Buttery keto shortbread cookies are made with almond flour. They are wonderfully rich and flaky. Another sweet victory for gluten-free baking!
OMG, these cookies are amazing! They are buttery, flaky, golden and sweet. This recipe makes six cookies, which admittedly is not a lot. You can easily double it if you wish.
When I'm in an especially indulgent mood, usually around the holidays, I love having a couple of them with a steaming mug of keto hot chocolate. ❤️
More butter means less sweetener
As the granddaughter of a Dutch grandma, I can't help but love baked goods made with butter. There's something incredibly satisfying about rich, buttery baked goods.
My dad is Dutch, but I grew up in Israel, where the need to keep food kosher dictates using margarine in many baked goods (butter is dairy, and a dairy baked good can't be served after a meat-containing meal). I can tell you from personal experience that there's simply no comparison. Butter tastes so much better than margarine.
And when you use lots of butter, the butter imparts so much flavor, that you can get away with less sugar (or sweetener).
What is shortbread?
As it turns out, shortbread cookies - keto or otherwise - got their name because of the high amount of butter they contain.
The term "short," in the context of pastries, means "crumbly," as these cookies should be. And this is also why the fat added to pastries is called shortening. How was that for an interesting etymology lesson! 😀
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.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these tasty almond flour shortbread 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!
Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can probably use a granulated sweetener instead, although if you do, you might need to add a little water.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
Kosher salt: Just a pinch. If you use fine salt, use even less.
Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground flour in this recipe. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal.
How to make keto shortbread cookies
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Soften the butter and mix in the stevia, vanilla, and salt.
Now add the almond flour. Mix, then lightly knead into a dough.
Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of the dough and use your hands to shape them into rounds. The dough will be crumbly and that's OK. But if it's impossible to work with, add a little water.
Place the cookies 1-inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes at 325° F.
Cool the cookies in the pan for 10 minutes.
Calorie-dense but satisfying
Most almond flour baked goods are calorie-dense, and these cookies are no exception. A wheat flour shortbread cookie usually contains about 100 calories. These contain 160 calories per cookie.
However, these cookies are extremely satiating. Try and you'll see - after one you're happy, after two you are DONE. This is one of the best things about baking with almond flour. You get built-in portion control.
How to store keto shortbread cookies
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you'd like to keep them for longer, it's best to freeze them in freezer bags, separated by wax paper squares.
More tasty keto cookies
These soft and chewy keto chocolate cookies are wonderful. A real treat! These keto chocolate chip cookies are just as good as the high-carb original. And one of my favorite cookie recipes is this recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies.
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Keto Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 grams)
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals 2 tablespoons sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup blanched finely ground almond flour (4 oz; it's best to measure by weight and not by volume)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until butter is very soft, about 30 seconds. It’s OK if it becomes melted.
- Add the stevia, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to incorporate.
- Add the almond flour. Mix with a rubber spatula or a fork until dough forms. You might find it easier to lightly knead the dough.
- Scoop the dough with a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Shape each cookie with your hands, working the crumbly dough into a smooth ball and then flattening it into a ¼ inch thick cookie, as shown in the video.
- Place the cookies on the parchment paper, 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies until they turn golden, about 12 minutes.
- 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 10 more minutes before serving.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More recipes to try
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 