These Keto Shortbread Cookies have a hint of lemon and are made with a shortbread dough that makes beautiful keto shortbread cookies, or the perfect low carb shortbread crust for a summer fruit tart or lemon meringue pie!
These Keto Shortbread cookies are my new easy, “go to” keto cookie recipe – and once you try them you’ll understand why!
I wasn’t always a fan of lemon flavored desserts – in fact, as a kid I wouldn’t even eat them. In my adulthood though, I’ve come to appreciate the brightness that lemon imparts to a dessert, especially in keto recipes – and now I can’t get enough of it.
I would even go so far as to say that when given the choice of lemon over chocolate, 75% of the time the lemon flavored dessert would win out. Crazy, I know – sometimes I can’t believe it either!
So maybe it’s due to all of the pastel colored foodie magazines showing up in my mailbox, and the promise of Spring and warmer weather just around the corner, but I’ve had lemons on the brain for weeks now.
Anyway, during my crazed obsession with all things lemon last week, I also made these awesome keto shortbread cookies with lemon zest, and they did NOT disappoint!
These keto shortbread cookies require just four ingredients and have an addicting but subtle lemon flavor and crusty shortbread texture that I absolutely love!
Be sure to use a sweetener that is advertised to bake like sugar in these keto shortbread cookies (I prefer granulated erythritol like Swerve, or a monk fruit and erythritol blend like Lakanto) and not a liquid sugar free sweetener or they may not hold together properly.
Also important is that you chill this keto shortbread dough before you cut them into cookies, otherwise they will crumble apart and be impossible to work with.
This versatile keto shortbread dough also makes a lovely low carb tart base or keto pie crust, which does not require pre-chilling. You simply press it into your pan and bake it for 15 minutes.
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Keto Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 large tart or 16 cookies (about 2 inches in diameter) 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
Keto shortbread cookies – but the dough also makes the perfect low carb shortbread crust for a summer fruit tart or lemon meringue pie!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sweetener (Swerve & Lakanto are my favorites)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Melt the butter in the microwave or a small saucepan.
- Add the almond flour, sweetener, and lemon zest, stirring until fully combined.
To make cookies:
- Gather dough into a ball (it will be crumbly at first, this is normal)
- Then form into a cylinder shape about 10 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter ( and wrap tightly with plastic wrap to compress.
- Chill in freezer for 30 minutes or until firm, or in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- With a sharp knife, slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies (if they crumble apart your dough isn’t cold enough) and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm and golden brown.
- Allow to cool before removing.
To make a tart or pie crust:
- No need to pre-chill, just press dough into tart or pie tins.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees (F) for 15 mins, or until firm and golden brown.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per 1/8th tart crust: 238 calories, 23g fat, 3g net carbs, 6g protein
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Keto desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 119
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Can’t get enough keto lemon dessert recipes? Me either! Check out this amazing collection of delicious low carb lemon recipes from some of our favorite bloggers!
Rachel says
I just made these tonight. Instead of messing with the chilling and cutting, to get cookies, I sprayed a mini muffin pan (16 holes anyway) and scooped the dough evenly into each cup and pressed firm. I ended up with 16 fabulous cookies that held together perfectly!
Donna says
Thanks for your input Rachel. I made these cookies in a silicone mold, but divided this recipe into 24 heart shaped cookies instead of making 16. I did the chill and cut method the first time, but prefer your method better.
Roz says
Rachel, thanks so much for your tip! I used a 24 mini muffin silicone mold and it worked great. I wouldn’t have thought of it, and the wrapping & chilling seemed too much for me.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea!
mnk says
Oh my! I just discovered your blog, and said to my husband “how come we’ve never seen this before!” Your blog is a Godsend! Thanks so much for the amazing recipes.
Thelma Connolly says
I tried the Lemon Almond Shortbread cookies & they are simply AWESOME!!!! I live on low cal/low carb diet and they are Fab!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I know right??? I love these so much that I don’t make them too often or I just can’t stop eating them!!!!
Mari says
Loved the recipe….the cookies were devoured in 2 days. Next time, I’ll add more lemon zest. I also tried this recipe with peanut butter (2 large TBS), instead of the lemon zest. It turned out okay, but let the peanut butter cookies cool in the fridge for 2 hours. If you eat them while they are warm, they taste bitter/burned.
Mellissa Sevigny says
It took you 2 whole days to eat them all? Mine usually only last about 2 hours! ;)
Karrel Buck says
They are tasty but after 12 hours in fridge they fell apart immediately. Disapointed
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry Karrel – not sure why they fell apart on you – do you mean you couldn’t get them to hold together to cut into slices before baking – or that you made them and stored them in the fridge and they got soft and fell apart? If it was beforehand, it’s possible that they weren’t wrapped tight enough while cooling, and if you mean after, if they weren’t sealed they may have absorbed moisture in the fridge and gotten soggy. Of course I’m guessing, it’s hard to figure out without more details. Sorry that you were disappointed! :(
Chrys says
Thank you so, SO, much for this recipe! I have been looking for a cookie-type snack for a while now and this looks great! Trying it today :-) I tell anyone that will listen about your site, you’re a culinary genius :-)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Chrys! :)
Laura K says
These were delicious! I made these yesterday for a friend and I to enjoy while we had a crafting day together. We almost ate the entire batch! I will probably make again this week and may try with lime or orange zest. Thank you for the recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Laura! Glad you guys enjoyed these! I have a hard time no eating the whole batch when I make them too! :)
Miah says
These were amazing! Made them for Easter and they disappeared fast. Making another batch already!! Guilt free treats are the best!
Claire D says
I have done Low Carb dieting many times over the last 20 years, but was never successful with cookies or cakes. You photos look amazing and your recipes sound yummy. So this morning I made a batch of the lemon almond cookies. I let them set in the refrigerator for about 6 hours while I did my Saturday chores. Once I got home I baked the cookies, let them cool and made my low carb dinner (which was pretty tasty). And then the test, having a good dessert or cookie low carb style. I ate one of the cookies and thought pretty good. I ate a second one about 10 minutes later as I just wanted to see if they really tasted good (just a test you know?). The second one was better than the first. Okay, I have now had 4 (my limit for the day, as after all I am dieting). I have to say these cookies are wonderful – lemon and almond flavoring, what a combo! I am so excited I found your food blog. I am excited you have recipes that are low carb AND GF – what a find. Great blog!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Claire! I had the same problem with these cookies – so hard not to eat the whole batch! ;)
kristen says
I switched up this recipe a little bit and linked to you on my blog :) Your work is awesome – thank you!