Sugar-Free Cookies Market Size, Share, Industry, and Outlook (2024-2031)

Market Overview

The Global Sugar-Free Cookies Market reached US$ 5.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 9.6 billion by 2030, growing with a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

Increasing health issues related to high sugar consumption are driving the need for low-sugar or sugar-free products. Rising demand for sugar-free products in every field of food categories including bakery and confectionery products, which positively increases the market growth. Globally, consumers are concerned about their calorie intake due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity and taking up sugar substitutes.

According to a survey conducted by a community social media platform, 38 per cent of the urban Indian population consume artificial sweeteners every month. The high acceptance of artificial sweeteners to maintain strict calorie and sugar intake positively impacts the market as manufacturers are motivated to use certified artificial sweeteners in their products.

The active participation of start-up companies in the expansion of sugar-free cookies is increasing rapidly. Various sugar-free cookie product developments from start-ups are positively influencing market growth. For instance, in March 2023, Nutri Food Company, a start-up introduced Nutri Boost Cookies, with better quantities of fiber and protein. This new product with good taste and flavor is free from sugar.

Market Scope

For more details on this report - Request for Sample

Market Dynamics

Increasing Demand for Low-Sugar Products

Consuming sugar-rich products leads to increased health risks like obesity and diabetes due to their high-calorie content. According to the World Health Organization 2022 statistics, more than 1 billion people globally are suffering from obesity, where 650 million people are adults and 340 million are adolescents. The severity of obesity is increasing in children too, accounting for up to 39 million according to 2022, WHO statistics.

According to IDF Diabetes Atlas 2021, 537 million adults are living with diabetes in the world. The organisation reports that the prevalence is increasing rapidly and is estimated to reach 643 million by 2030. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes globally, there is a greater need for low-sugar or sugar-free products to decrease calorie intake.

New Product Launches

The demand for sugar-free products is motivating manufacturers to introduce new and innovative products into the market. Manufacturers are investing in R&D to produce tasty and healthy cookies that can be used as a good snacking choice among diabetics and general people. Manufacturers are even going for the fortification of these products to improve the product value in the market.

In October 2021, Jnck Bakery announced the launch of a range of fresh, chewy cookies, which have 90% less sugar, 50% less saturated fat, three times more protein and five times more fibre than some existing products. The product is made of pea protein for satiation, prebiotic fibre for gut health and a bespoke, low-sugar, protein chocolate.

In July 2022, FYXX Health, a Boston-based startup, launched a vitamin-packed, guilt-free cookie into the market. The product is packed with rich fiber and low carbs. This low-sugar cookie is fortified with vitamins D, B12, zinc, magnesium and calcium providing a healthy cookie experience for the consumers.

Health Concerns Associated with Sweetening Agents

To replace sugar in the production of sugar-free cookies manufacturers use various sweetening agents such as aspartame, saccharin and others. These sweetening agents provide a greater sweetening role to the products, but may also induce some health effects on the longer consumption rates. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are claimed to have adverse effects on health such as migraines and some of the serious problems such as cancer and heart issues.

According to NIH, high consumption of aspartame can cause mood disorders, mental stress, and depression. NIH also reports that long-term saccharin consumption increases the risk of obesity and diabetes, due to increased hunger and food intake. The increasing consumer awareness regarding the health effects associated with the high intake of sweetening agents can hinder the market growth for these products.

Segment Analysis

The global sugar-free cookies market is segmented based on product, flavor, nature, sweetening agent, distribution channel and region.

High Taste Preference for Chocolate Cookies

The global sugar-free cookies market is segmented based on flavour into chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and others. Chocolate-flavoured sugar-free cookies accounted for the largest share of the global market due to increased demand due to its taste and high preference among the majority of customers of all age groups.

The new product launches drive the market growth. For instance, in October 2021, Enlightened, the feel-good dessert brand, announced the introduction of its new collection of sugar-free ready-to-bake cookies. The product can help the customer enjoy freshly prepared oven-fresh cookies that are made with zero grams of added sugar.

Similarly, in March 2022, Voortman Cookies, a Canadian company specializing in the production and sale of cookies, increased its product offerings with the launch of zero-sugar mini treats. The new product lines include Zero Sugar Mini Cookies with different flavours including chocolate and vanilla offering customers with tasty and healthy cookie experience.

Geographical Penetration

Increased Health Consciousness Among Consumers in North America

North America dominated the global sugar-free cookies market. With increasing health concerns, health consciousness among consumers of this region is also increasing rapidly. Areas such as U.S., Canada and others are facing high lifestyle disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2023, obesity affects over 41.9 % of adults and 19.7 % of children in the United States.

Similarly, according to the CDC, about 37.3 million Americans are suffering from diabetes, covering about 11.3 % of the United States population. With the increasing concerns about these lifestyle disorders, the demand for sugar-less products is increasing rapidly in this region, driving market growth and positively increasing the market growth.

The high recommendation from organizations to decrease sugar intake is promoting sugar-less products. The American Heart Association suggests a stricter added-sugar limit for all people. The organization recommends the strict restriction of less than 100 sugar calories per day for most adult women and less than 150 sugar calories per day for most men, motivating consumers to take sugar-less products.

Competitive Landscape

The major global players in the market include UNIBIC Foods, Diabliss Consumer Products Pvt., Ltd., The Ferrero Group, Voortman Cookies, Aunt Gussie's Cookies & Crackers, Burton's Biscuit Company, Fat Snax, Good Dee's, Wellversed Health Private Limited and Galletas Gulln S.A.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the global sugar-free cookies market. Improper facilities such as reduced raw material sourcing and workforce facilities negatively affected the market growth temporarily. The strict lockdown regulations from the government interrupted the distribution of products into the market. The shutdown of offline stores greatly reduced the extruded product sales. The increased consumer health consciousness increased demand for diet products.

According to NIH 2020, obesity and diabetes are two major risk factors for COVID‐19 hospitalization. The organization stated that people with diabetes mellitus and severe obesity are more likely to get infected and are at a higher risk of mortality from COVID-19. Among elderly patients who are at higher risk of death from COVID-19, 26.8% have diabetes mellitus. 

People with obesity and diabetes are at higher risk for severe illness, causing them to be highly conscious about their dietary intake during the pandemic situation. Consumers started taking up low-sugar or sugarless products to maintain their sugar intake. The high demand for sugar-free products in various products such as cookies and other snack products positively impacted the market growth.

Russia- Ukraine War Impact

The Russia-Ukraine war greatly impacted several industrial sectors, including food. The war created import and export trade disruptions, resulting in economic disturbances. The supply chain activities were badly impacted, causing the disruption of demand-supply chain activities. The scarcity of raw materials and other essential resources paused the global market for various products, including sugar-free cookies.

By Product

• Bar
• Molded
• Rolled
• Drop
• Others

By Flavor

• Peanut Butter
• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Others

By Nature

• Organic
• Conventional

By Sweetening Agent

• Stevia
• Sucralose
• Aspartame
• Saccharin
• Others

By Distribution Channel

• Hypermarket/Supermarket
• Convenience Stores
• Specialty Store
• E-Commerce
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
• Middle East and Africa

Key Developments

• In April 2023, HighKey, a low-sugar baked snacks brand, launched a sugar-free sandwich cookie. The product is sugar-free and is featured with two crispy chocolate wafers around the vanilla cream layer.
• In December 2022, an entrepreneur Jody Polishchuk, launched Sundays, the first zero-sugar creme cookie of the brand. The brand debuted with its first flavor, Cookies & Creme, which tastes just like the classic but contains no sugar and 7 grams of protein as a healthy option for the customers.
• In September 2021, Mondelez International, one of the world's largest snack companies announced the launch of sugar-free Oreos in China exploring sugar-free snacking in the biscuit category.

Why Purchase the Report?

• To visualize the global sugar-free cookies market segmentation based on product, flavor, nature, sweetening agent, distribution channel and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous data points of sugar-free cookies market-level with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The global sugar-free cookies market report would provide approximately 77 tables, 80 figures and 234 Pages.

Target Audience 2023

• Manufacturers/ Buyers
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals
• Emerging Companies