Tangy, zesty and gently sweet: these Keto lemon cookies are easy to make, delightfully soft and moist and simply perfect with a cup of tea or as an after-dinner treat. We think they taste of summer! Sugar free, gluten free and low carb.
I’m a big fan of all things lemon. You may have come across some of the lemon recipes on my blog – there are quite a few! There’s the sugar free lemon mug cake which is ready in minutes, an incredibly creamy Sugar Free Lemon Curd, this zingy low carb Lemon Cheesecake a sugar free lemon sorbet and, of course, my (very popular) Keto Lemon Bars. All worth making if you like lemons!
Basically, it was time to add keto lemon cookies to my repertoire.
These very delicious, incredibly moreish sugar free cookies have evolved from my raspberry thumbprint cookies, which are essentially almond flour cream cheese cookies with a raspberry topping. I tweaked the recipe and added PLENTY of lemon juice and zest to turn them into wonderful little bites of summer.
What I love about this recipe – apart from the lemon taste – is the face that the cookies are soft and crumbly. They’re really moist in the centre, almost like a tiny cake.
The size of these cookies is rather generous. I made 12 large cookies. If you prefer smaller cookies, the recipe could easily be stretched to 20 small bitesized ones.
How to make Keto lemon cookies – step by step:
1.) Cream the butter, cream cheese, 4 tbsp lemon juice and the zest of one lemon together with the powdered erythritol until smooth. Use a food processor or an electric mixer.
2.) Now add the egg and blend until well-combined. Your mix will be very liquid.
3.) Add the almond flour and blend…
4.) …until you have a dough.
The cookie dough will be quite soft at this stage. Simply chill it either in the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easy to handle.
5.) Form 12 cookie dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten them with your hands to form thick discs. Then bake them for about 15 minutes until they are firm on top (and ever so slightly browned).
6.) Time for the glaze! It’s simply lemon juice mixed with powdered sweetener and lemon zest. Stir it together and spoon or drizzle over the cooled cookies.
Recipe tips and variations:
I don’t like my cookies too sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, feel free to increase the amount of sweetener in the dough by one or more tablespoons. However, keep in mind that the glaze is VERY sweet.
Definitely don’t miss out the lemon zest. It takes these cookies from Keto lemon cookies to Keto LEMON cookies. It adds a fragrant note that is simply irresistible.
I used ground almonds in this recipe. This is equivalent to regular (coarser) blanched almond flour in the US or almond meal. I think it works really well for soft cookies like these and gives them a moist, grainy, rustic texture.
If you wanted to use super-fine almond flour (that’s the type that looks just like white wheat flour), you’d DEFINITELY need to use less of it as it’s way more absorbent. I’d go for no more than 1 1/2 cups or 150 grams.
With a few simple tweaks, you can make these cookies crunchy – more in the style of a shortbread. Simply double the amount of butter, leave out the cream cheese and use an egg white only instead of the entire egg. Also, make sure your cookies are flatter. Bake until browned.
If you only have granulated sweetener, you can simply blitz it in a food processor to powder it.
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Suitable for freezing.
Try my other Keto cookies:
- Keto Sugar Cookies
- Keto Almond Butter Brownie Cookies
- Low Carb Keto Shortbread Cookies
- The Ultimate Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Low Carb Sugar Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Keto Lemon Cookies
Who would have thought that cookies can taste REFRESHING? These easy Keto lemon cookies are the perfect combination of tart, zesty and sweet. A must make for lovers of summer and of all things lemon!
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 1/4 cup / 55g / 2 oz cream cheese full fat
- 1/4 cup / 55g / 2 oz butter unsalted
- 5 tbsp powdered erythritol (6 tbsp if you like a sweet cookie)
- 1 egg medium
- 2 cup / 200g almond flour NOT super-fine. Ground almonds / almond meal works well
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (circa 1 large lemon)
- zest of 1 lemon
Lemon Glaze
- 1/4 cup / 30g powdered erythritol
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- lemon zest, to taste
Instructions
Cream the butter, cream cheese, 4 tbsp lemon juice and lemon zest together with the powdered erythritol until smooth. Use a food processor or an electric mixer.
Add the egg and mix until well-combined. Last, add the almond flour and mix.
The dough is fairly soft at this stage. Wrap it in cling film and place either in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Form 12 cookie dough balls and place them on the tray, flattening them slightly with your hand.
Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned at the bottom (and ever so slightly browned on top).
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Stir together the lemon juice, powdered erythritol and lemon zest for the glaze and spread over the cooled cookies.
Recipe Notes
One cookie weighed on average 30 grams and has 2 g net carbs. The cookies are generous in size and I think one cookie makes a good portion.
The cookies are very fragile when hot. They firm up once they cool down. Avoid handling them wile they are still warm.
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Jo Gresty says
I love all the recipes you have and can’t wait to try them. I have a quick question though. Years ago when I did lighter life I was told that anything citric brings your body out of ketosis. Has this changed? I love lemon anything so I’d really love to use them.
Katrin says
Lemon juice is fine. Watch this video: https://www.drberg.com/blog/will-lemon-water-kick-you-out-of-ketosis
Collette says
First try today. Had no cream cheese and doubled up on butter and added one whole egg. Made them smaller dough balls to make them flatter and a smaller biscuit, getting more than 12. They are delicious – the texture is between a cake and a biscuit – crispier outside and softer inside. I did leave them a bit longer to go darker and crispier. Cannot believe I can now have biscuits on my keto diet. They are better than any store bought ones.
Thanks for some great recipes – you have saved many people from straying from Keto with all these recipes. I cannot wait to try the others. So many to choose from. Looks like I can always stay in ketosis!! This has to be one of the best Keto recipes sites and UK based too.
Katrin says
Hi Collette, I’m so glad you found – and like – my site!
Aor says
I tried this recipe yesterday, I really loved it. Cookies came out as chewy cookies. How can I do if want more crispy?
Katrin says
Just make them flat and thin. You could also try to replace half the cream cheese with butter and use only the egg white and no yolk
Aor says
Thank you for your advice ^^
Ruth says
Oh, Katrin, these cookies look so yummy! I couldn’t wait to try them out immediately. I love this zingy, tangy, refreshing taste. They are a perfect accompaniment to a chilly glass of ice tea on hot summer days.
Katrin says
I’m glad you liked them Ruth! Have a great day and thank you for your comment