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Published: Nov 23, 2018 · Modified: Dec 9, 2021 by Carolyn

Keto Gingerbread Cookies

Name: Keto Gingerbread Men
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 cups almond flour; 1 cup Swerve Brown ((or 1 cup granular)); 1/4 cup coconut flour; 2 tbsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp xanthan gum; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup coconut oil ((or butter) melted); 2 tsp Yacon syrup or molasses ((optional, for color and flavor)); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener; 1 tbsp egg white powder; 1/4 cup water, room temperature ((more to thin out as necessary))

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Keto Gingerbread Cookies are a classic low carb and sugar-free Christmas cookie. Crisp and delicious with a gingery bite, they’re perfect for decorating with your kids. A great make-ahead recipe too!

A keto gingerbread man leaning up against a glass of milk, with a plate of cookies in the background.

These keto gingerbread cookies have become a family favorite in my house, ever since I first created them back in 2013.

Like most children, my kids adore decorating cookies and we make these fun almond flour gingerbread men almost every year. They really get us into the holiday spirit.

And we love to give them as gifts, along with some of my other keto cookie recipes, like keto sugar cookies and keto biscotti. No one can tell that they have less than 3g net carbs per serving!

Tender-crisp low carb gingerbread men

I like my gingerbread cookies to have a little tenderness to them. I wanted these keto cookies to have just a little chewiness upon biting into them. With plenty of ginger and other spices, of course.

To that end, I decided to make them with coconut oil instead of butter. Coconut oil typically makes baked goods more tender, but you can easily make these with butter instead, if you prefer.

Gingerbread cookies need that classic brown sugar flavor, but at the time I created this recipe, there were no good brown sweeteners. So I opted for adding a little molasses (or Yacon syrup). These days, however, I make my keto gingerbread men with Swerve Brown sweetener.

I like to take them out just a bit on the early side, to keep them tender. If you are the sort who prefers crispy gingerbread cookies, simply bake these a little longer, and they will crisp up nicely.

Three sugar-free keto gingerbread cookies on a white plate over a red plaid napkin.

Ingredients

Almond flour
Sweetener (preferably a brown sugar substitute)
Coconut flour
Spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves)
Baking powder
Eggs
Coconut oil or butter
Molasses or Yacon syrup (if not using brown sweetener)
Vanilla extract

How to make Keto Gingerbread Cookies

These delicious Christmas cookies are super easy to make. Here are my best tips for getting it right:

Whisk the dry ingredients together. Make sure to break up any clumps in the flour and sweeteners. If you are using Swerve Brown, be aware that it clumps like real brown sugar. I like to break it up with my fingers a bit before adding it to the bowl.
Add plenty of ground ginger. If you like that gingery bite, don’t hold back! I used a full 2 tablespoons for this large batch of cookies.
Roll the dough evenly. You can roll it out very thin for super crisp cookies, or a little thicker for chewy cookies. But the most important thing is to roll it evenly so that all the cookies bake at the same rate.
Cut out with cookie cutters. I have various gingerbread men shaped cutters in several sizes. The 3 inch ones are perfect for getting lots of cookies to give away. My kids LOVE the big ones for decorating.
Re-roll the dough. One of the best parts about gluten-free dough like this is the fact that you can re-roll it multiple times without ruining it. No waste!
Bake until just firm to the touch. I find touch to be one of the best indicators of doneness in keto baking. They shouldn’t feel tacky or soft when you gently touch them.
Decorate and have fun!

A hand piping sugar-free royal icing over keto gingerbread cookies.

Keto Royal Icing

Sugar-free royal icing is easy to make and so perfect for decorating any kind keto cookies.

I followed traditional recipes quite closely, and used egg white powder to produce a soft icing for piping that dries very firm and hard. How much water you need varies depending on the consistency you want to achieve.

You could also have some fun with sugar-free sprinkles, as several brands like Good Dee’s and The Sprinkle Company make them now.

I decided to make my my cookies look like classic gingerbread men. And some gingerbread trees, just to shake it up a little.

Keto gingerbread men in a red bowl with a sprig of holly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different sweetener?

If you want a crisp cookie, only erythritol based sweeteners, such as Swerve or Lakanto, will work. The cookies come out much softer with any amount of allulose or BochaSweet. If you like softer, chewier gingerbread, then I recommend using allulose.

What is Yacon syrup?

Yacon syrup is a liquid made from the roots of the Yacon plant. It is similar to molasses in taste and color. Supposedly, it has a lower glycemic index than molasses, but it’s also much more expensive. You use so little in this recipe, it only adds about 0.5g of carbs per serving.

This makes a lot of cookies. Can I scale it down?

Absolutely! You can easily cut this recipe in half if you need fewer cookies.

Can you freeze the raw dough?

Yes, this dough is easy to make ahead and freeze. Let it thaw completely before rolling it out as directed in the recipe.

Two keto gingerbread cookies leaning up against a glass bottle of milk, with more cookies and Christmas decorations in the background.

Storage Information

These cookies are a great make ahead holiday treat, since they can be frozen for several months. I recommend freezing the baked cookies undecorated, stacked carefully in airtight containers. The raw dough also freezes well.

Then simply thaw, decorate, and serve. You can keep them on the counter for 4 or 5 days.

Keto Gingerbread Men

o Gingerbread Cookies are a classic low carb and sugar-free Christmas cookie. Crisp and delicious with a gingery bite, they're perfect for decorating with your kids. A great make-ahead recipe too!

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gingerbread men, low carb gingerbread

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: servings (approximately 50 cookies)

Calories: 139kcal

Ingredients

Cookies:

4 cups almond flour
1 cup Swerve Brown (or 1 cup granular)
¼ cup coconut flour
2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
¼ cup coconut oil (or butter) melted
2 teaspoon Yacon syrup or molasses (optional, for color and flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Royal Icing:

1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
1 tablespoon egg white powder
¼ cup water, room temperature (more to thin out as necessary)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Gingerbread Cookies

Preheat oven to 275F and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and cloves.
Stir in the eggs, coconut oil, Yacon syrup (if using) and vanilla extract until dough comes together.
Divide the dough in half and turn out first half onto a large piece of parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out out about ¼ inch thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and gently loosen and lift with an offset spatula. Place onto prepared baking sheets.
Gather up scraps and reroll until too little is left to roll out. Repeat with the second half of dough.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool 5 minutes on pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sugar-Free Royal Icing

In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener and egg white powder. Add water and stir until smooth. Add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
Pipe icing onto cooled cookies and let set 30 minutes or longer.

Notes

Makes about 50 cookies when cookie cutters are about 3 inches tall.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Gingerbread Men

Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)

Calories 139 Calories from Fat 105

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.7g18%

Carbohydrates 5.4g2%

Fiber 2.6g10%

Protein 4.6g9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Keto Gingerbread Cookies

Tender-crisp low carb gingerbread men

Ingredients

How to make Keto Gingerbread Cookies

Keto Royal Icing

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Information