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    Home » Snack recipes

    Sugar-free oatmeal date cookies

    December 2, 2014 by Caroline's Cooking

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    These tasty oatmeal date cookies use the natural sweetness of dates rather than any added sugar to make a relatively healthy, easy and delicious treat. #refinedsugarfree #dates #healthybaking #healthycookie

    These tasty oatmeal date cookies use the natural sweetness of dates rather than any added sugar to make a relatively healthy, easy and delicious treat.

    Jump to Recipe
    plate of oatmeal date cookies with more on rack behind

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    For a long time my son didn't have a particularly sweet tooth, other than fruit. Unlike quite a few kids, 'cookie' and 'cake' were not words early on in his language development. In fact he wouldn't even try his own cake on his second birthday. I have to admit being pretty glad, but also knew that realistically that would change, even with parents who are not hugely sweet-toothed.

    And true enough, it now has. There's one coffee shop that I go to where he almost immediately asks "cookie?" and starts pointing at various things he would like. While I don't mind now and then, I would prefer it to not be too much of a habit.

    oatmeal date cookies from overhead on plate and baking rack

    In preparation of that becoming more common, I wanted to make cookies that didn't have too much, or any, sugar in them to feel better about the times he does have them. But for both him and me, they still need to taste good. After all, it's still being sold as a treat. And these tasty bites most certainly fit the bill.

    Using natural sweeteners

    Natural sweeteners are a great way to make some sweet treats that bit healthier. Honey is one option, but you can also use various fruits like apple (often in the form of applesauce) or banana. In this case, the sweetness comes from dates.

    I use either medjool dates or dates that are semi-hydrated (often labelled as "soft and juicy"). While both do tend to be a little more expensive, they blend a lot easier without needing to soak the dates first. With soaking, you have the chance that 

    bowls with flour, oats, egg, dates, butter and plate with cinnamon and baking soda

    Here I have added oats for a bit of texture and a little cinnamon for flavor. Both are pretty natural partners to dates and work well. I debated adding vanilla and didn't, but I think I might try it next time as I am pretty sure it would also be good.

    You may look at the recipe and say 'what, half an egg?' I know, it's a bit odd, but I prefer to make smaller quantities as we don't get through cookies all that quickly. Feel free, of course, to just double the recipe.

    formed cookies ready to bake

    These cookies hardly melt and expand in the oven. As a result, I recommend you flatten them a bit before baking. On the up-side, you don't need to worry about leaving too much space between them.

    These oatmeal date cookies are soft, flavorful and so tasty. They're not chewy or crunchy, so I guess it's almost verging into scone territory. But they look like and are sold as cookies in my house, and get both kid and grown up thumbs up. And that's good enough for me.

    plate of oatmeal date cookies and rack behind with more

    Try these other healthier cookies:

    • Spiced maple oatmeal cookies (GF, vegan)
    • Maple chestnut cookies (GF, vegan)
    • Healthy apple oatmeal cookies
    • Healthy cranberry apricot cookies (GF, vegan)
    • Plus get more sweet and savory snack recipes in the archives.
    plate of oatmeal date cookies with one split open resting on side
    Print Recipe
    4.42 from 17 votes

    Sugar-free oatmeal date cookies

    These cookies come together easily, have a lovely flavor and are naturally sweetened with dates (refined-sugar free).
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time12 mins
    Total Time22 mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 15 cookies (approx)
    Calories: 71kcal
    Author: Caroline's Cooking
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    Ingredients

    • 4 oz medjool dates 110g, pitted weight - around ½ cup, well packed (see notes re alternative)
    • 2 oz unsalted butter ½ stick/55g, softened to room temperature and cut into chunks
    • ½ egg beaten
    • ⅓ cup all purpose flour 46g plain flour
    • ½ cup oats 45g, old fashioned rather than quick
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
    • Roughly chop the dates and blend with the butter and egg (food processor works well).
    • Add the remaining ingredients and either pulse a few times if using a food processor or stir until combined. If using food processor, you may need to stir at the end to get everything well-mixed.
    • Take spoonfuls and roll slightly in your hand then put on a baking tray and flatten slightly.
    • Bake for approximately 15mins until starting to brown.

    Video

    Notes

    If you find the dough too soft/moist, you can add another 1tbsp of flour, if needed. 
    Instead of medjool dates, you can also use semi-hydrated 'regular' dates (typically deglat nour), sometimes called 'soft and juicy' that will blend up much easier than regular dried dates. These dates are often a bit stronger in flavor and sweetness than medjool (as well as cheaper) so can be a good option.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Remember to pin for later!

    These tasty oatmeal date cookies use the natural sweetness of dates rather than any added sugar to make a relatively healthy, easy and delicious treat. #refinedsugarfree #dates #healthybaking #healthycookie
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    1. Wafa

      December 17, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      Can we substitute butter with coconut oil?

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        December 17, 2022 at 1:45 pm

        Yes you could.

        Reply
    2. jennifer akridge

      December 08, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      Could you freeze the dough?

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        December 08, 2022 at 6:20 pm

        I haven't tried with these specifically, but I see no reason why not - I would form them, place on a lined baking sheet until they freeze then transfer to a container/freezer bag. Then place on a baking sheet and bake from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes.

        Reply
    3. cindie petersen

      March 26, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      These are superb!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        March 26, 2022 at 4:32 pm

        So glad to hear you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Stevens

      March 12, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      Just the kind of thing I was looking for. As per your suggestion I used vanilla extract instead of cinnamon and they were delicious! Going to make some more and this time will make a double batch! Thank you very much for posting.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        March 13, 2022 at 11:24 am

        Glad to hear you enjoyed! They're a favorite here too.

        Reply
    5. Carina

      July 18, 2021 at 11:59 pm

      3 stars
      I don’t mean to be rude, but in my opinion, these cookies aren’t really that delicious. I followed the recepie exactly as described (with just an addition of 1 tbsp of stevia). Firstly, I think the baking time can be less than 15 minutes because half the batch of mine became burned in the edges, or maybe, make the cookies less flat. On the second batch I baked 12minutes, and they were better, but still the taste wasn’t great. To be honest, I don’t really reccomend this recipe. It’s not horrible, just, not delicious enough imo.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        July 22, 2021 at 9:33 am

        I appreciate you being polite in your honesty! Different people have different tastes, and I do find with lower sugar baking in particular, not everything works for everyone. The recipe does say approximately 15 minutes, as ovens can vary, plus it does say to just flatten slightly as you'll see in the photos, so it's always worth keeping a close eye once you near the time for any baking, just to be safe. I'm not sure what dates you use, but we've been liking these with the semi-dry deglat noor rather than medjool dates recently. Also some people like a little cinnamon and/or vanilla in there as well.

        Reply
      • Evelin Ledebuhr

        October 29, 2021 at 1:30 pm

        Instead of using dates, I used 1/2cup of date sugar (dried powdered dates). I added soaked chopped Craisens and soaked and rinsed chopped walnuts (Soak about 15 min. and rinse. It takes the bitterness out. Also, I used Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix instead of flour. A little maple syrup can be added for moisture and a little more sweetness. I used 2 Tablespoons. Bake 10 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
        The batter was delicious the cookies were almost as delicious as the batter.

        Reply
        • Caroline's Cooking

          November 03, 2021 at 9:38 am

          Glad to hear you enjoyed, and like the idea of date sugar as an option for some of the dates in here (I think I would probably still want some actual dates too, though can see craisins or raisins working as an alternative, though note craisins are generally sweetened if that's something people are trying to avoid).

          Reply
    6. Nadine

      June 05, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      Did anyone substitute peanut butter for butter and if so, how did they turn out?

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        June 07, 2021 at 6:26 am

        This isn't something I have tried - would definitely give a different flavor and peanut butter doesn't behave quite the same way in baking, though these don't rely on it for texture as much as many cookies. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out.

        Reply
    7. Kris

      February 03, 2021 at 9:55 pm

      4 stars
      These are delish! they lived up to my expectations. I'm avoiding added sugar, so these are quite nice as they only have the fruit as sweetener. I put the dates with egg and butter in a food processor to chop them, then put in the dry ingredients and pulsed to mix. Very easy!! I got 15 cookies when I measured them by rounded tablespoons.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 04, 2021 at 6:48 am

        Glad to hear you enjoyed them! And yes adding the egg at the same time as the butter and dates is how I've started making them as well, and I've just recently updated to reflect that.

        Reply
    8. Kate

      January 10, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      I am vegan so I made a few adjustments and it turned out great! I added a splash of soy milk in place of the eggs and about a 1/4 cup refined coconut oil instead of butter. Cream the dates and coconut oil first then add a slash of vanilla extract and splash of soy milk to the food processor and blend again till combined. The only other adjustment I made was I added a 1/4 tsp kosher salt to the flour/oat mixture before mixing in the wet ingredients. Then I baked them for 14 min.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 11, 2021 at 12:21 am

        Glad you enjoyed and I can definitely see coconut oil working well as the fat in there flavor-wise.

        Reply
    9. jessica teye mensah

      October 18, 2020 at 6:18 am

      How do you calculate the nutritional content please

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        October 18, 2020 at 6:36 am

        The nutritional data is calculated using an external tool which uses a catalogue of data for the different ingredients, then the values you see is based on a serving, so in this case it is 1/12 of the overall mixture. I should note, however, that the values are estimates - different brands can vary slightly, as can measuring.

        Reply
    10. Amy

      March 19, 2020 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy! I doubled it and added some lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon , salt, flaxseed, a doing of stevia powder and 2 oz more butter..they turned out great! (I used a mix of einkorn and par for the flour). Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        March 23, 2020 at 6:51 am

        Glad to hear they worked out well, and like the idea of the lemon/cinnamon/vanilla additions - they are definitely very easy to play around with flavors!

        Reply
    11. Mary

      December 17, 2019 at 9:45 am

      Hi! These look lovely. On the oats- did you just stir them in whole, or do you blend them up to make them more of a flour?

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        December 17, 2019 at 11:18 am

        Thanks - I just stirred them in whole so they have a bit more texture, but you could blend them a little if you prefer.

        Reply
    12. Christine

      August 24, 2019 at 6:37 am

      5 stars
      Hi there, what if I don't have egg? What can I use to replace the egg?

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        August 24, 2019 at 3:29 pm

        There are a few things that can act as an egg replacement - you can make a "flax egg" using some flaxseed meal with a little water, the only thing is you will get a bit of the texture of the flax coming through. Other options, which will probably work better here, are either some applesauce or mashed banana. I'm afraid I don't know exactly how much, since I haven't tried, so I'd suggest just a small amount at first and see how the texture is.

        Reply
    13. Nikky

      July 15, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      2 stars
      Not much taste. But easy and only a small batch. And healthy.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        July 17, 2019 at 11:08 am

        Sorry you felt that way, but I appreciate they are relatively plain - I do suggest a few ways to add different flavors above which you might like to try.

        Reply
    14. Deborah Kuhnen

      February 18, 2019 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      I made these last week as I'm doing a 'no refined sugar' challenge for the month of February and that includes honey/maple syrup. These were perfect as a sweet treat. I doubled the recipe and used a tablespoon of cinnamon, a tablespoon of ginger, 1/2 a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and a handful of raisins.

      We loved them!!

      Thank you for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 18, 2019 at 8:00 pm

        Great, glad they worked for you and enjoyed. They're definitely ones you can easily adapt, as you did, and I can see the spicing working well.

        Reply
        • Deborah Kuhnen

          February 19, 2019 at 8:31 pm

          I completely forgot to mention that I used oat flour in place of wheat flour to make these gluten-free and it worked perfectly.

          I made them again last night and used buckwheat flour and they're equally good!

          Thanks again 🙂

          Reply
          • Chris Bailey

            August 09, 2022 at 2:49 pm

            Thanks for posting about the oat flour, I have some in the pantry and was hoping to switch it out for the regular flour to make it gluten-free.

            I'm about to try this recipe with the kids now!

            Reply
            • Caroline's Cooking

              August 09, 2022 at 7:35 pm

              Glad it helped, hope you all enjoy!

    15. Ankita

      September 03, 2018 at 4:30 am

      Hi,
      How long these cookies can last !

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        September 08, 2018 at 9:19 am

        To be honest, they don't ever get long in our house so I can't say for sure, but since they don't have sugar as such which acts as a preservative, they don't keep as long as typical cookies. A couple days, if kept in a sealed container, should be OK.

        Reply
    16. Brandon Jones

      July 03, 2018 at 12:24 am

      3 stars
      This recipe is ok, it’s missing salt and vanilla! Please add! I also doubled the recipe

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        July 04, 2018 at 7:37 am

        Things like salt and vanilla are a little to taste, and I do mention you can add if you like. If they work as additions for you, then great!

        Reply
    17. Het-P

      May 30, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      4 stars
      I tried these today! I made the following modifications:
      Added: 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 1tsp of cinnamon.
      Baked them for 13minutes.

      They were pretty good but abit dry.. wondering why that might be?? 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        May 31, 2018 at 11:52 am

        Glad you liked them. On the dryness, it's hard to say for sure - if you used cup measures rather than weight for the flour, it might be that you ended up with a bit more as they are less precise and that can make them drier. Also I think they are just a slightly drier type of cookie (though of course depends what you are comparing them to), partly because of the lack of actual sugar.

        Reply
    18. Kim Lovely

      February 07, 2018 at 6:45 am

      Happy to find this recipe!!!! I am going to make these today. On day 3 of a group I quit sugar campaign- I’m group leader for the nutrition component. Will add some Lilly s chocolate chopped for a little extra treat.
      Just a thought....
      Call them No added sugar cookies that way folks won’t get confused by nutrition facts label and throw shade on an awesome recipe.

      Kim Lovely Registered and Licensed Nutritionist

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 10, 2018 at 12:20 pm

        Thanks Kim, and hope you enjoy them. Yes, maybe we'll change the name, we'll see 🙂 Either way they're tasty!

        Reply
    19. Annabel

      December 30, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Just made these with my 3 year old and apart from adding some edible glitter and stars on top to make them 'moon cakes' we followed the recipe exactly. Cooked for 12 mins only and they were lovely and soft. No refined sugar but high on the calories so I won't eat three one after the other next time!!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 02, 2018 at 10:50 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them, the decoration sounds fun!

        Reply
    20. Gem

      September 15, 2017 at 2:12 am

      5 stars
      These are delicious. I add cacao power and cacao nibs to make them a little more sinful!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        September 17, 2017 at 7:04 pm

        Thank you, I can imagine they were great in there! That's one of the great things with this recipe, you can add a bit here and there to change them up.

        Reply
    21. Sarah

      June 14, 2017 at 7:30 am

      This is recipe is perfect! I made a batch last night and my whole family loves it! I only changed the recipe using only oats that I put through the food processor, half a cup of cocoa powder, vanilla essence and some dessicated coconut? A life saver when you are sugar and carb free!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        June 17, 2017 at 8:23 pm

        Glad everyone liked them, and sure the coconut was good in there too.

        Reply
    22. Gloria Blanco

      March 12, 2017 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      I just tried these, and they are super! I do not miss the refined sugar. I used regular dates, wholewheat pastry flour, a tad of spelt flour, and a half teaspoon of vanilla. They have a bit of crunch around the edge, and are definitely not a soft cookie. I may add nuts from time to time. Thanks for such a great cookie, and healthy, too.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        March 14, 2017 at 5:02 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed them Gloria, and yes easy to make some slight adaptations. You definitely don't need the sugar, I agree.

        Reply
    23. Kate T

      February 20, 2017 at 10:29 am

      4 stars
      I just made these and they are great! I added some salt but that's the only change. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        February 20, 2017 at 12:44 pm

        I'm glad you gave them a go and enjoyed them - thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    24. Audrey

      December 29, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      I'm hoping to try these this week! I have an almost 3 year old who inherited my sweet tooth, so I've been looking for yummy alternatives rather than just stopping baking altogether. I've used dates in muffins and we both liked the less sweet option, so these should fit the bill! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 02, 2016 at 8:04 pm

        I hope you like them, Audrey! I also have a number of muffin recipes that use dates and other non-sugar sweeteners (and a carrot and banana bread) that might help with that challenge too!

        Reply
    25. Mary Bourne

      January 03, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      These have sugar in them!!! Still looking for a TRULY sugar-free oatmeal cookie for a diabetic. Do people just nor realize how much concentrated sugar is in dried fruit? Dried fruit is forbidden for diabetics. Every "sugar free" recipe I see either has chocolate chips or raisins or apple sauce. Sugar sugar sugar.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 03, 2015 at 8:33 pm

        Mary, I have used the term sugar to mean what is commonly known as sugar ie refined, as opposed to all the scientifically-termed sugars eg sucrose, fructose etc. I appreciate cooking for a diabetic has it's challenges and that this may not be appropriate, but it was not written for that specific purpose, but rather providing those, where appropriate, the option to have a less refined and what is generally considered a healthier form of sweetener, not to mention much less sweet than most cookies. I have tried to be clear on that in the post. Having had a look into diabetic options a little, I would suggest you maybe look at what sweeteners are possible and see if you can find recipes with those, or I also found that the American Diabetic Association has it's own desserts cookbook, which may have something. I hope you find what you are looking for.

        Reply
        • Rubyjewel

          April 03, 2018 at 5:54 pm

          I like the option of dates... due to having most of my small intestine removed... I can't process regular sugar... causes pain and dumping... artificial sweeteners cause pain and severe bloating... I have made a few recipes with dates and bananas and I seem to do okay with them... gives me a treat!! Thanks for the recipe... can't wait to try it!!

          Reply
          • Caroline's Cooking

            April 05, 2018 at 8:19 pm

            Thanks, hope you enjoy!

            Reply
      • Iza

        December 30, 2016 at 6:17 pm

        I don't think it has sense. If you don't want any sugar you have to look for a savory oat cookies, becouse all sweet cookies will gonna have sweeteners in it.

        Reply
      • Shelley

        March 24, 2018 at 4:45 pm

        https://www.google.com/amp/s/food.ndtv.com/facts/can-a-diabetic-consume-dates-you-will-love-the-answer-1768755%3famp=1&akamai-rum=off

        Reply
      • Shirley

        January 02, 2022 at 5:02 pm

        Check out the Diabetic website

        Reply

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