All the fabulous flavor of cookies with none of the guilt! These Keto Sugar Cookies taste amazing, but help you stick to your nutritional goals.
The ketogenic diet – known as keto for short – is a popular method for losing weight and is also believed by some to help reduce the chances of developing diseases like diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.
This focus of the keto diet is consuming foods that are low-carb, but high-fat.
The large reduction of carbs replaced with fats allows your body to enter a metabolic state known as ‘ketosis’,. This enables your body to quickly and efficiently burn fat for energy.
If you are following the keto diet, you will be aware that you need to avoid sugary foods such as cakes, sodas, cookies, fruit juices, candy and ice cream.
But don’t despair – these Keto Almond Shortbread Cookies allow you to still indulge in a treat without breaking any of the rules!
Rather than sugar, this recipe uses a sugar substitute called erythritol. Erythritol falls into the category of sugar alcohols, which are generally used as low calorie sweeteners in sugar-free or low sugar foods. Interestingly, most sugar alcohols used in these foods are found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables.
Erythritol, along with other sugar alcohols, are molecule compounds that trigger the sweet taste receptors on your tongue. This happens because of the way in which they are structured.
Erythritol is significantly lower in calories than sugar, with 0.24 calories per gram as opposed to 4 calories per gram in sugar. Due to its structure, it still maintains 70% of the sweetness but with far less calories. You can find erythritol in the majority of health stores and can be ordered online.
Not only are these cookies keto-friendly, but they are also gluten-free, making them perfect for bake sales and events!
Keto Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Erythritol Sweetner
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
Instructions
- Start by combining the almond and coconut flours in a small bowl.
- Beat butter and erythritol with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the cream cheese and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg and almond extract and beat until well combined. The flour mixture can now be added in, beating to ensure it is well combined and has a smooth consistency. Fold in the sliced almonds gently to add some texture.
- Transfer the dough to a piece of wax paper and roll the dough into a log; wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, a minimum of 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch thick slice and place onto the baking sheet, with a bit of space in between each. Alternatively, you can roll out the dough and use a cutter to get the shapes you prefer.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Allow to cool before serving, which will also allow the cookies to firm up. Perfect with a steaming cup of coffee!