Sugar free cookies, either homemade or store-bought, come in an assortment of varieties and flavors to suit most tastes; common types include chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, macaroons, and creme wafers. This sugar free dessert option is ideal for dieters, vegans who do not consume refined sugar, and, in certain cases, diabetics. While sugar free cookies don't exactly mean healthy cookies, they certainly provide a healthier alternative to their sugary counterparts.
The vast majority of sugar free cookies still contain some type of sweetener, whether from a natural source or a processed sugar substitute. Natural sweeteners include honey, maple syrup, fruit sugars, brown rice syrup, stevia, and agave nectar. The most popular artificial sweeteners are aspartame — sold as Equal® and NutraSweet® — saccharin products like Sweet N Low®, and sucralose, which is widely marketed as Splenda®. When used in sugar free cookies, these ingredients work well to offer the necessary sweetness. However, it is important to bear in mind that not all artificial sweeteners are diabetic-friendly; mannitol and sorbitol, for example, are sugar substitutes, but they still raise blood sugar levels in the human body.
Sugar free cookies are are also widely available in pre-made varieties, sold primarily by health food stores and online retailers. They are no more complicated to make than regular cookies, however. When making cookies at home, all ingredients should be checked carefully for any sugar that may be hidden in them. For example, traditional chocolate chips contain sugar, and special sugar-free chips will need to be purchased to make sugar free chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate chip cookies can be prepared using the sugar-free chocolate chips and brown rice syrup as sweetener. Another popular sugar free recipe includes no-sugar-added peanut butter and maple syrup. These work together with other staple cookie ingredients to craft a sugarless peanut butter cookie. A banana might be used in place of eggs as Bananas are good binding agents and also add a bit more sweetness to the finished product.
Oatmeal raisin cookies can also be made without sugar. One highly favored recipe replaces sugar with Splenda®. When using Splenda® in a recipe, the ratio is 1:1; one cup of Splenda® is equivalent to one cup of sugar.
Sugarless macaroons can be whipped up with just a banana, dates, and unsweetened coconut flakes. The dates provide both a decadent sweetness and a chewy texture. The macaroons turn out soft and rich — and just as delicious as sugar-heavy varieties.
Among the selection of commercially processed sugar free cookies, one of the most commonly found types are creme wafers. These are two thin, airy wafer cookies with a smear of creamy frosting in the middle. They come in an assortment of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Low-carb and low-calorie cookie options are also available commercially.