Buttery sweet spritz cookies get a keto makeover. These keto Christmas cookies are perfect for your healthy holidays, and you can make them ahead and freeze them. This makes a ton of cookies, so it’s an ideal recipe for gift-giving. Or just make a half batch of these wonderful low carb cookies and save them all for yourself!
Someone has been holding out on me. I feel cheated, I feel robbed, I feel like I’ve been hanging out in the dark when everyone else has been living it up in the light. Why, oh why, didn’t someone tell me how fun Spritz cookies are to make??? 40+ years I’ve lived without the joy of pushing cookie dough out of a press into fun holiday shapes. Okay so some of this might be by own fault. I might have been unfair to the poor spritz cookie, thinking it a rather plain, flavourless cookie that had very little to recommend it to my taste buds. But in my defense, I have been offered many a plain, flavourless cookie that had little to recommend it to my taste buds so I am a touch gun-shy. Perhaps that was part of the conspiracy, to keep me in the dark about the joy of truly good spritz cookies. An evil plan indeed.
Nevertheless, I prevailed. I didn’t grow up with spritz cookies in Canada, so they weren’t really high on my to-make list. But after many requests for a keto spritz cookie recipe, I broke out the cookie press languishing in my cellar and gave it a go. I knew I needed just the right dough, one that was soft enough to push easily through the disks and yet maintain its shape when baked. It was a huge gamble for me but apparently I was brave feeling brave that day because instead of just doing a little half batch, I threw caution to the wind and made a double batch. I wanted enough to give away as Christmas gifts and I figured I could put a few test cookies into the oven and if they were too soft, I could add more almond or coconut flour.
After doing some research in spritz cookies, I also decided to add a little orange zest to enhance the flavour. I came across a Martha Stewart recipe for orange spritz cookies and thought it sounded lovely. You certainly don’t have to add any to yours if you want straight up buttery spritz cookies but I have a hard time doing anything in “plain” flavour anymore. It’s the food blogger’s gut instinct to want to come out with a new and unique flavour for everything and my gut instinct also urged me to dip some of the cookies in chocolate. I apologize to spritz cookie purists, but this Canuck grew up with some British holiday treats, including Terry’s Chocolate Orange – you know, the one you crack open on a table and it actually comes apart like an orange??? Maybe you haven’t a clue what I am talking about, but it’s something many a child gets in their Christmas stocking in Commonwealth countries. So chocolate and orange just scream holiday flavour to me.
Oh my, what fun I had making these low carb holiday spritz cookies. I couldn’t believe that the huge batch of dough I made took less than an hour to shape bake into 90+ cookies. That press is amazing and awesome and a wonderful cookie-making time-saving device. Just a quick turn of the press and I had a snowman or a Christmas tree or a flower or a wreath. And when they came out of the oven, I popped a single mini M&M in the center of some of them. When they cooled, I dipped the bottoms of half the cookies in dark chocolate and left the rest plain. They looked gorgeous.
And they tasted amazing too. They had a lovely orange-scented, buttery flavour and a slightly soft and yet slightly crisp texture. I think they are spot on, but you spritz cookie lovers will have to tell me if they meet your expectations. I sure hope so because these were a huge hit with friends and family.
Keto Spritz Cookies Recipes
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 4 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 2 large eggs
- Zest of one large orange
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorations:
- Mini M&Ms, nonpareils, chopped nuts etc (optional)
Chocolate Dip (optional):
- 3 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
Instructions
- For the cookies, preheat oven to 325F and line several large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, orange zest and vanilla.
- Beat in almond flour mixture until dough comes together.
- Fill the canister of a cookie press with dough and fit press with your plate of choice. Follow manufacturer's directions regarding how to press out cookies (mine requires a quarter to half a turn of the handle).
- Press cookies out onto parchment lined cookie sheets. If the cookie does not release well from the cookie press, try holding the parchment down against the cookie sheet as you lift the press. You also may need a bit more dough to come through the press to release properly. (This takes a bit of practice at first, but if you mess up and end up with a blob of dough, you can just pick it up and put it back into the press).
- Bake cookies 12 to 14 minutes, or until set but not browning much around the edges. They will be quite soft still.
- Add any decorations immediately upon removing from oven. Let cool on pans at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the chocolate dip, place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Line a baking with waxed paper or parchment paper.
- Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth (if your chocolate is too thick for coating, add some butter or oil a teaspoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved).
- Add cookies, one at a time, face up into the melted chocolate so bottom is coated. Remove with a fork and tap fork against the side of the bowl gently to remove excess chocolate.
- Place cookies on prepared baking sheet and let set. You can dip all the cookies, half of them or none of them, it's up to you!
gerry speirs says
These cookies are always a huge hit!!
Cheryl says
I found your recipe and I believe Santa will be happy if I can get this recipe right 🙂 we don’t have Swerve on hand but we have baking Truvia, how much should we use in replace of Swerve? Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe!
Carolyn says
Swerve measures like sugar so if the Truvia baking blend does too, then you can sub 1 for 1.
Hangga says
i love the texture of these cookies. do you think i can use this recipe as chocolate chip cookies ?
Sri says
These are amazing. What else can I use instead of Swerve? Will palm sugar or regular sugar work? Thanks.
Carolyn says
Regular sugar will be fine.
Sri says
Equal amounts of sugar?
Carolyn says
Yes, since Swerve measures like sugar.
Aimee Curtis says
Have you used a homemade chocolate recipe for dipping cookies into using unsweetened chocolate?
Carolyn says
Yup, try the coating from this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/05/thin-mint-truffles-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html
Hallie says
Would this dough freeze well? I’d like to bake about half this week and take the rest to a Christmas party next week.
Carolyn says
I am not positive about the dough. It’s worth a try. I do know that the cookies themselves freeze well.
Hallie Swift says
Thanks! Freezing the cookies may be the better option.
Jen says
I was recently diagnosed with prediabetes and was delighted to find your blog when I did a search for low carb holiday cookies! I just downloaded your holiday cookie recipe book and I think there’s a mistake in the second paragraph of the Spritz recipe:
In a medium bowl,
whisk together almond
flour, coconut flour,
baking powder and salt
with sweetener until
light and fluffy, about
2 minutes. Beat in egg,
orange zest and vanilla.
Beat in almond flour
mixture until dough
comes together
Carolyn says
You are right. I am sorry about that. It should be Whisking those dry ingredients and then beating the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy.
Sally says
Can I sub swerve with xylitol?
Carolyn says
I think that should work.
Sam says
Hi
Can I replace the almond flour with semolina or polenta? Some blogs also mention using sunflour(ground sunflower seeds) in place of almond flour.
Carolyn says
Neither semolina nor polenta would work. Sunflower seed flour might but you need to add a little lemon juice to make sure it doesn’t turn green.
Rachel says
so excited to find this recipe! I love your recipes! I just got a new Pampered Chef cookie press and want to try some low carb ones!
Carolyn says
Have fun with it!
Amanda says
If using sugar instead of swerve would you use the same amount?
Carolyn says
Yes, replace it in the same amount.
Sam says
Hi, this is a great recipe, thank you for sharing it! I made it with brown sugar and they turned out very nice but too sweet for my taste. I was wandering if anyone tried it with less sugar.
Carolyn says
I don’t use sugar at all so I can’t guide you there. Sorry!
Katie says
We loved this recipe! The orange flavor reminds me of my Mom who always made sugar cookies for us at Christmas. I’m so happy to have a cookie recipe that tastes amazing and is healthy. My son (5 years old) and I had fun bonding over the cookie making.
Carolyn says
Delighted to hear it!
Stephanie Hill says
Great recipe!
Just wondering about the Swerve…
Do you use granulated, or powdered?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try these!
Carolyn says
If it doesn’t specify powdered, then it’s granulated.
Hallie says
Would confectioners work though?? I accidentally bought the wrong one yesterday.
Lex says
I made these this past weekend! I grew up with my mother making spritz cookies for Christmas as long as I can remember. The only change I made (besides green food coloring) was 1 tsp almond extract to replace one of the teaspoons of vanilla. It’s a lovely enhancement to the almond flour!
Since my husband and I can’t nearly finish 90 cookies, I took them in to work.. They were a hit!! Thank you for this recipe!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Gail says
These are very good!
I was wondering if you think I could change out the orange zest for ginger? I love ginger and chocolate….
Carolyn says
Yes, certainly. I’d say 1 to 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger would work, depending on how gingery you like it.
Nancy says
These turned out great! I used Palm Sugar and the cookies are darker, but delish! I sprinkled them with a bit of colored decorating crystals before baking. They are lovely and quite tasty.
Sri says
Did you substitute 1.5 cup of Swerve with 1.5 cups of palm sugar? Anything else I should watch out for with this substitution? Thanks.
Angela in Virginia says
Can’t wait to make these! I use the 1/2 c cream cheese & 1/2c butter in my “regular” spritz, so will try it with this recipe. I have my Mother’s and my Grandmother’s original cookie presses. One is huge and aluminum and one is normal size and copper and aluminum. I have so many disks! Nothing works as well as the old fashioned devices!
Thanks so much for these recipes. My son has epilepsy and is on the Modified Atkins Diet.
Carolyn says
Please let me know how it turns out with the cream cheese!
Barb turcotte says
How did the half cream cheese work out? Hoping you remember lol.
Ana says
Do your calculations always include the erythritol carbs or not?? I always subtract sugar alcohols but was wondering if you did also?
LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE your RECIPES!!!
Thank you!
Carolyn says
No, I don’t count the erythritol carbs at all. My nutritional software can’t handle “carbs” that aren’t really carbs. So I just subtract those from the get-go.
Michelle says
I bought a cookie press today and made these …… Our teenagers loved them … I made 90 like you said and within half an hour I had 45 left!! Apparently they are too good to just sit on the counter!! Emmm
Thanks Carolyn … Really loving your recipes …. You are making my life easier so thanks 🙂 🙂
Carolyn says
So glad to hear that you AND the teenagers liked them!
Carol says
Thought we would try…. Pretty. But, don’t at all like the aftertaste of the sweetener. I will stick to sugar. Have you tried oat flour?