This recipe for Sugar Free Poor Man’s Cookies is based upon the classic depression era cookie that was meant to be made with inexpensive ingredients that were easy to find.
Made with oatmeal and no added dairy, these cookies are chewy and comforting with a hint of grandma in every bite.
What you will read about in this recipe.
What makes poor man's cookies so good?
Poor man's cookies are best known as a humble and old-fashioned idea that was born from resourcefulness and simplicity of the depression era as eggs, butter, and milk were in short supply .
I like that the ingredients are simple and inexpensive despite being part of a great tasting cookie .
Have you tried my recipe for Sugar Free Chocolate Depression Cake
Made with unsweetened cocoa powder and vinegar, that chocolate cake is moist, fluffy, and full of chocolate goodness. Both this recipe for oatmeal cookies and that recipe chocolate cake are recipes inspired by the depression era and are made with no added dairy.
Vegetable shortening is used instead of butter to make this tasty cookie recipe. You can find vegetable shortening here.
What you need to make Poor Man's Cookies.
- Flour. Regular all purpose flour was used to make my cookies.
- Baking Soda. For a bit of leavening.
- Salt. Basically a pinch of salt helps to bring out the flavors in this cookie.
- Vegetable Shortening. Have this cut into pieces and at room temperature for optimal blending.
- Sugar Alternative. Select a granular Brown Sugar Alternative and White Sugar Alternative that measures like sugar and that can also be baked with.
- Water. Used as an egg alternative for moisture
- Vanilla Extract Added for flavor.
- Rolled Oats. Quick oats will not work in making the desired texture of this cookie.
How to Make No Added Sugar Poor Man's Cookies.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes .
- Bake Time: 8-10 minutes .
- Servings: 30 cookies, depending on the size of your cookies. .
- How to Serve: These cookies go great with a glass of milk, cup of coffee, or with a scoop of Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Notes: You will need mixing bowls, baking sheets, a whisk, and a rubber spatula to make this recipe.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350f. Also, prep your baking sheet(s) for nonstick. Parchment paper or a baking mat can work in this recipe.
- Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Beat. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar alternatives (white and brown) on high speed until light and fluffy (about two minutes or so). Bump the speed down to medium and add the water and vanilla extract and beat until the ingredients are combined (about 30 seconds).
- Combine. Use a rubber spatula or similar item to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and set the speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients from the second step to the mixing bowl a quarter cup at a time. Mix these ingredients until just combined.
- Oats. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and then use your spatula to fold in the oats.
- Bake. Use a tablespoon or large spoon to drop the cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet so that the cookies are a couple of inches apart from on another (these cookies will spread while baking). Then bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the begin to turn golden brown.
- Set Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for five minutes to set before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool.
Tips for making the best Poor Man’s Cookies
Vegetable shortening is used in this recipe as there were few available and affordable options when this recipe was developed. You could try making this recipe with actual butter however, the texture may differ.
More helpful tips for you.
- The cookie dough in this recipe is meant to spread while baking. You can prevent them from spreading too much by refrigerating the dough for a half hour before dropping the dough onto your baking sheet.
- Take these cookies up a notch by stirring in some chopped nuts, raisins, or even sugar free chocolate chips.
- Your cookies are done baking when they begin to turn golden brown. The centers of the cookies may still be soft at this time but, should set while the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet.
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How to Store Poor Man Cookies.
Once the cookies have fully set and cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container. When properly stored, these cookies should keep for up to five days at room temperature of frozen for up to a few months. Note that the cookie dough can also be frozen for up to a few months if you decide to actually bake these cookies at a later date.
Here are some more cookie recipes made with no added sugar.
Print the recipe for Sugar Free Poor Man’s Cookies
Sugar Free Poor Man’s Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour.
- 1 tsp Baking Soda.
- ¼ tsp Salt.
- 1 cup Vegetable Shortening. -Cut into pieces and at room temperature
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar Alternative
- ⅓ cup White Sugar Alternative
- ¼ cup Water.
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Rolled Oats.
Instructions
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350f. Also, prep your baking sheet(s) for nonstick. Parchment paper or a baking mat can work in this recipe.
- Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Beat. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar alternatives (white and brown) on high speed until light and fluffy (about two minutes or so). Bump the speed down to medium and add the water and vanilla extract and beat until the ingredients are combined (about 30 seconds).
- Combine. Use a rubber spatula or similar item to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and set the speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients from the second step to the mixing bowl a quarter cup at a time. Mix these ingredients until just combined.
- Oats. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and then use your spatula to fold in the oats.
- Bake. Use a tablespoon or large spoon to drop the cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet so that the cookies are a couple of inches apart from on another (these cookies will spread while baking). Then bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the begin to turn golden brown. Set Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for five minutes to set before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool.
posted:
January 13, 2026*About Sugar Alternatives
Specific sugar alternatives are not given in the recipes presented on this site. Only suggestions are given as to the 'kind' of alternative to use. It is up to you to select the alternative to use that suits your needs best. If the recipe is heated or cooked, it is best to use an alternative that can be heated or cooked with for best results. This site does not endorse any specific ingredients,
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that the links on this website, and specifically on this post, that lead to other sites may be affiliate links.
Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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Sugar Free Poor Man’s Cookies, a simple recipe for chewy oatmeal cookies made with no added dairy or sugar.
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.
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