I'm sorry to hear about your husband's recent diagnosis, but coming from a family where diabetes is prevalent has taught me that it's not just about the sweetener you use. Please try to avoid white flour as well, as your body just turns that into sugar. Maybe stick to cookies made with almond flour, or ones with nuts and dried fruit (date nut bars are a favorite of mine). Natural treats that are low on the glycemic index tend to taste better than traditional cookies altered with artificial sweeteners or stevia/splenda.

Even without the sugar there are still carbohydrates in the cookies. Probably a better option is making the cookies per usual, he has a few as part of a special meal or two (eating carb foods with fat/protein will slow blood sugar spikes) and then giving the rest away as treats.

Don't bake him cookies. Take a diabetes education class and learn about what snacks are better for him than cookies. You'll be doing both of you a favor.

Ans Aninhas points out -- it's not only the sugar that you need to worry about -- it's all carbs.

Make him spiced nuts instead.

It really varies by person, but some folks with diabetes prefer just having a small portion of the cookie/cake/pie made with real sugar as opposed to anything artificial. There are plenty of calculators on the internet where you can put in the ingredients in your recipe and figure out how many carbohydrates it contains so that he can make an informed decision about how much to eat.

Indeed, it's not just the sugar that is the issue, it's all the other carbs, namely, the processed white flour, white rice etc.

That is why diabetic experts recommend you try to eat more multigrain, or wheat breads instead of the white bread as much as possible, less carbs, and more fiber.

My Mom found out she was diabetic (type 2) back in January and has learned that it's not what you ate, but how much, and when you ate it that is also a big factor. So for pasta for instance, reduce your amount on your plate to a much smaller portion than you'd normally eat, and add other proteins/fiber to your diet through veggies, such as spinach, tomatoes etc will help. It's the TOTAL amount on your plate that counts towards your daily allowance of carbs, and read up on diabetes and the foods that work within it.

For many diabetics, just reading the nutritional labels, using a scale to portion out their meals and keeping their carb levels in check through diet alone may be all it takes to keep their diabetes in check. That was how my Mom's condition was, and when you monitor your blood sugar, you'll really see what foods will cause it to spike, or not and don't beat yourself up over an occasional spike, the real danger is letting your sugar levels get TOO low. If that happens, you can go into shock, not good so diabetic experts also suggest you keep something like a juice box drink in the car or wherever so in an emergency, drink that, or suck on a non sugar free hard candy, anything with sugar can bring your sugar levels up in a hurry, and orange juice is one good source for that.

As others have said, best to make them as per usual, unless he's of the condition where that's not possible and then, only then should you modify the recipe, best to have a bite, or two of the real deal than to not have any at all, but there again, only if he's had a low carb meal prior or his sugar levels may get too high.

And another thing, diabetic experts are looking at raising the range of carb levels a bit as many people have a natural tendency to have bit higher #'s, my Mom was one, but as long as it didn't spike beyond I think 180 on rare occasions, she was considered OK by her doc so that'll help many I'm sure.

Good luck with your husband's new world with diabetes.

I follow this blog. It's a fabulous resource for low-carb baking:

http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/

And another thing, with diabetes, you also have to consider the other meals in the day as well, breakfast, lunch and then dinner, as what you ate at lunch may be causing your blood sugar to be a bit high, then dinner, and then monitor your sugar levels 2 hours after the last meal, and if OK, then have a treat, a small one at that.

Always check your levels shortly after you've gotten up, but before you've consumed anything, such as coffee to get a baseline for the day. Your husband will see how his blood sugar levels are like and he'll see what he has to do to keep it within the acceptable range as much as possible.

I have no experience with dealing with diabetes, and the advice above seems helpful. I just noticed that the actual question went unanswered:

In answer to the question, splenda can be used one to one, but I find it a little bit sweeter than sugar, so perhaps reduce it by 10%. For baked goods it really doesn't affect the texture unless it's a really sugar heavy desert, like sugar cookies.

The Splenda baking blend (that can be measured cup for cup) is actually 50/50 sugar and sucralose so the carbs have to be counted when using it. It is difficult to make baked goods with 100% non-nutritive sugars as sugar does more than sweeten--it provides structure, changes texture, and contributes to browning.

The Splenda baking blend does fairly well in relatively low sugar applications such as muffins, and straight Splenda can be used in custards and puddings (although the taste difference is easier to spot). It works less well in high sugar cookies and cakes.

Personally, I prefer to make traditional baked goods and have smaller portions. Also, keep in mind that ALL nutritive sugars need to be counted. Fructose (in honey, agave, etc) is not the magic bullet for blood sugar.

There was a recent, similar post on making Paleo-friendly Christmas treats. Anything listed there should help you out - though I'd recommend checking with a doctor first. http://www.thekitchn.com/any-suggestions-for-paleo-friendly-sweets-180944

I have found that using Splenda works if you're not cooking it: e.g. in melted unsweetened chocolate. I used to make Epicurious's Triple-Chocolate Pudding Pie with Cappucino Cream (NOT lowfat or low-calorie) with Splenda, subbing a nut-based crust for the cookie crust. If you add the splenda with the chocolate, it works well. Maybe you could do this as "tassies?"

Not sure how this works for diabetics, but I'm on a no flour, no sugar diet, and these have been a savior! http://www.texanerin.com/2012/04/grain-free-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip.html

Sub honey for agave, and chop up a dark chocolate bar for chips.

I don't know if your husband can have fruit. But if he can, go for texture, not flavor. I know it sounds silly but if he can have dairy, make homemade no-sugar whipped cream and mix in some raspberries or other fruit simmered in a pan with spices. It's yummy and the fruit will give it enough sweet taste.

I've had some texture/sweetness issues when baking with no calorie sweeteners in the past when trying to bake treats for my dad who was diagnosed 6 years ago. Stevia is slightly sweeter than sugar, and has a much lighter texture, so I typically reduce the sweetener in the recipe by 1/4, i.e., 3/4 cup to a 1 cup recipe. But that is just according to our tastes, so the best thing to try would be to make small batches of your cookies to experiment with your recipes and determine what you like. I've had the most issues with drop cookies and texture.

You and your husband may like something like these sugar-free meringue cookies sweetened with stevia. (( http://notchangingmyname.com/2012/07/17/sugar-free-meringue-cookies/ )) These are a staple in our house because they are so easy and they can take on any flavor or color (spearmint extract and caramel extract are super yummy!). Plus they help my dad feel less like he's missing out on traditions.

Try using whole grain flours and oats and using splenda's brown sugar blend. they work! Too keep cookies moist, I use yogurt and ricotta or bananas in my mix too. You can try this http://mdcooksfor2.blogspot.com/2012/04/oatmeal-ricotta-choc-chip-cookies.html but sub the chocolate chips with nuts.

I agree with all the above comments about diet concerns. One website you might want to check out is Chocolate Covered Katie. She uses stevia plus sugar or xylitol (I have no idea what that is) and also gives nutritional info and substitution options. You may also be able to find some interesting options in the raw food movement. My husband freaked out over raw brownies (no sugar other than dates) and ate the whole pan by himself over three days!

the Brown Sugar Splenda DOES still have carbs, though about half that of regular brown sugar, and it also sweetens .5 to 1 instead of cup for cup.

I agree with the other posters, in that you shouldn't be making cookies for a diabetic. It's time to hit the gym and change the diet -- it's the cookies that got him there in the first place.

My husband was diagnosed as Type 1 about 3 years ago after a particularly terrifying experience, and no advance indicators he might be diabetic. Our experience, and with the education we received, is that you make them with sugar as usual and that he just allow himself a couple as a treat, and that's it. Using a substitute actually could be an issue for someone who doesn't use substitutes for other reasons, and could cause issues if they ingest them.

I have made brownies with just the baking mix and pureed black beans a few times that have worked well as well, and were actually recommended by our diabetes educator AND his endocrinologist as a good sub for "the real deal". He liked them a lot.

Myth: Diabetics need to eat special foods.

FACT: Diabetics can eat anything they want, they just need to be aware of their glucose intake and how certain foods affect their insulin levels.

As a diabetic, I do not disagree that we can eat anything we want, however - eating foods high in sugar and starch makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to correctly manage blood sugar. It is a HUGE caveat that we need to be aware of carbohydrate intake, i.e. limit portion size. This is why I prefer to bake with non-nutritive sweeteners, so I can actually enjoy a real piece of cake and eat a full serving size like everyone else rather than restrict myself to just a bite of something. It's totally doable, and with certain desserts, you can't even tell the difference. So much better than trying to delude myself into thinking I can eat anything I want. The fact is, I can't.

What you say is very judgmental. Sugar free, grain free cookies could be a nice thing to offer someone in his situation.