These buttery keto shortbread cookies are made with almond flour. They are so rich and tender! They're another sweet victory for gluten-free baking and proof that baking with almond flour can yield wonderful results.
These cookies are buttery, flaky, golden, and sweet. This recipe makes twelve cookies, which admittedly is not a lot, but you can easily double it and use two baking sheets. When I'm in an especially indulgent mood, usually around the holidays, I have a couple of them for breakfast. Such a wonderful treat!
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these cookies. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Unsalted butter: I love using European butter. It's so creamy and flavorful! However, any butter will be great as long as it's unsalted.
- Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can use a granulated sweetener instead, adding water if needed.
- Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch.
- Almond flour: I use superfine almond flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to use different flavor extracts. So, instead of vanilla extract, you could use almond extract, coconut extract, or even orange extract. My favorite is almond extract!
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making these cookies:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the stevia, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to incorporate.
Gradually add the almond flour. Mix with a rubber spatula or a fork, then lightly knead the mixture into a dough.
Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Shape each cookie with your hands into a 2-inch in diameter, ¼-inch thick cookie. Space the cookies 1 inch apart. They don't expand much during baking.
Bake the cookies in a preheated 325°F oven until they turn golden and fragrant, about 12-15 minutes. Don’t overbake - they are light in color when ready, although they do take on a golden hue.
Cool the cookies in the pan for 10 minutes – they will still be soft at this point - then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and cool them for 10 more minutes before serving.
Expert Tip
After mixing the ingredients and lightly kneading, you should have a dough that you can easily manipulate by hand. It should be crumbly but not dry. If it’s very dry, add a tablespoon of water. The photo below shows the texture you should expect:
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you do, you'll likely need to add some water to make the dough a little less crumbly. Add a tablespoon at a time until the dough is easy to work with.
I think it is. One of the best things about these cookies is that their buttery flakiness allows you to use far less sweetener than you would normally use.
It's not that they are not sweet. They are. But their flavor profile focuses more on richness than on sweetness. Having said that, feel free to increase the sweetener by 50%.
The term "short," in the context of pastries, means "crumbly," as these cookies should be.
Not at all! Being crumbly does not mean they are dry - the butter takes care of that. Take a look at the image below - it shows you how soft and buttery these cookies are on the inside. 
Serving Suggestions
Much like almond flour cookies, these cookies are wonderful as a treat accompanied by coffee (as shown in the photo below) or mint tea. In the summer, I serve them with iced coffee, iced tea, or a tall glass of almond milk.
Sometimes, I spread one of them with chocolate hazelnut spread, top it with another one, and turn these cookies into a sandwich cookie.
Storing Leftovers
You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The photo below shows how I store them in a glass food storage container.
If you'd like to keep them for longer, it's best to freeze them in freezer bags with layers separated by wax paper.
More Keto Cookies
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Recipe Card
Buttery Keto Shortbread Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - 3 ounces
- 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite - equals about ¼ cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces superfine almond flour - 2 cups; it's best to measure by weight and not by volume
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it on high until melted, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the stevia, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to incorporate.
- Gradually add the almond flour. Mix with a rubber spatula or a fork, and then lightly knead the mixture into a dough.
- Scoop the dough onto the parchment paper with a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Shape each cookie with your hands into a 2-inch in diameter, ¼-inch thick cookie. Space the cookies 1 inch apart. They don't expand much during baking.
- Bake the cookies until they turn golden and fragrant, about 12-15 minutes. Don’t overbake - they are light in color when ready, although they do take on a golden hue.
- Cool the cookies in the pan for 10 minutes – they will still be soft at this point - then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and cool them for 10 more minutes before serving.
Notes
- After mixing the ingredients and lightly kneading, you should have a dough that you can easily manipulate by hand. It should be crumbly but not dry. If it’s very dry, add a tablespoon of water.
- If using a granulated sweetener instead of stevia, you'll likely need to add some water to make the dough a little less crumbly. Add a tablespoon at a time until the dough is easy to work with.
- If you like your baked goods very sweet, use the equivalent of ⅓ cup of sugar and add water as needed.
- You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you'd like to keep them for longer, it's best to freeze them in freezer bags with layers separated by wax paper.
Nutrition per Serving
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Phil says
Would this work as a 7inch cheesecake base? Put the dough into the base of a springform tin then cook it?
Thanks Phil
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Phil,
Sounds interesting, and it might, but I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure.
Shirley says
Wonderfully good..made just as recipe written..my favorite cookies are shortbread and these sure taste like them.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Shirley! Thanks for commenting on another recipe. 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed these cookies!
Holly says
No eggs? Wow
Vered DeLeeuw says
That's correct, Holly. Shortbread cookies do not contain eggs. That's why they are relatively crumbly.
Sheldon Gruber-Lebowitz says
I have a severe allergic reaction to almonds and fear using almond flour would cause the reaction of migraine headaches were I to use almond flour. What can I substitute in its place to bake these delicious sounding cookies?
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so sorry, Sheldon! Almond flour is ground almonds, so you should definitely avoid it. However, I only tested this recipe with almond flour. I'm very sorry.
Helen says
I baked these cookies shortly after receiving your newsletter. I halved the recipe to remove temptation. Between the two of us, hubby and me polished all six off! They are absolutely brilliant. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Helen! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for being a newsletter subscriber.
Kay says
Hi
I don’t have a microwave to soften butter ,any clues please?
Thank you
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Kay,
You can melt in on the stovetop over very low heat.
Linda Hay says
8 ounces = 1 cup not 2!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hey Linda,
Thank you for the comment. This is indeed true for liquid measurements, but dry measurements can be different.
Check the nutrition label on this page for Bob's Red Mill superfine almond flour. It states that 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) weigh 14 grams (1/2 ounce), which means 1 cup weighs 4 ounces and 2 cups weigh 8 ounces.
As I'm sure you know, for the best results and to avoid any confusion, especially when baking, one should always weigh flour rather than measure it by volume.
Lori Moore says
Can you use honey or maple syrup instead of Stevie in this recipe?
Sincerely, Lori
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Lori,
I haven't tested this recipe with a liquid sweetener. You can give it a try, using 2 tablespoons of honey and adding 1-2 extra tablespoons of almond flour or as needed to achieve the dough texture shown in the post.