Oreo Zero Sugar: The Sugar-Free Cookie Option Coming to US Markets in January 2024

Mondelez has announced that consumers who are actively seeking mindful indulgence options will soon have a new choice.

There's good news for those starting New Year's diets: Oreos will soon be available in sugar-free versions.

According to a Tuesday announcement from Mondelez, both Oreo Zero Sugar and Oreo Double Stuf Zero Sugar will be launching in the U.S. market this January. These products will become permanent additions to the company's Oreo portfolio.

This launch marks the first time Mondelez has offered sugar-free Oreos in the United States, though these products have already been available to consumers in European and Chinese markets.

Mondelez explained that this move responds to increasing consumer demand for what the company terms "mindful indulgence." The new Oreo varieties will address an existing gap in the market for sugar-free sandwich cookie options.

Industry observers have noted this broader trend toward healthier snacking alternatives. A recent report from market research firm Circana found that most Americans now seek snacks they perceive as beneficial to their health. Similarly, Conagra Brands, producer of popcorn and Slim Jim meat snacks, reported that Millennial and Generation Z consumers particularly favor portion-controlled and wellness-oriented snack options.

The success of similar sugar-free products demonstrates this market opportunity. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, introduced in 2017, experienced 9% sales growth last year, significantly outpacing original Coke's 2% increase. Mondelez faces competition from companies like Hershey, which offers zero sugar versions of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and other confections, as well as Voortman's sugar-free wafer cookie line.

Mondelez devoted four years to developing these no-sugar Oreo varieties to ensure they maintained the authentic taste of the original cookies. For sweetening, the Zero Sugar Oreos contain maltitol (a sugar alcohol also found naturally in certain fruits and vegetables), polydextrose (a soluble fiber), sucralose (a sugar-derived sweetener), and acesulfame potassium (a synthetic sweetener).

Direct nutritional comparison between Zero Sugar and regular Oreos requires careful analysis due to different serving size definitions.

A 22.6-gram serving of Oreo Zero Sugar cookies contains 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 16 grams of carbohydrates. By comparison, a serving of regular Oreos (defined as three cookies or 34 grams) provides 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 25 grams of carbohydrates.

The most significant nutritional difference is that regular Oreos contain 13 grams of added sugars per serving, representing 26% of the recommended daily amount, while Zero Sugar Oreos contain none.