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!
Jo says
I think this was a mistake! I can’t eat just one! Lol! I already eat half of the cookies
Mellissa Sevigny says
Perhaps your almond flour was rancid David? Also what kind of sweetener did you use? They shouldn’t have been bitter so I’m curious. Sorry to hear that you didn’t like them, thanks for the honest feedback!
David Rogers says
I used an unopened bag of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour and Stevia as the sweetener.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Stevia can turn bitter in baked goods so that’s a possibility – also Bob’s Red Mill isn’t great for baking because it’s so course, I’m not surprised the texture was off. I should probably specify in the post to use a finer grind of flour for better results. Thanks for letting me know~
Karen says
I used Bobs Almond flour and Stevia and did not notice a bitter flavor, What type of Almond Flour do you suggest if not Bob’s. I also replaced the Lemon zest with pure Almond Extract and a bit of Vanilla, I also did cut the Stevia a bit so I would not get an over powering sweetness, and Stevia has a tendency to be to sweet
Mim Hughes says
Research into Stevia has shown that for some people it simply tastes bitter – it is apparently a biological/taste receptor issue. Stevia tastes very bitter to me, I can’t use it at all in anything. My daughter on the other hand can’t understand this as for her it just tastes sweet….just another perspective.
David why don’t you give xylitol a go? Its made from birch trees, looks, tastes an acts like sugar in baking. No bitter taste and a host of good effects on humans. No side effects. And you can grind your almond flour more finely in a food processor or magic bullet/small blender
Sarah says
These were very good! I was hoping to make them a bit more lemony so I added the zest of an entire lemon and the juice of half the lemon. I figured that would be ok since some people mentioned having to add an egg as the dough was too crumbly. Well, I don’t know how anyone could have had a problem with the dough being too crumbly unless they didn’t follow the recipe. With the lemon juice, my dough was way too moist so I had to add some extra almond flour (totally not the fault of the recipe obviously as the lemon juice was my addition). Anyway, they sliced great and after baking I rolled them in powdered sugar in the hopes of replicating a family Christmas cookie recipe. I also used regular cane sugar for the sweetener. Thanks for the recipe!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you liked these Sarah, and thanks for letting us know that they work just as well with regular sugar!
Shroug says
I made these last week and I loved them, my favourite low carb gluten free cookie that I have ever tried ,I was wondering if I could add pistachios
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, you can customize the flavors any way you like! I’ve done maple walnut and butter pecan with great results!
Anne says
Ah, sorry! 1/2 cup not1/4. Typo! Also, bobs red mill now has an almond flour, not meal, which is much finer and bakes nicely. Just fyi!
Anne says
Thank you SO MUCH! My mom and I are determined to stay grain free through the holidays (I have celiacs and she realized she doesn’t tolerate wheat well, and we both do well on a keto/high fat low carb diet.) She was bemoaning the loss of Walker’s shortbread cookies, which she used to love. I’ve been trying out grain free sugar free cookie recipes all week and this one is incredible! I actually skipped the lemon since I wanted a real old fashioned shortbread, and they are perfection! I’m not sure how many will make it home to give to my Mom :)
I used powdered erythritol, and upped that to almost 1/4 cup since it is not as sweet as sugar, and added an extra tablespoonof butter, and the cookies are perfectly crumbly and delicious!
Susan says
You say to form the dough into a cylinder – how big around and how long?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Depends on how large you want your cookies Susan, but about 2 inches in diameter works and you’ll probably end up with a cylinder about 10 inches long at that width. Enjoy!
Susan says
Thanks so much for your answer! Can’t wait to try these
Yvonne Parks says
Help! I tried making these cookies twice tonight… And both times they came out so grainy. Not like a short bread texture at all. The second time I tried running the almond meal through my food processor. That batch is still in the oven, but the deal was very grainy and non-shortbread-y. (i’m new to working with almond flour… so am I missing something? Have I done something wrong?)
Ps…I’m using Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour/Meal
Mellissa Sevigny says
The Bob’s Red Mill is very course, you’d be much better off with Honeyville, Wellbee or even Nuts.com version for baked goods!
Monica Liu says
Hi! Can I use granulated brown sugar instead of the granulated sweetener? Thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t think brown sugar would give you the texture or flavor that you’d be looking for Monica. It would overwhelm the lemon I think, but you could try it!
Iris says
OMGoodness……just made these, they are outstanding for a low carb cookie! I used truvia for the sweetner and 1/2 t of butter vanilla nut flavoring and 1/2 of vanilla. Did not need an egg….soooo good!