Introduction to Keto Gingerbread Cookies
Are you ready to make the best Keto Gingerbread Cookies? I can’t imagine holidays without these! I remember I always used to decorate these as a child and now I keep that tradition with my kids as well. They actually love the taste of gingerbread, so these sugar-free gingerbread cookies are always a real treat for all of us.
How to Make Sugar-Free Keto Gingerbread Cookies
There’s no holiday cookies without gingerbread ones, even when you’re following the keto diet! Around this time of the year, we love using warm spices in our baking. Cloves, ginger, cinnamon… you name it, we love it. Take a look at the ingredients we used in this Keto Gingerbread Cookies recipe – remember to look at it carefully in case you wanted to swap some of them out.
Ingredients
Just like our amazingly simple keto bread recipe, these sugar-free keto gingerbread cookies are low in net carbs and won’t kick you out of ketosis! We only used healthy, low-carb ingredients for this recipe so you’ll be happy with the macros.
Almond Flour
You’ve definitely seen this gluten-free, low-carb flour in all kinds of ketogenic recipes. It’s high in fats and low in net carbs, which makes it perfect if you want to use it instead of regular all-purpose flour.
Coconut Flour
We’re using a mix of almond flour and coconut flour for this Keto Gingerbread Cookies recipe. Mixing both is the best alternative to all-purpose flour and will result in chewy Keto Gingerbread Cookies.
Keto Sweetener
In this recipe, we’re using half a cup of a keto-friendly sweetener. I don’t suggest using less or more because the amount will also impact the dough itself, but you can swap it for monk fruit sweetener if you’d like. Try to stay away from xylitol as well since it raises blood sugar a tiny bit more than other keto-friendly, low-carb sweeteners.
Xanthan Gum
We add a tiny bit of this ingredient to help our keto cookies hold their shape and consistency. In regular recipes when you’re using all-purpose flour, there is a lot of glucose to help with that.
Baking Powder
Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda – that one needs acid to work at all and we’re not using any in this recipe. Adding this ingredient will help Keto Gingerbread Cookies rise a bit and make your cookies softer.
Butter
In this keto gingerbread cookie recipe, we use 4 tablespoons of butter. If you’re heavily lactose intolerant, you can swap it for coconut oil (same amount, solid state). It worked in some of our previous recipes, but we personally haven’t tried it in this one so no idea if the end result will come out similar. You might want to stick to lactose butter instead.
Egg
You only need 1 egg for this recipe. Although we’re using coconut flour which is highly absorbent, we’re balancing it out with butter here. Make sure to pick an organic egg and don’t use a liquid egg substitute – it won’t work for this Keto Gingerbread Cookies recipe.
Ginger Extract
To add more flavor, we’re using 10 drops of a low-carb, keto-friendly ginger extract. You can add more or less to taste if that’s what you prefer, however, we found that amount to be absolutely perfect. We highly recommend it for this recipe, however, you can also use vanilla extract instead. Your gingerbread cookies will come out a little different in taste, but it’s a good alternative.
Spices
Gingerbread cookies are usually made with a pre-made gingerbread spice, however most of the time those have a lot of sugar inside. Instead, we decided to make our own mix with ground powdered ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It’s seriously an awesome combo to try even in your morning coffee, it’s absolutely delicious!
Step-by-Step Guide
Read below and follow our detailed step-by-step guide on how to make Keto Gingerbread Cookies. We’ve listed everything you need to make the entire recipe without any hassle.
Step 1: Combine Butter and Keto Sweetener
First, grab a large mixing bowl and cream together melted butter and a keto sweetener until lighter in color. You want the sweetener to be dissolved as much as possible to avoid a gritty feeling under your teeth.
Step 2: Add an Egg
Add in a whole egg and continue to mix again until combined. I can’t stress this enough, but the more of a uniform consistency your batter will have, the better Keto Gingerbread Cookies you’ll get in the end.
Step 3: Add Spices
Add all the spices to your mixture – sprinkle in cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt. Again, mix until completely smooth. This is the moment I usually get absolutely hungry since you’ll finally get to smell all the ingredients!
Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients
We’re almost there with the dough! To your mixture, add Xanthan Gum, baking powder, coconut, and almond flour. Stir it thoroughly to combine. You can also use your hands a bit to work it together into a ball.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
Place the dough in a plastic wrap and cool completely in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, preferably for an hour. Don’t skip this step – it’s crucial to roll out the dough later!
Step 6: Get the Cookie Craze Going
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take two pieces of parchment paper and roll out the dough between the two sheets. You want the dough to be about 1/8th of an inch. Then, grab a cookie cutter of your choice and cut out the shapes. Keep in mind that these won’t spread in the oven.
Step 7: It’s Baking Time
Take a piece of parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet. Transfer your cookies to the sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Step 8: Finish Line
Take cookies out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack using a spatula. This is important because it will allow the cookies to dry evenly on all sides and not break.
Ideas for Decorations
You can decorate these Keto Gingerbread Cookies with anything you want, but just in case you needed some inspiration, here are a few cool ideas:
- Melt keto-friendly chocolate and coconut oil together, then dip gingerbread cookies and set aside to dry
- Use a cookie cutter and make a small gingerbread house. Remember to keep the size small so it doesn’t fall apart.
- Make low-carb frosting with cream cheese and softened butter.
FAQs
Any questions? Below you’ll find a few most commonly asked questions readers have when making sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies. In case your question isn’t listed below, ask us in the comments and we’ll be happy to help!
Do I Need to Use Both Almond Flour and Coconut Flour?
Yes! A combination of both will give you the texture you’re looking for in a low-carb gingerbread cookies recipe. We believe that a mixture of both in the correct ratio resembles all-purpose flour the most. Don’t use just one – your low-carb, keto gingerbread cookies will not come out right. Although both of these flours are keto and low-carb friendly, they are absolutely different in composition and cannot be used in lieu of the other one.
Is Xanthan Gum Healthy?
Although it doesn’t sound healthy at all, xanthan gum is nothing more than a fermented carbohydrate. It’s completely safe to eat and since it’s used in small quantities, there is no need to worry about eating too much of it. When used in low-carb, keto recipes it helps to thicken whatever you are making and keep the texture and shape from changing. Simply put, it holds all ingredients in place.
How Do I Store Keto Gingerbread Cookies?
There are several ways to store these, but the best thing about this Keto Gingerbread Cookies creation is that you can store the pre-baked cookie dough in the freezer and simply defrost it whenever you’re ready to bake them. That way you can always get them fresh in just minutes! To freeze the cookie dough, wrap it in plastic wrap then keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you want to store them in the fridge, you can keep them in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. They will soften up a bit, but to be honest they’re the best after spending the night in the fridge.
Recipe Details
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 12 cookies
- Calories per serving: 78
- Course: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Keyword: keto gingerbread cookies
Instructions
- Melt the butter and cream it together with sweetener until lighter in color.
- Add in a egg and mix again until combined.
- Add all the spices to your mixture – sprinkle in cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt. Again, mix until completely smooth.
- Add Xanthan Gum, baking powder, coconut, and almond flour. Stir it thoroughly to combine.
- Place the dough in a plastic wrap and cool completely in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, preferably for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take two pieces of parchment paper and roll out the dough between the two sheets.
- Take a piece of parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet. Transfer your cookies to the sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
- Take cookies out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack using
