Keto Friendly Cookies
This is the perfect Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! These low carb cookies are packed with dark chocolate chips and pecans all for only about one net carb each!
I have been working on making the perfect Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies and today, I’m finally sharing it with you! These cookies have all the hallmarks that I think a good homemade chocolate chip cookie should have. They are soft and chewy, crisp around the edges but tender on the inside and packed with dark chocolate and pecans!
Grab your favorite sugar substitute and some sugar-free chocolate chips to make this one of the best keto desserts you’ve ever had. You truly will not believe these cookies are low carb! We loved them so much, we included them as a bonus recipe in our Easy Keto Meal Plans for weeks 16 and 33!
P.S. – If you can’t decide between cheesecake and cookies, I have the PERFECT solution: Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars! Gluten free, easy to meal prep, and under 5 net carbs per bar. If you prefer giant, bakery-style cookies, these Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies work great with sugar substitutes, too!
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need and possible substitutions. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card near the bottom.
- Almond Flour – I don’t recommend any substitutions.
- Baking Soda and Salt: provides lift for the cookies and aids in providing the correct texture.
- Unsalted Butter
- Golden Monkfruit – This is the raw sugar replacement that includes erythritol, but you could use the Swerve or Splenda equivelent if you prefer. I believe brown sugar replacements would likely also work.
- Vanilla extract and Egg – If you wanted to swap out flavors, you could use a different extract, but I love the classic cookie flavor that comes from vanilla.
- Lily’s dark chocolate chips and Pecans – These are the mix-ins we all love! Feel free to use semi-sweet, white chocolate, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or other sugar-free ingredients you might prefer.
You’ll also want a small mixing bowl, a stand mixer with bowl, a silicone spatula, a small cookie dough scoop, a silicone liner or cooking spray, a baking pan, and an oven.
What flour do you use to make Keto Cookies?
I have tested this with both almond flour and coconut flour and also a mixture. Simply using almond flour had the best results for this recipe, hands down. However, if you prefer coconut flour I suggest these Keto Dark Chocolate Cookies. They require only coconut flour and are just three net carbs for a large cookie.
How to Make Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
These tasty sugar-free cookies are easy enough for beginner bakers and those new to keto ingredients! Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these easy chocolate chip cookies.
Make keto cookie dough
In a small bowl, mix together your almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside for now.
In a stand mixer bowl, beat your butter, golden monk fruit sweetener, and vanilla extract until nice and creamy. Add in the egg and beat on low.
Once it’s well-combined, slowly start pouring in the flour mixture, allowing the hand mixer (still on low) to form the dough. Continue until you don’t see any streaks of flour remaining.
Fold in pecans and chocolate chips until well-combined. If making a double batch for freezing, you could wrap this dough in several layers of plastic and freeze or freeze after scooping; whichever works best for you!
Chill & prep
Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes. If possible, chill even longer–You’ll get the best cookie from a dough that has had time for the flour to absorb moisture and for the butter to resolidify.
When you’re nearing the end of your chill time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with a silicone baking sheet to help prevent overcooking the bottom of the cookies and ensure even cooking. If you don’t have silicone liners, at least spray the pan with cooking spray to prevent the cookies from sticking.
Scoop & bake
Using a small ice cream or cookie scoop drop the chilled cookie dough onto the baking sheet evenly spaced. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown and lightly set. Top with sea salt if you desire.
Variations of Keto Cookies
While I went with dark chocolate chips and pecans, you can easily make tons of different kinds of cookies with this base recipe! Here are some other suggestions to spruce this recipe up:
- Swap the mix-ins. So far I’ve made orange creamsicle, white chocolate macadamia nut, mint chocolate, cranberry, and butterscotch varieties just by swapping the sugar-free chips, nuts, and extracts!
- Make ’em giant and chewy. If you prefer the big, chewy bakery style cookies, you can skip the xanthan gum, add a little extra flour and egg white, and try an easy baking trick to make these chewy keto cookies instead.
- Create cheesecake bars. Using this dough and my favorite keto cheesecake mixture, I was able to make low-carb layered dessert bars that are super popular at parties!
Storing Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are best within 3 days in an airtight container on the countertop or in a lunchbox, about a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Best ways to freeze cookies:
- Uncooked, individual cookies scooped – Freeze scooped cookie dough in a single layer, not touching on a plate or baking sheet. After 2-4 hours when scoops are solid, toss into a freezer bag and use within 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, just add a minute or so to your baking time.
- Baked cookies – Place completely cooled, cooked cookies into a freezer bag and eat within 1-3 months. To keep them safe from freezer burn so that they’ll last longer, stack 2-3 cookies together and wrap in several layers of plastic wrap, then store in freezer bag.
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes 26 delicious cookies packed with dark chocolate chips and pecans. As written these scrumptious Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies have just 1.1 net carb each! You can find the full nutritional information at the bottom of the printable recipe card below.
Most keto cookies require chilling because the ingredients simply do not act like your normal gluten-and-carb-filled cookies. It takes time for the flour to soak up the wet ingredients, and being impatient just leads to a sad, vaguely-sweet mess. If you don’t have time to chill the dough, this particular recipe is not for you. HOWEVER….
Don’t give up hope yet! These Keto Sheet Pan Cookies require no chilling or scooping.
Other Keto Cookie Recipes
I’m a big fan of cookies–I couldn’t give them up when going low-carb and gluten-free. If you are also a big cookie fan, you might want to bookmark this list of The BEST Keto Cookies! Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies — Keto flours can be so expensive… This recipe is a great treat without using any flour at all. 3.3 net carbs each!
- Keto Cake Mix Cookies — Supremely easy, and the flavor options are endless! Just 1.1 net carbs each.
- Keto Cookie Dough Bites — Not a baked cookie but the perfect safe, low-carb, and gluten free option if you miss eating that cookie dough straight out of the bowl! 1.2 net carbs each.
- Keto No Bake Cookies — Unsweetened coconut flakes gives you that classic chewy texture you remember from those old fashioned no-bake oatmeal cookies!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups — These cute little desserts are perfect for parties and holidays! The flourless peanut butter cookie cup is filled with the most delicious sugar-free chocolate filling.
More Recipes To Try
Get the Recipe: Keto Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, (see note below)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup golden monkfruit sweetener, (red package)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Lilly’s sugar free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl combine the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum in small bowl, set aside.
- Next, beat butter, monkfruit sweetener and vanilla extract in stand mixer bowl until creamy.
- Add the egg, beating the mixture on low.
- Gradually pour in the almond flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
- Lastly, mix in Lilly's Dark Chocolate Chips and chopped nuts.
- Chill the mixture for 20-30 minutes until the butter is solid.
- Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop drop the cookies onto a silicone lined baking sheet (or lightly greased) baking sheet evenly spaced.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown and lightly set. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Top with sea salt if you desire.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before moving from the pan.
Notes
- Each cookie contains 1.1 net carbs.
I made these tonight.
Idiot me forgot to add flour, so I pulled them out at 7 minutes while it was molten lava, scooped the mess back into a bowl, added the flour, then re-chilled the dough.
After baking another 7 minutes, they were very soft and poofy (weird), so I had to leave them in about 4 minutes longer than directed. They came out soft and chewy after they finally cooled! What a save!!
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t use a ton of flour. Almond flour is not cheap!
Also, I was able to cream the sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in a metal bowl with a fork. (I melted the butter because I had to.) Worked just fine.
I use parchment paper, which reduces the burned edges / soft center problem, in case it helps anyone else.
I will be signing up for more recipes, which hopefully I won’t screw up. Thank you!!
Would the taste be much different if used coconut flour instead do you think? I am allergic to nuts.
Hi Crystal, I’m sorry I have only made this as written.
could the dough be frozen ? these are amazing by the way.
Hi Laura, thanks so much! I have not done this but another reader did. She scooped out her cookie dough and froze in individual portions and baked at 350 for 15 minutes. I hope that helps!
This recipe was AMAZING!! This is the first keto recipe for chocolate chip cookies I have liked and loved. This is a huge compliment coming from me. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ohhhhh ok. So I melted the butter a little. ??♀️??♀️ And my oven might have been too hot. I think I “pre heated” it for too long ?. Thank you. I will attempt this again. ??
It sounds like that was the problem, I bet they come out perfectly the next time! 🙂
Hi Jen, I’ve never had this problem, but here are my thoughts. Are you sure your oven temp was right? Do you have an oven thermometer? And are you sure the butter was completely cold in the cookie dough? Soft butter in cookie dough results in cookies that spread quickly. Lastly, I never bake a cookie until it is “done” I always remove the cookies from the oven when lightly set and they finish baking on the baking sheet outside of the oven, this is often called “carry over baking” in cookies. I hope this helps!
What are the total carbs per cookie?
1.6, the nutritional information is found below the recipe.
I made these today for my son that is doing Keto. I used everything called for exactly. I think the taste is there but the consistency of the cookie was kind of mushy and oily in the middle even after I let them sit for awhile. I followed the instructions to the T. What could have happened? P.S. my son thought they were tasted great and we want to make them again….
Could I use Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chip cookies instead of the Lilly’s dark chocolate chips?
Hi Dena, I imagine those would work fine but it does look like they are quite a bit higher in carbs, so the nutritional information would be different.
What would you suggest to substitute for dairy free?
Hi Joy, I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with dairy free baking.
Im a couple years late to the party but have a lot of dairy free baking experience for anyone that may find it helpful. I use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer and it works fantastic! For dairy free butter, there are multiple brands that do not contain milk, the easiest to find and most cost effective is country crock. I know milk is not included in this recipe but for baking I use coconut milk most often but there are a lot of milk alternatives that all would work.
best keto cookie I’ve ever had. thank you for the recipe!
Do you think I could make a cookie bar, using a large pan and spreading it all out together, then cutting them after they cool?
Hey Michele, that is so funny that you asked because I just tested that lol! I used a small 15×10 inch jelly roll style pan and it worked well, the baking time was between 18-20 minutes. I lined the baking sheet with parchment paper so they lifted out easily. I personally think they came out slightly thin, a slightly smaller pan would have been perfect. But if you love a good buttery, crisp cookie you will love them! I hope that helps!
Do I have to flatten the cookies before baking or will it just go down on its own?
They will flatten on their own.
Taste is great! My cookies didn’t all stay together when transferring to the cooling rack. I did chill my dough. Any suggestions?
Hi Charlene, I never have a problem with them falling apart while transferring. I usually let them sit on the baking sheet just a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then moving to a cooling rack.
These cookies are a hit!!!! Better than non keto cookies. The butter flavor really came through. They almost melt in your mouth after they cool. Wow. Thank you for my favorite keto desert recipe.
I don’t have any golden monk fruit sweetener only the classic. Can I use this instead?
They won’t come out quite as chewy but yes you can sub regular.
I will definitely be trying them today then.
Can I use a hand mixer? That’s all I have.
Hi Cristina, yes that should work fine 🙂
Can you use swerve brown sugar instead of brown monk fruit?
Hi Shawna, I believe that would work fine
I’m not a fan of nuts in my cookies. Ok to leave them out or does it affect the recipe in any way? These look yummy, btw
Hi Maria, it should be fine to leave them out, I hope you enjoy! I just made another batch! 🙂 lol!
These were amazing! Soft and chewy, I had to use almonds for the nuts because thats all I had but still excellent. My sweet tooth thanks you!
Delicious!!!
I substituted cornstarch for the exact measurement of the Xanthan gum. They didn’t seem cooked when they came out but as they cool they firm up nice. So don’t over bake.
I would like to know the exact measurement of dough used per cookie So, the nutrition chart is actually accurate per cookie.
Yes, I am trying to work out the exact carb intake. I’m new to keto and I was under the impression that you couldn’t consume any carbs. Is there a certain tiny amount you are allowed to eat?
Carol, we provide the nutritional breakdown for each recipe under the recipe. It would be impossible to avoid all carbs completely. I’d recommend doing a google search regarding carb count on keto. A keto diet is effective when your body is in a state of ketosis…the amount of carbs you need varies by person. The general rule of thumb is somewhere between 20-50 grams of net carbs per day.
Yeah, you can actually have a small amount of carbs on keto! Trust me, I’ve tried a ton of recipes and you won’t get much better than 1.6g of carbs per cookie, that’s about as good as it gets. If you’re worried about carbs sneaking in, it’s worth looking into a carb blocker or “amylase inhibitor.” It basically helps your body absorb fewer carbs from the food you eat.
I made the chocolate chip cookies minus the nuts and it was delicious.
Cookies are delicious, though I didn’t have enough almond flour first time around. Cookies just melted flat even after cooling fully. I added more flour to the second batch and they held up. Would love if the flour had a grams measurement with it!
The taste of these cookies is 100% amazing! Unfortunately they didn’t turn out like cookies. It was more of a soft, spoonable mixture after it was chilled then baked as directed.
I chilled my dough for 5 hours and they still didn’t turn out. I waited the full 24 hours and tried again and the cookies still spread, and the consistency was off. I’d make them again just because the taste is so wonderful and they are only 1 net carb, but they need to be in bowl or rolled into a ball after they cool. Be prepared to feel the butter in them even after they cool. Again, the taste is the best I’ve tried so far but the consistency of the recipe doesn’t make traditional cookies.