These are the absolute best keto sugar cookies with icing! They have a soft and chewy center with a slightly crisp edge and can be made big and soft or used to make cut-out cookies that hold their shape well.
I am in LOVE with this keto sugar cookie recipe!!! Here's why I love them so much:
- they are not bland in any way! Even though I love them with frosting, you can totally eat them without and still thoroughly enjoy them
- they are soft, tender, and buttery with a slight crunch on the edge
- and lastly, they can be made ahead of time
And if you're looking for more keto desserts, I think you'll love these snickerdoodles, fudge, cinnamon rolls, and peppermint bark recipes!
Or if you're not low-carb, Gluten-Free Palate's Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe looks delicious too!
Ingredients
- Blanched Almond Flour: Keto, low-carb flour.
- Coconut Flour: Another low-carb flour. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent and makes the keto cookies extra soft!
- Sea Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Baking Powder: For rising.
- Xanthan Gum: For cut-out keto cookies, use the xanthan gum. For big, soft, beautiful Lofthouse-style cookies, leave it out!
- Butter - Buttery goodness and texture. Be sure the butter is well-softened.
- Powdered Monk Fruit / Erythritol Blended Sweetener: Be sure to use powdered. The powdered variety gives the cookies a better texture and reduces (I would even say eliminates!) the cooling-like aftertaste that erythritol can sometimes lend.
- Egg - Adds moisture and binds the cookies. For best results, bring it to room temperature before using.
- Pure Vanilla: If possible, use pure vanilla, not the imitation variety.
For frosting, you can use my keto buttercream frosting, or here are the icing ingredients:
- Powdered Monk Fruit/Allulose Sweetener: Any keto powdered sweetener will work. However, the cooling-like aftertaste of erythritol can be strong tasting in frostings, and erythritol can sometimes lend a gritty texture. Because of this, I recommend powdered allulose or a powdered monk fruit allulose blend.
- Sea Salt: Optional, helps cut the sweetness.
- Pure Vanilla: Again, use pure vanilla and not the imitation variety if possible.
- Room Temperature Water: As needed to thin the icing.
- Sprinkles, Food Coloring, And Decorations As Desired
💭Top Tip: Allulose is 70% as sweet as other sweeteners. For every 1 cup of sweetener, you'll need 1 ⅓ cups of allulose. The monk fruit allulose blend replaces the sugar cup for cup.
🔪 Instructions
Step #1: Start by creaming together softened (not melted!) butter and powdered sweetener.
Step #2: Beat in the remaining ingredients. This includes the vanilla, egg, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum (if using), and salt until the dough comes together.
Step #3: Place it in a baggie or plastic wrap. Let it chill in the freezer for around an hour or in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
💭Top Tip: If the dough isn't chilled, it will be tough to roll out and work with. Chilling also keeps the butter cold and prevents the cookies from spreading. If your dough starts to warm, pop it in the freezer for just a bit to get it cold again.
Step #4: Roll out the dough, cut it into shapes, and bake!
Rolling out the dough
Step #1: Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and roll it out until it is about ¼ inch thick or slightly thicker. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes.
💭Top Tip: Be careful not to roll it too thin! If you roll the dough out too thin, the low-carb cookies will easily over-bake and become crunchy.
Step #2: Remove the excess dough from around the shapes and very carefully transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
Repeat with the remaining sugar cookie dough until all cookies are cut out.
Baking and frosting
Step #1: Bake at 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown and the center looks underbaked.
If you overbake them, they will be crunchy and not soft and tender in the middle.
The sugar-free sugar cookies will seem very soft when you pull them out of the oven, but they will set up nicely once they cool.
Step #2: Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step #3: Once completely cooled, eat as-is or frost with keto buttercream frosting with cream cheese or the icing recipe in the recipe card below 👇 and decorate as desired.
💭 Top Tip: The icing sets after about 12 hours but will initially be relatively soft, so it is not great for intricate designs.
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-Ahead: Once you have prepared the dough, place it in a flat disk shape in a freezer-safe baggie. Store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Store: Store leftover keto sugar cookies loosely covered for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
- Freeze: Allow unfrosted cookies to cool completely. Place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, store them in a freezer-safe baggie for 3 to 4 weeks.
Substitutions
- For dairy-free, replace the butter with dairy-free butter.
- Almond flour and coconut flour are both very unique. I don't recommend substituting them.
- As long as you don't leave out the xanthan gum, these can also be made with allulose as the sweetener. The benefit of allulose is that it has ZERO aftertaste! Just know they are much softer and more delicate than the erythritol version.
Variations
- For giant, soft Lofthouse-style sugar cookies, instead of cut-out cookies, simply leave out the xanthan gum!
💭 Top tips
Here are my top tips for making a perfect low-carb sugar cookie:
- Don't overbake them! If you overbake them, they will be crunchy and not soft and tender in the middle. You want to pull them out of the oven when the edges barely start to brown and the center looks underbaked. They will seem very soft when you pull them out of the oven, but they will set up nicely once they cool.
- Allow the dough to rest in the fridge or freezer until thoroughly chilled. If your dough starts to warm after you've rolled it a time or two, you can pop it in the freezer for just a bit to get it cold again.
- Don't roll the dough out too thin. If you roll them out too thin, they will easily over-bake and become crunchy.
- Don't frost them until they've completely cooled. If you frost them too soon, the frosting will melt off!
- The icing sets after about 12 hours but will initially be relatively soft, so is not great for intricate designs.
If you’ve tried this Keto Sugar Cookies Recipe, please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Keto Sugar Cookies With Icing
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ Cup Blanched Almond Flour - very finely ground
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ tsp. Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- ¼ Cup Butter - softened
- ¾ Cup Powdered Monk Fruit / Erythritol Blended Sweetener
- 1 Large Egg - room temperature
- 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla
Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ recipe Keto Buttercream Frosting
- Sprinkles, Food Coloring, And Decorations As Desired
Icing:
- 1 ¼ Cup Powdered Monk Fruit/Allulose Sweetener
- 1 pinch Sea Salt - optional, helps cut the sweetness
- ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla
- 3-6 Tbsp. Room Temperature Water - or as needed
- Sprinkles, Food Coloring, And Decorations As Desired
Instructions
- Cream together the softened butter and sweetener until soft and creamy, around 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and mix well. Then, add in the vanilla.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Mix until dough comes together
- Transfer to a plastic baggie or wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer 45 minutes to an hour or the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until dough is thoroughly chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Baking Option #1:Roll the dough into Tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet. Flatten with your palm to ¼ inch thick, keeping them at least an inch apart.Baking Option #2:Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll dough around ¼ inch thick or slightly thicker. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes then remove the excess dough. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them about 1 to 2 inches apart. If the dough starts to warm up and gets hard to work with, pop it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. Any cookie dough you tore away from the cutout, you can form a ball with it and roll out again to make more cookies.
- Bake 8-11 minutes, or until the edge of the cookies just barely start to brown but still look soft in the center.
- Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Frost using the linked buttercream frosting or icing recipe. Decorate as desired.
Icing:
- *Note- This icing sets after about 12 hours, but will initially be fairly soft and is not great for intricate designs.
- Using a fork, stir the sweetener, sea salt, vanilla, and 2 Tbsps of water together in a medium bowl. It will be very thick and difficult to stir. Switch to a whisk and whisk in 1 Tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches the right consistency. The icing should be smooth and creamy, yet still on the thicker side. If you lift the whisk and let the icing drizzle back into the bowl, the ribbon of icing will hold shape for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That's you know it’s the right consistency. If it's too thick add water as needed to thin or if you get it too thin add more powdered sweetener to thicken. If not used right away, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- If desired, stir in food coloring. Then frost the cookies with a butter knife or pipe using a squeeze bottle or Wilton Piping tip #4.
Add Your Own Notes
Video
Notes
- See how easy this recipe is to make on my YouTube video! Watch the full video here: Sugar Cookies YouTube Video
- Nutritional information includes the icing.
- I personally prefer the buttercream because the icing is a bit too sweet for me, but use whichever you prefer!
- Don't overbake! If you overbake them they will be crunchy and not soft and tender in the middle. You want to pull them out of the oven when the edges are just barely starting to brown and the center looks underbaked. They will seem very soft when you first pull them out of the oven, but they will set up nicely once they cool.
- Allow the dough to rest in the fridge or freezer until thoroughly chilled. If the dough isn't chilled, it will be very hard to roll out and work with. Chilling also keeps the butter cold and prevents the cookies from spreading. If your dough starts to warm after you've rolled it a time or two, you can pop it in the freezer for just a bit to get it cold again.
- Don't roll them out too thin. If you roll them out too thin they will easily over-bake and become crunchy. They need to be around ¼ inch thick, or even just a tad thicker when you roll them out to get a nice, soft, tender center.
- Don't frost them until they've completely cooled. If you frost them too soon the frosting will melt off!
- To bring the butter to room temperature, I love this tutorial from Sally’s Baking Addiction on how to soften butter quickly for perfectly softened butter.
- For the sweetener in the icing, I recommend powdered allulose or a powdered monk fruit allulose blend because erythritol-based sweeteners tend to leave a stronger cooling-like aftertaste in frostings and they don't always fully dissolve. Keep in mind that pure allulose is 70% as sweet as other sweeteners, though, so for every 1 cup of sweetener, you'll need 1 ⅓ cups of allulose. The monk fruit allulose blend replaces the sugar cup for cup.
- As a special gift to my readers, I've teamed up with BESTI SWEETENERS to give you guys 10% off!!! Simply enter the code "CRAVEABLE" at checkout.
- If you prefer big, soft Lofthouse-style sugar cookies instead of cut-out cookies, simply leave out the xanthan gum!
- As long as you don't leave out the xanthan gum, these can also be made with allulose as the sweetener. The benefit of allulose is that it has ZERO aftertaste! Just know that they are a lot softer and more delicate than the erythritol version and will not hold much of a shape.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Sierra Wilson says
I’m late to the party, but was wondering if I could ask that the coconut flour be substituted for anything? I have a child with a coconut allergy and can’t have it in that house! Do you have any suggestions?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Sierra, I'm sorry to hear about your child's coconut allergy.
While I haven't tested these and can't say for sure, I have a few ideas. It won't be as low carb, but you could try replacing it with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of starch, such as tapioca or arrowroot. You could also try 2 - 3 Tablespoons of flaxseeds (golden for a lighter-colored cookie) or maybe 1/4 cup more of almond flour. When making them, try to get them to the texture of the batter in the video. If you add too much flour, you can add a small amount of water to help with the texture.
Again, I haven't tested any of these so it's just a guess, sorry!! If you try them please come back and let me know how they turned out!
XO,
Cassidy
Tracy Johnson says
Hi. I just got done making the dough. It’s very crumbly. I followed all the instructions. Is this normal?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Tracy,
The dough will seem crumbly when you're mixing it, but when you scoop it out and transfer it to baggie or plastic wrap, it should come together nicely. I hope this helps!
-Cassidy
Ashley Lawson says
Could you use allulose as the sweetener in the cookies themselves?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Ashley!
While allulose would probably taste good, the cookies will be really soft and spread a lot! The erythritol is what gives the cookies a slight crunch and makes them hold their shape. I recommend an erythritol/monk fruit blend to help reduce the aftertaste erythritol can sometimes lend. I hope this helps!!
UPDATE- I tested these with allulose, and as long as you don't omit the xanthan gum, yes, you can make them with allulose! Just know that they are a lot softer and more delicate than the erythritol version.
-Cassidy
Betsy says
I made these with lakantos monk fruit. I really like this brand, but with most things I bake they do have that “off” sugar flavor. These cookies are so good, but have that “off sugar flavor too. I did not frost them as I have yet to find a frosting that doesn’t have that weird flavor. I can’t use swerve, it makes me very sick. I did use a mix of white and golden in the cookie part as I like that tan look vs white. Any suggestions on what I can use to get past the “off” taste I experience. (I know it’s the sweetener as I can taste the same taste in icings and frostings.
Thanks
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Betsy!
Unfortunately, what you're tasting is the erythritol, and the erythritol is required for the cookies to set up properly. My only suggestion is to try different brands of monk fruit/erythritol blends, as some may have less of an aftertaste. I personally prefer BESTI sweeteners, but even if there's less of an aftertaste, you will probably still slightly taste it - sorry! As for the frosting, you can use powdered allulose or a powdered monk fruit/allulose blend and not get that "off" (cooling-like) taste - it might even cover up some of the erythritol flavor in the cookies! I wish I could've been more help, sorry!!!
UPDATE- After further testing, I've found that using powdered sweetener instead of the granulated variety greatly reduces (I would even say eliminates!) the cooling-like aftertaste! I've updated the recipe to reflect these changes 👍
-Cassidy
Jen says
Isn't egg considered dairy?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Jen!
No eggs aren't considered dairy. Dairy is anything made from milk, which doesn't include eggs. Hope this helps!
-Cassidy
Tanna says
Hey there! I was wondering if the nutrition (18 carbs) is just for one cookie or all 18?? I know that this includes the frosting. Looking forward to trying them!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Tanna! The nutrition info is for 1 cookie. However, since there are 17 grams of fiber that makes each cookie only have 1 net carb - which is what's counted when doing Keto. I hope this helps and you enjoy the cookies!!
-Cassidy
BG says
Nut allergy here. Suggestions for the almond flour please. The positive reviews have me so excited to try these.
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi BG!
Almond flour is a very unique flour. The only nut-free replacement I know of is sunflower seed flour, but have never tried it myself. I think the only drawback of sunflower seed flour is that occasionally it can react with baking soda and turn baked goods green - but totally fine to eat!
Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
-Cassidy
kathrin says
Hi, I have tried powdered allulose but it never gets hard to work and design the cookies after they are fully cooled. Is there a trick to it? Even though I have the allulose almost too hard to work with it never completely hardens as regular powdered sugar does.
Cassidy Stauffer says
Oh no Kathrin, I'm sorry! I think I wasn't clear enough in my instructions, sorry!!!
When using allulose, it will be fairly soft when frosting the cookies. Then, after the frosted cookies set out 12 hours, then the frosting sets up. However, you're right. While it firms up and isn't runny, it doesn't get hard like traditional powdered sugar. It's fairly soft when initially frosting the cookies so doesn't work well for intricate designs.
If you're looking to do an intricate design, you'll need to use an erythritol-based sweetener, but it does leave an aftertaste. If you use an erythritol monk fruit blend it will help reduce the aftertaste, but will still be there. Erythritol is the only keto sweetener that really crisps up, but it does leave an aftertaste in frostings. 🙁
Did this answer your question?? Please let me know if you have any more questions! Also, I'll update the recipe card to help reduce the confusion about the frosting. Sorry again!
-Cassidy
Jesica Ronning says
These are AMAZING! I added zest from a small lemon in the batter as well. My whole family loves them!
Cassidy says
YAY Jesica, I'm so excited you liked them!! I'll have to try adding some lemon zest next time, thanks for the tip 🙂
-Cassidy
Kimberly says
I had pretty much given up on the keto cookie. I had just enough almond flour left to try this recipe. I made it with Swerve Granular and no xantham gum. The dough was wonderful to work with. I just rolled them into balls and made a thumbprint with the back of a measuring spoon and filled with jam. They smelled like cut out cookies I made as a little and my husband and I though finally, a winner! I plan to make a few batches of dough and freeze to bake when we want a treat. Thank you!!
Cassidy says
YAY Kimberly, I'm so excited you liked them!!! I keep some dough in my freezer too!
-Cassidy
Kimberly says
Cassidy, they're so good! You totally nailed this recipe. Have a very blessed New Year!
Cassidy says
Thank you so much Kimberly, I'm excited you liked them!!!!
-Cassidy
Jules Shepard says
Honestly these look just like the ones "mom used to make"! Sugar cookies are a Christmas must are they not? These look great!
Cassidy says
Thank you so much Jules!!!
Erin Dee says
These look so fun and festive! Love those crispy edges and soft centers!
Julia says
I’m making these today!!!! Yum
Cassidy says
YAY! Let me know how they turn out!!!
-Cassidy
Sarah says
Sugar cookies are a must this time of year! These look simply delicious.
Cassidy says
Thanks so much! ...Yeah, I've already made about 5 batches and have several more batches to make in the next few weeks 🙂
-Cassidy
Alexandria Parker says
Hi, my daughter has an egg allergy what would you suggest as a good egg replacer to use in this recipe?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Alexandria!
I'm not very experienced with egg-free baking, but maybe a "flax-egg" or aquafaba would work? For a flax egg simply mix 1 Tbsp of ground flax with 3 Tbsp of warm water and set it aside to thicken (a few minutes), or aquafaba is 3 Tbsp of the liquid from a can of chickpeas that has been really well shaken (per egg). I personally would try aquafaba first, but without trying it myself I'm not sure how either one of them would turn out. Sorry I couldn't be of more help! If you try them without an egg please come back and let me know how they turned out!!!
-Cassidy
shelby says
I am so excited to try this recipe! Soft cookies (pre-keto) were my favorite. My Nanny always made soft cookies and frosted them when I was growing up and I'm so nostalgic about them because of that. I will be making these for Christmas Day to share with the loved ones in our home!
Cassidy says
Oh YAY Shelby!!! Please let me know what you think of them! I hope they are at least comparable to ou Nanny's 🙂
-Cassidy
jenna | the urben life says
These sound great! I would love to try making these with Bobs Red Mill egg replacer, I'm sure it would work out great 🙂 Looks so tasty.
Cassidy says
Thanks Jenna, I think an egg replacer would probably work too! If you give it a shot let me know if it worked and how they turned out!!!
-Cassidy
Naomi says
Just wanted to say that I have made these cookies over 2 dozen times over the last three years and they have never failed me. Anyone who tries them, loves them! Wishing you and your family a Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Cassidy says
Aw, thank you SO much Naomi! I'm happy you like them 🙂 Have a great week!!!!!!
-Cassidy
r.mcnatt says
I tried these today and they are absolutely delish!
Alison says
Thank you SO much for posting this. This is my first Christmas being gluten and dairy free and I wasn't sure how I was going to make it without my sugar cookies. So THANK YOU! Your site has helped me out SO many times. 🙂
Jen says
I can't wait to try these with my kids over the Christmas holidays. They are going to freak out! I wonder if we could even use Christmas shaped cookie cutters... Thanks for sharing!