These keto snowball cookies are my sugar free version of Italian chocolate amaretti cookies. They are moist and chewy in the centre, with a deliciously crunchy shell covered in powdered sweetener. A gluten free, dairy free family favourite.
I have a faible for Italian cookies. Like everything else in Italian cuisine, they taste delicious and are really simple to make, using only few ingredients.
Two of my favourite Italian-inspired cookie recipe are these keto biscotti and my Italian walnut kisses!
Well, with December around the corner and Christmas just a few weeks away, I decided to make a low carb snowball cookies recipe that tastes just like chocolate amaretti.
Traditional snowball cookies are also known as Mexican wedding cookies. They are coated in icing sugar, which makes them look like little snowballs. (Of course, we are using powdered low carb sweetener instead!)
They are made with finely chopped pecans or walnuts and are a very buttery affair. I should know - I have a very delicious keto snowball cookie recipe in my Keto Cookies Cookbook.
This time, I was after something moist yet much, much lighter. Enter amaretti!
Basic amaretti are an ingenious mix of almond flour with whisked egg white and sugar. You then add a liqueur such as Amaretto, or simply use almond extract. Other flavours could be lemon, orange, coffee, pistachio..
London story short, I decided to make a chocolate version. And boy, it was a great success! My keto amaretti cookies have a crunchy outside, a moist centre and are pure pleasure, every bite.
Yes, one cookie is just 80 calories and 1.4g net carbs per serving!
Ingredients for sugar free chocolate amaretti
Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. However, super fine almond flour should also work.
Egg whites - Whisked to stiff peaks.
Powdered sweetener - I made this recipe twice. The first time I used a powdered erythritol monk fruit sweetener mix and the second batch I made with powdered Bocha Sweet. Both worked well, although the erythritol batch had a crunchier crust.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Baking powder
Pinch of salt, almond extract and vanilla extract
How to make keto snowball cookies
Preheat the oven to 180C electric / 350F / 160C fan and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the powdered sweetener to get rid of any lumps. Then, stir together the dry ingredients - almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, baking powder, pinch of salt.
In a second bowl, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Stir in the almond and vanilla extract.
Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula and mix until a smooth batter forms.
Form a dough ball and quarter. Roll 2 dough balls from each quarter (mine weighed about 20g each) and place on the prepared cookie sheet, flattening them slightly.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes until cracks are appearing on the tops.
Let the cookies cool slightly, then dust with powdered sweetener.
Recipe tips and variations
Don't omit the almond extract! It's the flavour that makes these almond cookies taste exceptional. Think marzipan, just lighter.
Traditionally, amaretti are rolled in icing sugar before baking. This way, the chocolate peeks through the cracks, making the cookies look just so pretty. When I tried this with the sweetener, it melted in the oven though and was almost invisible by the end of baking. That's why we're dusting the powdered sweetener over afterwards.
Which sweetener to use: I have found that erythritol yielded a slightly crunchier cookie than the version I made with Bocha Sweet. I imagine allulose and xylitol should also work in this recipe.
Classic low carb keto amaretti: Omit the cocoa powder and add 1 additional tbsp of almond flour.
Can I use coconut flour instead? No, this would not work in this recipe, it's designed for almond flour. Try my keto coconut flour cookies instead!
Storage
Store your sugar free snowball cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
More keto cookie recipes
There's more to life than keto chocolate chip cookies! Here are some more sugar free cookie recipes for the festive season (and the rest of the year!).
Cinnamon stars - my classic German Keto Christmas cookies.
These ginger snaps are extra crispy!
An allrounder - my whole family loves these keto sugar cookies.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Sugar Free Chocolate Amaretti - Keto Snowball Cookies
from sugarfreelondoner.comNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 100g almond flour or ground almonds
- 1 egg white large
- ⅓ cup / 53g powdered sweetener
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Topping
- ¼ cup / 25g powdered sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C electric / 350F / 160C fan and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift the powdered sweetener to get rid of any lumps. Then, stir together the dry ingredients - almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, baking powder, pinch of salt.
- In a second bowl, beat the egg white to stiff peaks. Stir in the almond and vanilla extract.
- Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Form a dough ball and quarter. Roll 2 dough balls from each quarter (mine weighed about 20g each) and place on the prepared cookie sheet, flattening them slightly.
- Bake for about 13-15 minutes until cracks are appearing on the tops.
- Let the cookies cool slightly, then dust with powdered sweetener.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ruth says
These are so delicious, my husband has requested more!
Suzanne says
Lovely and clear
Suzie says
These are delicious! The hard thing is to eat just at a time…
Katrin Nürnberger says
Haha, I know that feeling! Glad you like the cookies.
lynda says
Definitely a 5 star recipe! Super easy to make! Well written instructions! Tastes wonderful! Thank you for another great low carb recipe, Katrin!
Katrin Nürnberger says
That's so good to hear!! Thank you for your kind words.
Evelyn in Taipei says
Can I use Galliano instead of almond extract? It says it is 43.3% Alc. Will this work? I use this with Tiramisu.
I can't find any almond extract. Also can I use corn starch or corn flour (pan) instead of coconut flour in other recipes?
Katrin Nürnberger says
The Galliano should work well. But you cannot replace coconut flour with cornflour. Coconut flour absorbs a lot more liquid than other flours. I don't think it would work.
Babetta says
Can a tablespoon of heavy cream be used in place of egg white as the binding agent?
Katrin Nürnberger says
No. They would not hold together without the egg.