Ring in the holidays without ruining your health goals by whipping up a batch of these delicious and festive low-carb treats!
The end-of-the-year holidays can be a joyous time. We often get to see old friends and family members from out of town, and a festive tone makes everyday places shine a little brighter. It can also be a stressful time, especially if you’re trying to maintain a low-carb lifestyle. I know that every holiday gathering I attend brings a new mindfield of sugary, high-carb snacks and treats to navigate. It can be tough to stay on the right track with any dietary goals this time of year.
So I was delighted to come across this keto Christmas cookies recipe! I bake them for my office party, my family’s get-togethers, and the cookie party my sorority sisters host every year. They’re about as complicated as any sugar cookie recipe—with a few unusual ingredients but about the same amount of chilling time for the dough. But they roll out just like the cookies my mom and I made when I was a kid, and they fill my home with that same delightfully buttery aroma as they bake.
The cookies themselves are a little softer than traditional sugar cookies, but their flavor profile is just as yummy! These little treats are lightly sweet, laced with vanilla notes, and deeply rich tasting. I was blown away by the authentic mouthfeel you get from the sugar substitutes. I expected rubberiness or that weird chemical taste you sometimes get from artificial sweeteners. But these cookies just taste like honest-to-goodness Christmas cookies!
I now turn to this recipe all year. Depending on the occasion, I’ll use cookie cutters shaped like hearts, bunnies, stars, moons, butterflies, or pumpkins. It’s an easy way to take some of the stress out of any cookie-related event.
Why are there three sweeteners in this recipe?
Traditional sugar cookies have a specific sweetness and texture. Creating the perfect keto sugar cookie calls for a thoughtful blend of alternative sweeteners to mimic both those qualities. This recipe uses three: granulated allulose, a granulated monk fruit and erythritol blend, and liquid monk fruit extract. Each one brings distinct qualities to the table.
Allulose is a rare sugar found naturally in small amounts in foods like figs and raisins. It tastes remarkably like table sugar but with fewer calories and no blood sugar spike. It also helps cookies brown and stay soft, much like regular sugar does in classic recipes.
Mixing in a granulated monk fruit and erythritol sweetener adds just the right level of sweetness while also helping the cookies crisp up at the edges. Erythritol, however, is known for its natural cooling effect—a noticeable chill or fresh sensation on the tongue, similar to the feeling you get from eating mint, but without any minty taste. This happens because erythritol absorbs heat as it dissolves in your mouth. Too much erythritol can make baked goods taste icy or less like traditional cookies, which is why this recipe balances it with allulose and liquid monk fruit.
The liquid monk fruit rounds out sweetness without added bulk, making sure every bite is perfectly sweet without being bitter or overly cool. By combining all three, you achieve cookies that are tender inside, lightly crisp outside, and truly reminiscent of the sugar cookies you remember—without any odd aftertaste or texture.
How do I store leftovers?
Store completely cooled keto Christmas cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They’ll stay fresh at room temp for about 5 days or up to 2 weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let the cookies come to room temp before serving.
Similar recipes to try
Looking for other cookie recipes that keep you on the keto track? Try these Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies, these Low-Carb Strawberry Chip Cookies, these Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies, these Homemade Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies, and these Chewy Keto Chocolate Cookies.
Keto Christmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup granulated allulose
- 1/3 cup granulated monk fruit and erythritol sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid monkfruit extract (3/4 teaspoon for sweeter cookies)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum (optional – if you have it on hand)
Instructions
- Combine the butter, coconut oil, allulose, monk fruit and erythritol sweetener, liquid monkfruit extract, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. (I recommend using a stand mixer, but a hand mixer or a few minutes beating by hand works, too).
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and xantham gum. Mix until well combined.
- Cover the mixing bowl with the dough in it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Take the dough out of the freezer and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Place the rolled dough (still between the parchment paper sheets) on a baking sheet or cutting board, and pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare another baking sheet with parchment paper.
- After the dough has chilled, remove it from the freezer and use your cookie cutters to make your desired shapes. Place the cutout cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet with your cutout cookies in the oven and bake until the edges start to turn golden brown, about 7-9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, which takes about 20-30 minutes.
Leave a Comment