These deliciously chewy sugar free oatmeal cookies have a lovely crunch on the outside and a soft centre. Even better, they are ready in just 25 minutes. Find out in the post which substitution I'm using to make this classic recipe low carb - into proper keto oatmeal cookies!
Oatmeal cookies used to be one of my favourite cookies as a kid, and as we all know, some things never change.
There's comfort in a simple cookie that just hits the spot, whether you have it with a glass of milk after school or with a cup of tea taking a break from work. My mum had a secret recipe, as probably your mum or gran did, and your friend's or neighbour's mum or gran. And if you're lucky, they'll pass it on to you!
Of course, going on a low carb diet changes a few things.
Is oatmeal keto friendly?
Oats are whole grains and therefore high in carbs. One portion of cooked oats provide 12g of carbs, according to the USDA (portion size 100g, oats cooked in water). 100g (roughly ⅔ cup) of uncooked oats come in at a whopping 55 net carbs.
You can do the maths. If you want to keep your net carbs anywhere between 20 and 40 per day and your blood sugar levels stable, then oats, or oatmeal, are not a good choice.
Can there be such a thing as keto oatmeal cookies?
If you're on the keto diet or if you're eating low carb, you'll know that (almost) anything is possible with clever substitutions. We can make cakes, pizza, bread and yes, even oatmeal or overnight oats that taste as good as the "real" thing. And dare I say it, sometimes it'll taste even better :).
Let's straighten something out. I just don't want to start calling these cookies "noatmeal cookies" or "no-oatmeal oatmeal cookies", only because I'm not ACTUALLY using oats. I like to keep things simple. Since my cookies TASTE like oatmeal cookies, that's what they are to me. Keto oatmeal cookies!
I'm using a combination of almond flakes and coconut flakes to mimic the chew of oats. Somehow, they have a similar melt-in-the mouth quality. Mixed into a buttery almond flour cookie batter, they add that texture we all love about oatmeal cookies.
I've had these cookies both as a snack and for breakfast and can confirm either is a great choice!
How do you make sugar free oatmeal cookies from scratch?
First, let's take a look at the ingredients. You'll need almond flour or ground almonds, coconut flakes and almond flakes, melted butter, a granulated sweetener such as erythritol, one large egg, baking powder and vanilla extract.
I'm also using a pinch of salt and xanthan gum. Neither is strictly necessary. I'd say though that the salt improves the taste and the xanthan gum gives a stronger crumb structure.
If you omit the xanthan gum, your cookies will be a little flakier, but the recipe still works well.
1.) Using a sharp knife, chop ½ cup (50g) of sliced almonds and the coconut flakes to resemble the size of oats.
If you prefer, you can also pulse them in a food processor.
2.) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl (almond flour, erythritol, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, chopped flaked almonds and coconut). Stir to combine.
Then, add the melted butter and egg and mix to form a dough.
Roll the mix into 9 balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Chop the remaining ¼ cup (25g) almonds and press them into the top.
Now, flatten the cookies to about ¾ inch thickness and shape the edges with your figures to remove cracks.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden. As with all low carb cookies, be sure to let them COOL COMPLETELY before handling. Almond flour baked goods are fragile when hot and will firm up as they cool down.
Almond flour vs coconut flour
The one question I always get when I post a low carb baking recipe is about flour substitutions.
Normally, you can substitute almond flour for coconut flour using ⅓ of the amount stated for almond flour (sometimes a little more). Coconut flour is more brittle than almond flour, so you'll definitely have to use the xanthan gum for a stronger texture.
Note though that I have not tried this myself yet. Also, you will change the taste of the cookies considerably and my guess is they will definitely NOT taste of oatmeal cookies any more. The great thing about almond flour is that it is very neutral in taste.
Which low carb sweetener can I use?
You've got options! Use either pure granulated erythritol or an erythritol blend with either stevia or monk fruit. A brown sugar substitute such as Lakanto Golden or Sukrin Gold would work well, too.
Xylitol or allulose are also a possibility, although allulose will result in a much softer cookie.
You can also use Splenda. Note that Splenda MUST be measured using US cup measurements. It's lighter in weight than erythritol.
If you're using a granulated stevia sweetener, check on the pack that it's a 1:1 sugar substitute. The ones I have tried are often twice as sweet as sugar.
If you have a sweet tooth...
...consider adding a little more sweetener. Low carb palates are all over the place, and I know people who love their cookies without ANY sweetener (true story!).
I'd say this recipe is not VERY sweet - just right for me. Always, always taste the dough and add a little more if you think it's necessary!
Flat vs thick cookies
My cookies did not spread much because I used a cold egg and I made sure I only JUST melted the butter so it was not hot. If you used a room temperature egg and your butter was very hot, the cookies would spread more.
If your cookie batter is too soft, simply let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking.
To achieve crunchier cookies, flatten them more and leave them in the oven longer. The rule of thumb is here: the flatter, the browner, the crispier.
Add-ins for sugar free oatmeal cookies
Regular oatmeal cookies often contain added raisins. Since raisins are very high in natural sugars, I don't recommend adding them. Chopped prunes are slightly lower in carbs (I'm using them in my low carb Christmas pudding), so that would be a better option.
However, I think you could upgrade your sugar free oatmeal cookies AND keep them low carb at the same time by adding either dried unsweetened cranberries, dried unsweetened blueberries or sugar free chocolate chips.
I have a recipe for sugar free chocolate chips on my website, it's really simple and very useful for all kinds of dessert recipes! Alternatively, go for a stevia sweetened chocolate such as Lily's.
Sugar free oatmeal cookies WITH oats
My friends, because I love you I have actually calculated the net carbs if you used ACTUAL oats instead of my sliced almonds and coconut flakes!
If you added ⅔ cup or 100 grams of oats, your net carbs would be 7.6g per cookie. It's the combination with the almond flour that keeps the carb count in check.
My keto oatmeal cookies come in at less than a third - 2.1g net carbs per cookie.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Note: I like a decent size cookie, so my keto oatmeal cookies are on the large side. One makes for a very satisfying snack (or small breakfast!). But of course, you can make these as small as you like. Keep in mind you may need to reduce the baking time by a little too!
More simple keto cookie recipes:
- Keto Sugar Cookies
- Low Carb Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- The Ultimate Low Carb Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Keto Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour or ground almonds
- ½ cup / 115g unsalted butter melted, then cooled
- ¾ cup / 75g flaked almonds
- ⅓ cup / 20g coconut flakes
- ¼ cup / 50g granulated sweetener (So Nourished)
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp xanthan gum optional
- ½ tsp salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C / 160 fan and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Using a sharp knife, chop ½ cup / 50g sliced almonds and the coconut flakes to resemble the size of oats. Option to use a food processor and pulse if you prefer.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl (almond flour, erythritol, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, chopped flaked almonds and coconut. Stir to combine.
- Add the melted butter, vanilla and egg and mix to form a dough.
- Roll the mix into 9 balls.
- Chop the remaining ¼ cup of almonds.
- Place the balls on a baking tray and press crushed almonds into the top.
- Flatten the cookies and shape the edges with your figures to remove cracks. Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Suzanne says
In place of xanthan gum, you can use grass fed gelatin.
Lyn says
I cannot wait to try these! Loving the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies I cooked a few days ago 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger says
Keep me posted! Would love to hear what you think 🙂
JG says
Could you use dessicated coconut instead of flaked?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I guess that would work, but measure in grams and not in cups so you don't use too much.
LyndaW says
Have made these and they are scrummy! I think they are quite sweet. Can I reduce the sugar amount, I used xylitol. Is it in the recipe for flavour or is it required for the texture and balance of the recipe? Also made the sugar free lemon curd yesterday. It is lovely and very moerish.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, you can reduce the sweetener without problems.
Catherine says
I my goodness gracious! I was skeptical as I have not found a good keto cookie recipe... but I can admit when I’m wrong. Crazy tasty! This is my new go to cookie recipe! I used Lily’s butterscotch chips & it was insanely good, but I may do chocolate chip next! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Alice says
thank you for this terrific recipe...absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Sharon says
I made these yesterday and added Lily's Sugar Free Butterscotch Chips. My husbands favorite cookie is the Nestle Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies. He liked these and he is hard to please when it comes to Low Carb Baking. These were wonderful.That is the only change I made to your recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
What a great idea to add butterscotch chips! I must try that 🙂
Solange says
These are delicious, I love the addition of salt, everyone loved them here at home, especially my 11 year old who's now a low carb advocate. thanks for yet another delicious recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Glad the cookie were a success with your kid!! They are always the hardest to please 😉
Karen says
Katrin, this recipe is perfect! These cookies are absolutely delicious and very reminiscent of oatmeal cookies. After using your recipe and getting raves from my hubby (Chief Taste Tester), , I mistakenly used another blogger’s recipe. Hubby said those were good but couldn’t hold a candle to your recipe! He was right, because your cookies are soft and the other one made hard cookies... plus, those used a ton of almonds. Thank you for the suggestions for raisin substitutions. I have used dried blueberries which taste awesome; I might try the sugar free chocolate chips next time.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you guys enjoyed the recipe!
Mari says
Hi! Can i replace almond flour with plain flour? I know these are keto and healthy cookies haha but im out of almond flour.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Mari, yes, I think you can use plain flour instead of almond flour. Substitution should be about 1:1, but if your batter looks dry add a little more butter
Michelle says
Delicious! I just made my second batch. I like the big size of the cookies and they are still only 2.1 g carbs each! Thanks for a great recipe.
alison john says
Delicious - my favorite of all the biscuits. I mix it up a bit and sub some of the flaked almonds for chopped nuts or some seeds and they still turn out lovely. Also have added in a bit of coco powder to make them chocolatey
Katrin Nürnberger says
What a great idea to add some cocoa powder!
karen says
funny. why would I want Keto oatmeal cookies? I think i would like to try almond coconut cookies instead. Great recipe and looks delicious. thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Haha, you're evolved!!!!
Bopeep says
I am dairy free, what can I use instead of butter?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You can replace it with coconut oil, that should work well as a substitution.
Ellen says
I just made these, though smaller, half the size, so got 18 cookies , used a tbsp messure and rolled into balls then pressed flat with fingers in two directions. I had added some Lily‘s choc chips. Did not add almond slivers on top.
They are delcious. Bakes for slmost 15 minutes, turned sheet around one in oven at ten minutes. I prefer crispy over chewy cookies! Great with a nice cup of tea mid afternoon! Will try with chopped pecans next time. I used salted butter plus the half tsp of salt, dough tasted quite salty but the cookies are fine, the salt is a nice contrast to the sweetness. They certainly are reminscent of oatmeal cookies!
Katrin Nürnberger says
I bet there were lovely with the chocolate chips!!
Trish says
Hi Katrin, I just made these cookies and my husband loved them. I ended up with 17 as mine are
smaller and thinner but still great. Thank you so much.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you liked them Trish!
Monica Stearns says
Is there something that can be substituted for coconut?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You could use more slivered almonds.
Donna Blair says
You're recipes are spot on. Second time making them. This time I added dried cranberries And Lilly's white chips. I find adding a splash of almond extract to almond flour baking enhances the flavor