Love keto cookie recipes? Try my keto peanut butter cookies or keto chocolate chip cookies. We love all things lemon in my house, and even when I’m keto, I can’t resist making my favorite lemon desserts, be it keto lemon bars, keto lemon meringue pie, or my favorite keto lemon cookies. Even if you are a lemon skeptic, I guarantee you’ll love these cookies. Thanks to the lemon extract and zest, they’re not super tart but sweet and refreshing. Plus, the texture is to die for. With tender edges and gooey centers, they practically melt in your mouth.
Why I love this recipe
Ready in 15 minutes. So you can make them whenever inspiration strikes. No flour needed. Unlike traditional cookies, these are made with almond flour, which adds even more flavor and a delicate, crumbly texture. This also means they’re gluten-free, too. Perfect for lemon lovers. Obviously, lemon is the star of the show, and if you love lemon desserts as much as I do, you’ll fall head over heels for them! 2 grams of net carbs per serving. So you can enjoy them guilt-free and stick to your keto diet.
Ingredients needed
Almond flour. Superfine or blanched almond flour. Avoid using almond meal, as it leads to a gritty and thick cookie. Granulated sweetener of choice. I like allulose because I find it has the closest texture and flavor to white sugar, but monk fruit sweetener is a great substitute. Salt. Brings out the sweetness of all the other ingredients. Lemon zest. Adds some extra lemon flavor. Egg whites. Room temperature egg whites. These will be whipped before being folded into the cookies. Lemon extract. Gives the cookies an even more intense lemon flavor. Yellow food coloring. It’s optional, but it gives the cookies a gorgeous color. Sugar free powdered sugar. To cover the cookies with. I used my keto powdered sugar.
How to make keto lemon cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Make the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the lemon extract and yellow food coloring to the egg whites. Gently fold in the dry mixture until combined. Step 2- Shape. In a separate large bowl, add the sugar-free powdered sugar. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them in the powdered sugar until combined. Repeat until all the cookie dough balls have been covered. Step 3- Bake. Bake the cookies until 15 minutes or until the edges are done and the tops begin to crackle. Step 4- Cool and serve. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool briefly on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe tips and variations
Add more lemon flavor. Fold in 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice for extra tartness. Make sure to use room temperature egg whites, otherwise, the cookies can dry out and become crumbly. Use other citrus fruits. Okay, I know these are technically ‘lemon’ cookies, but if you swap the lemon for orange, lime, or grapefruit, they’re equally as delicious! Press down on the cookies. Since there’s no baking powder in these cookies, they won’t spread very much. I like to lightly press down on the cookies when I place them on the baking sheet. Avoid overbaking. The cookies will continue to cook briefly after they’re pulled out of the oven, so remove them as soon as the edges are slightly crisp and begin to lift from the baking sheet. Top with a lemon glaze. To make a quick lemon glaze, combine keto powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, then glaze the cookies once they’ve fully cooled.
Storage instructions
To store: Lemon cookies will keep fresh at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 week. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator. To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More keto cookie recipes to try
Keto sugar cookies Keto white chocolate macadamia nut cookies Keto pumpkin cookies Keto Thin Mints
