I’ve tried more bad keto cookies than I care to admit. Dry, crumbly, weirdly oily—some felt like almond flour sadness in a circle shape. But after a dozen test batches and a few pan scrapes later, these are the ones I make again and again.
They’re soft, a little chewy, melty in the middle if you don’t overbake—and no gritty aftertaste. Bonus: they won’t spike your blood sugar or make you feel like you just chewed on sweetened sawdust.
💡 What Solves the “Sad Keto Cookie” Problem
The trick is mixing two sweeteners—granulated and “brown” monk fruit/allulose blends. That gives you the chew without the cool-chemical taste or dry crunch you get from straight erythritol.
Also? Xanthan gum is the unsung hero. You can skip it, but don’t expect the same satisfying bite. These cookies hold together, stay soft for days, and reheat beautifully.
🧾 What I Used (And Why It Worked)
- Unsalted Butter (½ cup) – Real butter = real flavor. Softened, not melted. Makes the dough creamy and adds fat that keeps cookies tender.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (⅓ cup) – No weird aftertaste. Keeps it soft and mildly sweet. Allulose browns, so these bake golden.
- Besti Brown (3 tbsp) – Adds a brown sugar vibe. Optional swap: add ¼ tsp blackstrap molasses to regular Besti.
- Egg (1 large) – Binds everything. Room temp matters or you’ll seize the butter.
- Vanilla Extract (½ tbsp) – Rounds out the sweet, especially with almond flour.
- Blanched Almond Flour (2¾ cups) – Not almond meal. Fine texture is everything. Coarse grind = gritty cookies.
- Sea Salt (½ tsp) – Balances sweet.
- Xanthan Gum (½ tsp) – Optional but magic. Adds chew, keeps it from falling apart.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips (½ cup) – Use a good brand. I like Lily’s dark or Bake Believe semi-sweet.
🔁 Keto Swaps That Actually Work
| Want to Swap | Use Instead | What Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | Ghee or refined coconut oil | Works, but you’ll lose some flavor and tenderness. |
| Besti Brown | Besti + molasses | Still low-carb, still chewy. |
| Almond flour | Nope, not coconut flour | Texture gets weird. Use my coconut flour version instead. |
| Xanthan gum | Leave it out | Still tasty, but crispier and a little more fragile. |
⚠️ What I Got Wrong
| What Went Wrong | Why It Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread into pancakes | Butter was too soft or melted | Let it soften just enough—still cool to the touch. |
| Gritty texture | Used almond meal or coarse flour | Only use blanched, finely ground almond flour. |
| Dry or crumbly | Used all erythritol | Stick with allulose blend for soft cookies. |
| Didn’t hold shape | Skipped xanthan or didn’t pack dough | Add xanthan gum + press dough into scoop tightly. |
👩🍳 How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
- Preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Cream butter + sweeteners until fluffy (3–5 minutes).
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Add almond flour ½ cup at a time. Mix in salt.
- Sprinkle xanthan gum (don’t dump). Mix well.
- Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop. Press flat with your palm—keto dough doesn’t spread much.
- Bake 10–14 minutes until edges are golden. Don’t overbake!
- Let cool fully on the pan. Seriously. They fall apart warm. Reheat later if you want that gooey center.
🧠 My Go-To Low-Carb Hacks
- I pre-portion the dough into balls and freeze on a tray. Pop into the oven frozen—just bake 1–2 mins longer.
- Want “pretty” cookies? Press a few chips into the top after flattening.
- Mix dry ingredients in bulk (except sweetener) and stash in the pantry for faster cookie nights.
🧊 Keeping It Keto-Friendly All Week
- Fridge: Keeps 7–10 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Freeze baked or raw. For raw, scoop onto parchment, freeze, then bag.
- Reheat: Microwave for 10–15 seconds to get that melty middle again.
❓ What I Googled Before Making This
Will these spike my blood sugar?
Not if you use the right sweetener—Besti is allulose-based and doesn’t spike insulin for most people. Avoid maltitol or sneaky “sugar-free” blends with hidden carbs.
Can I make them dairy-free?
Yes, use refined coconut oil or ghee. Expect a slightly firmer bite and less buttery flavor.
Do they stay soft?
Yes—if you don’t overbake and use allulose. Erythritol-only blends dry out more.
🍪 Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 cookie (2¼-inch diameter)
| Nutrient | Amount per Cookie |
|---|---|
| Calories | 148 kcal |
| Total Fat | 13.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 18 mg |
| Sodium | 88 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.3 g |
| Net Carbs | 2.8 g |
| Sugars | 0.6 g |
| Added Sugars | 0 g |
| Sugar Alcohols | 2 g (from sweetener) |
| Protein | 4.2 g |
Check out More Recipes:
- Low Carb Keto Mason Jar Ice Cream
- Low Carb Keto Ice Cream
- Low Carb Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
- Low Carb Keto Coffee Ice Cream
Low Carb Keto Cookies
Description
Soft, chewy keto chocolate chip cookies with melty chips and just 2.8g net carbs—easy to make, freezer-friendly, and totally sugar-free.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
- Beat butter + sweeteners until fluffy.
- Add egg + vanilla. Mix well.
- Add almond flour gradually, then salt.
- Sprinkle in xanthan gum. Mix.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough into 20 balls. Flatten to ~⅓” thick.
- Bake 10–14 minutes until golden at edges.
- Cool completely before handling.
Notes
- Tweaks you made (e.g. “Used coconut oil instead of butter—still chewy!”)
- Tips for next time (e.g. “Flattened too thin—leave thicker for soft centers”)
- Storage details (e.g. “Froze half the batch, reheated perfectly”)
- Macros per batch if you changed ingredients
