Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (2024)

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (1)

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Table Of Contents hide

  • How To Make Keto Gingerbread Cookies
  • Tips: How To Cut The Best Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies
  • Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies FAQs
  • Storage Instructions For Keto Friendly Gingerbread Cookies
  • More Keto Holiday Cookie Recipes
  • Tools To Make
  • Get Besti Brown Keto Sweetener For Your Low Carb Gingerbread!
  • Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

These are my best keto gingerbread cookies! They are soft and chewy, and no one will guess that these are sugar-free gingerbread cookies. And no need to tell them. 😉 Make these low carb gingerbread cookies in just 15 minutes prep + baking time. I love to decorate them with a simple sugar-free cream cheese frosting, but they can also be left plain – they are delicious either way. And if you like ginger in your desserts, you’ll also love these keto ginger snaps!

Keto cookies are one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season, but don’t forget about the drinks to go along with them! I love dipping these sugar-free gingerbread cookies in bulletproof tea, keto coffee, or even vanilla almond milk. Or have them before or after your sugar-free eggnog.

This low carb gingerbread cookies recipe was originally published on November 30, 2016 and the post was republished in December 2020 to add updated pictures, useful tips, and some significant improvements to the recipe for almond flour gingerbread men (or women, haha). The original version was my first attempt at cookie cutter cookies! Here is one of the original photos, if you’re curious:

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (2)

These sugar-free gingerbread cookies use a combination of Wholesome Yum Foods pantry staples: blanched almond flour and Besti brown sugar substitute. These two items make perfect sweet, chewy cookies with the best brown sugar flavor. They taste like the real thing!

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (3)

Get Besti Brown Here

How To Make Keto Gingerbread Cookies

This low carb gingerbread cookies recipe is based on my classic almond flour shortbread cookies. But don’t worry, they don’t taste like shortbread.

The addition of egg, spices, and keto brown sugar (as my readers like to call it) totally transforms them into the best keto gingerbread cookies! Here’s how we make them:

  • Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together Wholesome Yum Almond Flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder.
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  • Cream butter and sweetener. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and Besti Brown Sweetener until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
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  • Add dry ingredients. Beat in almond flour mixture until a slightly sticky dough forms.
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  • Chill. Form dough into a ball and chill to make it easier to work with. (You can even freeze it to make it faster if you like!)
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  • Roll and cut. Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Roll out remaining dough and cut out shapes, using all the dough.
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  • Bake. They are ready when they are golden on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet to firm up.
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  • Frost. You can make keto cream cheese frosting like this, or for the “lazy way”, just heat some cream cheese and add powdered sweetener to taste.
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Tips: How To Cut The Best Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Transferring cookie shapes can be a little challenging, but here are a few tips:

Chill.

This is the most important part. Chilling the dough firms it up so that it’s easier to work with. If it takes you a long time to cut all the shapes, it may soften, so chill again if necessary.

Use an extra thin spatula.

This was my original method when making this recipe for low carb gingerbread. An extra thin spatula like this onemakes it easier to transfer the cookie shapes onto your baking sheet.

Reattach.

If you accidentally smush your little gingerbread men, or their arms and legs fall off during transfer), don’t worry. You can just reshape or reattach as needed once they are on the baking sheet.

Worst case, just smash the dough together, roll it out, and try again.

Cut right on the baking sheet.

This was recommended to me by a few readers, and it does work quite well!

Roll out the dough, then transfer the whole thing onto the baking sheet. Use the cookie cutter to make the shapes, then simply remove the parts around the cookies.

From there, you can make a ball out of the parts you removed, roll it out, and repeat again on a second baking sheet.

Skip the shapes altogether.

As fun as it is to frost these low carb gingerbread cookies with faces and cut out shapes, this part is totally optional. These sugar-free gingerbread menare just as deliciousif you make them as plain round cookies!

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (11)

Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies FAQs

What do gingerbread cookies taste like?

Gingerbread cookies are sweet and spicy! They’re a little different than traditional cookies, which makes them extra special.

Are gingerbread cookies keto?

Most gingerbread cookies are not keto as they are made with white sugar and flour.

This sugar-free gingerbread cookies recipe uses almond flour and keto sweetener, making each cookie have just 1.4 net carbs! Compare that to the average gingerbread cookie that contains over 21 grams of net carbs.

What kind of almond flour can I use?

I recommend using super fine almond flour like thisfor the best texture.

Can I use a different sweetener?

Besti Brown Keto Sweetener is best for cookies like this, to get a nice chewy and soft cookie, and more importantly, for brown sugar flavor.

Check my keto sweetener guide to other sweetener options, but keep in mind that using something else can mess with the consistency of the dough, because Besti Brown is moist like real brown sugar. Even other brands of brown sweetener tend to work differently.

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Storage Instructions ForKeto Friendly Gingerbread Cookies

Can you make them ahead?

Yes, you can make these cookies ahead, or you can prep the dough ahead and then store the dough ball in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make the cookies, simply roll out and bake.

How to store them short-term:

Store these easy keto gingerbread cookies in a container for a few days, or they will last for about a week in the refrigerator.

TIP: Make sure not to frost them until right before eating, if you are keeping them out on the counter.

Can you freeze low carb gingerbread cookies?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies for 2-3 months. Make sure that you let them cool completely and freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag, so they don’t stick to each other.

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More Keto Holiday Cookie Recipes

If you like this keto gingerbread cookie recipe, you might also like some of my other keto cookie recipes for the holidays:

  • Flourless Chocolate Cookies – Is it a brownie? Is it a cookie? How about in between! Made with 6 ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.
  • Keto Sugar Cookies – These nut-free sugar cookies can be rolled into shapes and frosted, making them great for any holiday.
  • Keto Shortbread Cookies – These taste like real shortbread! Made with just 4 ingredients, no one will ever guess that they only have 1 gram net carb!
  • Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies – Soft, chewy and the perfect fall dessert. Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
  • Keto Meringue Cookies – Made with just 4 ingredients, these cookies are light, bright, and sweet. They are perfect for any holiday table.

If you like other cookie flavors and prefer to buy them pre-made, try these cookies!

Tools To Make

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

  • Hand mixer – This one is really powerful and I love the convenient storage. A hand mixer is a must for the best texture in these gingerbread keto cookies!
  • Stand mixer – Another great option for making no sugar gingerbread.
  • Rolling pin – For rolling out the sugar-free gingerbread cookie dough.
  • Cookie cutter set – This is the exact set I used in the pictures! It has 11 different shapes – so fun.
  • Sheet pan– This one is sturdy and will last a long time.
  • Frosting bag with tips – Use this to draw faces and buttons your sugar-free gingerbread men and women!

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (14)

Get Besti Brown Keto Sweetener For Your Low Carb Gingerbread!

Meet Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, the brown sugar replacement that has the moisture, color and flavor of brown sugar - with NO aftertaste & 0 net carbs!

GET IT HERE

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Recipe Card

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe | Wholesome Yum (16)

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Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

The best keto gingerbread cookies recipe to make your holidays merry and bright. These low carb sugar-free gingerbread cookies have just 1.4 net carbs each!

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 24 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder.

  2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and Besti Brown for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat in the almond flour mixture until a dough forms.

  3. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to bake.

  4. Preheat the to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (you may need to do this twice for all the cookies).

  5. Place the ball of dough between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll out to 1/4 in (.6 cm) thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes and transfer them to the parchment paper. When you've cut out all the shapes you can, re-form the remaining dough into a ball, roll it out again, and repeat, until you've used up all the dough.

  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet before handling or frosting.

  7. Optional step: If you want frosting, make keto cream cheese frosting like this and pipe onto the cookies.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cookie

Nutrition info does not include frosting, as this will vary depending on how much you use.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories77

Fat6.9g

Protein2.5g

Total Carbs2.7g

Net Carbs1.4g

Fiber1.3g

Sugar0.4g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Keywords:cookie, dairy-free, gingerbread, gluten-free, keto, low carb, paleo, sugar-free, vegetarian

Calories: 77 kcal

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

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FAQs

What is keto brown sugar? ›

Keto-friendly brown sugar alternatives contain erythritol or allulose combined with monk fruit, stevia, or sweet fibers (oligosaccharides or inulin).

What does molasses do in gingerbread cookies? ›

From light to blackstrap, sulfured to unsulfured, the large variety of molasses options can be confusing. And one type will make your treats "frankly inedible." Molasses is the essential ingredient in gingerbread cookies, providing the chewy texture and almost burnt sugar flavor that characterizes the treat.

Are gingerbread cookies healthy for you? ›

It is important to note that despite their many health benefits, gingerbread cookies and cakes are often loaded with sugar and unhealthy fats, so too much of a good thing can be bad. Check out some of our favorite recipes that feature ginger for more inspiration!

What makes gingerbread cookies crack on top? ›

You have a few things that can go wrong: The oven isn't hot enough. (it needs to set the top before the middle's fully risen) Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set)

What is the best sugar substitute for keto baking? ›

Allulose. Allulose is a rare sugar found naturally in small quantities in fruits like figs and raisins. It has about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) but only 10% of the calories, making it a fantastic option for keto baking.

What is the best substitute for molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

The Best Molasses Substitutes

Honey, dark corn syrup, and maple syrup can also be used to replace molasses in recipes.

Why can t you use blackstrap molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Blackstrap Molasses

“Please avoid this dark and bitter molasses for your baking recipes,” she said. “It will make your cookies dry and quite frankly inedible. The rationale is basic chemistry. “Cookies need to have sugar and butter (or a similar solid fat) to 'cream' to get a good product,” Slavin said.

Can I use brown sugar instead of molasses in gingerbread? ›

Brown sugar is actually a combination of granulated sugar and molasses, so it's a good substitute for molasses. While measurements may vary per recipe, you can generally replace 1 cup molasses with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar.

What is the healthiest cookie to eat? ›

Depends on your metric of “health,” I guess. Oatmeal raisin probably has the best fiber/whole grain, flourless chocolate is better if you're trying to be low carb, meringues are probably lowest calorie. I'd say oatmeal raisin is a very nutritious cookie.

What does gingerbread do to your body? ›

Surprising benefits

Research shows it may aid in digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the common cold and flu. It's also believed ginger may support weight management, help manage arthritis and may also alleviate menstrual symptoms. Molasses is another ingredient sometimes found in gingerbread.

Is gingerbread full of sugar? ›

Gingerbread is like any other sweet out there - it's not the healthiest thing around but in moderation, it's not going to kill you. Large amounts might cause some stomach issues just because of all the sugar and molasses, but I wouldn't say it's any worse than having a slice of cake or a few cookies.

What happens if you don't chill gingerbread dough? ›

Chilling the dough before it goes into a hot oven gives the butter a chance to firm up and reduces how much it spreads when baking. “You should chill the dough both before rolling and cutting and after,” she said.

What happens if you add too much butter to gingerbread cookies? ›

An excessive amount of butter makes it where the flour is unable to absorb the combined fat, which causes the cookie to spread too widely and the sugar to carbonize more easily because it's surrounded by too buttery a dough.

How long should you chill gingerbread dough? ›

Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.) To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated.

Is keto brown sugar healthy? ›

One of the primary nutritional benefits of keto brown sweetener is its low carbohydrate content. Unlike traditional brown sugar, which is high in carbohydrates, keto brown sugar substitutes like erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit contain minimal to zero net carbs.

What is keto sugar made of? ›

Low-carb sweeteners, including stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol, may allow you to stick to the keto diet. Remember, not all foods and drinks that use these sweeteners are keto-friendly. It's important to know that weight loss results on the keto diet can be different for each person.

What are the three types of brown sugar? ›

Modern types of natural brown sugar

Some natural brown sugars have particular names and characteristics, and are sold as turbinado, demerara or raw sugar.

What's the difference between brown sugar and dark brown sugar? ›

A light brown sugar has about 3.5% molasses and dark brown sugar has about 6.5%. That added molasses in dark brown sugar is what gives it more depth of flavor, which is why you'll see it in recipes where it's an important ingredient like when you make barbecue sauce.

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