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!
Betty says
It turned out amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
TIFFANY Watkins says
I’m going to make these cookies for Christmas. If I make them thinner, will they fall apart?
Vanessa says
These looks so good! Do they keep long?
Ruth says
One of my favorite Keto desserts. Have also brought them with me when traveling. They store great in Tupperware.
Rachelle says
Love these cookies! So simple & refreshing. I took them to a family cookout the 1st time I made them & no one could believe they were low carb & sugar free. Double win!
A Pribyl says
I just made these and they are excellent. I followed the recipe exactly and used floss to cut the cookies so they would stay round. Thank you for the recipe!
Lea says
Just perfect! Thank you. I put fresh lemon juice instead of zest
Amy says
I used this recipe for my mini keto cheesecake crust they taste amazing and I made a second batch for cookies and they came out perfect just follow the instructions.
Debby says
I make a tart a couple of times a month using this recipe. I just tried making the tart crust using 1C almond flour and 1C finely ground pecans (I know the carb count is a little higher) and it’s magical! I top with white chocolate low carb cream, blueberries, strawberries and a few unsweetened chocolate shavings.
CraftyMrsG says
OH MY LANTA!!!!
I didn’t have lemon zest so I used about 1tbsp of lemon juice, 1/4tsp lemon extract, and 1/4tsp of vanilla butter nut extract and they are divine!!!
My cookie dough was actually fairly wet, but not too wet. It was perfect to scoop out with a tablespoon measuring spoon and I made 24 cookies with mine!
You never fail me!!! I love ALL of your recipes!!
Laura Poole says
Wow these were so good. I added a little lemon extract and lavender to the recipe. Mine were also a little crumbly coming out of the freezer. I just patted them together with my hands and they were perfect.