Oreo is launching a sugar-free option as the world’s best-selling cookie brand aims to fill a void in snacking and better position itself among health-conscious consumers.
The cookie’s owner, Mondelēz International, worked for about four years to develop the Oreo Zero Sugar, which will be available in January 2026. The zero-sugar cookie has a “100% authentic OREO experience” that replicates the original, according to Michelle Deignan, vice president of marketing for the Oreo brand at Mondelēz.
“Until now, the sandwich cookie category has been relatively absent from the sugar-free snack segment,” she said in an email to Food Dive. “This gap presented an incredible opportunity for the OREO brand to step in and redefine what indulgence can look like.”
Even as people lower their sugar consumption, many still want to indulge in their favorite products. Those consumers often are turned off by the unavailability of sugar-free options or the taste profile of those on the market. Sugar is “the number one barrier” stopping some consumers from purchasing cookies, Deignan observed.
More than six in 10 Americans are concerned about how much sugar they consume, according to the International Food Information Council. “Low in sugar” has also ranked among the top three qualities consumers use to define healthy foods for the past three years.
Oreo was launched in 1912 and today is the most popular cookie sold in retail locations around the world. It’s a significant part of Mondelēz’s $36 billion in annual revenue, with Oreo sales topping $4 billion. An estimated 60 billion Oreo cookies are sold each year, a third of them in the U.S. alone, according to Mondelēz.
Mondelēz is launching Oreo Zero Sugar in Original and Double Stuf.
Deignan said the sugar-free line offers “a valuable opportunity to truly disrupt the [sandwich cookie] category” while providing more options for consumers who prioritize lower-sugar options. It also allows the brand “to reach entirely new audiences” who may not have considered the cookie category as a suitable option for their dietary needs.
Sugar-free Oreo versions have previously been launched in China and Europe. Deignan said Mondelēz incorporated insight from these markets to “refine its approach” with the U.S. version.
The Chicago-based snacking giant ultimately “went back to the drawing board and created this iteration from scratch” after taking into account consumer feedback, she said. Changes included adjusting the sweetness profile and rolling out a stand-up pouch for the cookies.
The U.S. version of the cookie is sweetened with a blend of maltitol, polydextrose, sucralose and acesulfame potassium. The blend helps replicate the sweetness and texture of sugar while “minimizing impact on the iconic taste and texture of the OREO cookie,” Deignan noted.
The company has leveraged Oreo’s popularity to extend the brand into other cookie varieties and food categories.
Mondelēz rolled out its first gluten-free Oreos in 2021. It has introduced dozens of permanent and limited-time Oreo flavors, including Birthday Cake and Cotton Candy, and collaborated with singers such as Lady Gaga and Post Malone on special versions of the snack.
Earlier this year, Oreo partnered with Hershey’s Reese’s brand to launch cookies and cups that combined the two multi-billion-dollar offerings. Mondelēz has also moved Oreo beyond cookies into mini cakes known as Oreo Cakesters and licensed the brand for use in cereal, ice cream and other food offerings.
“The U.S. audience has incredibly high expectations for the OREO brand, and we wouldn’t settle for launching a product that didn’t fully deliver on the playful, delicious experience people associate with the brand,” Deignan said.
