Buttery and totally irresistible: Keto sugar cookies taste just like traditional sugar cookies, only without the carb load. This easy sugar free cookie recipe requires only 6 ingredients and is gluten-free, grain free, low carb and suitable for diabetics. 1g net carbs per cookie!
If you're looking for an easy and yum cookie recipe, you are reading the right post. These low carb and sugar free cookies are the perfect buddies for your afternoon coffee or tea. You can enjoy them plain, decorate them with sugar free icing or dip them in sugar free chocolate.
I've been wanting to make sugar free sugar cookies for a while now. One reason for this is that I love simple, no-nonsense cookies and these almond flour sugar cookies totally fit the bill.
The other reason is that "sugar free sugar cookies" just sounds so fun.
I've replaced the wheat flour in the traditional sugar cookie recipe with a mix of almond flour and coconut flour. I find that a mixture of these two grain free and gluten-free flours gives a texture that resembles "real" cookies.
There are recipes which include cream cheese and egg in sugar cookies (I have done this with my Low Carb Sugar Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies), which results in a softer, chewy texture.
For these Keto cookies I was after a gently crispy texture, which I achieved by using butter (plenty of butter!!).
You can roll the cookie dough into a log and slice them into circles or you can roll the dough out and use cookie cutters.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour - Use regular almond flour or ground almonds. Reduce the amount by 1 tablespoon for super-fine almond flour.
- Coconut flour - sifted.
- Powdered sweetener - I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend. Erythritol is best for crunchy keto cookies because it sets hard.
- Butter - softened.
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract - check that it is sugar free.
- Xanthan gum - optional. Gives the cookies a better crumb structure. The recipe works without, but your cookies will be a little more brittle.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Mix your dry ingredients - almond flour or ground almonds, coconut flour, powdered sweetener, baking powder and xanthan gum, if using.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. That's just the softened butter and the vanilla extract.
Step 3: Mix! I like to use a food processor for this, but you can use an immersion blender or a regular electric mixer.
The dough will be soft in the beginning. Let it sit a couple of minutes and wait until the coconut flour absorbs some of the moisture.
Step 4: Put the cookie dough on cling film and roll into a log. Wrap the log in cling film and chill in the fridge or in the freezer. It's much easier to handle when it's cold.
Step 5: Cut off round cookie shapes. If the log gets flat at the bottom due to the knife pressing down, just give it another quick roll.
Step 6: Transfer onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If you would like them thinner, simply flatten with your hands after you place them on the baking tray.
Step 6: Bake in the oven until lightly browned on the edges.
Top tips
Use parchment paper. I always line my cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you haven't got any, spray your tray with coconut oil to ensure the cookies won't stick.
Give them room. Space the cookies out on the tray. They spread a little while they bake.
Check during baking. Ovens do vary in temperature and how long your cookies will take to brown also depends on how thick you cut them. Check in on them after 8 minutes and take it from there. Super-sized cookies may need up to 15 minutes until they are ready.
Patience! Do not attempt to handle until they're cooled down. Keto cookies are VERY FRAGILE when hot. They firm up once cool and will be fluffy and light, gently crispy and simply delicious.
FAQ
Yes. To make sugar free cut-out cookies, separate the dough into 2 balls. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it has the desired thickness and place the whole lot into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Again, cooling the dough before using the cookie cutters is an absolutely essential step.
Yes. Use an additional 1 cup or 100 grams of super-fine almond flour in place of the coconut flour. Use 1 ¼ cup or 125 grams if using ground almonds.
Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Variations
Use fresh vanilla. To elevate the taste of these low carb sugar cookies, scrape out the seeds from 1 vanilla pod and use this in place of the vanilla extract. This is not the cheapest option, but will taste AMAZING.
Dairy-free. Use ⅓ cup or 80ml coconut oil instead of butter.
Nut-free. Try replacing the almond flour with a blend of sunflower seed and sesame seed flour.
Add-ins. It's easy to add different flavors to this basic sugar free cookies recipe. Here are some ideas:
- Low carb almond thins - substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla with 1 teaspoon of almond extract
- Low carb gingersnap cookies - add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of cloves
- Keto cinnamon cookies - add 2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ground coffee
- Keto chocolate chip cookies - add ¼ cup of sugar free chocolate chips.
Serving suggestions
If you're a purist, you can eat these sugar free sugar cookies straight up as they are. Here are more ideas:
Dust or dip in sweetener. To take it up a notch, dust them with powdered sweetener after baking. Alternatively, reduce the sweetener amount stated for the recipe to ¼ cup and dip the cookies in granulated sweetener BEFORE baking. That should add a nice crunch.
Dip in chocolate. Melt sugar free chocolate or 90% dark chocolate and dip the cookies or drizzle them with chocolate.
Cream cheese frosting. Mix ½ cup of cream cheese with ¼ cup soft butter, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ¼ cup powdered sweetener.
ICING! Use ¼ cup of powdered sweetener and mix with 1 tablespoon water. Add food colouring, if desired, and brush over cookies or simply dip them into the icing mix bowl. Let dry on a cookie rack.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Related recipes
I love sugar-free cookies so much that I have published an entire ebook about them - the Keto Cookies Cookbook. Here are more must-make cookie recipes:
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Sugar Cookies
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 cup / 100g almond flour or ground almonds
- ⅓ cup / 35g coconut flour
- ⅓ cup / 35g powdered sweetener
- ½ cup / 120g unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum optional
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients - almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum (if using).
- Add the butter and vanilla extract and blend until you have a smooth dough
- Place dough on cling film and roll into a log, about 2 inch in diameter. Chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (or in the fridge for 30-40 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 175 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
- Remove log from the freezer and cut off cookies. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten with your fingers. Leave some space between the cookies - they spread a little.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are browned. Baking time will depend on the thickness of cookies. Rotate the baking sheet if necessary.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before handling. Low carb cookies are VERY soft when hot. They crisp up once cooled.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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diana
Wow. I'm definitely not a cook/baker, but this is SOOOO tasty in its most basic form!! I can't thank you enough for something I can actually make that's fast, easy and tastes AS GOOD AS STORE BOUGHT!! Can't wait to try your other recipes!! 🙂 Thank you!!!
Karen
So, I've been using your recipe for a while now--thank you! Some other varieties I have made are sugar-free jam thumbprints, lemon (with lemon extract in place of vanilla and drizzled with lemon+powdered sugar+coc oil glaze), and even peppermint extract drizzled with coc oil+melted SF choc chips. My coworker who has diabetes loves these, too!
Patty
Hello. Do you know what would be a good substitute for xanthan gum?
Katrin Nürnberger
You could try powdered chia seeds, agar agar or guar gum.
Shel
Can you use canderel sweetner instead x
Katrin Nürnberger
No, I do not recommend it. Canderel is an artificial sweetener.
Debbie
Glucomannan…does not get slimy like xanthan gum, and you only need a very small amount…
judi
Hi,
I am allergic to almonds and coconut, what can I use for a flour substitute? would whole wheat or spelt flour work?
thanks,
judi
Katrin Nürnberger
It would probably work, but I have not tried it. It may be easier to find a wheat or spelt flour cookie recipe and simply replace the sugar with a sugar substitute.
Angelina
I made some of these yesterday. They taste nice but they didn't go crunchy, they're soft like mini cakes. Would adding the xanthan gum help?
Katrin Nürnberger
Xanthan gum actually does not make bakes crunchier, it is just a binder in place of gluten. Baking them longer will help the cookies crisp up, and making them flatter.
Attila
This is an easy recipe to follow, though the log I made didn't look nearly as nice as the one on the pictures. But the taste was nice. I used most of the cookies to create chocolate tiffin and they worked very well for that.
Thanks for the recipe:)
Karen W
Hi Can I use almond butter and change to tapioca starch or green banana flour and no sweetener may be I will just try have the mix and see what happens
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, that's a lot of changes. You'd have to go by the consistency of your cookie dough.
Karen W
ok I'm going to try them today so will let you know how I get on
Karen W
I used tapioca flour and tahini with honey in it and they came out lovely have made them a few times now
Chef K
Can you use truvia on this?
Katrin Nürnberger
You can use any low carb sweetener. Do check that it's a 1:1 sugar replacement. Some sweeteners are twice as sweet as sugar.