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These keto gingerbread cookies are perfectly crisp, chewy, and take 10 minutes to bake! Made with just 6 ingredients, they use just ONE bowl and have less than 2 grams net carbs.
Come the holiday season, there’s a handful of keto cookie recipes I make on repeat. If I’m not making almond flour biscotti, sugar cookies or classic Christmas cookies, there is a safe bet that I’m rolling dough out to make keto gingerbread.
Gingerbread is something that I’ve only recently started adding to my baking repertoire. For the longest of times, I really struggled with achieving the perfect cookie using low carb flours. After plenty of trials and failures, I finally achieved the perfect keto gingerbread cookie recipe!
Why this keto gingerbread will have everyone raving-
- 6 ingredients. Other gingerbread recipes have a laundry list of ingredients, but this low carb version has just SIX.
- One bowl. All you need to whip these cookies up is one bowl, so the cleanup is minimal.
- Made with almond flour. Not only is almond flour a low carb flour, but it also gives these cookies the most perfect texture.
- Easy to make ahead. Double batch the dough and keep one dough ball frozen for up to two months before baking them!
What I love about this recipe is that the texture is absolutely on point- thick, soft, and slightly tender. The secret to the best keto gingerbread is to use a brown sugar substitute– It gives the cookies a subtle molasses flavor WITHOUT needing molasses!
What you’ll need to make these cookies
For the cookies.
- Almond flour- blanched or superfine almond flour must be used, NOT almond meal. Almond meal will yield a gritty and darker gingerbread cookie, which is not what we want!
- Granulated sweetener of choice- I prefer using a brown sugar substitute, as it gives the cookies the very subtle molasses flavor.
- Gingerbread spices- A mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
- Baking powder- Gives the cookies a little rise and depth.
- Egg- room temperature egg.
- Butter– softened, unsalted butter. You can also use melted coconut oil.
- Vanilla extract- a must for any good cookie!
For the keto royal icing.
- Egg white– ensure there is no yolk in it.
- Lemon juice– works with the egg white to help achieve a sturdy icing.
- Powdered sugar substitute– a keto alternative to confectioners’ sugar, skip the expensive pre-packaged brands and make your own.
How do you make keto gingerbread cookies?
Start by adding your dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisking together until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Add the dry into the wet and gently mix until combined. Using your hands, lightly knead the dough until smooth.
Next, cover the dough in plastic wrap, press down on it into a thick, disc shape, then refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. Once the dough has chilled, place it between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out until it is about 1/2 an inch in thickness. Cut out cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Now, bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges just brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before icing them.
Tips to make the best almond flour gingerbread cookies
- Refrigerate the dough before rolling it out, to ensure the cookies keep their shape and don’t overspread.
- Change up the shapes, depending on what cookie cutters you have on hand.
- Do not over-bake the cookies as they continue to firm up while they are cooling down.
- Avoid icing the cookies until they have cooled down completely.
Storing and freezing instructions
- To store: These cookies will keep well at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 week. If you’d like them to keep longer, you can store them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More gingerbread recipes to try
- Mug cake
- Energy balls
- Gingerbread bars
- Blondies
- Pumpkin gingerbread blondies
Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial gingerbread is on the harder side, as they keep for a very long time. Homemade gingerbread cookies should have the happy balance between firm around the edges and slightly soft and chewy in the middle.
Molasses enhance the gingerbread spices used. As molasses is not keto friendly, a brown sugar substitute is used to give some molasses flavor.
If you don’t use enough spices or omit the royal icing, your cookies are prone to being on the bland side.
Keto Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar substitute
- 2 teaspoon gingerbread spice * See notes
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the royal icing
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups sugar free powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Carefully fold in the dry ingredients and mix well. Using your hands, gently knead the dough and form a ball shape.
- Cover the ball of dough completely in plastic wrap. Press down on it, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place a large sheet of parchment paper onto a kitchen surface. Place the ball of dough on top and remove the plastic. Place the second sheet of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness. Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter (or circular ones), cut out cookies and place them on the lined sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely, before icing them.
For the icing
- Whisk together the egg white and lemon juice. Gently fold in the powdered sugar, until a thick icing remains. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
delete my previous comment. After letting them COOL they tasted completely different.
Can u please provide with metric measures.
We use American cups and tablespoons, we are looking to possibly include metric measurements for 2022.
Oh my goodness. You just gave my my best Christmas memory. My mom used to make these (not keto) and they tasted almost exactly like these. Not too sweet but enough sweetness. I didn’t frost them simply because I can’t imagine them being any better! The only thing I changed was I added all Swerve brown in the recipe. Thank you thank you thank you!
What do you think about freezing the dough? Do you think they will bake OK after thawing the dough?
I haven’t tried, you’ll need to experiment and see 🙂
Made
So easy to make and very tasty. My teenage daughter was recently diagnosed with alopecia areata so I am trying to sneak collagen protein powder into everything we bake. I added 1 scoop of protein powder and removed about that much of the almond flour hoping it would not dry them out. I think it did dry them out a tad bit but they are still delicious. Next time I make them I will use the keto brown sugar. I didnot have any on hand. Thanks for the great recipe!
No worries at all, Jennifer- wishing the best health for your daughter 🙂
Great recipe’s thanks for sharing keep them coming!
Sincerely Sue