Keto Linzer Cookies Recipe – Low Carb & Gluten-Free

These sugar-free Linzer cookies are such a classic treat and make a beautiful presentation on any platter. They are easy to make, delicious and low carb and gluten-free too!

I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for anything raspberry! I think that’s why I’ve always been attracted to Linzer cookies. Even though you can use any other flavor jam, my favorite, of course, is the raspberry kind. Not only are they delicious, and they also make for a beautiful picture with the red jam and the white powdered sugar!

You will be surprised how easy this Keto version is to make and how delicious they are to eat without the carbs of traditional Linzer cookies.

What Are Linzer Cookies?

The name Linzer came from Linzertorte which is an Australian torte which originated from Linz, Austria. The oldest Linzer torte written recipe dates back to 1653. It was brought to the United States in the 19th century.

It is a cookie sandwich that has a top and a bottom and a cut out on the top. The traditional cut out shape is a circle, maybe stemming from another name that they were called, Linzer Augen which means Linzer eyes.  But there are other shapes that are popular. For instance, you can make them in the shape of a heart or a star, 2 popular shapes.

What Do They Taste Like?

Linzer cookies are a basic buttery shortbread cookie that is usually harder or crispier when you make them which soften up over the next few days because of the jam center. 

They have a slightly nutty taste because traditionally they have almonds in the batter. They also have a jam in the center which peeks out of the cutout in the top half. 

Can I Eat Linzer Cookies on a Low Carb Diet?

Traditional Linzer cookies are not Keto or low carb friendly, mainly because of the regular white flour and sugar that are in them. They range from 300-400 calories and 60-65 carbs per cookie. Wow! At those stats, you can’t eat too many cookies and stay on your diet!

But with Linzer cookies made the low carb way,  which is made from almond flour and low carb sweetener (Monk fruit), the calories and carbs are very low, so you can eat several this way. They are approx. 100-120 calories and 3 carbs per cookie, a big difference!!

What Ingredients are in Keto Linzer Cookies?

Almond Flour –This is made from only almonds, so it’s very low carb, unlike regular white flour. Nut flours have become a big staple in low carb baking and almond flour is the most popular.

Monk Fruit -This is one of the best sweeteners to use and it has no carbs and converts from sugar one to one ratio.

Butter – I always prefer salted butter but you can use unsalted if you like that more.

Vanilla – I love adding vanilla to most baked goods. It’s the perfect flavor for so many things and goes perfectly with almond flour.

Salt –

Powdered Swerve – The sweetener that you use to dust the top of your cookies.

What Kind of Jam Can I Use to Make Keto Linzer Cookies?

You can use any kind of jam that you want to, whatever is your favorite, or a combination of a few.

My favorite is Raspberry, which seems to be the most popular but you could also try:

• Black Courant (the traditional choice)
• Apricot
• Peach
• Cherry
• Strawberry
• Fig

Different Variations of Linzer Cookies

Shapes 

The most common shape for Linzer cookies is a round cookie with a round cut out. But you could make the cookie shape itself out of any cookie cutter shape that you want to. I have seen some shaped like stars, or hearts…etc. The one we decided to use was round with scalloped edges. 

As far as the center cutout shapes, the same is true. You can have any that you can find cookie cutters for. We love using hearts and stars!

Flavors

Besides using any of the different jam flavors we mentioned previously, you can also make Linzer cookies without jam. 

You could use a lemon filling, chocolate or Nutella, and peanut butter…they all make good fillings for cookies, and absolutely perfect for these!

Are There/Can I Use Nuts in this Recipe?

Nuts were an important ingredient in the original Linzer cookie recipe. Since we use almond flour in making low carb Linzer cookies, it helps give them the authentic taste that they had in the past.

You don’t have to stop there however. If you are a nut lover like me, you could add some finely ground up nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts in the cookie dough, or you could also sprinkle a few on top of the jam and then place your top layer on. 

Some old fashioned Linzer cookies also had pistachio nuts in the dough so give that a try too!

How to Make Linzer Cookies

When you see how beautiful these cookies are you may be wondering how you can make them, especially if you are new to making low carb desserts. But don’t worry, they are really easy to make. Let’s show you step by step what you need to do…

The Filling

You could make your own sugar-free homemade jam in the flavor of your choice, but I used store-bought sugar-free jam.

There are so many good sugar-free jams out there, and using one of them will make it much easier to make these yummy low carb cookies anytime that you want to. 

The Cookies

To make your Linzer cookies you need to get a mixing bowl and with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar. 

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Next, add vanilla and mix. 

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Lastly, add the salt and almond flour and mix thoroughly. 

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Once it’s thoroughly mixed together take your dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. Take it out of the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. 

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When it is rolled out to your desired thickness then use your cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. 

Cut half of the dough with the cookie cutter for the bottoms, and the other half of the dough with the cookie cutter for the tops.

Take a thin metal spatula or a cookie spatula to remove your cookies from one piece of parchment paper to the next piece of parchment paper that is lining your cookie sheet.

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So that you don’t waste any of your dough, take the scraps from around your cookie cut-outs and roll it out again and now make more cookies from the rest of the dough and continue to do this step a few times until all of your dough is used up.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Be sure to watch your dough closely so that you don’t overcook your cookies. You want them to be a light golden color, not more.

When they are finished baking leave them on the cookie sheet for about 10-15 min to allow them to cool off enough before trying to take them off because if you try to move them before they are cooled off enough you could break your cookies.

Putting Them Together

The last step is to put them together and finish them.

When your cookies are done, lay them all out on a tray, separating the tops from the bottoms.

Next, you are going to dust the top cookies with your low carb sweetener.

Spread out the tops and take a fine small strainer and fill with powdered Swerve and shake over the tops until they are covered with white powder.

You want the tops to be completely covered in white powder without much yellow from the cookie showing.

Now it’s time to spread jam onto the cookie bottoms.

With a jam knife, spread a thin coat of jam on each bottom cookie, enough to give you a good jam taste but not too much that when you put the top layer on it doesn’t force the jam out of the edges. 

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Once your tops are powdered, gently move them on top of jam cookie. Now your low carb Linzer cookies are done!!

Best Tips for Making Perfect Linzer Cookies

Handling the Dough

Handling the dough can be difficult since making these cookies with low carb ingredients makes them much more delicate than normal. Here are a few tips which will help you:

If you chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes it will chill up enough to be able to handle it and roll it out. If it’s too warm it will be too sticky.

Once your cookies are done baking let them cool for a few minutes before trying to remove them from the parchment paper because when they are warm they tend to fall apart easily if you try to move them before they have had enough time to cool off.

Use the Right Cookie Cutters

You may be wondering which cookie cutters are the best for making Linzer cookies?

There are specific cookie cutters for them which have many different shapes and center cut out sections. They are very reasonably priced and easy to use.

For instance, the ones that we used were 2 sided. One side was the bottom cookie with scalloped edges. The other side had cut-outs of different shapes, a moon, a heart, a star or a flower that was built into the cookie cutter and interchangeable. We ordered them on Amazon and the name of them is “KeepingcooX Linzer Classic Cookie Cutter set.” 

Other Diets This Recipe is Good for?

Gluten-free – These low carb Linzer cookies are gluten-free and another great treat that you can enjoy.

Vegetarian – They are also vegetarian and don’t contain any ingredients you can’t have if you are on this diet.

What to Serve with Linzer Cookies

Once you know how to make low carb Linzer cookies, you can have a few more options when you are drinking your coffee for breakfast. If you prefer to eat them in the evening, you can have Keto Linzer Cookies for dessert after your dinner.

They also are great with a cup of our Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate or Sugar-Free Eggnog.

How to Store Them

You can leave your leftover Linzer cookies on the counter in an airtight plastic container at room temperature. Kept this way, Lizer cookies will last for about 3 days. 

If you want to keep them longer, then put them in the same container, but instead put them in the refrigerator. Here they will last for up to 2 weeks.

What is the Best Way to Freeze Linzer Cookies?

We have found that the best way to freeze your low carb Linzer cookies is to just freeze the cookie part before you put the jam inside of it. So what you do is to bake the cookies and cool them completely. 

Then put them in an airtight plastic container where they should last for a few weeks or up to 1 month. 

When you want to thaw them out, bring to room temperature before filling with your favorite jam or other fillings. Don’t forget to dust them with your powdered swerve before filling and assembling your cookies.

Low Carb Cookie Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Keto-friendly Desserts, check out our:

• Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Low Carb Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies
• Keto Magic Cookie Bars

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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