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Meet Your New Favorite Snack: Healthy Oreos

Simple Mills just launched two drool-worthy flavors of sandwich cookies. Here’s how they stack up in nutrition and taste.

oreos falling out of open sleeve

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I’ve proudly kicked many of the unhealthy eating habits that plagued me in college. Goodbye, late-night Taco Bell quesadillas, and nightly scoops of ice cream. Still, give me a sleeve of Oreos and a dark corner and there will be no survivors.

There’s something about that sweet crunch and creamy filling. And, don’t get me started on adding peanut butter into the equation, one dunk into salty, sticky heaven and you’ll never go back.

I’ve yet to find an Oreo alternative that is a healthy and satisfying swap.

Enter Simple Mills’ latest drop: healthier oreo cookies.

How do they taste? Are they actually healthy? We tell all below.

Are Simple Mills Cookies Healthy?

The brand offers two classic sandwich cookie flavors—cocoa cashew cream, and creamy peanut butter—reimagined with what they call “purposeful ingredients.” But what does that actually mean?

Clean ingredients

Simple Mills prioritizes clean, non-GMO ingredients in their products like healthy nut butter and flour from cashews and peanuts. Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

The cookies also use organic buckwheat flour rather than unbleached enriched flour found in original Oreos. Buckwheat flour is gluten- and grain-free, plus it offers more protein, dietary fiber, and B vitamins than white flour.

No high fructose corn syrup

Instead of using sugar and high-fructose corn syrup as sweeteners, Simple Mills uses organic, unrefined coconut sugar.

Unlike table sugar, coconut sugar retains its nutritional value by offering small amounts of minerals like potassium, and antioxidants. It also contains inulin, a type of soluble fiber that can make blood sugar spikes less likely.

However, coconut sugar contains the same amount of calories and carbohydrates as table sugar. Both Simple Mills sandwich cookies and Oreos have 14 grams of sugar in one three-cookie serving. That comes in at a little less than half the American Heart Association recommendation for men of no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day.

Simple Mills might offer a slightly better alternative for the majority, but those following a keto diet will still have a hard time squeezing this many carbs into their day.

Simple Mills Peanut Butter Cookies stacked with one that has a bite out of it so you can see the creamy peanut butter center
The Creamy Peanut Butter flavor literally tastes like a healthier Nutter Butter.

Vegan and gluten-free

Simple Mills sandwich cookies are gluten-free and vegan, claims Oreos can’t make. Technically, the ingredients in Oreos are vegan, but because the cookies may come in contact with milk in the production process, the brand has deemed them “not suitable for vegans”. Flour is also a key ingredient in Oreos, so they can’t be considered gluten-free either.

Environmentally conscious

When you buy a box of Simple Mills cookies, it’s better for you, and the planet. The brands’ regenerative agriculture initiative means they source sustainably from farmers that use regenerative farming practices to improve soil health and biodiversity, giving you peace of mind.

Do Simple Mills Cookies Taste Good?

Yes. After trying the Cocoa Cream Cashew and Creamy Peanut Butter sandwich cookies I can confirm that they’re both delicious. Trying to decide which to add to your cart? I’d pick both, but check my tasting notes below. 

Cocoa Cream Cashew Sandwich Cookies

The brand’s ode to a classic Oreo is reminiscent of the chocolatey goodness, with a delightful crunch, and a creamy interior. The difference is flavor.

The cookies themselves taste slightly burnt, which I strangely enjoy. The cashew creme is nutty, nothing like the sugar-packed cream interior of a classic Oreo; however, as someone who lives for nut butter in my Oreos, I’m all about it.

When the cravings kick in, these cookies make a worthy treat to fulfill your chocolate and nut butter needs.

Creamy Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Here’s where Simple Mills came to play. I was less excited to try the brand’s creamy peanut butter sandwich cookies—a key component of any good cookie is chocolate—but it was love at first bite. This little cookie delivers big on flavor. I haven’t had a Nutter Butter in years, but this is what I would want them to taste like. They are nutty, crunchy, lightly sweet, and slightly salty.

The creamy peanut butter sandwich cookies have earned a permanent spot in my pantry. If you’re a nut butter lover, add this nutty and crunchy cookie to your shopping list.

Other Simple Mills Cookies Worth Trying

This isn’t the first time Simple Mills is disrupting the cookie aisle. Their Crunchy Cookies have stolen the hearts of consumers, some claiming they’re just as tasty as Famous Amos. And their Sweet Thins are their take on graham crackers that are one of my go-to snacks with my afternoon cup of joe.

About the author

Sydney Bueckert is a Fitness & Nutrition Editor at Hone Health. She is a qualified fitness instructor with her BS in Exercise Science, C.S.C.S, NASM-C.P.T., C.E.S., F.N.S., and G.P.T.S., who specializes in human performance and corrective exercise.