Sugar Free Cookies
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These sugar free cookies are soft, chewy, and need just 3 ingredients to make! I love how they bake in just 10 minutes.
Having a father with diabetes means I am regularly making dessert for him without sugar. He has a few favorites up his sleeve, but when he requests a diabetic-friendly cookie, I make him my famous sugar free cookies!
Now, not all sugar substitutes are equal, so I did extensive recipe testing using every popular kind on the market. In culinary school, we learned that sugar isn’t just about sweetness- it impacts texture, browning, and even how soft a cookie stays. After all that testing, the clear winner as allulose, which mimics real sugar almost perfectly, and is the sweetener I use here.
The result? Cookies that taste like they came straight from a bakery: crisp edges, soft middles, and nearly impossible to stop at just one.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 3 Ingredients. No flour and no grains are needed, just pantry staples!
- Quick and easy. With less than two minutes of prep and ten minutes of cooking time, these could not be any easier.
- Low in carbs. Not only are these completely sugar-free, but they are also keto-friendly.
- No bitter aftertaste. Sugar substitutes are known for leaving desserts with a slightly bitter taste, but not these ones!
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These cookies are so good. I use baking soda and sugar free maple syrup for my sweetener. I bake for 10 minutes. I love having something that is gluten free and tastes delicious!!” – Susan
“These were so easy and very nostalgic!” – Renee
“No one could tell these were sugar free cookies! SO GOOD!” – Ceriuna
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Almond butter or peanut butter. Smooth and creamy with no added sugar (just look for one with a touch of salt).
- Sugar substitute. I like to use allulose, but you can try a brown sugar substitute or powdered sugar substitute. In testing, I found monk fruit to be too gritty (although pleasantly sweet) and stevia to be a bit bitter and artificial tasting.
- Egg. Always use room-temperature eggs. It prevents the cookies from crumbling once cooled.
Substitutions I’ve tried
- Use a liquid sweetener. Instead of a granulated sugar substitute, use half a cup of sugar free maple syrup. The cookies will be a little softer in the middle.
- Add chocolate. For sugar free chocolate chip cookies, add 1/2 cup of sugar free chocolate chips to the batter. You could also just make my favorite sugar free chocolate chip cookies.
- Make it eggless. Follow a vegan diet or don’t have eggs on hand? I’ve had success with using a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons water).
How to make sugar free cookies
Step 1- Make the dough. Start by creaming together the almond butter, allulose, and egg until a thick and sticky dough remains. Be sure to mix everything very well, to ensure the peanut butter is completely immersed.
Step 2– Shape the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out portions of the dough and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Step 3- Assemble. Press down on the balls of dough into a thick cookie shape.
Step 4- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to firm up.
Pro recipe tips
- Do not over-bake the cookies as they continue to firm up as they are cooling down. Once they begin to brown around the edges they are ready to be removed from the oven.
- If you’d prefer thicker cookies, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and refrigerate the dough for 40 minutes. This will also help them from over-spreading.
- Make ahead. You can make the dough up to 48 hours in advance. When ready to bake the cookies, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
These cookies are made without added sugar and use allulose, which has little to no impact on blood sugar. That said, everyone’s tolerance to sweeteners can vary, so it’s best to check with your healthcare provider if you’re baking specifically for diabetes management (like I do for my dad).
Yes, you can. I have to make nut-free desserts for my niece who has allergies. For these cookies, I swapped out the nut butter for sunflower seed butter. Other readera have had success with tahini.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can keep at room temperature, covered, for up to one week. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
To freeze: Place the cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition facts for this recipe have been reviewed by Registered Dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Sugar Free Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond butter * See notes
- 3/4 cup allulose * See notes
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a cookie sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form small balls on the cookie sheet, spread 3-4 inches apart. Press each ball into a cookie shape and press down with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are 'just' golden brown but still soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Almond butter sub: Peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini works.
- Sugar substitute: Allulose bakes like sugar and is best. I’ve also had success with keto brown sugar or a powdered sugar substitute. I don’t really like monk fruit sweetener (it’s too gritty) or stevia (it’s too bitter).
- Leftovers: Keep at room temperature, covered, for up to one week or in the fridge for four weeks. Freeze them, too, for up to 6 months.
Looking forward to trying these , they look delicious
These cookies are so good. I use baking soda and sugar free maple syrup for my sweetener. I bake for 10 minutes. I love having something that is gluten free and tastes delicious!!
Great…ideas!!!Just what i”ve been looking for
Loved it! Great recipe
Add sugar free choc chips!
delishious
These were so easy and very nostalgic!
No one could tell these were sugar free cookies! SO GOOD!
I like the recipe for this. Have not yet gave it a try and would like to ask a question please.
Can the sweetner be regular splenda? thank you
You could try- I don’t really use it!
I love these cookies- I used almond butter instead and it was perefect!
I’m giving 5 stars to my version of the recipe.
Instead of using sweetener, I substituted 2 mashed bananas.
I added a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
Lightly sweet and delish!
I like getting one
Just made these with 1/2 c almond butter and 1/2 c peanut butter and used Surkin brown sugar substitute and the 1 egg. They are delicious! It made 17 instead of 12 so next time I’ll make them a bit larger.
Love these sugarless cookies!
Love these sugar free cookies. Even non-sugar-free friends love them.
These are such good cookies!
Easy. Delicious treat. I made these for a diabetic neighbor & now they are a family favorite!
Hello! A few years ago this was different. I think you wrote you can subbstitute the egg with ground chia seeds. Would you please tell me how much chia seeds?
Looking for sugar free cookies means no sugar or chocolate or peanut butter .
Make these with almond butter.
Such delicious cookies! I make them very often.
Great to hear that, Lama!
Your recipe says creamy peanut butter. Can these be made with crunchy peanut butter?
Yes but the texture will be different 🙂
The best sugar free cookies recipe I’ve ever tasted 🙂
Just made these and they came out lovely! Used 3 tablespoons powdered Stevia added the baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon and one additional egg yolk. New to keto lifestyle & these are a winner!
Easy, delicious, and perfect.
So happy I found this recipe. I used almond butter, 1/2 cup of sugar free syrup and an egg. Dropped by 1-1/2 TB, made 11 that baked up fluffy and soft. Good flavor and texture. Next time I will add some sugar free chocolate chips for fun. Thanks!
Delicious, the directions are accurate. I added a teaspoon of vanilla, making a double batch tonight
J.M.J.
Wow, these were really easy to make. I don’t bake very often – and this was a fun, quick, easy recipe to make to share with family or welcome the new neighbors in the neighborhood.
Great recipe . Will try at least once. Hope I like.
Haven’t tried these yet but I’m excited to find another blog that has sugar-free recipes because I’m trying to eliminate refined sugar from my diet. On these, I am wanting a sugar cookie taste – not pb cookie – do you feel cashew butter would give more of a sugar cookie taste as opposed to using peanut butter?
Sounds amazing – and so simple!
Thank you!
The are delicious! You won’t regret it and so easy to make!!
This is a terrific recipe. I used allulose as my sweetner but increased it to a cup because it is not as sweet as other replacements. Almond butter with no sugar added and egg beaters instead of an egg. They are a bit stiff but still easy to roll into balls and flatten with a fork. This is my decadent go-to dessert now that I am on my new post heart attack lifestyle. I wish I could eat them all but I limit myself to 1 a day. Thanks!
Made these today. My husband is a diabetic, so I’m always looking for sweet recipes for him. My daughter, son-in-law and my grandsons all loved them. Only have 2 left 😋
to the people asking if liquid stevia can be used instead – I used 20ml and they look like cookies and are edible but… get/make a better sweetener if you can, the stevia aftertaste is… bad
NEVER use stevia haha- it leaves a horrible aftertaste.
SO easy and delicious! I wanted a keto alternative that didn’t include almond flour… these were perfect!
These turned out great! I used Lakanto monk fruit sweetener, Santa Cruz no stir organic PB and I used the version with an egg but also added 1/2 TB chia seeds for some extra texture.
Can I give this recipe more stars?!? Here’s why: 1. I followed as closely as possible, using regular PB, granulated white sugar, and one large egg, which I had set out earlier to get room temperature. I mixed egg and sugar until smooth – with a fork (a fork!), then folded in PB until it became thick and tacky. I rolled in very small balls and pressed evenly. Then baked exactly 8 minutes @350° on parchment paper, careful to not disturb from pan until completely cooled. Sprinkled sugar after they came out… Now I’m confused as to why PB cookies ever had flour or any other unnecessary ingredients to begin with! *PERFECTO* And just beautiful! How one could muss these up simply eludes me. And they taste like peanut butter cookies should!
2. What a wonderfully delicious and simple recipe – but for it to be so versatile that many folks with differing food restrictions, health goals, and lifestyle choices.. we can all enjoy this tasty treat as needed!! And even if a second go at it is needed when substituting, it’s possible without hurting the wallet/food budget!! I would give this recipe, and you, Arman, 10 stars if I could! I cannot wait to try even more from you very soon. 🙂 P.S. Leaving pics in the reply section, if I can <3
So, I added 2 things to the recipe, and reduced one
Added:
1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup of almond (or peanut, but I was making almond butter ones) slivers
Reduced the sugar to 7/8 of a cup because the vanilla brings tons of sweetness to the recipe.
Anyone made these with coconut sugar?
Tons of people have, they taste great with it 🙂
I’ve made these four or five times now and can’t tell you how much I love them! Excellent for my diabetic husband as well!
Thank you, Fiona!
Hi, these looked delicious and were so easy to put together. Unfortunately they fell apart while baking. Do you know why?
I used natural peanut butter, one egg, and splenda, and I baked them in aluminum trays greased generously.
Hi there! This shouldn’t have happened- They should be firm and dough-like before it is baked. Once it is baked, it will be soft but continues to firm up once cooled 🙂
Your recipe doesn’t give how many cookies per recipe. Can you give me that information please?
Made these but added a tsp of vanilla and 1/4 cup almond butter. They were delicious!! We added a few Lilis chocolate chips to the top of a few. That was good too!
These came out great! Is there a way to make them a little less sweet? Can I just use less of the monk fruit sweetener?
Yes you can!
This was delicious as cookie dough with the flour free type, and only took about 3 minutes! I cant wait to use this recipe again!
Thanks for this recipe, Yummy and healthy- amazing!
Thank you Cindy!
Is there any way to get the complete nutrition for these cookies? I’m interested in the potassium content. Thank you!
Hi! I haven’t calculated it, so you can add the ingredients into a calorie calculator (like myfitnesspal) and it will provide it for you!
I made these last week, used 4T of chia seeds and added some cacao nibs to tighten up the dough a bit. Baked them a little longer for a crispier cookie. They were a hit. Making them Again tonight and plan to add sesame seeds and some flax seed meal and less of the cacao nibs. Thanks for a great recipe that is egg and oil free
I tried making these according to the instructions (1 cup peanut butter, 3/4 cup coconut sugar/monk fruit sweetener , and 1 egg), but they were wet and not dough, like at all. I added an addition 1/4 cup of sugar + 1/4 of white wheat flour. Then they were perfect!
Never mind! Found it! Lol 🤣
Hi there. These look yummy. I looked to see how many servings your recipe makes so I can calculate my macros. Did I miss it? Thank you!
you mention several times that you use a monk fruit/stevia blend but all of your links are for the Lakanto monkfruit/Eurythritol sugar product. This product does not contain stevia. Can you please clear up the confusion?
Thanks! 🙂
This is the one I use- I hyperlink and mention stevia because in some countries, they have stevia baking blends, that work.
Thanks. Was craving these but wondering if Swerve would work for the sugar. Suggestion: list servings per batch. I sometimes use a recipe app to calculate nutrition and if I make changes or substitutions it’s easier to compare if I know how many servings you used in your calculations (without having to calculate backwards from your Calorie information).
Hi! Swerve should be fine 🙂
Hi, can we substitute the sweetener with nut flour 1:1? I’m making this as a gift to someone who doesn’t like sweet. Thank you 🙂
That won’t work at all 🙂
My experience wasn’t what I’d hope for. I used PB2 powered peanut butter (reconstituted) monk fruit golden & an egg. Exceptional (sickening sweet). Also, when removed from the cookie sheet, they had a dense & rubbery texture. Suggestions?>
Glenda, I never use PB2, it just doesn’t yield the texture that only peanut butter or another nut butter provides. Your results don’t surprise me. I would make it as stated.
No sugar doesn’t mean monk fruit, it means no sugar. Just like no stevia means no stevia
For me and my readers, this is the case. So yes, no sugar. enjoy.
How many carbs are in these cookies
It’s included in the recipe card 🙂
hi, can we use honey as substitute for the sweetener?
Hi Miki! It needs to be granulated, I haven’t tried with anything else 🙂
Can you use Xylitol for the sweetener? How much do I use for this recipe?
you can use coconut sugar as a sugar substitute and you substitute it for equal amounts of regular sugar so if a recipe calls for a cup of granulated sugar you would just substitute it for a cup of coconut sugar taste is pretty spot-on
Can you make the 3-ingredient PB cookies using a flax egg (ground flax seed) instead of ground chia seeds?
I haven’t tried- You could experiment and see!
Is the 3/4 cup for zero calorie sweetener? If I used cane sugar, would it still be 3/4 cup?
Yes, it would be 🙂
May I use coconut sugar if I can’t get monk fruit sweetener?
Yes!
hi! can we add protein powder in this?
Working on a version of this!
What sweetener do you actually use? The link goes to a monk fruit /erithrytol blend, not a stevia/ monk fruit blend.
That is what I use, but you can use any sugar-free blend 🙂
I made these today with peanut butter, a dash of vanilla extract, & a mixture of xylitol, stevia, & erythritol (because I didn’t have monk fruit sweetener). I love soft cookies & these did not disappoint. A perfect little treat for when I’m trying to avoid sugar. Thanks!
Followed recipe and even bought monk fruit sweeter..cookies are a wet mess!!
Not sure what you did wrong then, these have been made successfully by thousands of readers 🙂
Hi,
Thank you for this recipe which looks great. Have you tried making it with liquid stevia? Can’t eat xylitol or erythritol unfortunately, and the only monk fruit sweetener I can find contains a blend of monk fruit and erythritol.
Thank you in advance!
Hi I haven’t- Let me know if it works for you!
Have you tried making these with liquid stevia? Can’t have xylithol or erithrol unfortunately. Thanks in advance!
I haven’t, let me know if it works for you!
I enjoy your recipes but you have so many ads that I’ve been avoiding your posts lately. ?
I have to try this! I love that it’s only 3 ingredients 🙂
Please do!
These photos are GORGEOUS! Going to have to check out the granulated monk fruit sweetener, as I have to admit I’ve never tried it!
Please do! 🙂
I love egg free and naturally sweetened treats.
You and me, both!
these look great! I always use the granulated monk fruit sweeter. Its my favorite
These are so easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! Made them with my toddler and they bake very quickly so my daughter was very happy. My whole family loved them!!!