Keto Sugar Cookies Recipe (Sugar Free, Gluten Free) (2024)

Don’t let the name fool you, these keto sugar cookies are actually sugar free! Take part in the holiday cookie decorating tradition the low-carb and gluten-free way!

Cut-out cookies are a long-standing holiday tradition in my husband’s family. The recipe has been passed down for generations and was given to us by his paternal grandmother. They’re a special holiday treat in our family but I needed my own keto sugar cookies to indulge in.

I stopped indulging in these family treats when I switched to low carb. Instead, I converted a few other cookie recipes, like my gluten free peanut butter blossoms and soft gluten free ginger cookies, to satisfy that holiday cookie craving.

Even though I wasn’t eating them, I still liked to participate in the cookie making and decorating tradition. But now, it turns out I’m not the only family member staying away from sugar and gluten anymore.

That’s why I finally created a low carb sugar cookie recipe.

The best keto Christmas cookies

As I said, my husband’s family has passed down their holiday cookie recipe for generations. They have perfected it!

That’s why I wanted to replicate these Christmas cookies in a way that is keto friendly but still stayed true to the original recipe.

To be honest, it wasn’t too difficult to modify the recipe. After replacing the sugar and flour, the rest of the ingredients were all naturally low carb.

Even the glaze was pretty simple to convert. Now, I can enjoy both the plain and decorated cookies without any guilt.

How to make the best keto sugar cookies

You can either beat all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl or pulse them together in a food processor until the dough forms.

If the dough is sticky, it’s best to sprinkle the outside with a little coconut flour while rolling. Either roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper and cut into shapes, or roll the dough into a log and freeze for 20-30 minutes before slicing into discs.

The dough shapes or slices should be ¼th to ⅛th of an inch thick depending on your preference. Thinner cookies will bake faster and be a little more crisp.

Bake the keto sugar cookies on a parchment-lined baking pan at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until edges become lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

If you want to make a glaze to decorate the cookies, simply pour powdered sweetener in a small bowl and add enough water to make a thin glaze. Add food coloring if desired, then brush the glaze on cookies in a thin layer and allow them to dry.

Tips for making low-carb sugar cookies

It takes a little patience, but you want to make sure that the cookies have time to fully cool.

If you try to decorate or handle the cookies before they’ve cooled, they are more likely to crumble and fall apart. So be sure to give them a little time.

In terms of storage, these low-carb cookies will keep at room temperature for a few days. If you want them to last a little longer, you can also store them in the fridge or the freezer.

Why does this recipe use lard?

Because this recipe was created generations ago, it calls for lard instead of butter. Lard was much more popular for cooking than butter until recent decades.

I find that lard makes for lighter and crisper keto sugar cookies.

You can buy pasture raised heritage pork lard online. Or, if you’re willing to pay a little more, the absolute best is leaf lard. If you have the time, you can also make your own lard. It’s not hard, you just want to be sure to use high quality, pasture-raised pork fat.

Avoid the cheaper lard you find at the store because it is partially hydrogenated to extend the shelf life. Trans fats like these have been shown to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.

I did try a variation of this low carb sugar cookie recipe where I replaced the lard with ghee, which is pure butter fat without the unwanted dairy proteins. Ghee will give your cookies a nice, buttery flavor, but I personally prefer the texture of the cookies when they are baked with lard.

Variations of this recipe

There are a couple of different ways that you can prepare these cookies.

The traditional way is to roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s between ⅛th and ¼th of an inch thick. This is the way you’ll want to do it if you’re going to be using cookie cutters to create fun shapes.

If you’re not planning to cut out shapes and just want standard, round keto sugar cookies, then I recommend rolling the dough into a log shape and placing it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Then, you can slice the log into flat discs, still between ⅛th and ¼th inches thick, just like “slice and bake” cookies.

For an egg-free cookie, replace the egg with 1 tablespoon gelatin dissolved in 3 tablespoons water by whisking over low heat until frothy. Or if only avoiding egg whites, keep the egg yolk and use only 2 teaspoons gelatin and 2 tablespoons water.

Other keto cookie recipes

Looking for some other keto cookie recipes to make around the holidays? Try these twists on traditional favorites:

• Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies With Coconut Flour are indulgent, simple to make, and feature the nostalgic criss-cross pattern.
• Keto Low Carb Snickerdoodles Cookies are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and sure to please a crowd.
• Cream Cheese Cookies were my go-to holiday cookie recipe before I converted my husband’s family’s sugar cookie recipe and are still a family favorite.
• Italian Almond Macaroons are simple to make and great for sharing with family and friends.
• Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect when you’re in the mood for a classic chocolate chip cookie.

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Recipe

Last Updated: 30 Oct 2019