5 Healthiest Cookies That Won’t Spike Your Blood Sugar

Cookies tend to get a bad reputation, especially if you’re trying to keep your blood sugar steady. Traditional recipes are often built around refined flour and sugar—two ingredients that digest quickly and can send glucose levels soaring.

However, some cookies are naturally more balanced thanks to ingredients like nuts, seeds, and whole grains. These additions slow digestion, improve satiety, and reduce the likelihood of the sharp spikes and crashes that leave you feeling sluggish.

1. Almond-Flour Cookies

Almond flour is an increasingly popular alternative to wheat flour—and for good reason. Almond flour is naturally low-carbohydrate and rich in healthy fats and protein, according to Kristen Carli, MS, RD, a registered dietitian at WOWMD.

This combination slows digestion and leads to a steadier rise in blood sugar compared to cookies made with refined flour.

Around the holidays, almond-flour shortbread or almond snowball cookies are common swaps that keep the familiar texture without the rapid glucose hit.

2. Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies can be surprisingly blood-sugar-friendly when made thoughtfully. Whole oats contain soluble fiber, especially beta-glucan, which helps slow the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.

Oatmeal cookies sweetened lightly and made without refined flour are the best option for blood sugar control, said Morgan Walker, MS, RD, LDN, an adjunct professor of exercise science at Lebanon Valley College.

3. Trail Mix-Style Cookies

Trail mix–style cookies take the benefits of oatmeal a step further by adding nuts and seeds, which contribute protein, healthy fats, and additional fiber. These nutrients help slow digestion and reduce the likelihood of a rapid blood sugar spike, said Walker.

“Consider using alternative ways to sweeten cookies such as ripe mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, or mashed sweet potato (a personal favorite),” she said. “These provide natural sweetness, moisture, and can replace refined sugars.” 

Versions that include nuts, seeds, vanilla, and cinnamon offer additional nutrients and flavor without relying on excessive sugar, she added.

4. Nut-Butter Cookies

Nut-butter cookies are a minimalist favorite for a reason. Peanut butter and other nut butters are packed with protein and healthy fats, both of which help blunt blood sugar spikes, according to Carli.

She recommended a simple three-ingredient cookie: nut butter, egg, and a small amount of sugar or sugar alternative to keep carbohydrates relatively low while delivering rich flavor. They’re quick to make and don’t require flour, making them suitable for people with a gluten sensitivity.

Adding walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds are all potential mix-ins that improve both nutrition and blood sugar control, added Walker.

5. Chia or Flaxseed Cookies

Cookies built around seeds rather than flour take a very different nutritional approach. Chia and flax seeds are full of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which slow digestion and support satiety, said Carli.

When a cookie relies on seeds instead of refined grains, it’s typically lower in carbs and higher in fiber, Carli added.