Don’t let the name fool you, these keto sugar cookies are actually sugar free! Take part in the holiday cookie decorating tradition the low-carb and gluten-free way!
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Cut-out cookies are a long-standing holiday tradition in my husband’s family. The recipe has been passed down for generations and was given to us by his paternal grandmother. They’re a special holiday treat in our family but I needed my own keto sugar cookies to indulge in.
I stopped indulging in these family treats when I switched to low carb. Instead, I converted a few other cookie recipes, like my gluten free peanut butter blossoms and soft gluten free ginger cookies, to satisfy that holiday cookie craving.
Even though I wasn’t eating them, I still liked to participate in the cookie making and decorating tradition. But now, it turns out I’m not the only family member staying away from sugar and gluten anymore.
That’s why I finally created a low carb sugar cookie recipe.
The best keto Christmas cookies
As I said, my husband’s family has passed down their holiday cookie recipe for generations. They have perfected it!
That’s why I wanted to replicate these Christmas cookies in a way that is keto friendly but still stayed true to the original recipe.
To be honest, it wasn’t too difficult to modify the recipe. After replacing the sugar and flour, the rest of the ingredients were all naturally low carb.
Even the glaze was pretty simple to convert. Now, I can enjoy both the plain and decorated cookies without any guilt.
How to make the best keto sugar cookies
You can either beat all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl or pulse them together in a food processor until the dough forms.
If the dough is sticky, it’s best to sprinkle the outside with a little coconut flour while rolling. Either roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper and cut into shapes, or roll the dough into a log and freeze for 20-30 minutes before slicing into discs.
The dough shapes or slices should be ¼th to ⅛th of an inch thick depending on your preference. Thinner cookies will bake faster and be a little more crisp.
Bake the keto sugar cookies on a parchment-lined baking pan at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until edges become lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
If you want to make a glaze to decorate the cookies, simply pour powdered sweetener in a small bowl and add enough water to make a thin glaze. Add food coloring if desired, then brush the glaze on cookies in a thin layer and allow them to dry.
Tips for making low-carb sugar cookies
It takes a little patience, but you want to make sure that the cookies have time to fully cool.
If you try to decorate or handle the cookies before they’ve cooled, they are more likely to crumble and fall apart. So be sure to give them a little time.
In terms of storage, these low-carb cookies will keep at room temperature for a few days. If you want them to last a little longer, you can also store them in the fridge or the freezer.
Why does this recipe use lard?
Because this recipe was created generations ago, it calls for lard instead of butter. Lard was much more popular for cooking than butter until recent decades.
I find that lard makes for lighter and crisper keto sugar cookies.
You can buy pasture raised heritage pork lard online. Or, if you’re willing to pay a little more, the absolute best is leaf lard. If you have the time, you can also make your own lard. It’s not hard, you just want to be sure to use high quality, pasture-raised pork fat.
Avoid the cheaper lard you find at the store because it is partially hydrogenated to extend the shelf life. Trans fats like these have been shown to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.
I did try a variation of this low carb sugar cookie recipe where I replaced the lard with ghee, which is pure butter fat without the unwanted dairy proteins. Ghee will give your cookies a nice, buttery flavor, but I personally prefer the texture of the cookies when they are baked with lard.
Variations of this recipe
There are a couple of different ways that you can prepare these cookies.
The traditional way is to roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s between ⅛th and ¼th of an inch thick. This is the way you’ll want to do it if you’re going to be using cookie cutters to create fun shapes.
If you’re not planning to cut out shapes and just want standard, round keto sugar cookies, then I recommend rolling the dough into a log shape and placing it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Then, you can slice the log into flat discs, still between ⅛th and ¼th inches thick, just like “slice and bake” cookies.
For an egg-free cookie, replace the egg with 1 tablespoon gelatin dissolved in 3 tablespoons water by whisking over low heat until frothy. Or if only avoiding egg whites, keep the egg yolk and use only 2 teaspoons gelatin and 2 tablespoons water.
Other keto cookie recipes
Looking for some other keto cookie recipes to make around the holidays? Try these twists on traditional favorites:
- Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies With Coconut Flour are indulgent, simple to make, and feature the nostalgic criss-cross pattern.
- Keto Low Carb Snickerdoodles Cookies are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and sure to please a crowd.
- Cream Cheese Cookies were my go-to holiday cookie recipe before I converted my husband’s family’s sugar cookie recipe and are still a family favorite.
- Italian Almond Macaroons are simple to make and great for sharing with family and friends.
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect when you’re in the mood for a classic chocolate chip cookie.
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Sugar Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour about 107g (see Notes)
- ¼ cup coconut flour about 33g (see Notes)
- ⅓ cup low carb sugar substitute
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup non-hydrogenated lard or ghee (butter works too)
- 1 large egg or gelatin egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Glaze:
- ¼ cup Swerve Confectioners Powdered Sweetener
- water as needed
Instructions
- Beat all ingredients together or pulse together in a food processor until dough forms. If dough is a little sticky, it's best to sprinkle in some coconut flour on the outer surfaces when rolling.
- Roll dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness (between ⅛ and ¼ inch). Thinner cookies bake quicker and tend to be more crisp. Sprinkle a little extra coconut flour (or almond flour/sunflower seed flour) on to dough as needed. Dough can also be rolled into a log and frozen for 20-30 minutes and then sliced into circles for easy "slice and bake" cookies.
- Cut into shapes and place on parchment lined baking pan.
- Bake in oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from oven, let cool on rack for about 5-10 minutes then transfer cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Glaze (Optional):
- Pour the powdered sweetener in a small bowl. Add enough water to make a thin glaze. Divide and add coloring as desired (I go for natural food coloring). Brush glaze onto cookies in thin layer and allow to dry.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Lakshmi Baker
I'm wondering what the difference in texture is in this recipe and in cookie recipes in general if you use and don't baking powder
Lisa MarcAurele
The cookies may just be a little flatter.
Carmen Tourte
Hi Lisa - Do you think I could substitute coconut sugar for a non-keto version of this cookie? I want to make two batches - one for hubby and me with artificial sweetener and one for my daughter who ABHORS artificial sweeteners. She’s wheat sensitive so I’ve successfully made her other treats with almond flour and coconut flour but I can’t convince her to give up the sugar, honey or other non-keto-friendly sweeteners. Thanks! 🙂
Lisa MarcAurele
Coconut sugar is fine for the recipe if you aren't watching sugar carbs.
Cheryl
Can gel food coloring be used
Lisa MarcAurele
I don't see why not. They are pretty strong so a little goes a long way.
Alyssa
I used regular butter it worked great!! I put the whole stick in and pulsed it.. my cookies are just like shortbread!
Deb
My Boyfriend Royce is a Diabetic and has a sweet tooth so I have been trying to bake with Splinda and sugar free Chocolate and have tried some Keto low carb food with the Holidays coming up.then I seen your site and really like your cookies. Candy recipe thank you thay look good and easy .I even learned some things can't wait to start baking.I'll seend you picture and how thay trund out .
Lisa MarcAurele
Hi Deb! I'd love to see how it turned out.
Petra M Rushing
Splenda is an artificial sweetener. Use a natural sweetener like erythritol or xylitol, allulose. It's better for him
Leah
Can U substitute the lard for coconut oil?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. I often use lard in cookies.
James Belladue
Lisa,
I have to say you hit it out of the park with these cookies.
Everything came out perfect.
Thank you very much for sharing...
Jim.
Lisa MarcAurele
Happy to share these yummy keto cookies!
Debbie
Can I make these as balls instead of rolling them out?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can. Just press them down before baking.
Noelle Larson
These cookies turned out amazing! The recipe was easy to make. I baked them in the convection oven at 350° for 6 minutes. They are so soft and delicious! I will definitely be making them again next year! Even my non-Keto family members love them!
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks so much for writing in Noelle! I'm so happy that you and your family enjoyed the cookies.
Kiwi
These cookies does not turn out right. They don’t dont tatste right either . One star rating.
Lisa MarcAurele
You need to provide more information. Keep in mind that low carb cookies will not be the same as high carb cookies. And taste depends a lot on the specific ingredients used.
John H
Just FYI, It's PARTIALLY Hydrogenated fats that are the trans fats that you want to stay away from, Fully Hydrogenated is fine and doesn't contain trans fatty acids. No such thing as non-hydrogenated lard, if it wasn't hydrogenated, it would still be a liquid.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for pointing out that typo! I got it fixed.
Cindy
Could these be made into bars? Any suggestions on pan size?
Lisa
I'd try a 9x13-inch pan and bake until lightly browned.
Ladybug
Can you use almond flour for both kinds of flour? Since one can be substituted for the other. Like 1 cup almond and 1/4 cup almond.
Lisa MarcAurele
For this recipe, you can use all almond flour. However, almond and coconut flour aren't one for one substitutes. Generally, you only need 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup of almond flour. But if it's a blend of almond and coconut flour, the coconut flour part can usually be subbed one for one with almond flour.
D.
I made your recipe as a base & made 3 different cookies. I had some vegan “butter” on hand from family visiting, so I used that. In all 3 recipes I added a couple of tablespoons of Sukrin Gold, a wonderful low carb brown sugar substitute. Cookie #1 had about a quarter cup low carb chocolare chips & chopped walnuts, then I dropped small amounts on a silicone lined baking sheet, smooshed them flat with my fingers. They baked best for 11 minutes. #2 had a quarter cup cocoa, chocolate chips & chopped walnuts. #3 had about a tsp of ginger paste & a quarter tsp ground ginger. These are best the second day. I packaged one of each cookie in snack-sized zip bags, to restrain me from eating them all in one day. The recipe makes really good drop cookies.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing all those wonderful variations D! I'd have to hide them too.
Pat
Can you Substitute Stevia in this recipe.? Sounds delicious .
Lisa
Pure stevia may not work as well as a erythritol sweetener blend but it's worth a try.
Heather
It didn’t taste good to me at all with stevia. Waiting for my allulose to come in and will try it that way. It’s to much baking soda as well.
Lisa
Other sweeteners can be used based on personal preference. Reducing the baking soda shouldn't have too much of an impact.
Michal
Hi Heather
Where did you buy the allulose?
Lisa MarcAurele
Michal, I've bought mine from Amazon as I haven't found it locally.
Anastasia Brown
If I substituted butter, would it be 1 stick?
1/2 c melted? 1/2 c softened?
Lisa
It would be 1/2 cup softened.
Monique
I saw at the bottom it says let it cook on the rack after taking them out of the oven. Is this some type of device or am I reading wrong
Lisa
Typo. Should be "cool" not "cook"... fixing.
Latoya
Am I supposed to use both of the flours? Or is the recipe meant for either one? I am completely new to low carbs eating. Thank you.
Lisa
It's meant to be made as listed in the recipe. I find combining the two flours results in a better texture and flavor.
Liz
Absolutely wonderful cookie. Has been a lifesaver when I needed something sweet.
Lisa
So glad these little treats have kept you on track!
Joan
Lisa, these cookies look awesome and very easy to prepare. For a 1-net carb size cookie, how many cookies should I make with the slice & bake method? Thank you. Joan
Lisa
The recipe should give about 2 dozen or so slice and bake cookies.
Ana
Loved the idea of this, but the taste was of, mine tasted like baking soda a lot. Is it ok to use backing powder instead?
Not sure if the fault of some other ingredient. Thanks
Lisa
I'm not sure what happened as I don't have that issue You shouldn't taste the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda as it's really a small amount for the number of cookies.
summer
can we use butter instead of ghee or lard?
Lisa
It should work, but I didn't test it.
Adriane Degner
Can coconut oil be substituted for the lard? If so is it the same measure
Lisa
Yes. It's a one for one sub.
Timea Turai
made these today....taste is awesome, but are they supposed to be soft? Anyway....going to make them in the future too...children loved them...well not the youngest one...mind you she doesn't really like anything sweet 🙂 the sweetest thing she likes is the 78% Lindt chocolate 😀
Lisa
I found them to be crisper after sitting in the fridge. They do tend to get soft if frosted, though. I prefer eating them unfrosted.
Gladys
My husband was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes... at 32 years old. We were both shocked and quite sad considering we bake, decorate and eat sugar cookies each year with our 4-year-old son. So, finding a diabetic-friendly sugar cookie recipe was my number 1 priority this Christmas! These cookies were easy to make, however, I quickly learned that rolling them out too thin (like a real sugar cookie) would cause problems as they fell apart as I tried transferring them from the cutting board to the baking sheet. They’re currently chilling in the fridge and I will try my hand at rolling them out again and cutting them. Thank you for this recipe, though. It gave me hope that we can continue our little family’s tradition. ❤️
Lisa
I rolled mine out thin the first time and it resulted in a really crisp cookie. Placing the cookies in the refrigerator usually hold them together if the do crumble.
Maggie
I think these cookies are awesome. I used cream for the frosting with powdered swerve and some vanilla. I could not find the lard so tried nutiva shortening (organic no hexane, no soy or canola, non-hydrogenated, zero trans fat). I will try ghee next time as I absolutely love butter. I Just love these cookies!! Thank you!
Sarah
Awesome recipe. The kids are making Christmas cookies, and I was glad to find a simple, keto-friendly recipe that allows me to have some too. 🙂
They're honestly easier to make than traditional sugar cookies. Came together with no problem, baked beautifully, and tasted delicious!
Lisa
Yay! 🙂
Dawn
Worst cookies. They are in the refrigerator so we will see tomorrow but you shouldn’t have to do all these steps for them to turn out right. I appreciate what you tried to do but I would not recommend.
Lisa
What is the issue with them? I've made them twice and even used the slice and bake method to cut them up quickly.
Lila
These are absolutely DELICIOUS! I found that leaving them on the drying rack a little longer ensures a more "cookie-like" effect. They were even better the following morning.
Thanks for the awesome recipe Lisa - finally a delicious, quick and easy cookie that my daughter loves.
Lisa
I was pretty impressed at how crisp these cookies came out. And, low carb cookies always seem better the next day. I'm so glad your daughter enjoyed them too!
Shanley
what is a gelatin egg please.
Lisa
It's in the discussion: 1 tablespoon gelatin dissolved in 3 tablespoons water, then whisked over low heat until frothy