Craving more keto cookie recipes? Try my keto chocolate chip cookies, keto lemon cookies, and keto sugar cookies next. Come the holiday season, I’m making keto shortbread cookies by the dozens. This may surprise you, but my almond flour shortbread cookies are even more highly requested than any of my other holiday treats.
Why I love this recipe
5 ingredients. And no niche or fussy substitutions required! Perfect texture and flavor. Crisp on the edges, soft in the center, and loaded with buttery flavor, these cookies tick all the boxes. Easy to customize. I’m boring and like my shortbread cookies plain, but I tested a few creative flavors so you can switch things up. Diet-friendly. Without even trying, these cookies are gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients needed
Butter. I always suggest using unsalted butter since there’s no telling how much salt gets added to salted butter. A pinch of salt can be quite overpowering, especially in this recipe. Sweetener. I prefer allulose since it has the most sugary flavor, but use whatever sugar-free sweetener you prefer. Large egg. I tried this recipe without the eggs to make them vegan, and it made for a very burnt flavor and dark color, so don’t skip these. Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe! Almond flour. Use blanched almond flour over almond meal and make sure it’s fine in texture, akin to powdered sugar. I tried this recipe with coconut flour, and the cookies were too dry and crumbly.
How to make keto shortbread 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. “Amazing recipe! Easy to make, great tasting low carb cookie” – KO Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sweetener. Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until combined. Fold in the almond flour until combined. Step 3- Shape. Using a cookie scoop, form 12-15 dough balls and place on the lined pan. Press each ball into a cookie shape, then make crisscross patterns with a fork. Step 4- Bake. Bake the cookies for 17-20 minutes or until they turn golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
Don’t overbake the cookies. They’ll continue cooking as they cool (AKA “carryover cooking”), so pull them from the oven as soon as they turn golden, and the edges pull away from the baking sheet. Make the dough ahead of time. If you’d like to bake the cookies later, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days. Just remember to let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out. Add a final touch. For added decoration, I like to brush the tops of the cookies with melted butter and a sprinkle of keto brown sugar. Transfer them to a wire rack. So they cool more quickly.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover keto shortbread cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. While this keto shortbread recipe works wonders on its own, you can change up the flavor for some fun variety!
Cinnamon shortbread. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle the baked cookies with cinnamon and sweetener. Cranberry shortbread. Fold 1/4 cup dried cranberries into the dough. Lavender shortbread. Add 2 teaspoons of dried lavender to the dough. Lemon shortbread. Fold through some lemon zest and add several drops of lemon extract. Chocolate chip shortbread. Add 1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips.
To freeze: Wrap the leftover cookies in plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
More low-carb holiday treats to try
Keto pumpkin cookies Keto oatmeal cookies Keto peanut butter cookies Keto Christmas cookies
