These delicious low sugar chocolate chip cookies are made with oats and pumpkin seeds, making them a great nut-free alternative for those with allergies!

Stack of four chocolate chip cookies on a blue plate.

For a while now, I've wanted to make a chocolate chip cookie that is both low in added sugar and a decent substitute for the real thing.

Chocolate chip cookie recipes, in general, have at least as much sugar as they do flour.

Given that fact, you can expect to be taking in almost three TABLESPOONS (or 48 grams) of sugar per cookie! This is based off the fact that you generally get about six cookies per cup of flour.

That is A LOT of sugar!

Healthier recipes are better, but still can boast about 1/2-3/4 cup of sugar per batch.

This recipe employs a combination of stevia and 1/4 cup of coconut sugar per two cups of flour. They're also gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.

The only tic I'm missing is 'grain-free', and if that's what you desire, you might try this popular recipe.

I like to use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened chocolate to lower the sugar grams even more, though if you're still 'retraining' your sweet tooth, you may want to use all sweetened.

Which flour(s) work best for low sugar cookies?

In lieu of the popular almond meal or flour found in many keto and paleo cookie recipes, I've employed one of my favorite seeds instead.

Pumpkin seeds!

Pumpkin seeds, ground into with a food processor or Nutribullet, make a great replacement for almond flour.

I also enjoy that the seeds add good amounts of zinc and protein to the recipe (pumpkin seeds are one of the top sources of plant-based protein).

It's delicious when paired with oat flour.

Ingredients and substitutions

Flour - As I wrote above, I use a combination of oat and pumpkin seed flours. If you're not allergic to nuts, almond flour would be a suitable substitute for pumpkin seed flour.

Baking powder AND baking soda - Both leavening agents are used to create a golden cookie.

Sea salt, vanilla extract - Both provide flavor to the cookies.

Coconut oil - Be sure you're using it in a softened state, not melted. Softened butter would also work.

Coconut sugar - Any granulated sugar will work.

Applesauce - This adds both sweetness and texture. It can be replaced with more softened coconut oil or butter, but that obviously adds more fat.

Stevia - This is a source of sweetness for the recipe. If you don't like stevia, monk fruit could be used or you can up the sugar to 1/2 cup.

Chocolate - I love using chopped chocolate in my recipes, as it's more economical.

Recipe steps

Stir together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and all of the wet ingredients in a separate, smaller bowl.

Mix everything together, including the chocolate. You can reserve some chocolate for the tops as well.

Flour and baking soda mixed together in a bowl.

Drop the batter by the spoonful onto a baking sheet. The recipe makes 12 good-sized cookies.

Cookie dough batter in a large white bowl.

Be sure to let these cookies sit for a bit after coming out of the oven. Because there isn't a common binder like gluten or eggs, these are a bit more fragile.

Overhead view of a chocolate chip cookie on a wood table.

Recipe notes

This post tells you exactly how to make Pumpkin Seed Flour.

The coconut oil should be in a soft state, not melted, and not solid either. See picture above.

More low sugar treats

Low Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream

Low Sugar Blondies

Low Sugar Cinnamon Apple Cobbler

The kids ate up my whole batch in one afternoon, prompting Jade to inquire, 'mommy, why didn't you make more??'. A good sign, I'd wager!

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5 from 10 votes