These sugar-free oatmeal cookies have a perfect cookie texture. With a touch of cinnamon they’re one of the best tasting low carb keto cookies around. Diabetic oatmeal cookies!
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If you’re on a low carb diet keto diet, then you know low carb cookies are generally a disappointment. While it’s possible to get a crispy cookie texture with some recipes, the dough is temperamental at best. And achieving that tender cookie bite is nigh impossible.
Luckily, we have many crispy low carb Peanut Butter Cookie recipes and several variations on cream cheese cookies. My Chocolate Cookies with Sesame Seeds are especially nice, with the taste of brownies and the tender-crisp bite of a traditional cookie.
My Favorite Sugar-free Low Carb Oatmeal Cookies!
I’m very happy with these sugar-free oatmeal cookies. While there are no actual oats in the cookies, the sliced or flaked almonds do a nice job of mimicking the look and texture of the real thing. The texture is crunchy and tender with a little “chew”, which is lacking in most low carb cookies.
This isn’t the first time I’ve used sliced or flaked almonds as an oat substitute. I often use them in my low carb granola recipes like this Really Good Low Carb Granola. Chopped sliced almonds will fool anyone in these Low Carb Chewy Granola Bars.
Powdered gelatin gives these “oatmeal cookies” their characteristic texture. We can thank Carolyn Ketchum for this nifty enhancement. She employs the use of gelatin in her recipe for Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies. Carolyn furthers the advancement of low carb goodies every week on her blog.
How to Make Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookies
This particular sugar-free cookie recipe calls for almond flour and flaked or sliced almonds. A little oat fiber gives the cookies a nice texture and a flour-like taste. In a pinch, you can sub coconut flour, but the oat fiber is nicer. Butter, sugar-free sweetener, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and an egg, round out the recipe.
Cream the butter, sweetener and vanilla just like you would in a traditional oatmeal cookie recipe. I used Sukrin Gold, my favorite brown sugar substitute, but my recipe for Homemade Brown Sugar Substitute works, too! Beat in the dry ingredients, then the egg, then fold in the almonds.
NOTE: I found that using 4 oz of chopped almond flakes results in a flatter, wider cookie, while 5 oz yields a higher cookie with a smaller diameter. I liked them both ways.
Drop the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake. Using a cookie scoop helps with even portioning.
Take the cookies out halfway through baking and firmly tap the try on the stove top or the counter a few times to force the cookies to flatten. Gently hit the cookies with a spatula after removing the tray from the oven.
Let cool several minutes on the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.
Why You Need To Make These Sugar-Free “Oatmeal” Cookies
Besides the fact that these oatmeal cookies taste great… The are also made without sugar, they are very low in carbohydrates. In fact, they are so low in sugars and carbs, I think they are the perfect diabetic oatmeal cookies!
Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookies (Low Carb, Keto)
Ingredients
Cream Together
- 4 oz unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- 1/3 cup Sukrin Gold (50 g)(or use my homemade brown sugar sub)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk Together
- 1 cup almond flour (95 g)
- 2 tbsp oat fiber (10 g) (or 1 1/2 tbsp coconut flour)
- 2 tsp grass-fed beef gelatin (or Knox)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Add Last
- 1 large egg, cold (room temp. if you want cookies to spread more)
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (5 oz/142 g)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack into the middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Chop sliced almonds in a food processor or by hand to resemble the size of oats. Measure the dry ingredients together and whisk to remove any lumps.
Method:
- Cream softened butter, Sukrin Gold, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy – about 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add all of the dry ingredients at once and beat until combined. Add the egg and beat until combined. Fold in the chopped sliced almonds.
Bake:
- Using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough and place two inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake 8 minutes, remove from the oven and gently bang the cookie sheet on the stove or counter to force cookies to flatten – about 6 times. Return to the oven for 6 minutes more. (see NOTES!)
- Remove the cookies from the oven and lightly smack each cookie with the spatula. Let them cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before enjoying.
- Makes 20 cookies at 1.14 net carbs each. For a flatter, softer cookie see NOTES.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. They will be crispier if refrigerated and softer if kept on the counter.
Notes:
- 1. These cookies are lightly sweetened. If you want them sweeter add more Sukrin Gold (2 tbsp) or add a little stevia glycerite (1/4 tsp) and taste. 2. All ovens are different and baking temps and/or times may need to be adjusted. If you have a wall oven, you might want to cook at 325 degrees F. The cookies might have to go a little longer if you do. 3. Be careful not to pack the almond flour and oat fiber. Packing ingredients leads to using more and can result in dry baked goods. 4. For a flatter, softer cookie use 4 oz of sliced almonds instead of 5 ounces and bake for slightly less time. Also use a room temperature egg instead of a cold egg. 5. Ingredient substitutions may affect texture, moisture content, and cooking time.
Nutrition
Sugar Free Brown Sugar Substitute
I made this recipe and the results were tasty. I used plain Splenda because I didn’t have anything else. I suppose I could have added a little maple extract to the recipe to give it some extra flavor. One thing I found was that I banging the pan on the counter did not flatten the cookies. I think I could have dealt with this in two ways: either flatten the cookies before baking, or flatten them with a spatula during the intermission. On another note, I think a food processor would have worked better than a hand mixer, then add the almonds by hand.
Hi Todd. It could have been the Splenda. I remember that it had different results than erythritol. It used to make some baked goods mushy. -Kim
what about degrees centigrade for poeple outside the USA. We don’t have degrees F on our ovens
Hi Freda. I typed “350 f to c” into Google and it gave me this number: 176.7 C. I hope this helps. Since over 90% of my readership is in the U.S., I generally just provide temperature in F. However, I DO have a conversion page for U.S. measuring cups to grams for many of the more used baking ingredients which can be found here: U.S. Measure to Metric Ingredient Conversion. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Greetings to you! Love your recipes. I am allergic to oats and cannot eat hybrid wheat. Do you know what flour I can sub for oats. I would be so grateful for your insight. I sure would like to make some of your delish looking recipes. Thanks, take care
Hi Laura. There are no oats in this recipe. For the “oat fiber” sub “coconut flour. I have it listed in the ingredients. -Kim
Fantastic! I really love this recipe! I am not a baker or a person who leaves comments, but I am so impressed I needed to write you. Thank you Kim, for your efforts which make my Keto journey that much easier.
Thank you Debi. I’m glad you’re happy with the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment. I appreciate it. Enjoy your week. -Kim
Hello! What is oat fiber? Is there a substitute?
Hi Addie. I mention in the post that coconut flour can be subbed for the oat fiber, but it doesn’t taste quite as nice. It’s also not a 1:1 sub. Try 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut flour. -Kim
Thanks, Kim, I guess I didn’t read the post very thoroughly. In any case, I’ve now ordered some oat fiber from Amazon so I can make them properly.
No problem, Addie. I’ll also add it to the recipe, which I should have done in the first place. Have a nice week! -Kim
I have some gelatin powder no pork or beef can I use that?
Yes.
One cookie out of 20 constitutes
a serving?
Hi Markie. I am providing the nutritional information per cookie so that readers can make an informed decision about how many cookies they would like to count as a serving. If I made 2-3 cookies the serving size, I guarantee someone would ask what the information was per cookie. Lol. Low carb baked goods are more nutritionally dense and therefore more filling than traditional baked goods, so one cookie may be for one person while 2 cookies may be perfect for another. Have a nice day. -Kim
We dont eat beef what can I sub for gelatin?
I suppose you can use some psyllium powder, Anne, but I did not test it so I can’t advise on how much. I would start with 1 teaspoon mixed into the dry ingredients or just leave it out. What the gelatin (beef or pork) does is provides a little bit of a “chew” and also binds the ingredients just a touch. -Kim
Sorry acciden post question again,so if I can get psyllium powder than I dont need beef gelatin?
Anne. I didn’t test the recipe with the psyllium powder. I’m saying that you might be able to use it but I don’t know how much to use. I would have to test the recipe several times to get it right. You can omit the gelatin if you don’t want to use it. -Kim
I have made several of your cookie recipes. They are the closest to “normal” cookies. We like our cookies sweeter than you. How could I add more sweetness without messing up recipes?
Hi Andrea. I’m glad you like the cookie recipes. You can add more sweetness by adding pure monk fruit powder or some stevia glycerite. Pure monk fruit powder is expensive for it’s size, but it is so concentrated that it will last years. The serving size is 1/32 of a teaspoon. Use 1-3 servings per your taste. If you love stevia glycerite like I do, add an additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon per taste. My only caution is with chocolate flavored recipes. For some reason the bitter compounds in chocolate and those in monk fruit and stevia magnify. If you use too much stevia or monk fruit with chocolate, it will become bitter. The glycerine in the stevia glycerite helps lessen the effect, but it can happen. Coconut oil is naturally sweet, so you can replace coconut oil for melted butter in most low carb baking recipes. I hope these ideas help. -Kim
Those look delicious. I need to start playing around with oat fiber!
Thanks for the recipe. I planned to make these cookies on Saturday morning before my quest arrive.
Thanks so much,
Myrna Gore
Enjoy, Myrna! -Kim
Can I use any unflavored gelatin?
Because that’s all I can find or is there a sub I can use?
Hi Bri. I think that is like granulated Knox gelatin or something similar, right? That is fine. -Kim
Hi again I’m trying to find out fiber but I can’t find anything can I sub it for something else? Or a amazon link?
Hi Bri. Look up oat fiber on Amazon. I did see some available last week when another person mentioned that the brand I linked to on Amazon was back ordered. I mentioned that she could try coconut fiber but that it wouldn’t be the same. Try 1 tbsp of coconut flour. I did test coconut flour in the recipe but the oat fiber tasted better and of course I can’t remember the amount I used during testing. It was a few years ago. Enjoy the cookies. -Kim
These turned out amazing!! Fantastic overall flavor of a cinnamon oatmeal cookie! I’ve wanted to explore more recipes using oat fiber and gelatin, and this was perfect! I’m gluten free and dairy free, so I used vegan butter and cut the amount of butter by using some applesauce along with it (about 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce). I know that can change some of the texture profile, but I still love them. I totally want to use these to make healthier oatmeal cream pies next!
I am so happy you like them! -Kim
Hi Kim.
I have never worked with gelatin before so please forgive a stupid question. I have looked up how to use it, and it says you dissolve the powder into liquid. ! tsp to 2 or 3 cups of water/whatever. For this recipe, all I need is 2 tsp of gelatin. Does that mean 2 tsp of the powder thrown in undissolved, or does it mean I prepare the gelatin, dissolved in water, and then use 2 tsp of that? I am assuming I just use 2 tsp of the powder, undissolved, because the liquid isn’t mentioned, but I’d like to make certain before trying the recipe.
Great question, Heather. Use the powdered gelatin as-is (undissolved). It will absorb some of the moisture in the batter and help bind the ingredients creating a little “chew”. The cookies are best when completely cooled. Enjoy the cookies. -Kim
Best Keto oatmeal cookie recipe i’ve tried! It tastes just like oatmeal. I just missed the raisins so I had to add a few. I added extra brown sugar like you recommend. Very easy to make. Thank you!
Also I subbed the powdered gelatin with xanthun gum but thankfully they still came out moist and delicious!
Hi Marie. I’m glad you like the cookies. They are my favorite. I just want to mention to anyone who many read this to NOT sub gelatin and xanthan gum 1:1. I would only add 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon. The texture will be a little different with the sub, but they will still be good. The gelatin adds a chewiness while xanthan gum binds the ingredients. I use them both, but often for different effect in my cookie recipes.
Thanks for coming back to leave your kind and helpful comment, Marie. Be well. -Kim
Is the brown sugar measurement packed?
Hi Rachel, I barely packed it against the side of my container as I measured it. If you like it sweeter, you can pack it. -Kim
Wow! I just took my first batch out of the oven and these might be the best treat I’ve made in the last year since I’ve been keto. Thank you so much! I made a few substitutions: I used the sweetener mix from Joy Filled Eats because I’m very sensitive to the cooking effect of erythritrol; then I subbed chopped pecans for all of the chopped almonds and added 85 grams of Choc Zero White Chocolate Chips. Because my sweetener blend contains xylitol I’m not sure how well the cookies will harden but we like our cookies frozen anyway! 10 minutes out of the oven they are very soft but hold together with slightly crisp edges and the flavor is out of this world. I bought gelatine and oat fiber just for this recipe and it was absolutely worth it, but after this success I’m looking forward to trying more recipes with these ingredients!
Forgot to include 5 star rating! And also that I added 1 tsp blackstrap molasses to make my sweetener into “brown sugar”.
Made these for my Christmas buffet. Loved the texture. Nest batch I thinkIll make a little sweeter..Thank you.
Can these be frozen after baked?
Absolutely, Dee.
Delish!! I realized after I started mixing that I didn’t have any gelatin on hand. Didn’t want to get dressed and go to the store, so I used Xanthan Gum. Also didn’t have quite enough almonds so I added chopped pecans. They turned out FABULOUS….despite the fact that I completed misread the recipe and used baking powder instead of baking soda. I’m so used to grabbing baking powder out of the cabinet. Didn’t even realize it reads “soda” until I was reading through comments while they were in the oven. Although I’m not sure they can BE any better, I’ll make sure I have all the correct ingredients on hand next time. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!! Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention that I added some Lily’s Chocolate Chips. Mmmmm!
Do you add coconut to this recipe?
I didn’t Dee, but you can sub some for part of the chopped sliced/flaked almonds. -Kim
Just made them and they’re great!! Never used oat fiber before, but I bought a whole pound to be able to make this recipe :) Definitely worth it’s, and I’ll make them again!!
I’m so happy you like the recipe. I like oat fiber, Megan. Make sure to try my flaky pie crust recipe which uses it, and my vanilla buttermilk cupcakes. Keep the oat fiber in a cool dry place (or refrigerator) so it does not go rancid. -Kim
what can i use to substitute with the beef gelatin? Can i use the regular gelatine?
Absolutely, Lanie. Enjoy! -Kim
Is the serving size 1 cookie?
Hi Meg! The recipe makes 20 cookies at 1.12g net carbs each. You may eat as many as you think reasonable. Enjoy the cookies! -Kim
I used this receipe to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Added 1/2 cup Lillies dark chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pecans. Left out the cinnamon. Baked at the temp and time that is noted on recipe. I used Serve as the sweetner to taste. Turned out yummy. I didn’t eat the cookie warm. Sweetness seems to change when cooler.
I never had oat fiber before. I clicked the link and it says not available at Amazon. Is there another I can use?
Hi June. Thank you for letting me know that the product was no longer on Amazon. I have changed the link to the product that I am using currently. It lasts for years. Just for you information. There is a great site that has lots of low carb offerings called Netrition.com. They were the go-to for low carb products before Amazon started carrying them. I hope this helps. -Kim
I just invested in some oat fiber and this were the first recipe I tried with it. Oh wow, they were so good I immediately ate 3 cookies and had to seriously restrain myself from eating more!
Thank you so much for the recipe. Would love to see other types of oat fiber recipes!
Sarah
Hi Sarah. I’m glad you like how the oat fiber performs in this recipe. I have a really nice vanilla cupcake recipe that also uses oat fiber. Here is the link: https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-carb-vanilla-buttermilk-cupcakes-cream-cheese-frosting/ Enjoy! -Kim
Hi, can I possibly omit the grass fed gelatin because its not available in our country or can you suggest a substitute for this? Thanks!
Yes, Ivy. Use regular granulated gelatin like Knox or what ever is popular in your country. -Kim
I didn’t have the geleton, so I added collegen powder, and I just had white swere not brown sugar so I added two tbl of molasses..
Hi April, I have not tried this recipe with collagen so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture of the cookie. I do know that collagen and gelatin have different properties so I would guess that you wouldn’t get the chew and binding action of gelatin if you used collagen.
To make brown sugar, add 1-2 tbsp of black strap molasses to one cup of sugar, so 1-2 teaspoons may have been more appropriate. I have a recipe for homemade brown sugar substitute on the site. It works in this recipe.
Thanks for sharing your subs. -Kim
Dear Kim,
These are the best cookies i have made for Keto, I won’t be making any others now.
I know it works but just wonder about the 1/4 ts of baking soda, don’t most ask for powder?
Why soda and doesn’t it have to be activated?
Please forgive an older male trying to learn the intricacies of Keto cooking.
Hi Brewster. I don’t know why I like the baking soda in this recipe. Most conventional cookie recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder and sometimes just baking powder. The soda in this recipe doesn’t need to be activated possibly because the ingredients are a bit on the acidic side? I’m glad you like the recipe. -Kim
These cookies are very good. I added a 1/4 cup of brewers yeast to turn them into keto lactation cookies. Great texture and taste! Thank you!
I love that idea, Cheryl. I’m glad you like them. -Kim
Just wondering is oat fiber the same as oat bran?
They are two different things, Claudia. I buy oat fiber on Amazon. It is quite affordable and lasts forever! -Kim
This is a wonderful cookie! I have made so many sugar free gluten free cookies that ended up in the trash. This recipe is fantastic and I will be making these always. As a diabetic, and recently progressed to insulin, these are perfect for that craving. Thank you from the bottom of my heart as I type with tears.
These ‘oatmeal’ cookies were yesterday’s baking project, and they were super easy. My husband wanted ‘cookies with raisins’, so I made about 8 cookies without raisins (for me) and 25 with raisins for him. My cookie scoop is a bit smaller than recommended, so my macros were all reduced proportionately.
Once they had cooled completely, I took one outside for him to try and, after popping the cookie in his mouth, he declared “I’ve been trying them”. Sure enough, he’d already eaten 2 before they cooled. Next time I’ll increase the Sukrin Gold just a bit, but the texture was amazingly similar to ‘real’ oatmeal cookies.
This recipe is a keeper. Got to keep hubby happy!
I really like these. Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand and made them last night. I did use a tsp. Of molasses with erythritol for the brown sugar substitute. Now, I will say that they don’t taste like oatmeal as much as they do look like it. Since I don’t know of any way to make them taste more oatmealy I might try some other flavourings in the future like adding apple pie or pumpkin pie spices. Anyway thank you very much for this well thought out and very tasty recipe . And if anyone is wondering, chopping the almonds by hand worked out fine.
I just made these. I added some cocoa nibs.,.and they turned out great. The only challenge was waiting until they cooled to try one :)
Just made these! My house smells amazing! Only ossue is i didn’t read carefully and used baking powder instead of baking soda. Will it make a hig difference? Thanks for all your great recipes!
hi..sounds good! tried different low carb cookie recipes and had to get used to the “different” texture. can anything be subbed for “oat fiber”..?
Sure, Linda, I mention in the post that you can sub the oat fiber with coconut flour, but that the texture and taste is a little different. Have a great day. -Kim
Hi Kim! You are so talented! These cookies are incredible!! Oatmeal cookies were my favorite pre-keto. These totally could trick someone’s tastebuds! Can’t beliece how well the almonds mimic oatmeal. Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe!
I’m so happy you like the cookies, Danielle. Enjoy! -Kim
Oh my goodness these are amazing. Even my picky husband loved them!!! One question, mine only made 12 with a 2Tb cookie scoop. Is this recipe for 20? I just want to get my macros correct. Thank you so much. Your recipes are so yummy.
Hi Anne. I’m glad you like the cookies! I THINK my scoop is a 2 tbsp scoop. I got 20 cookies out of the recipe. It could have been a difference on how finely chopped the almonds were and/or how firmly the dough was packed into the scoop. I didn’t pack it in, I just scooped and carefully leveled. Thanks so much for your feedback. -Kim
These are delish – and the non-D hubby really liked them as well. Score !
I’m so glad, Barbara. Thanks for letting me know that you like the recipe. I hope you have a great week. -Kim
I was reading about your oatmeal cookies and it mentioned baking powder, but it was not listed in the ingredients. Should baking powder be used, and if so, how much?
Susan, thank you so much for letting me know there was an error. That was supposed to be baking soda and I added it to the recipe where it was missing. I really appreciate your catching it. Have a nice day. -Kim
Hi there, I’m a vegetarian so what could I use instead of beef gelatin?
Hi Lyndsay, you could try using 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, but I didn’t test it in the recipe. The xanthan gum should help to bind the ingredients. -Kim
OMG! These are delicious! And like all of your recipes that I have tried they are not too sweet. THANK YOU!
I’m so happy you enjoyed these, Ciru! -Kim
These look so good but I have a question. I don’t have beef gelatin but I have regular sugar free plain gelatin. Can I substitute this for the beef gelatin?
Hi Michelle, you can use regular gelatin. I just didn’t have any at the time. Enjoy the cookies. -Kim
I love cookies but my problem are the sugar cravings that come next. I really like the idea that these are sugar free. I’m definitely going to try this out! Thank you for sharing
Thanks Bryan, I hope you like them. -Kim
OMG these are the best mock cookies I’ve made so far
These will be great for on the run. Thanks so much for
Your hard work. Just found my favorite Keto cookie
I’m thrilled you are happy with the recipe, Pam. Enjoy the cookies! -Kim
I am very excited to try these recipes.
I make a cookie similar to this minus the gelatin, plus molasses flavoring. I love oat fiber. I put it in everything for added flavor depth. Any initial thoughts on soluble corn fiber? I am seeing it in a lot of low carb items in the stores.
Good question about the soluble corn fiber. I did look into it several years ago. You can get it on Netrition.com and I’m sure Amazon. I haven’t worked with it. -Kim
I tried the recipe with a few modifications: I used half hazelnut/half almond, stevia/molasses flavoring, and added walnuts. The flavor profile was on point. I think it is the slivered almonds but something brought out a raisin-like tart flavor.
Walnuts were yum. Cookies were crumbly because I used stevia but no regrets I can fix that next time.
I bet they were good with the hazelnut flour! -Kim
These are amazing! I couldn’t believe the taste – they tasted like oatmeal cookies to me. One of the best cookies I’ve had in a while. Thank you.
Thanks, Cheryl. I’m thrilled you like the cookies! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how you enjoyed the recipe. -Kim
I have no reason to avoid oatmeal. Can there be made with oatmeal instead of almonds?
Hi Cheryl. This recipe was specifically developed to use the sliced almonds. Using real oats will result in a very dry cookie. -Kim