When Mondelēz International heralded the January 2026 retail arrival of its Oreo Zero Sugar cookies, the food blogosphere was abuzz. Writers wondered how the producer could pull off a sans-sugar version of the sandwich cookies with taste and texture that matched the original. Those scribes who received samples ahead of this month’s release largely gave thumbs-up reviews, often with a hint of surprise—the headline on Delish.com’s review, for example, read, “I Tried Oreo’s Zero Sugar Cookies & I am SHOOK.”

To learn more about the buzzworthy release, we checked in with Michelle Deignan, VP of marketing for the Oreo brand with Mondelēz.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please talk about some of the consumer trends/demands that helped drive the creation of Oreo Zero Sugar? 

Michelle Deignan: We know that consumers in the United States are increasingly looking for snack choices that align with their modern lifestyle, but without limiting the simple pleasures they love. With that, we also saw that 66% of Americans report actively decreasing the amount of sugar in their diets, but until now, the sandwich cookie category has been relatively absent from the sugar-free snack segment. With this gap, we saw an incredible opportunity for the Oreo brand to step in and create an innovation that proves consumers don’t have to compromise on deliciousness, even in a zero-sugar format

This new release invites consumers who may have previously limited their sugar intake to rediscover the joy and flavor the brand represents. By bringing Oreo Zero Sugar to the U.S. market, the Oreo brand is addressing this gap while also reaching new audiences, including modern snackers who prioritize options with less sugar. Oreo Zero Sugar is just another part of Mondelēz’s ongoing strategy to increase choice across the portfolio and craft products that meet evolving preferences.

JS: Please talk about some of the concerns and challenges your R&D team faced at the onset, and how you worked to tackle them.

MD: One of the biggest challenges for this release was to ensure that we were still preserving the integrity of the Oreo brand’s unique experience and ritual that our consumers have come to love from the original cookie, even though the cookies are sugar-free. The Oreo brand has been working behind the scenes on this innovation for about four years to craft a zero-sugar cookie we knew would deliver indulgence without compromise, especially for those consumers looking to reduce their daily sugar intake and rediscover the joy and flavor the brand represents.

We knew we needed to uphold the brand's equity and Oreo experience our consumers know and love. So, to meet these high expectations required a great deal of care, innovation, and collaboration throughout the entire creation process to stay true to the Oreo experience. We can’t wait to hear what fans think in 2026 when they get to try themselves!

JS: What can you tell us about the ingredients that impart the sweetness to the cookie component and the crème instead of sugar, and how the sweeteners work so well together? 

MD: The Zero Sugar cookies are sweetened with maltitol, polydextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium to align with consumer preferences for reduced-sugar products, and like all our ingredients, are FDA approved. Using these ingredients ensures that we can provide the same Oreo experience fans know and love, but in a sugar-free format.   

JS: Anyone who follows the brand on social media might have noticed you teased these out months ago—what was the thinking behind that coy sneak peek, and what was the response like? 

MD: Last year, we teased the idea of a Zero Sugar Cookie on social media and confirmed with consumers we were exploring the creation of a Zero Sugar version of AMERICA’S FAVORITE COOKIE. The Oreo brand is always looking for ways to expand our playful product portfolio to meet the needs of our consumers, and we’ve made it our mission to ensure this innovation delivers on the signature Oreo taste fans know and love. As a brand, we are always exploring new ways to gather consumer feedback to ensure new product launches are in line with consumer tastes and preferences.

Through this consumer teasing, we were able to confirm this product drove excitement from our fans, and we will continue to innovate and evolve our offerings to bring consumers products that meet evolving preferences.

JS: With Mondelēz having tons of other popular brands, might you have plans to launch zero-sugar or otherwise BFY versions? Zero Sugar Sour Patch Kids, for example? 

MD: The Oreo brand is always reimagining the Oreo cookie experience to meet modern lifestyles and evolving consumer preferences. Fans can expect more exciting innovations in the future that deliver the same delicious Oreo cookie experience with new twists.

To keep up with more innovative creations and collaborations that reimagine the Oreo cookie experience while meeting evolving consumer needs, visit Oreo.com/BeyondTheCookie.

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