It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and that means lot’s of holiday baking, Christmas parties, and annual cookie exchanges. Not surprisingly, this also makes it one of the most challenging times of year to enjoy holiday foods while adhering to a keto diet. Most traditional Christmas cookie recipes are so laden with sugar that even a single cookie can take you quickly into high-carb territory, kicking you straight out of ketosis.
Fortunately, there’s no need to pass up on any of your favorite Christmas cookies, because there are enough keto recipes to keep your taste buds happy without ruining your eating plan. These holiday cookies are festive, fun, and most importantly: delicious. They just happen to be keto-friendly while they’re at it! You can serve them at parties just like you would a typical sugary cookie, and in most cases, your guests will none the wiser. Time to get baking!
1. Keto Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Buttery shortbread cookies are a must at Christmas time, and this recipe takes them to the next level with the addition of seasonal cranberry and orange flavors. No sugars or artificial ingredients are necessary, either. These cookies get all of their delicious taste from real orange zest, chopped fresh cranberries, vanilla and almond extracts, and toasted almonds on top. After making the dough, it’s rolled into a log for easy slice and bake preparation, meaning you can store it in the freezer for later, and whip up a freshly baked batch anytime you like!
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2. Decorated Keto Sugar Cookies
It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without having a least a few decorated sugar cookies, right? These “no-sugar sugar cookies” are the perfect keto solution to a timeless holiday tradition. The buttery vanilla dough is sweetened with Swerve, then cut into adorable holiday shapes using your favorite cookie cutters, and decorated with colorful keto icing (and optional sprinkles). They’re cute as can be, and are sure to spread some holiday cheer!
3. Classic Italian Christmas Keto Cookies
A simple and satisfying holiday cookie recipe, these Italian Christmas treats are just as nice with a keto twist. Just like usual, the little dough mounds are baked, coated with a glaze, and topped with colorful sprinkles. However, this recipe uses Swerve as a sweetener in both the dough and the glaze topping, keeping things low carb.
4. Keto Classic Gingerbread Men Cookies
These keto gingerbread men cookies provide of the traditional cuteness with none of the unnecessary sugar. Kids (and adults) love them, and they’re perfect for dunking in milk! They have a wonderful blend of warming spices, including cinnamon, ginger and cloves. After they’ve been baked, they’re decorated however you like with a keto royal white icing to really bring them to life!
5. Keto Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies are aptly named for their charming appearance: they really do resemble little balls of snow, especially thanks to their powdered sugar coating. (Note that sometimes they’re also called Mexican wedding cakes or Russian tea cookies, but “snowballs” seems to be the most holiday-appropriate choice!) These holiday favorites are easily adapted to fit a keto diet by tweaking the dough recipe, and then rolling them in Swerve confectioner’s sweetener after baking for the powdered snow effect.
6. Raspberry Keto Thumbprint Cookies
Fun little thumbprint cookies are always a holiday favorite, and these keto versions are a breeze to whip up. They get their raspberry-flavored center from a dollop of sugar-free raspberry jam (or homemade raspberry preserves), which adds the perfect pop of color to complement the buttery almond flour crust.
7. Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who could pass up a quintessential chocolate chip cookie? Consider this recipe your master class in perfecting the keto version! Whether you prefer your cookies more crispy or chewy, there are tips for how to achieve your favorite texture, how to choose the right sugar-free sweetener, and which grain-free flours are the best. When you’re through, you’ll have guilt-free chocolate chip cookies to eat all season long!
8. Keto Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
Warm, cozy cinnamon flavors and a fun swirled pattern make these cookies a perfect holiday treat. They come together nicely by layering together a cinnamon dough with an almond flour dough, then rolling the two sheets of dough together to form a log. After slicing and baking, they’re ready to enjoy with a glass of milk.
9. Chocolate Pinwheel Keto Cookies
There’s no doubt that party guests are guaranteed to be impressed by these keto pinwheel cookies! They have a beautiful spiraled design that features a mouthwatering chocolate swirl nestled in between vanilla cookie dough. A combination of Swerve and stevia extract provide sweetness, keeping the recipe completely keto friendly.
10. Keto Chocolate Peppermint Star Cookies
You’d be hard pressed to find cuter Christmas cookies than these! The soft, star-shaped cookies are made of delicious chocolate peppermint dough, which is baked and then dipped in a homemade peppermint chocolate coating. As a final touch, the cookies can be sprinkled with crushed sugar-free peppermints before the coating hardens, or drizzled with melted sugar-free white chocolate, forming the prettiest holiday toppings.
11. Keto Gluten Free Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Biscotti is the perfect treat to enjoy with a favorite beverage, like coffee, hot tea, cocoa, or even a simple glass of milk. These delicious cookies are the perfect size and shape for dunking, and get some extra holiday flair with nutty pecans, slightly tart dried cranberries, and even a decadent chocolate-dipped base.
12. Keto Coconut Macaroons
Coconut already happens to be a keto-friendly food, which makes these tasty macaroons a great choice during the holidays. Instead of the usual sugar, this recipe uses Swerve’s powdered confectioner’s sweetener to achieve the same scrumptious taste. And for extra pizazz, they can be dipped in melted chocolate and topped with optional almond slivers for garnish.
13. Keto “Biscoff” Speculoos Cookies
A perfect coffee companion, these “Biscoff” inspired cookies will have you reaching for seconds and thirds. They are deliciously crispy and spiced with a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves, and even a bit of white pepper. For extra cuteness, you can use holiday cookie cutters to make fun shapes, and top them with slivered almonds before baking.
14. Keto Low-Carb Lemon Bars
Lemon bars are big crowd-pleasers all year long, and they certainly provide wonderful variety at holiday parties. In this keto version, tart and tangy lemon curd forms a creamy layer above a buttery almond flour crust. There is no skimping on flavor, thanks to fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, rich egg yolks, and butter all blended into the filling (plus extra lemon zest in the cookie base). As a final touch, a sprinkle of sugar-free powdered sweetener on top completes the look and taste.
15. Keto Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
These easy-peasy cookies come together with only three ingredients! It may sound too good to be true, but some plain peanut butter, erythritol sweetener, and a single large egg are all you’ll need to whip up a batch of mouthwatering keto peanut butter cookies. After rolling the dough into balls, you can even press the surface with a fork to get the same criss-cross marks you’ll find on traditional cookies.
16. Keto Mint Brownies
Inspired by Andes mints, these irresistible holiday brownies have a delicious chocolate and mint flavor combo. A few drops of food coloring achieve the perfect pastel mint green color on top, while the fudgy base below is rich and chocolatey. Just three simple ingredients form the brownie base, while the delicious keto buttercream frosting is flavored with peppermint extract for a wintery taste.
17. Keto Rum Balls
A cross between a no-bake cookie and a keto fat bomb, these delicious little treats are packed with flavor, but not the usual sugar. Instead, they use monk fruit and Swerve for sweetness, real dark rum instead of rum flavor extract, and a decadent combination of chocolate, coconut, and almond flour to form a dough. After rolling into little balls, they get dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with coconut flakes, forming small, irresistible truffles.
18. Keto Maple Macadamia Nut Cookies
While pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener, it’s also high in sugar, and therefore difficult to incorporate successfully into a keto diet. These yummy cookies get their tempting maple flavor from sugar-free syrup, avoiding the sugar spike completely. Decadent macadamia nuts add extra healthy fats and crunchy goodness!
19. Keto Snickerdoodle Cookies
There’s nothing like a big, warm snickerdoodle cookie in the winter to make you feel cozy. These keto cookies are chewy and tender in the center, slightly crispy around the edges, and full of delicious cinnamon flavor. Thanks to a grain-free flour blend and a bit of xantham gum, they form a perfect cookie texture that stays nice and thick after baking. A dusting of ground cinnamon and monk fruit coats the surface when they come out of the oven, and then they’re all yours to munch and enjoy.
20. Keto Chocolate Cookies
When all you want is chocolate, then chocolate is all you need! These decadent cookies are fudge and rich, and don’t skimp on chocolatey goodness. Cocoa powder and sugar-free chocolate chips join forces to create a double chocolate recipe, which includes a garnish of flakey sea salt for the perfect flavor punch.
21. Keto Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Oatmeal and raisins aren’t ingredients you see in most keto recipes, which might lead you to believe that this classic cookie flavor is off-limits. Fortunately, that’s not the case! This grain-free recipe uses shredded coconut and ground flaxseed to provide the same chewy texture of baked oatmeal, and a few real raisins (and chocolate chips if you like) are perfectly portioned to keep things keto-friendly.
22. Keto Peanut Butter Blossoms
Is there anything better than chocolate and peanut butter together? These cute little peanut butter blossom cookies will turn anyone into a fan. The traditional recipe features a sugary peanut cookie topped with a chocolate kiss pressed into the center, but the low carb version is just as mouthwatering. A blend of three keto flours (almond, coconut, and peanut flour) make the perfect cookie dough, and a bit of melted sugar-free chocolate and butter forms a chocolate ganache button in the center.
23. Keto Rum Blondies
A little bit of rum extract takes the flavor of these keto blondies to new holiday heights! Instead of brown sugar, these beautiful blondies are sweetened with Lakanto Golden, and have fiber-rich psyllium husk to ensure a perfectly chewy texture. Vanilla and rum extracts round out the flavor, and chopped walnuts provide heart-healthy fat with a lovely bit of crunch. Bake a batch to slice into squares, and you’re all set for your next holiday get-together. These won’t last long!
24. Keto Hazelnut Cookies
These delicious sandwich cookies definitely deserve a spot on your cookie tray! A combination of hazelnut and almond flour are used to make the cookie dough, while a rich chocolate layer fills the center. If you ever get Nutella cravings, then this keto-friendly alternative will be just the chocolate and hazelnut combination you’re looking for.
25. Keto Rice Krispie Treats Scotcheroos
You might be surprised by the secret ingredient in these “rice” Krispie scotcheroos! Most grains (rice included) are too carb-heavy for a keto diet, so this spin on a classic favorite gets its crispy texture from… crushed pork rinds. Before you run the other way, rest assured that the pork rinds actually don’t affect the flavor of these goodies in any way, which get their tempting taste from ingredients like butter, vanilla, maple-flavored syrup, and a delicious layer of chocolate on top. Give them a try and see for yourself!
Conclusion
With so many keto holiday cookie options, these recipes could end up becoming your new favorite treats for many Christmases to come. Just make sure to pay close attention to the preparation and baking instructions in order to ensure that you get the best result. If you’re new to a keto lifestyle, then some of the ingredients may seem unfamiliar at first, but most are easily found online and in grocery stores, and some might already be in your pantry right now.
Keep in mind that during keto, the goal is to keep your carb intake low and your healthy fat levels high, so although these recipes are designed for a keto diet, it’s still important to track your portions so that you stay within range. As long as you follow all these tips, you should be on your way to eating some delicious holiday treats in no time!
