Low Carb Keto Sugar Cookies

This is a recipe for Keto Sugar-Free Cookies made with almond and coconut flour. They are the perfect soft and buttery low carb cookie.

Whether you want easy drop-style sugar cookies rolled in a sweetener or cut-out cookies that you can frost and decorate with your kids….this keto sugar cookie recipe is just so versatile and pleasing to everyone! 

Do sugar cookies bring you back to your childhood? The days of making them on a rainy or snowy day with a cup of hot cocoa next to you. Your mom or grandma helping you make the dough, then rolling it out, picking the perfect cookie cutters. 

And then the best part…icing them!

Well if you are now a parent or grandparent yourself you still can have those great memories with your little ones. 

This Keto Sugar Cookie Recipe is going to be a great way to make those new memories. If you don’t have any fun cookie cutters, buy them now! I bought some of mine from Amazon, but the rest are from Michaels Craft Store. I got really cute hearts and stars, but you can get whatever ones you like. 

I’m not a parent, but I can’t wait to see my nieces again soon so we can make these fun sugar-free cut-out cookies.

Just because you are eating healthier now and you aren’t eating refined sugar and flour, doesn’t mean that you should miss out on your favorite foods and desserts. So I really hope that you enjoy these keto cut-out cookies as much as I do.

What are Sugar Cookies?

Sugar cookies are a cookie that consists of sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder. 

Sugar cookies can be cut into shapes and then frosted and decorated, or they can be rolled in sugar then baked to perfection. Whichever way you cook them, they are a fan favorite for so many of us!

Why are they Called Sugar Cookies?

Sugar cookies came to North America when a group of European settlers came to Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and began creating butter cookies. Basically what we now call sugar cookies. 

The people of Pennsylvania love them so much that the sugar cookie is the official cookie of the state. Now that’s true love right there!

Are Sugar Cookies and Snickerdoodles the Same?

Sugar cookies and snickerdoodles are both classic cookies, but that doesn’t make them the same thing.

Sugar cookies are most often made with the intent of decorating them. You can use royal icing, or cream cheese icing then add fun things like sprinkles and edible glitter. 

Sugar cookies are mostly composed of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and vanilla, but some recipes may vary. 

While snickerdoodles contain some of the same ingredients as sugar cookies, there are 2 big differences. Snickerdoodles have cream of tartar in the dough and they are rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

Oh, and snickerdoodles are never iced, unlike the famous sugar cookie.

Are Sugar Cookies Keto-friendly?

When made with the proper ingredients sugar cookies can be keto-friendly.

The reason they are keto-friendly is that instead of white flour we use almond and coconut flours. And instead of cane sugar, we use a low carb keto-friendly sweetener. 

We will get more into details about all the ingredients in our sugar-free sugar cookie dough.

Carbs in Sugar Cookies 

Let’s talk about how many carbs exactly are in these keto sugar cookies. 

• For one of our keto sugar cookies they are only 0.9 NET CARBS….awesome right?! 
• Traditional sugar cookies can have anywhere from 20-30 NET CARBS per cookie. That is such a HUGE difference!

What Ingredients are in Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies?

Sugar Cookie Dough:

• Flours: This keto sugar cookie recipe has a combination of both Almond Flour and Coconut Flour. The combo really works for both taste and texture. 
• Baking Powder – Helps the keto sugar cookies to rise properly. 
• Low Carb Sweetener – I chose to use powdered swerve, but if you prefer using a granulated sweetener then that’s fine too. 
• Butter – Softened butter is key, if it’s too hard it won’t mix in the dough the way it needs to. 
• Egg – 1 egg, acts as a binder. 
• Salt – Just a pinch….½ tsp to be exact. 
• Extracts – Vanilla is a must in this keto sugar-cookie recipe. But I also added just a small amount of Almond Extract. It really gives a great added flavor. But you only need ⅛ tsp because the almond extract is very strong.

Royal Icing:

• Powdered Swerve – ½ cup powdered Swerve.
• Bocha Sweet – ½ cup – This gives the royal icing the glossy look it needs to have. 
• Egg White Protein Powder – This replaces the meringue powder that is found in traditional royal icing.
• Water – Helps to thin out the icing. Don’t add too much at once. Add a little at a time if the icing is too thick. 
• Vanilla  – Adds a little flavor. 
• Food Coloring – Optional. But if possible try to find natural food coloring instead.

Low Carb Flour Options for Keto Sugar Cookie Dough

In this sugar-free sugar cookie recipe, we use a mix of both almond and coconut flour.

In a lot of our recipes, we use a combo of both flours, with almond flour usually being the primary one. Coconut flour is used in this recipe, but only a small amount. 

If you want to use an alternative to almond flour then feel free to use another type of nut flour. Some options are 

• Cashew flour
• Pecan flour
• Hazelnut flour

A nut-free flour alternative is sunflower seed flour. It’s a 1:1 ratio with almond flour.

Best Sweetener Options

As far as sweeteners in our keto sugar cookie recipe you can use pretty much whatever you want. I ended up using powdered Swerve. The main reason for that is it was all I had in my pantry when I was experimenting with these sugar-free sugar cookies. 

But other options you could use are:

• Monk Fruit – Granulated or Powdered.
• Allulose 
• Stevia – Not a 1:1 ratio, so please check online for the correct amount to use. 
• Xylitol – BE CAREFUL WHEN USING, IT’S TOXIC TO PETS.

Fat Options

There are some different fat options you can use in this keto sugar cookie recipe. 

Butter – This is what I used, and pretty much what I use in most of my cookie recipes. 

Coconut Oil – A great dairy-free substitution, but the sugar-free cookies may come out a bit more crunchy.

Lard – Used in sugar cookie recipes that were created generations ago. Back in the day lard was commonly used instead of butter. If you chose to use lard, it makes for a lighter and more crisp keto sugar cookie. 

Ghee – A type of clarified butter that contains fewer dairy proteins than regular butter. Ghee can be used as a 1:1 ratio of regular butter. Ghee will give your low carb sugar cookies a nice buttery flavor. I haven’t tried using ghee in this recipe yet but if you do let me know how it comes out.

Can I Substitute the Egg in Sugar Cookies?

Yes, you can substitute the egg in this keto sugar cookie recipe. 

Flax Egg: 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed meal combined with 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 5 minutes. 

Cream Cheese: You also could use 2 tbsp cream cheese instead of the egg in this sugar-free sugar cookie recipe.

Different Variations of Low Carb Sugar Cookies

There are actually 3 ways to make keto sugar cookies. All of which are great for their own reasons. 

1. Use Cookie Cutters – Roll the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Use a cookie cutter to get cute fun shapes.
2. Sliced Cookies – Form the cookie dough into a log. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Then slice the dough into even slices. 
3. Drop and Sugared Cookies – Using a cookie scoop, form small cookie dough and roll it in granulated low carb sweetener. Then press down, and bake.

Icing and Toppings Options

We have two different icing options for you, so it’s up to you as far as which one you want to use.

You can use either a Keto Royal Icing or a Cream Cheese Icing to frost your sugarless sugar cookies. Both taste good and both can be decorated after they are frosted.

How do you Get Sprinkles on Sugar Cookies Without Icing?

If you don’t want to frost the sugar-free sugar cookies but still want to decorate them with sprinkles that’s totally doable. 

For starters make sure that the cookies are completely cooled. Then brush the tops of the keto sugar cookies with an egg wash. 

But here’s the thing, you need to make an egg wash with pasteurized egg whites, and just a splash of water. Then immediately add the sprinkles or the fancy sugar.

Tools to Use

• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer and it worked perfectly. But a hand mixer will work too. 
• Cookie Cutter – You need cookie cutters to turn them into Keto Cut-Out Cookies.
• Small Cookie Dough Scoop – If you aren’t making cut-out cookies, then you will need a cookie scoop to make the perfect drop-style sugar cookies. 
• Baking Sheet 
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat

How to Make Keto Sugar Cookies from Scratch 

Learn how to make a great Sugar-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe from scratch. It’s super easy….trust me!

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Mixing the Dough

Step 1: In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and the powdered swerve. Stir together.

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Step 2: Add the softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. Using the flat paddle attachment, turn the mixer on and whip the butter until creamy. 

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Step 3: Now add the dry ingredients, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix again until all the ingredients are combined and the dough is now formed.

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Chilling the Dough 

Step 4: For shaped sugar cookies, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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Shaping & Cutting Sugar Cookies

Step 5: Once it’s done chilling in the refrigerator, place the chilled dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper.

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Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until desired thickness. Aim to roll the dough to about ¼” thick.

Step 6: Using your cookie cutters, start cutting out your shapes. Reroll any leftover scraps, and continue cutting shapes until you have used all your dough.

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Step 7: Transfer the cut cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. This helps the cookies from spreading.

Baking

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 9: Pull the cookie tray out of the freezer and place in a preheated oven for 11-13 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven, but you want the cookies to start to get golden brown edges…not burnt though. 

Step 10: Let cool for 10 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Drop-Style Sugar Cookies

Mixing the Dough

*To see photos for steps 1-3, see the “Cut-Out Sugar Cookies” instructions above.

Step 1: In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and the powdered swerve. Stir together. 

Step 2: Add the softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. Using the flat paddle attachment, turn the mixer on and whip the butter until creamy. 

Step 3: Now add the dry ingredients, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix again until all the ingredients are combined and the dough is now formed. 

Step 4: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Using a 1” inch cookie scoop, place cookie dough scoops on the tray. Roll each one into a smooth ball.

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Step 5: Dip and roll each cookie dough ball into a bowl with granulated monk fruit, and place it back onto the tray.

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Step 6: Use the bottom of a glass or your palm, and flatten down each cookie.

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Baking

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 8: Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown. If your cookies are on the thicker side then it may take a few extra minutes. 

Step 9: Let cool for 10 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

How to Tell When Sugar Cookies are Done Cooking?

It may be hard to tell when your sugarless sugar cookies are done cooking because the color really doesn’t change too much during the baking process.

However, the best way to tell is that the edges of your keto sugar cookies should start to get golden brown around the edges.

Making the Icing & Decorating

Now that our keto cut-out sugar cookies are made and completely cooled down, it’s time to decorate them!!

Here are 2 different icing recipes you can use. I chose to use the recipe for the Royal Icing. 

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

• ½ cup powdered swerve 
• ½ cup powdered bocha sweet
• 1 tbsp water 
• ⅛ tsp vanilla 
• 1 tbsp egg white protein powder
• food coloring (optional)

Instructions: 

Step 1: In a small mixing bowl combine the powdered swerve, powdered bocha sweet, and the egg white protein powder. Stir together.

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Step 2: Now add the water and vanilla. Mix again.

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Step 3: If you want to add food coloring it’s time to add it now. If possible use natural food coloring.

Step 4: Place the icing in a pastry bag and start icing the cookies. Use a toothpick to help fill in the empty spots.

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Cream Cheese Icing

If you want to use sugar-free cream cheese icing instead then follow these instructions.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz cream cheese 
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• ½ cup powdered Swerve 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions: 

1. Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. 
2. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer and whip the cream cheese and butter together. 
3. Add the sweetener, heavy cream, and vanilla. Whip until creamy. 
4. Frost the keto sugar cookies and decorate.

Decorating Sugar Cookies

This is typically your kiddo’s favorite part of making sugar cookies. Grab all your sprinkles and let your kids go wild! I guarantee they are going to have a blast. 

If you are the one decorating your low-carb sugar cookies and you are strict on your diet, then I recommend getting yourself some sugar-free sprinkles. Here are 2 links to some sugar-free sprinkles and sugar-free glitter, that are both naturally colored.

Best Tips

• ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER – Let the butter get to room temperature, it can take up to an hour to become soft to the touch.
• MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS – Mixing the dry ingredients together first, ensures that the dough gets fully combined without overmixing. 
• CHILLING THE DOUGH – When making keto cut-out sugar cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before cutting the shapes. The dough will be easier to work with. 
• CHILLING THE DOUGH AFTER SHAPES HAVE BEEN CUT – By placing the keto cut-out cookies on a tray then placing them in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking will help prevent the cookies from spreading during the baking process. 
• GET THE RIGHT THICKNESS – Try to roll the dough out to about ¼” thick. 
• LINE THE BAKING TRAY – Use either parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent the cookies from sticking. 
• ROTATE THE PAN – By rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking process is an easy way to have evenly baked cookies.
• DON’T OVERBAKE – You don’t want to over bake your low carb sugar cookies. The edges should be golden brown, but not burnt! 
• LET THEM COOL – This is an important one! Do NOT attempt to handle these cookies until they are cooled down. Keto sugar cookies are very fragile when hot. They will firm up after they finish cooling.
• DO NOT DECORATE UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED – Please wait to frost, ice, or decorate your sugarless sugar cookies until 100% cooled.

• ROYAL ICING OR CREAM CHEESE ICING – Both are great options. 
• KETO ROYAL ICING – Using a combination of Powdered Swerve and Powdered Bocha Sweet make the perfect combo. The bocha sweet gives it the glossy look you want. 
• NATURAL COLORING FOOD COLORING AND SPRINKLES – You can get sugar-free and natural coloring food coloring and sprinkles on Amazon. Perfect for decorating. 
• STORAGE – Store in an airtight container or in a Ziploc bag and leave at room temperature for 4-5 days. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper in between the cookie layers to ensure they don’t stick to each other. 
• FREEZE BAKED KETO SUGAR COOKIES –  Store baked keto sugar cookies in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for 2-3 months. 
• FREEZE UNBAKED KETO SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH – Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and then place in a Ziploc bag for added protection, then freeze for up to 2-3 months.

Don’t Let the Butter Get Too Soft

Do your best and try not to microwave the butter, because that will most likely make the butter way too soft and possibly even melt it completely. Trust me, it happens when you don’t want it to. 

The best way to get the butter to be right is by letting it sit on the counter and letting it come to room temperature. It should take about an hour to be soft enough.

What Is the Best Thickness for Sugar Cookies?

One of the reasons keto sugar cookies remain soft is because they are rolled out pretty thick. Try your best to roll your cookie dough to about ¼” thick. That will help produce softer cookies. 

Another perk of rolling the dough on the thicker side is that it will be easier to work with and won’t fall apart as easily.

How Do You Keep Sugar Cookies from Spreading?

Keeping your low carb sugar cookies cold is what will prevent them from spreading. 

1. After you make the dough wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. 
2. Then once you roll the dough out, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. 
3. Take the rolled dough out, press the cookie cutters into the dough and transfer them to a lined baking sheet. 
4. Place it back in the freezer for another 5 minutes. 
5. Remove and place the tray straight into the preheated oven.

Why Do My Keto Sugar Cookies Fall Apart?

If your keto sugar cookies fell apart it’s probably because they weren’t cooled enough. I can’t express enough how fragile keto cookies are. 

Making sure they are 100% sure cooled is so IMPORTANT!

Should My Sugar Cookies Be Golden Brown?

Try your best to avoid overbaking your low carb sugar cookies. They can have golden brown edges, but you don’t want burnt edges.

Why Do My Sugar Cookies Burn in Some Parts?

I have noticed that depending on the shape of your cookies some parts may burn more easily. When I used star cookie cutters, the points actually burned rather quickly. 

I did a few tests and found that if they were rolled out too thin then they burned easily. So try not to roll your keto sugar cookie dough thinner than ¼” thick.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

Gluten-Free: Made with almond and coconut flour these sugar-free sugar cookies are a great gluten-free treat for you and your family. 

Dairy-Free: This keto sugar cookie recipe does have butter in it making it unfortunately not dairy-free. But the way to fix that is by replacing the butter with either vegan butter, coconut oil, or lard. 

Vegan: This recipe is for sugarless sugar cookies but it’s not vegan. In order to make them vegan sugarless sugar cookies replace the butter with vegan butter, coconut oil, or lard. Then replace the egg with a flax egg. Now you have some yummy vegan cookies.

How to Serve Keto Sugar Cookies

You can serve these keto sugar cookies with a cup of coffee in the morning or place a tray of them on the dessert table for your guest. You really can serve them with anything. 

Have any of you ever made a Cookie Bar?? I did it for my brother’s wedding reception and it was awesome. You basically cover an entire table with all different kinds of cookies. Just because you are on keto or eating a low carb diet doesn’t mean you can’t still have a cookie bar. 

Fill your table with the following delicious keto and low carb cookies:

• Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Almond Flour Keto Shortbread Cookies 
• Keto Peanut Butter Cookies 
• Keto Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies 
• Chewy Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies 
• Keto Pumpkin Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting 
• Keto Linzer Cookies 
• Keto Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ok so if any of you end up baking a super awesome Keto Cookie Bar, please take pictures and let me know how it comes out. I’m excited to see what you think of any of these delicious keto and low carb cookie recipes.

Can I Make Keto Sugar Cookies Ahead?

Absolutely you can make keto sugar cookies ahead of time! In fact, if you plan on making sugar-free cut-out cookies then I do suggest making them ahead of time that way they have plenty of time to harden after being iced and decorated.

Can I Store Sugar Cookie Dough Overnight?

If you make the keto sugar cookie dough but end up running out of time and can’t bake them, then all you need to do is keep it wrapped in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. 

It will be fine for up to 24 hours, so keep that in mind on those busy days we all have.

How to Store Sugar Cookies with Coconut Flour

Storing these coconut flour sugar cookies are super easy. They can be left at room temperature for 4-5 days. Place them in either an airtight container or in a Ziploc bag.

If you decorated them, then lay a piece of parchment paper in-between each layer to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.

Can You Freeze Low Carb Sugar Cookies

Freezing a batch of low carb sugar cookies is a great idea actually! Just be sure to freeze them before they are iced otherwise they just don’t freeze as well. . 

It’s actually a pretty great idea to whip up a batch of keto sugar cookies, freeze them, then pull them to decorate whenever you want. It’s so easy! 

You can freeze them in a large Ziploc bag and they will stay fresh for about 2-3 months

You also can make a batch of keto sugar cookie dough and freeze it before you bake the cookies. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then place in the freezer. You could double wrap the dough in foil to give some extra protection. 

It’s kind of nice to have some sugar cookie dough in the freezer all ready to pull out when you get a craving.

Other Low Carb Cookie Recipes

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

• Easy Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
• Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies
• Keto No-Bake Cookies
• Low Carb Oatmeal Cookies
• The BEST Keto Cream Cheese Cookies

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