Diabetic Orange Sunbeams

These diabetic-friendly orange cookies skip the sugar entirely, relying on a sugar substitute and the natural sweetness of raisins for a treat that satisfies without the blood sugar spike. Fresh orange juice and a generous amount of grated orange zest give every cookie a bright, citrusy flavor that makes up for what the sugar would have added.

The dough comes together like a shortcrust: flour, baking powder, and salt get sifted, then shortening is cut in until crumbly. Raisins, egg, orange juice, orange zest, and sweetener all go in at once and get mixed into a stiff dough. Roll into small balls, flatten on the baking sheet, and they’re done in 12 to 15 minutes.

The texture is tender and crumbly, more like a tea biscuit than a chewy cookie. The raisins add pockets of concentrated sweetness that make each bite feel more indulgent than the ingredient list suggests.

Chef Tips

• Use whatever sugar substitute you prefer. The recipe calls for Sucaryl, but any liquid or granular substitute works. Adjust amount to taste.
• Grate the orange zest finely. Large pieces of zest are bitter and chewy in a cookie this delicate.
• Flatten the balls evenly so they bake at the same rate. Thick centers stay raw while thin edges overbake.

Variations

• Swap raisins for dried cranberries for a tart-sweet twist.
• Add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mixture for a spiced orange cookie.
• Replace orange juice and zest with lemon for a lemon sunbeam cookie.