These keto shortbread cookies are so crispy and buttery. You need only 6 basic ingredients to make them. I have topped them with a deliciously rich coconut butter glaze. Gluten free, sugar free and just 0.3 grams of net carbs.
If I had to pick a favourite dessert, it would be cookies. They are easy and quick to make, require just a few ingredients and come with a handy in-built portion control.
It's impossible for me to pick one favourite cookie recipe. I love all of them! There are these keto peanut butter cookies, my keto chocolate chip cookies or the coconut flour cookies. All perfect treats for different days and different needs.
In fact, I love cookies so much I have written an entire ebook about them, which is aptly named Keto Cookies.
This keto shortbread cookie recipe is definitely a great all-rounder.
The recipe has been on my website for many years and I make it regularly. It is popular with kids and adults alike - whether they follow a keto diet or not.
Christmas is right around the corner (December 2022) and I am in the middle of my cookie baking bonanza. That's why I decided to update the post with more useful tips and variations.
I tweaked the recipe a little. The original version included stevia, which I don't use any more in recipes. I now prefer the taste of erythritol over stevia.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple and quick recipe - 6 main ingredients, ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Crispy texture
- Buttery flavor
- Keto friendly, low in carbs and sugar free - only 0.3g net carbs per cookie
- Gluten-free - made with almond flour and coconut flour
- Easy to customise - lots of tips in the post.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for low carb shortbread cookies:
- Almond flour - I always use ground almonds, which are equivalent to regular along flour in the US. Super-fine almond flour works as well.
- Coconut flour - Always works well in combination with almond flour
- Powdered erythritol - Erythritol is the best choice for crunchy cookies because it sets hard. Use either pure erythritol or blends such as Swerve or monk fruit sweetener.
- Butter - should be softened
- Almond extract - or use vanilla extract instead
- Baking powder
- Xanthan gum - this is optional. Gives a firmer crumb structure.
Optional: add a pinch of salt to the dough.
Instructions
(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)
Step 1: Mix together the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Add the softened butter, almond extract and mix in a blender until you have a smooth dough.
You can also use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 2 balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper.
Step 4: Place the rolled out dough in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. This will make the dough easier to work with.
Step 5: Use a cookie cutter or shot glass to cut shapes. (Or go all creative like me and choose an egg cup).
Step 6: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave t least 1 inch of space between the cookies. Bake for 6 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let the cookies cool completely.
Step 7: For the optional glaze, warm the coconut butter in a pot or in the microwave and stir in the sweetener. Spoon over the cooled cookies and wait until set.
Top tip
Chilling the rolled-out cookie dough is essential. It solidifies the butter and makes it easy to cut out shapes.
If at any time the dough becomes too soft to work with, simply place it back into the fridge or freezer.
FAQ
Traditional shortbread cookies are not keto friendly. They contain flour, sugar and butter. To make it low carb, you need to replace the flour with low carb flour and the sugar with a sugar alternative.
I recommend erythritol for sugar free shortbread since we want it crunchy. Bocha Sweet, xylitol and allulose will make it softer.
You could use coconut oil instead of the butter. However, using a vegan butter is probably a better option to retain the typical buttery taste of shortbread.
Yes. Use 200 grams or 2 cups of almond flour and omit the coconut flour.
Thicker and larger cookies need longer to crisp up in the oven than smaller and thinner ones. Always bake cookies until golden. Rotate the baking sheet if necessary since ovens are often hotter at the back. Wait until fully cooled. Keto cookies are fragile when warm and firm up as they cool.
Variations
Here are ideas how you can change the recipe:
Low carb shortbread cookie rounds: Roll the dough into a log. Wrap in cling film. Chill in the fridge, then slice cookie rounds. Oven time will increase to 10+ minutes.
Shortbread rectangles: Roll the cookie dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle. Chill. Then, cut into rectangles using a sharp knife. Prick with a fork to create the typical shortbread look. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden.
Add-ins: Add sugar-free chocolate chips, nuts such as crushed pecans or walnuts or sugar free dried cranberries to the dough.
Sugar free icing: Mix ¼ cup of powdered erythritol with 1 teaspoon of water and add a few drops of vanilla extract.
Flavor: Add lemon zest for lemon shortbread or for chocolate shortbread, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dough.
Serve with
Serve with a strong cup of coffee, a steamy cup of tea or this indulgent sugar free hot chocolate.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze in a single layer so the cookies don't stick together. Once frozen, transfer into a freezer bag.
More keto cookie recipes
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Shortbread 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. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour 100g
- â…“ cup coconut flour 40g
- â…“ cup powdered erythritol 55g
- ½ cup butter (softened) 114g
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
Optional glaze
- ¼ cup coconut butter 60g
- 2-3 teaspoon powdered sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit electric or 160C / 320F fan.
- Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Add the softened butter, almond extract and mix in a blender until you have a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 2 balls and roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 20 or in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make the dough easier to work with.
- Using a cookie cutter or shot glass to cut shapes.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 6 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let the cookies cool completely.
Glaze
- Warm the coconut butter in a pot or in the microwave and stir in the sweetener.
- Spoon over the cooled cookies and wait for the glaze to set.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
Katrin Nürnberger
Total carbs 1.7g minus fibre 1.1g = 0.6g net carbs per cookie. 🙂
Ilene Greising
Easy recipe and very nice taste.
After I cut out the cookies with a shot glass, I put the baking sheet back in the fridge for 5 minutes, so the cookies would firm up, thereby making it easier to lift with an icing spreader and place on the baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Ilene
I've enjoy all the recipes I've tried and purchased both your books (breads and cookies).
Wondering what can be substituted for the coconut butter, since it's not an option on AMAZON stateside.
Your thoughts please.
Katrin Nürnberger
Thank you so much for your support! I would just do a simple icing then, using 1/4 cup of powdered sweetener mixed with 1 tbsp water (and a splash of vanilla) or lemon juice. Or dip in chocolate! Or roll in granulated erythritol and cinnamon.
Katrin Nürnberger
I used regular almond flour (ground almonds), not superfine.
Claudia
Can i substitute erythritol with allulose syrup for all the recipes? Will the measurements for sweentener still be the same for syrup?
Katrin Nürnberger
I would not recommend it for cookies that are supposed to be crunchy. Allulose produces soft baked goods, while erythritol is good for crunch.
Dawn
I made these today and they were great with fresh strawberries and clotted cream for a pudding 🙂 definately on the list to make again!
Katrin Nürnberger
That sounds delicious!!!
Cassie
I can’t have nuts what can the almond flour be replaced with
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Cassie, I'd try the recipe with circa 3/4 cup / 70g-75g of coconut flour. Or replace the almond flour 1:1 with sesame seed meal (you can grind sesame seeds in a food processor until you have a flour). Do check the consistency of your dough and add more flour / more butter as needed.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi there, the rule of thumb is that the thinner the cookie, the crispier it will be. Hope you’ll try the recipe again:)
Jane
Hi I'd love to try this recipe. Can't go wrong with a butter cookie. What are your thoughts on sweeteners? I've been Keto for over three years. Usually I leave out sweetener entirely - with your cream cheese pancakes, for example, which are so easy and good. I've left it out of a cheese cake and even frozen custard, just eat with a few berries - yum. But baking seems a bit scarier, so I don't do much. I think these would taste fine - I'm just wondering about the chemistry and the integrity of the cookie.
PS - huge fan of coconut butter. That's definitely the sweetest thing I eat, but the net carbs are ridiculously low considering it takes like frosting.
Katrin Nürnberger
In terms of consistency, I don't think leaving out the erythritol would be a problem as it's only 1/4 cup, which is 4 tbsp. If you find the mix is too liquid, you could add another tbsp or 2 of almond flour. I'd probably also add a littler more flavour, for example vanilla bean powder, to make up for the lack in sweetness.
MARIAN GERBER
I am so impressed with all of your recipes! I save most of them for future use. I am no good at adapting ingredients with what I have on hand, or even to make changes for my individual preferences. With your recipes, I don't have to adapt. You've done all the work, and I benefit from the "fruits" of your labors. I eagerly wait for your postings. I haven't made these shortbread cookies yet, but I am definitely going to. Thanks for including the U.S. measurements; saves me the trouble of doing it. Do I sound lazy?
Katrin
Hi Marian, you don't sound lazy at all! By the sound of it you're doing a lot of cooking and baking and I know for a fact that's time-consuming (yet supremely satisfying) work. I'm really glad you're liking the recipes on the blog and it makes me super happy that you like them EXACTLY the way I made them. Sounds like we have the same great taste 😉
Ric
Thanks for the recipe. I just made them today and they are awesome! Instead of thin shortbread, I roll my dough into a log and place in fridge for 10 minutes and then cut thicker biscuits. I also added desiccated coconut. Not sure if this ruins the keto of these or not but they are yummy.
Katrin
Adding desiccated coconut sounds like a great addition!
karen
My cookies crumbled on contact. three things,1. used chia seeds as no xanthan gum and perhaps I didnt use enough; 2. may have rolled too thin but just barely got 30 cookies; 3. and I may have over baked - not sure. However, I must say that the crumbs are delicious! LOL any suggestions of how to use them?
Katrin
Xanthan gum definitely helps, but chia should do a similar job. Maybe use a little more next time. Also, definitely wait until the cookies are completely cool until you touch them or eat them. Obviously, the thinner they are the more brittle they will become… But I don’t think it would’ve had anything to do with keeping it in the oven for too long or over baking. I hope this helps!
karen
I love shortbread and for me it is hard to imagine xmas without this delectable cookie. I have been mking them for about 50 years. Until last xmas when I started keto about two weeks beforehand! it wa s quite a stunner to realise that I might never est them again. Especially since recipes I found just didnt sound good enough. I am going to try yours altho I think I will still miss the butter.. Stay tuned 😉
Katrin
This cookie recipe actually uses butter 🙂 I hope you'll like this recipe. Let me know what you think once you've tried it!
Katrin
yes, absolutely!
Katrin
5 mm would be good. If they're too thin they become brittle. If they're thicker that's fine, but at some point you may need to increase the baking time a little
Vickie
I made these cookies today. They are delicious. Will definitely make again. However I made a lemon glaze. They are excellent. Thanks for great recipes.
Katrin
Glad you liked them Vickie!
Michelle Jenkins
These cookies are awesome. I have tried a few recipes and they did not taste at all like a shortbread. These are excellent and give me a cookie I can tip in my tea which I have missed.
Thank you!!
Estelle
Hello Katrin!
Thank you so soooo much from Paris for sharing this recipe, metrics available 🙂 cups and tsp things sound like alien to me 😉
I'm a huge fan of shortbreads so I made little Christmas biscuits with your shortbread dough and OMG they're amazing!!
I'll try the coconut icing when I'll get the butter.. sounds like heaven <3
Thank you again, and have a wonderful Christmas!
Katrin
Hi Theresa, the cup measurements are in the recipe card - look on the right 🙂
Robin
These are delicious and elegant. I made them into Almond Thins by rolling sliced almonds into the dough and slicing into . Enjoying them with keto lemon curd on a cloud of Greek Yogurt. Thank you for sharing!!
I wish it would let me post my picture.!
Katrin
Hi Robin, I'd love to see your picture!! You can post it on my Facebook Page
charlie
I only have coconut flour, can I replace the almond flour 1-1 with coconut flour?
Katrin
Hi Charlie, you can use only coconut flour, but you cannot replace it 1:1. Coconut flour is more absorbent than almond flour, so you would have to use less of it - start with 1/2 the amount and see if you get a good cookie dough consistency.
charlie
I will give it a go thank you. Can these be frozen or how long do they last in a sealed container?
Katrin
Gosh, aren't computer problems annoying? Maybe try again now?
Cathy G.
Hi! Would the recipe work with all almond flour, or with coffee flour instead of coconut? Also, I detest the flavor of Stevia - do I need more granulated sweetner if I eliminate it? Thanks for what you do!
Katrin
Hi Cathy, you can use only almond four, but you'd need to increase the quantity as it's less absorbent than coconut flour. Swap the amount stated for coconut flour with double the amount of almond flour. If you do not like stevia, replace that with more granulated sweetener. I'm not sure what you mean with coffee flour - ground coffee? If you like the taste of coffee, you could add 1 tsp of ground coffee and maybe 1 tsp of super-strong brewed espresso? I"m using coffee in my recipe for German cinnamon stars - they have, as the name suggests, a lot of cinnamon and that works well with coffee.
Mrs. Mitchell
Any idea what can be subbed for the coconut butter in the glaze? I have never used that so don't have any on hand. But I must make these immediately!
CookingDamsel
Hi, Katrin--I just made a batch of these, and they turned out great! I substituted half of the erythritol with an equal portion of "Sugar 2.0+Probiotic." It has half the carbs of regular sugar and no cooling effect or weird aftertaste. I didn't bother adding the stevia in the dough recipe. It definitely helps to refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes or so--it not only firms up the butter, which makes the dough easier to handle, but also gives the coconut flour a chance to hydrate. I didn't use the glaze either--the flavor was fine on its own, but I can imagine adding some orange zest or lemon zest would really punch up the flavor and aroma. You can carefully move the shortbreads to a wire rack for cooling if just you let them sit on the cookie sheet for five minutes after you remove from the oven. I have really missed shortbread on my wheat-free diet and looking to use less nut flour too. So thanks for sharing this recipe!
Katrin
Thank you for your comment and I'm so happy you like the cookies. I checked out the sugar 2.0 - I don't think it's available in the UK. Sounds like an interesting product. I also love your idea of adding lemon or orange zest. I'm currently totally crazy about adding lemon zest to grilled courgettes and recently made a meatloaf (a bit off topic here but it was so good) with added orange zest. The flavour zest gives is just incredible!
SAM @ DIABETES SELF CARING
Hi Katrin , I see your post on a diabetic FB Group. I like your post and its a fantastic recipe. Keep up the great work!
Have a nice day...
Katrin
Thank you Sam! What a nice comment. Have a great day, too!
daeds
Are they very crumbly?
Katrin
They are not as firm as shortbread made with wheat and sugar, but they don't fall apart when you pick them up 🙂 If you wanted to increase firmness, a pinch of xanthan gum works well.
Amanda S
Katrin, these are my new favorite cookies. I did not make the glaze, because I didn't have coconut butter. I just dipped them in some melted chocolate instead. Delicious!
Katrin
That sounds amazing! I love chocolate dipped cookies
Jacqui
Hello Katrin. I have made many of your recipes and enjoyed them thoroughly. I'm not much of a biscuit person, but I do like shortbread. I've got to say, these cookies look amazing! A quick question - how hard does the coconut butter glaze become?
Katrin
Hello Jacqui, it's great to hear you're enjoying the recipes on the site. The glaze is firm, but not rock hard. You can store the cookies in a jar and the glaze won't smudge.
katee
I love the sound of the coconut butter glaze. These cookie are on my to-do list for this weekend!
Sally
Amazing cookies! Will definitely make these again.