A sugar free oatmeal cookie typically contains around 60-80 calories per cookie depending on the recipe and ingredients used. The main sources of calories in a sugar free oatmeal cookie come from oats, oil or butter, eggs, and any low-calorie sweeteners or sugar substitutes used in place of regular sugar.
Calories breakdown
Let’s look at the typical calorie breakdown for a sugar free oatmeal cookie:
- Oats – Around 15-20 calories per tablespoon. Oats are relatively high in calories compared to other grains, providing fiber, protein and some fat.
- Oil or butter – Around 120 calories per tablespoon. Fat is calorie-dense, so even small amounts of oil or butter can add a significant number of calories.
- Eggs – Around 20 calories per tablespoon. Eggs provide protein and fat.
- Sweetener – Varies depending on type used. Sugar substitutes like stevia or sucralose are very low calorie. Sugar alcohols like erythritol contain about 0.2 calories per gram.
- Flour – Around 20 calories per tablespoon. Even gluten-free flours like almond flour contain some calories.
- Baking powder, spices, extracts – Negligible calories.
By choosing low-calorie ingredients and moderate portion sizes, sugar free oatmeal cookies can be a relatively low calorie treat option.
Calorie range examples
Here are some examples of sugar free oatmeal cookie recipes and their calorie counts (per cookie):
| Recipe | Calories Per Cookie |
|---|---|
| Oatmeal cookies with stevia | 60 calories |
| Erythritol oatmeal cookies | 65 calories |
| Low carb oatmeal cookies | 75 calories |
| Vegan oatmeal cookies | 80 calories |
As you can see, most sugar free oatmeal cookie recipes fall within the range of 60-80 calories per cookie. Variables like fat content, sweetener type, and added mix-ins can nudge the count slightly higher or lower.
Strategies to reduce calories further
Here are some tips for lightening up sugar free oatmeal cookies even more:
- Use unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana instead of oil or butter.
- Substitute lower calorie sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.
- Use calorie-reduced oat flour rather than full-fat oats.
- Swap some oat flour for almond flour which has fewer calories per tablespoon.
- Reduce egg yolks and use more egg whites.
- Skip add-ins like chocolate chips, raisins or nuts.
- Make cookies thinner rather than thick and chewy.
- Adjust baking time and temperature to avoid over-browning.
With some creative substitutions and tweaks, it’s possible to get the calorie count down to around 50 calories per cookie or less.
Benefits of sugar free oatmeal cookies
Here are some of the benefits that sugar free oatmeal cookies have over regular oatmeal cookies:
- Lower in sugar and calories – Sugar adds around 15-20 calories per teaspoon.
- May help regulate blood sugar – Due to the lower sugar content.
- Contains fiber – Oats and most sugar substitutes used provide fiber.
- Less risk of energy crash – Sugar free cookies avoid spikes and crashes in blood sugar.
- Lower glycemic index – Which means they are absorbed more slowly.
- Often made with whole foods – Like oats, nuts, seeds, coconut.
- Satisfies a sweet tooth – The cookies provide sweet flavor without all the sugar.
For people monitoring calories, carbs, or blood sugar levels, sugar free oatmeal cookies can be a tasty way to indulge while sticking to your diet or health goals.
Conclusion
Most sugar free oatmeal cookie recipes contain around 60-80 calories per cookie. The number of calories can vary based on specific ingredients used, portion size, and additions like nuts or chocolate chips. It is possible to reduce the calorie count further through substitutions like applesauce and low-calorie sweeteners. Sugar free oatmeal cookies offer the benefit of providing sweet taste and an indulgent treat with fewer calories and less impact on blood sugar compared to regular cookies.