Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (Blood Sugar Friendly!)

Bake up a batch of chocolate chip cookies that stabilize your blood sugar instead of sending it on a rollercoaster ride. They taste just like the real thing thanks to a few culinary hacks! Get all the warm, gooey satisfaction of your favorite childhood treat while supporting your metabolic health.

Cookies That Support Your Blood Sugar

Unlike traditional cookies that spike your glucose, these work WITH your body:

• Quinoa flour = complete protein → slows carb absorption → no energy crashes
• Zero-impact sweetener → no blood sugar spikes
• Built-in fiber buffer → psyllium husk slows sugar absorption even more and helps give the cookies structure
• Outstanding macro balance → protein + healthy fats keep you satisfied longer

We love a treat that treats you well! Bonus: they're also naturally gluten free.

Not All Sugar-Free Sweeteners Are Created Equal

There are a lot of zero sugar sweeteners out there today, but they aren't all the same when it comes to blood sugar impact and baking performance.

"Zero Sugar" Doesn't Always Mean Zero Impact

Here's what surprised me when I started testing sweeteners: some "zero calorie" options still affect your blood glucose. Always check the ingredient list. I've found that a lot of stevia blends are cut with maltodextrin or dextrose, which can spike blood sugar just like regular sugar.

Why I Choose Allulose Sweetener

After testing dozens of options, I keep coming back to allulose-based sweeteners for these cookies and other baking like my sugar free coffee cake. Here's why:

The Science Behind Allulose:

• Helps prevent big blood sugar spikes after eating → A 2024 meta-analysis of clinical trials in people with type 2 diabetes found that allulose significantly reduced post-meal blood sugar levels compared to control sweeteners.
• Supports more stable blood sugar throughout the day → Continuous glucose monitoring studies show that even moderate amounts of allulose (around 5–10 g with a meal) can reduce the rise in glucose after eating and increase the time blood sugar stays in a healthy range.
• Sweet taste, fewer calories and carbs → Allulose tastes about 70% as sweet as sugar but contributes less than 0.4 calories per gram and has minimal impact on blood sugar, making it a useful substitute for traditional sugar in baking.

Note for readers:
Research on allulose is promising, especially for reducing after-meal spikes, but most studies so far have been short-term. Larger and longer studies are still needed to confirm its long-term benefits for blood sugar control. If you’re managing diabetes, it’s best to try allulose as part of a balanced diet and discuss any big changes with your healthcare provider.

My Two Go-To Options:

Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Allulose Blend – The golden color adds depth like brown sugar, and the monkfruit boosts sweetness without any cooling effects.

Besti Granulated White Allulose – Pure allulose that bakes exactly like regular sugar with clean, neutral sweetness.

The Two Secret Tricks That Make These Cookies Irresistible

These two steps transform this recipe from "healthy cookie" to "wait, these are actually amazing." Don't skip them!

Trick #1: Toast The Quinoa Flour

Why: Raw quinoa flour tastes kinda grassy. Some would say soapy. Toasting creates rich, nutty flavor.

How to Toast the Flour:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and spread flour on baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Toast for 8 minutes.
• Cool completely for 10 minutes, then lift up the sides of the parchment to easily transfer the toasted flour to your mixing bowl.

Trick #2: Brown The Butter

Why: Browned butter adds deep, caramelized flavor that masks any "alternative ingredient" taste

How to make Browned Butter:

• Use a light-colored pan so you can see the browning happen, stir constantly over medium heat (approx. 5 - 8 min).
• You'll smell a nutty aroma and the butter will get really foamy on top. That's your cue it's almost ready. As soon as you see it get deep brown under the foam, take it off the heat and pour into a glass bowl or cup. It turns fast, so don't walk away!
• Cool about 15 minutes before mixing into the dough otherwise you'll risk curdling the eggs.

These two steps add 15 minutes to the job but they're worth the little bit of extra effort. And they'll make you feel so gourmet!

Best Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

My top pick: Guittard Santé 72% Cacao Chips (coconut sugar sweetened) are refined sugar free and as you can see, my CGM showed zero spike when eating these cookies as an afternoon snack. That's thanks to the protein and fiber buffering the natural sugar absorption. Plus you get all the benefits of dark chocolate.

Why 70%+ cacao matters: Higher cacao means less sugar and more beneficial compounds like flavonoids and antioxidants.

If you're looking for a fully sugar-free option, the Lakanto Sugar Free Monkfruit Sweetened Baking Chips are my pick.

Step by Step Visual Guide

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients.

Step 2: Beat together the sweetener with the browned butter until smooth and slightly lightened.

Step 3: Mix the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture.

Step 4: Fully mix the dry ingredients into the wet and then mix in the chocolate chips.

Step 5: Using a cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough and then press it down to flatten them into pucks (they won't spread much so this prevents doming). Add more chocolate chips on top if desired.

Step 6: Bake at 325F (160C) for 8-9 minutes until slighly golden browned around the edges and no longer wet looking on top. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. They firm up as they cool.

Frequently Asked Questions