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!
Vicky Davis says
This may be my favorite low carb dessert ever. It was so easy to make and the the blueberries just pop in your mouth. Yummy! This is going to be my go to dessert going forward.
Jo says
These are the BEST low carb cookie recipe I have tried so far (and I have been through kilos of almond meal looking for a crispy biscuit/cookie that doesn’t taste ‘compromised’). I used pure xylitol because there is no aftertaste, they are better if you can leave them for a day as they crisp up so well. Non LC friends had no idea. Thank you and I can and do recommend this recipe!
Orla says
Thanks for this recipe – I have started a banting blog in Ireland and am searching for Christmas treats – I’ll be trying these out this afternoon – hope they freeze well!
Mel says
I made this mixture last night and baked them when I got home from work today. Oooooh they’re so good! I used stevia, so there was a slight aftertaste while warm, but once they’d cooled you couldn’t tell. Delicious!
Nicole Breitung says
These are fantastic!!! I love cooking with almond flour. The fact that they are low carb and gluten free is a major plus for me. Please share more almond flour recipes! :)
Katia says
Hi,
I live in the UK and I d not understand what ‘Tbl butter’ is??? Is it a portion? Thanks
Mel says
Tablespoon.
Melanie says
I just made these and they were amazing! I swapped the lemon for 1tbsp Vanilla and they came out perfect. Now I have the perfect low carb shortbread to have with a cup of tea!
Virginia johnson says
Is it completely necessary to use granulated Stevie? I only have the liquid
Rich says
Awesome !! Making it now but using stevia instead. Do you still recommend Splenda??
Really enjoying your site!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I mostly use Swerve or Ideal now – I’ve developed a reaction to Stevia (and I always hated the flavor) and Splenda just doesn’t behave like real sugar in recipes like xylitol and erythritol do. Hope you liked the cookies!
Sylvia Masih says
What brand of almond flour do you use?
Mellissa Sevigny says
The finer the grind, the better! I’ve used nuts.com, honey ville, and wellbee all with great results!