Sugar Free Cookies

No sugar in the ingredient list, but these cookies are far from bland. The sweetness comes from two natural sources: raisins cooked in water until nearly dry (which concentrates their sugar and softens them into a jammy paste) and unsweetened applesauce, which adds moisture and a gentle fruit sweetness throughout.

Cooking the raisins first is the key step. Raw raisins dropped into cookie dough stay chewy and separate. Cooked raisins break down, release their sugars into the surrounding batter, and sweeten the entire cookie from within. Artificial sweetener fills in the remaining gap.

Cinnamon is the only spice, and it works hard here, adding warmth and the illusion of more sweetness than is actually present. The batter also works as a cake if you bake it in a long pan at the same temperature for 45 minutes.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the raisins until the water is almost completely absorbed, not just reduced. You want concentrated raisin flavor, not soggy raisins in water.
• Let the cooked raisins cool slightly before adding the remaining ingredients. Hot raisins can cook the eggs when mixed in.
• Drop the cookies with a generous spoon and don’t flatten them. They spread on their own during the 20-minute bake.
• These are softer than traditional cookies and stay moist for days thanks to the applesauce.

Variations

• Oatmeal version: Replace one cup of flour with rolled oats for a heartier, more textured cookie.
• Nut addition: Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and healthy fats.
• Spice blend: Add a pinch of nutmeg and ground cloves alongside the cinnamon for a warmer, more complex flavor.