Formulation, Sensory, Physical, and Nutritional Evaluation of Sugar-Free Multigrain Cookies: A Comparative Study

Authors

  • Dinesh Sharma Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur-Punjab Author
  • Suhail Ahmad Bhat Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, Punjab Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1499-6497
  • Noopur Khare Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur-Punjab Author
  • Shafaq Javid Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur-Punjab Author
  • Tanuja Srivastava Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur-Punjab Author
  • Usman Ahmed Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur-Punjab Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63338/ijftm.2025.000014

Keywords:

Sugar-free multigrain cookies, Sensory evaluation, Nutritional composition, Dietary fiber

Abstract

The present research investigates the formulation, sensory, physical, and nutritional characteristics of sugar-free multigrain cookies produced using a mixture of wheat, oats, bajra, and ragi flours. Four formulations containing different ratios of alternative flours were made: T1 (100% wheat flour), T2 (70% wheat flour, 10% oats, 10% bajra, and 10% ragi), T3 (55% wheat flour, 15% oats, 15% bajra, and 15% ragi), and T4 (40% wheat flour, 20% oats, 20% bajra, and 20% ragi). The physico-chemical properties indicated a significant increase in thickness and volume with the addition of oats, bajra, and ragi, while the spread ratio and diameter was decreased. The nutritional composition indicated that dietary fiber content increased significantly with the inclusion of alternative flours, while protein and fat contents decreased. Sensory evaluation revealed that sample T3 received the highest ratings for appearance, flavour, crispiness, and overall acceptance. The research establishes that multigrain flour combinations have a beneficial effect on the physical, nutritional, and sensory attributes of sugar-free cookies by improving their texture, flavour, and fiber levels. The research emphasizes the possibilities of multigrain cookies as a healthy, functional snack choice.



References

Aggarwal, D., Sabikhi, L., & Kumar, M. S. (2016). Formulation of reduced-calorie biscuits using artificial sweeteners and fat replacer with dairy–multigrain approach. NFS journal, 2, 1-7.

Alahmari, L. A. (2024). Dietary fiber influence on overall health, with an emphasis on CVD, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, and inflammation. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1510564.

Aljobair, M. O. (2022). Physicochemical properties and sensory attributes of cookies prepared from sorghum and millet composite flour. Food Science & Nutrition, 10(10), 3415-3423.

American Association of Cereal Chemists. Approved Methods Committee. (2000). Approved methods of the American association of cereal chemists (Vol. 1). American Association of Cereal Chemists.

Anjali, P., Lal, E. A., & Ajinkya, D. (2019). Value addition and quality evaluation of dietary fibre rich, multigrain cookies. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 8(1), 1802-1804

Ari Akin, P., Demirkesen, I., Bean, S. R., Aramouni, F., & Boyaci, I. H. (2022). Sorghum flour application in bread: Technological challenges and opportunities. Foods, 11(16), 2466.

Ashraf, K., Pasha, I., uz Zaman, Q., Nazir, A., & Iqbal, M. (2022). Quantification of antioxidant potential of baked and fried multigrain food material as a tool for nutritional optimization strategy. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 41, 102315.

Ashwath Kumar, K., & Sudha, M. L. (2021). Effect of fat and sugar replacement on rheological, textural and nutritional characteristics of multigrain cookies. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 58(7), 2630-2640.

Baek, N., Moon, Y., Kim, J., & Kweon, M. (2023). Effect of gluten composition in low-allergy O-free wheat flour on cookie-making performance compared with flours with different gluten strengths. Foods, 12(20), 3843.

Boz, H. (2019). Effect of flour and sugar particle size on the properties of cookie dough and cookie. Czech Journal of Food Sciences, 37(2), 120-127.

Breda, J., Jewell, J., & Keller, A. (2019). The importance of the world health organization sugar guidelines for dental health and obesity prevention. Caries research, 53(2), 149-152.

Brites, L. T. G. F., Ortolan, F., SILVA, D. W. D., Bueno, F. R., Rocha, T. D. S., Chang, Y. K., & Steel, C. J. (2018). Gluten-free cookies elaborated with buckwheat flour, millet flour and chia seeds. Food Science and Technology, 39, 458-466.

Cerf, M. E. (2021). Healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases: nutrition, the life‐course, and health promotion. Lifestyle Medicine, 2(2), e31.

Chappalwar, V. M., Peter, D., Bobde, H., & John, S. M. (2013). Quality characteristics of cookies prepared from oats and finger millet based composite flour. Engineering Science and Technology: An International Journal, 3(4), 677-683.

Dauda, A. O., Babatunde, A. O., Maiyaki-Ibrahim, T. D., & Jimoh, A. Y. (2024). Evaluating Quality Attributes of Cookies Produced from Oat and Wheat Flour Blends. Ceylon Journal of Science, 53(4), 609-617.

Dighe, P., Rasane, P., Gavahne, A., Kour, A., & Nakra, A. (2022). Importance of multigrain consumption over single grain: A review. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 11(6), 2707-2714.

Drozdz, D., Alvarez-Pitti, J., Wójcik, M., Borghi, C., Gabbianelli, R., Mazur, A., ... & Wühl, E. (2021). Obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors: from childhood to adulthood. Nutrients, 13(11), 4176.

Furlán, L. T. R., & Campderrós, M. E. (2017). The combined effects of Stevia and sucralose as sugar substitute and inulin as fat mimetic on the physicochemical properties of sugar-free reduced-fat dairy dessert. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 10, 16-23.

Giuberti, G., Rocchetti, G., Sigolo, S., Fortunati, P., Lucini, L., & Gallo, A. (2018). Exploitation of alfalfa seed (Medicago sativa L.) flour into gluten-free rice cookies: Nutritional, antioxidant and quality characteristics. Food chemistry, 239, 679-687.

Grundy, M. M. L., Fardet, A., Tosh, S. M., Rich, G. T., & Wilde, P. J. (2018). Processing of oat: the impact on oat's cholesterol lowering effect. Food & function, 9(3), 1328-1343.

Gruppi, A., Giuberti, G., Duserm Garrido, G., & Spigno, G. (2024). Effect of different fibre addition on cookie dough and texture. Food Science and Technology International, 30(7), 614-622.

Handa, C., Goomer, S., & Siddhu, A. (2012). Physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of fructoligosaccharide enriched cookies. Journal of food science and technology, 49, 192-199.

Hsieh, P. H., Weng, Y. M., Yu, Z. R., & Wang, B. J. (2017). Substitution of wheat flour with wholegrain flours affects physical properties, sensory acceptance, and starch digestion of Chinese steam bread (Mantou). LWT, 86, 571-576.

Hussain, A., & Kaul, R. (2018). Formulation and Characterization of Buckwheat-Barley Supplemented Multigrain Biscuits. Current Research in Nutrition & Food Science, 6(3), 873-881.

Ibrahim, M. S., Ahmad, A., Nadeem, M., Ranjha, M. M. A. N., Nadeem, M. A., Malik, F., & Teferra, T. F. (2023). Farinograph, mixograph, and pasting properties of oat fiber-incorporated dough and sensory attributes of fiber-incorporated biscuits. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9(1), 2244811.

Ikade, A. R., Kamble, K., Kad, V. P., Salve, V., Shelke, G., & Shaniware, Y. A. (2024). The Power of Millets-transforming Bakery Products with a Revolutionary Approach to Nutrition: A Review. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 27(11), 1519-1532.

Itagi, H. B. N., & Singh, V. (2012). Preparation, nutritional composition, functional properties and antioxidant activities of multigrain composite mixes. Journal of food science and technology, 49, 74-81.

Izydorczyk, M. S., & Dexter, J. E. (2008). Barley β-glucans and arabinoxylans: Molecular structure, physicochemical properties, and uses in food products–a Review. Food Research International, 41(9), 850-868.

Jacques, A., Chaaya, N., Beecher, K., Ali, S. A., Belmer, A., & Bartlett, S. (2019). The impact of sugar consumption on stress driven, emotional and addictive behaviors. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 103, 178-199.

Jagati, P., Mahapatra, I., & Dash, D. (2021). Finger millet (Ragi) as an essential dietary supplement with key health benefits: A review. International Journal of Home Science, 7(2), 94-100.

Janzi, S., González-Padilla, E., Ramne, S., Bergwall, S., Borné, Y., & Sonestedt, E. (2024). Added sugar intake and its associations with incidence of seven different cardiovascular diseases in 69,705 Swedish men and women. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1452085.

Jing, Q. I., Yingguo, L. Y. U., Yuanhui, W. A. N. G., Jie, C. H. E. N., & Panfeng, H. O. U. (2018). Formula and quality study of multigrain noodles. Grain & Oil Science and Technology, 1(4), 157-162.

Jukić, M., Nakov, G., Komlenić, D. K., Vasileva, N., Šumanovac, F., & Lukinac, J. (2022). Quality Assessment of cookies made from composite flours containing malted barley flour and wheat flour. Plants, 11(6), 761.

Kulkarni, D. B., Sakhale, B. K., & Chavan, R. F. (2021). Studies on development of low gluten cookies from pearl millet and wheat flour. Food Research, 5(4), 114-119.

Kumar, K. A., Sharma, G. K., Khan, M. A., Govindaraj, T., & Semwal, A. D. (2015). Development of multigrain premixes—its effect on rheological, textural and micro-structural characteristics of dough and quality of biscuits. Journal of food science and technology, 52, 7759-7770.

Lee, S. H., Choe, S. Y., Seo, G. G., & Hong, J. H. (2021). Can “Functional Sweetener” Context Increase Liking for Cookies Formulated with Alternative Sweeteners?.Foods, 10(2), 361.

Linus-Chibuezeh, A., Adindu-Linus, C. O., Okoye, C. E., & Ejeh, F. E. (2024). Effect of varied flour composition on some nutrient characteristics of cookies from Akidi, wheat and yellow maize composite flour. Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 22(2), 72-94.

Luo, X., Arcot, J., Gill, T., Louie, J. C., & Rangan, A. (2019). A review of food reformulation of baked products to reduce added sugar intake. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 86, 412-425.

Majzoobi, M., Layegh, B., & Farahnaky, A. (2014). Inclusion of oat flour in the formulation of regular salted dried noodles and its effects on dough and noodle properties. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 38(1), 48-58

Manchanda, M., Rawat, D., Chandra, A., & Saini, R. K. (2024). Development and Evaluation of Calcium-Fortified Multi-Millet Biscuits: A Nutritious Alternative to Refined Wheat Flour. Foods, 13(11), 1696.

McRae, M. P. (2017). Health benefits of dietary whole grains: an umbrella review of meta-analyses. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 16(1), 10-18.

Meilgaard, M. C., Carr, B. T., & Civille, G. V. (1999). Sensory evaluation techniques. CRC press, Boca Raton

Metwal, N., Jyotsna, R., Jeyarani, T., & Venkateswara Rao, G. (2011). Influence of debittered, defatted fenugreek seed powder and flaxseed powder on the rheological characteristics of dough and quality of cookies. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 62(4), 336-344.

Mohd Basri, M. S., Mohd Jais, N., Sulaiman, A., Mohd Nor, M. Z., Abdul Karim Shah, N. N., & Ariffin, S. H. (2020). Optimizing the processing factor and formulation of oat-based cookie dough for enhancement in stickiness and moisture content using response surface methodology and superimposition. Processes, 8(7), 797.

Moynihan, P. (2016). Sugars and dental caries: evidence for setting a recommended threshold for intake. Advances in nutrition, 7(1), 149-156.

Nicolai, M., Palma, M. L., Reis, R., Amaro, R., Fernandes, J., Gonçalves, E. M., ... & Pereira, P. (2025). Assessing the Potential of Brewer’s Spent Grain to Enhance Cookie Physicochemical and Nutritional Profiles. Foods, 14(1), 95.

Nirmala M, Jyotsna R, Jeyarani T, Venkateshwara RG (2011) Influence of debittered, defatted fenugreek seed powder and flax seed powder on the rheological characteristics of dough and quality of cookies. Int J Food Sci Nutr, 62, 336–344

Paesani, C., Bravo-Núñez, Á., & Gómez, M. (2020). Effect of extrusion of whole-grain maize flour on the characteristics of gluten-free cookies. LWT, 132, 109931.

Pal, V., Jacob, T., Kumar, V., Bharti, B. K., & Pandey, N. (2018). Development and quality evaluation of multigrain cookies. Pharma Innov, 7(7), 1002-1007.

Panghal, A., Chhikara, N., & Khatkar, B. S. (2018). Effect of processing parameters and principal ingredients on quality of sugar snap cookies: a response surface approach. Journal of food science and technology, 55, 3127-3134.

Pareyt, B., & Delcour, J. A. (2008). The role of wheat flour constituents, sugar, and fat in low moisture cereal based products: a review on sugar-snap acookies. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 48(9), 824-839.

Popa, C. N., & Tamba-Berehoiu, R. M. (2021). Oat flour in bread manufacturing. Trends in wheat and bread making in Charis M. Galanakis (Ed) Trends in Wheat and Bread Making. Academic Press, 279-309.

Rahardjo, M., Astuti, R. W., Puspita, D., & Sihombing, M. (2020). Efek penambahan oats pada formulasi cookies gandum dilihat dari karakteristik fisik dan sensorinya. Teknologi Pangan: Media Informasi Dan Komunikasi Ilmiah Teknologi Pertanian, 11(1), 1-6.

Raihan, M., & Saini, C. S. (2017). Evaluation of various properties of composite flour from oats, sorghum, amaranth and wheat flour and production of cookies thereof. International Food Research Journal, 24(6), 2278-2284.

Rajiv, J., & Soumya, C. (2015). Chemical, rheological and nutritional qualities of sugar snap cookies as influenced by the addition of multigrains. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 9, 135-142.

Ram, M., Meena, R. C., Parewa, H. P., & Meena, D. (2021). Productivity and profitability of pearl millet as affected by zinc and iron application in arid and semi-arid region. Internation Journal of Agriculture Environment and Biotechnology, 14(3), 375-380.

Ramashia, S. E., Ntsanwisi, M. D., Onipe, O. O., Mashau, M. E., & Olamiti, G. (2024). Nutritional, Functional, and Microbial Quality of Wheat Biscuits Enriched With Malted Pearl Millet and Orange Peel Flours. Food Science & Nutrition, 12(12), 10477-10493.

Rathod, R. N., Kotecha, P. M., & Thorat, S. S. (2015). Standardization process for preparation of multigrain cookies. Trends in Biosciences, 8(20), 5627-5632.

Schiatti-Sisó, I. P., Quintana, S. E., & García-Zapateiro, L. A. (2023). Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) as a common sugar substitute and its application in food matrices: an updated review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 60(5), 1483-1492.

Sharma, R. B., Guleria, S., Awasthi, Y. K., Pyanshngain, L. S., & Ranjan, S. (2024). Enhancing cookie nutritional value: A comparative study of vacuum dried Butea monospermic powder and traditional grain flours in diverse formulations for sustainable food production. Journal of Environment and Bio-Science, 38(2), 317.

Stanhope, K. L. (2016). Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy. Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences, 53(1), 52-67.

Tarannum, R., Alam, A., Hasan, M. S., Rabby, G., Raiyan, A., Parvin, R., ... & Zahid, M. A. (2025). Development of oats flour and bitter gourd fortified cookies: Effects on physicochemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and sensory attributes. PloS one, 20(1), e0316575.

Torbica, A., Hadnađev, M., & Hadnađev, T. D. (2012). Rice and buckwheat flour characterisation and its relation to cookie quality. Food Research International, 48(1), 277-283.

Torra, M., Belorio, M., Ayuso, M., Carocho, M., Ferreira, I. C., Barros, L., & Gómez, M. (2021). Chickpea and chestnut flours as non-gluten alternatives in cookies. Foods, 10(5), 911.

Watanabe, É., Arruda, K. M. A., Kitzberger, C. S. G., Scholz, M. B. D. S., & Coelho, A. R. (2020). Influence of gluten content on the quality of cookies made with triticale flour. Food Security and Nutrition, 27 (3), 1-8.

Graphical abstract

Downloads

Published

08-04-2025

Data Availability Statement

Data is available on request to corresponding authors.

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Formulation, Sensory, Physical, and Nutritional Evaluation of Sugar-Free Multigrain Cookies: A Comparative Study. (2025). International Journal of Food Technology and Management, 1(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.63338/ijftm.2025.000014