use chia seed egg.
- Butter: I used buttery flavoured coconut oil. You can also use regular butter or vegan buttery spread like Earth Balance.
Whatever coconut oil or butter you use, keep in mind that it needs to be melted!
- 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.
- Shredded coconut: Unsweetened dried coconut flakes.
- Nuts and seeds: Pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts or pecans, pistachios, chia seeds, flax seeds or sunflower kernels. Unsalted is best! I love walnuts in healthy carrot cake baked oatmeal.
- Warm spices: Swap cinnamon for gingerbread spice or apple 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 for pure almond extract for a nutty taste.
- Applesauce: I have not tested using applesauce for the bananas, but it may work. Start at 1/2 a cup and use up to 1 cup. I would not substitute pumpkin though, as ‘mashed fruit’ is what gives these their sweet natural taste.
- Peanut butter: Just a small amount (otherwise you will upset the balance of wet to dry ratio of ingredients) you could use a small amount of peanut butter powder.
Tips for Best Results
- Chop dried fruit: If using ‘larger’ dried fruit, apricots, dates or even prunes chop them into dried raisin sized pieces.
- Do not substitute flour: Oat flour is lighter than wheat flours, and if you substitute you will be using too much ‘regular’ flour which could lead to dry or crumbly cookies.
- Mix-in amounts: No matter what mix-ins you use (either recipe as written or add-in variations) be sure to use only 1 cup total!
- 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 over baked!
FAQs
That really depends on your definition of healthy! This recipe for sugar free oatmeal cookies are great for those looking for a no added sugar, gluten free, vegan cookie.
While these cookies do not contain any added sugar, they do contain carbs from the oats/oat flour. While oats are considered nutrient dense and are absorbed slower by the body than wheat, it is probably best to check with your nutritionist/doctor if you are following a strict diet.
Again, this depends on your ‘carb’ intakes and what you consider low carb. Net carbs of these trail mix cookies with no added sugar is 27 carbs. You may consider that a safe low carb range for a snack!
As I mentioned above, 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.
I don’t want to mislead you- these cookies do have naturally occurring sugars from the banana and dates. When baked goods are labeled ‘sugar free’ this means they have no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. I love that these cookies are made with ‘real ingredients’ without any added sugar!
How to Serve Sugar Free Cookies?
- Breakfast: I love to have these cookies with a glass of hot tea or healthy iced coffee. Of course, I recommend doing this only after you learn how to make lemon water.
- Snack: After school or a pick me up midday, the kids love them served with healthy hot chocolate.
- Pack to go: If you are an active person, wrap up some ‘trail mix’ cookies to take hiking, biking or to the park. You might also love chocolate protein cookies!
- Holidays: If you have family members that are limiting their sugar, intake, they will appreciate these on a cookie platter with almond flour sugar cookies, healthy gingerbread cookies and almond flour thumbprints.
How to Store Flourless Oatmeal Cookies?
Storing: It is best to place these cookies in a cool, dry open container. I don’t recommend storing in an airtight container or the cookies will get soggy.
Freezing: 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. 5 days in transit max. 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.
More Healthy Cookies Recipes
You may also enjoy this list of healthy snacks!
Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp flaxseed ground
- 9 tbsp water
- 2 large over ripen bananas
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 cup mixed nuts & seeds chopped, if too large
- 10 Medjool pitted chopped dates or 1 cup raisins
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk flaxseed and water. Let sit for about 10 minutes while you are getting other ingredients ready.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- 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.
- Eggs in place of flaxseed: If you want to use eggs, omit flaxseed and water and use 3 large eggs.
- Butter? I used buttery flavoured coconut oil. You can also use regular butter or vegan buttery spread like Earth Balance.
- Make oat flour: By grinding oats in a food processor or high speed blender.
- Shipping? I would ship cookies only to a short destination when receiver can pick up the parcel immediately – 5 days in transit max. I recommend to place cookies in a ventilated container big enough to fit all cookies but so they don’t tumble freely in it.
I have made this twice now using eggs. Once with just raisins and one with almond flakes and almonds. Amazing. Thank you. My first choice as a treat for my toddler.
I am so happy to hear this Narelle! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious!
Thank you for this nourishing cookies. I didn’t have bananas so I used 1/2 c strained applesauce (put applesauce in a fine sieve, drain for 15 min.). Great for travel food, too, as they’re sturdy.
Thanks for sharing your positive feedback!
I am on kidney dialysis not allowed to have bananas because of the potassium what would be an Substitute for bananas
I am not a certified nutritionist and am not able to make suggestions for health related recipe adaptations. Sorry!
I’ve just made these cookies and I am amazed how delicious they are.These are a big fat thumbs up.
My husband couldn’t believe how fantastic they tasted. I am gluten free and this recipe is a keeper. I gave away 6 of them to a neighbour before I had tried them and I’m questioning now why I did that! I will have to make a second batch tomorrow…
Olena explains everything in a clear concise fashion
I didn’t have all the nuts so used a combination of cashews, flaked almonds and walnuts and they taste wonderful.
I did a lot of research beforehand and having read such glowing reviews decided to thankfully choose yours.
Thank you for the recipes but is it at all possible you could allow me to print off in Metric instead (I’m in the UK) of USA cups please? I know I can change it to read the recipe but to print off it doesn’t have that facility. If not it’s no big deal.
Unfortunately, I am not able to switch the recipe card to have print options in metric. I appreciate your feedback on the recipe and am so happy you liked the cookies!
Reposting to add rating. Definitely 5 star!!
SO.VERY.GOOD. The ingredients fit in with my eating style as a grab and go breakfast or as a treat with coffee. I love that I can have them without guilt about what I am putting into my body. The recipe is great as written. I love some of Olena’s other suggestions that I have tried also, including using eggs and raisins and I also love it with all walnuts substituted for the mixed.
Thanks again for helping me to love health food!
You’re welcome Kimberly!
Hi. Thank you for this recipe. I love it and so does my family. I have a question. Can I use citric acid to preserve it for like a month? If so, how much do I use for this recipe?
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Maria. I have never used citric acid to preserve anything, so can’t tell. You can freeze cookies and thaw within hours.
Thanks, Olena! I’ll look forward to more of your plant based dessert recipes. Stay safe.
The first thing I ever baked in life and it turned out great ! I am glad you posted this recipe. Thankyou!!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Is there anyway to make the cookies more crispy. similar to packaged ones. Thankyou again for a great recipe.
Mmmm, no because packaged ones are crispy due to sugar melting into butter during baking.
I see, thankyou for the reply 🙂
This one was an instant hit with my family. So healthy and tasty and moreover guilt free. Actually I have made it three -four times by now
Thanks and waiting for many more
Yay! So happy this is a hit with your family Meenakshi!