My keto cinnamon twists are crispy on the outside with a soft centre. Made with a simple fathead dough and dusted in sweetener and cinnamon, these sugar free snickerdoodle cookie twists are only 1.7g net carbs each.
Snickerdoodle cookies were my favourite cookies when I spent a year in the United States as an exchange student (err, a long time ago). Firstly, because the combination of a sugar cookie rolled cinnamon and sugar is simply irresistible. And secondly, because the name is just so much fun.
When I created this recipe in March 2020, I wanted a keto version of snickerdoodles.
I decided on fathead dough instead of an almond flour cookie dough, because I love how it can be crispy on the outside yet soft in the middle.
And to make my cookies prettier, I twisted them in the centre. Which is how I ended up with keto cinnamon twists - or keto snickerdoodle twists!
These cookies are a lovely treat with a cup of tea or coffee. I always want to eat the whole batch, because they are so tasty. But, they are filling - so I never manage more than one or two!
Also try my sugar free sugar cookies.
Why You'll Love Them
They are delicous! Keto cinnamon cookies make your house smell amazing and they taste spectacular. The fathead pastry is crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. And we all know that a buttery cinnamon and "sugar" mixture makes any cookie taste great.
A bit keto magic. Even though fathead pastry is made with shredded mozzarella, you don't taste the cheese at all. It is literally a magic keto dough. Once you mix it with the almond flour, it turns into a wonderful pastry alternative that is low in carbs and naturally gluten free. One cinnamon twist is only 1.7g net carbs!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I used for my keto snickerdoodles:
- Shredded mozzarella. Use the pre-shredded kind you normally would use for pizza. In some countries you can get a block that you can shred at home. The white mozzarella in liquid does not work.
- Almond flour - both regular almond flour and super-fine almond flour work.
- Baking powder. You can replace this with ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda.
- Sweetener. Any sugar substitute works. I like erythritol monk fruit sweetener blends. You can also use allulose, xylitol or bocha sweet. However, with erythritol your cookies will be crispier than with any other sweetener.
- Psyllium husk powder. Makes the dough fluffier and gives the dough structure.
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Butter - melted
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Let me show you how to make keto cinnamon twists. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Melt the mozzarella in the microwave or in a non-stick pan on the stove.
STEP 2
Add the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, sweetener and optional vanilla extract. Mix to form a dough.
STEP 3
Roll the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Fold over the edges and re-roll into a rectangle.
STEP 4
Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
STEP 5
Fold the dough in half so the cinnamon mix is in the middle. Trim the edges to form a rectangle.
STEP 6
Cut into strips about 3 - 3.5 cm wide.
STEP 7
Twist the cookies in the middle and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
STEP 8
Brush with the rest of the butter and sprinkle with more cinnamon and sweetener. Bake!
Katrin's Top Tips
Re-warm the cookie dough. If at any point the dough cools too much to roll easily or slice, simply, pop it back into the microwave on the parchment paper and warm for 20 - 30 seconds. I did this a couple of times whilst making.
Don't overcook. Keto snickerdoodles are done when they are slightly golden. They will crisp up when cooled.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can replace the almond flour with around 3 tablespoons coconut flour.
It is possible. Adding the egg will make the dough much fluffier. I recommend that you increase the amount of almond flour to ¾ cup or 80 grams. If you're using ground almonds, add an additional 2 tablespoons. For a soft cookie also use 2 tablespoons of cream cheese.
You can use 2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed or more almond flour.
Storage
Store keto cinnamon twists at room temperature for 1 day or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They soften a little in the fridge. To crisp them up, simply put them back in the oven for a few minutes.
You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.
To defrost and reheat, bake them in the oven straight from frozen for around 7 minutes.
Related Recipes
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Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Twists (Snickerdoodles!)
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella 170 g/ 6 oz
- ⅔ cup almond flour 67 g/ 2.4 oz
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon erythritol or sweetener of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Coating
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon erythritol
- 1.5 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F electric or 180C / 350F fan.
- Place the shredded mozzarella in heat-proof bowl and heat in the microwave on high for one minute. Remove, stir with a spatula and heat for a further 30 seconds until melted. (Or warm in a non-stick pan on the stove).
- Add the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, erythritol and optional vanilla extract and mix to form a dough. Stir with a spatula and then knead with hands until fully combined.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and then fold over the edges and re-roll into a rectangle.
- Mix the cinnamon and sweetener in a separate bowl. Brush the dough with ½ of the melted butter and sprinkle with ½ of the sweetener / cinnamon mix.
- Fold the dough in half so the snickerdoodle mix is in the middle. (You may need to rewarm the dough at this point for 20 - 30 seconds in the microwave on the greaseproof paper to help loosen it up to cut and twist.) Trim the edges to form a rectangle. Cut into strips about 3 - 3.5 cm wide and twist in the middle once.
- Place the twists on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush with the rest of the butter and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon / sweetener mix.
- Bake 11 - 15 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
JenyR
Hello! Thank you very much for this recipe I was searching for something like this since long time ago. I have a question, it is possible to use eggs or something else in place of Psyllium husk powder? My husband is diabetic and hypertense and apparently the psyllium is not good for them.
Katrin Nürnberger
You can use more almond flour instead of the psyllium - probably 2-3 teaspoons. Adding the egg would change the texture of the dough and make it softer. I have a fathead dough recipe for low carb pizza that uses an egg.
Barb
Do you think these would work as a chaffle?
Katrin Nürnberger
You really need an egg for chaffles, otherwise they won't be fluffy.
Marissa
They are DELICIOUS. Definitely one of my new favorite keto recipes.
Stacy
Made these this morning, they turned out super flat but still tasty! Thx!
Katrin Nürnberger
Reasons for flat twists could be that your oven was not hot enough (=it did not firm up quick enough) or you did not use enough almond flour (= dough too soft in both cases). Hope this helps for the next time!
Roxie
Tasty but they came out flat… really flat. I have a gas oven and baked at 350 degrees. The dough consistency seemed fine. It was stretchy and not dry where it was falling apart. What could I alter in the recipe to make them look like those pictured? I love cinnamon and snickerdoodles and want to try these again.
Katrin Nürnberger
These are not very puffy. If you want puffy twists, I recommend that you add an egg, as described in the options in the post. This makes the twists more pastry-like and less crunchy.
Sharzi
You can also add a pinch of xantham gum to make them puff up. But just a pinch... that stuff goes a long way.
Darcell Phoenix
Can you use Coconut flour if you do not have Almond flour? Or Almond Meal?
Katrin Nürnberger
You can use almond meal instead. If you use coconut flour, make sure you use between 1/3 to 1/2 the amount. Coconut flour absorbs more moisture than almond flour, that's why you need less.
Katrin Nürnberger
Did you use the pre-shredded supermarket mozzarella? Some people have tried using the white mozzarella balls that you eat with Italian salads - these are too watery and will not work.
Phil
Another Hit!!
Jo
Such a great keto treat. Anything cinnamon and i'm in. These were so tasty. Crispy and just what I needed.
Katrin Nürnberger
I'm with you on the cinnamon front!!!
Valerie
Any good non-dairy substitute for the mozzarella?
Katrin Nürnberger
I have not found any - you would have to experiment. Violife makes dairy-free cheese that we like. You could adapt the dough I used in my keto calzone and make it sweet. It will give a similar result.