Remember those Danish butter cookies making the rounds every holiday season? You know the ones – they came in a pretty blue metal tin and the cookies were all nestled in fluted paper cups.
Every house had them, back in my childhood. It was standard holiday issue, usually gifted by some aunt, grandmother, or coworker. They were tasty but the tin usually lasted so long, they grew stale before you could eat them all.
Well, you no longer need to mourn those holiday memories, because Keto Butter Cookies have arrived! And they are just as buttery, tender, and sweet as the real thing.
They look so festive on a cookie tray, along with other favorites like Keto Sugar Cookies and perhaps a few Chewy Keto Ginger Cookies. How can you resist?
Why you will love these cookies
I can’t tell you how fun it was to tackle this classic cookie recipe. I actually had to tackle it a few times, as the first few batches simply didn’t live up to the butter cookies of my memory.
It’s a tricky thing to get right, a soft dough that you can pipe into pretty swirls, whilst also being firm enough to not completely dissolve during baking. All the more tricky with keto ingredients!
But it was worth it to me to persevere. I found that if I let them sit in a warm oven, they got firmed up without browning too much. They stayed super buttery, but with a delightful crispness. Just like the real deal.
Reader Reviews
“These cookies are so delicious. Crisp on outside and melt in our mouth inside. Perfect. I will be making more of these. I was going to make these to take to work. Unfortunately, I don’t think they will last that long. So so good. Thank you so much.” — Charlie
“Just made a batch of these and they are delicious! Will be making more for the family Christmas gathering (I’m on dessert detail). Keeper! Thanks Carolyn for this one and all the many other wonderous recipes you share.Delicious and so simple to make. They look and taste great. Definitely recommend this recipe.” — Valerie
“Another perfect recipe! I will be able to make my family our traditional cookies once again – it’s been 7 years!!” — Jocelyne
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Use finely ground almond flour so your cookies will have the best texture without being grainy. If you need to be nut-free, try using sunflower seed flour.
- Sweetener: You need an erythritol based sweetener for these cookies to firm up properly.
- Butter: If you use salted butter, you can omit the additional salt in the recipe. Be sure to use softened butter for better consistency.
- Sugar-free dark chocolate: Both Lily’s and ChocZero work well for the chocolate coating.
- Cocoa butter: I add a little cocoa butter to the melted chocolate for a smoother melt. You can also use 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp coconut oil, but they will be much more melty at room temperature.
- Sugar-free sprinkles: If you want to decorate your cookies with a little something extra, you can use store bought or homemade sugar free sprinkles. You could also use finely chopped nuts.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step by step directions
1. Combine the dry ingredients: In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Pulse to combine.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Cut the softened butter into chunks and add to the processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and vanilla and process until the dough clumps together.
3. Pipe the cookie dough: Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip such as the Ateco #826 or 828, and fill with dough. Holding the bag straight up and down, pipe the dough into tight circles, about 2 inches in diameter, onto two baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
4. Bake the cookies: Bake at 325ºF for about 18 to 20 minutes, until they are just golden brown around the edges. Remove and turn off the oven. Let the oven cool for about 15 minutes, then put the cookies back in to dry out and firm up, another 15 to 20 minutes or so. Remove and let cool completely.
5. Dip in chocolate: In a heatproof bowl set over a bowl of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles, if desired.
Tips for Success
Using a food processor makes the dough more cohesive and very well combined. I first tried just beating things together in my stand mixer but it didn’t produce as fine a dough and the resulting cookies had a slightly gritty texture.
Make sure that butter is well softened. This is an important factor too, as it helps create a softer dough that squeezes through the piping tip. The ideal temperature for softened butter is 70F. If your house is a bit chilly, give the butter a slight zap in the microwave (10 seconds).
Use a larger open star piping tip. The tip you use for piping these cookies is very important, as the prongs need to be open enough to allow the dough to squeeze through. I used the Ateco 824, but the Wilton 1M tips can work as well.
It takes a bit to get the hang of piping these cookies. But the good news is that if you mess up, you can just add the dough back into the bag to be re-piped.
Double baking helps crisp them up. Danish butter cookies should be quite crisp but you also want them a pale golden color. To avoid over-browning, I took mine out at about the 20 minute mark, but then I returned them to the warm oven for a bit to help them crisp up. Worked like a charm!
As always, your sweetener matters. The only way to achieve a truly crisp cookie is with erythritol based sweeteners such as Swerve. Other sweeteners like BochaSweet, allulose, etc, make for cake-y soft cookies. Not necessarily a bad thing but not the perfect Danish Butter Cookie consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keto shortbread cookies are made like classic shortbread, which means they don’t contain any egg. These keto butter cookies have an egg to help make the dough pliable and soft, so that it can be piped into shapes.
You can easily store these cookies in freezer. Once baked and cooled, place them in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. They will keep for up to 2 months.
This keto Danish butter cookie recipe has 4.2g of carbs and 2.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.1g net carbs per cookie.
Want more keto holiday cookie recipes?
Check out my updated holiday cookies and bars ebook. All of my most popular cookies, plus a few exclusive recipes! Only $5.99.
Keto Danish Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) almond flour
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Powdered Swerve Sweetener , or other powdered erythritol
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter , softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ounces (113.4 g) sugar-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 ounce (14.17 g) cocoa butter
- sugar-free sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Cut the softened butter into chunks and add to the processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and vanilla and process until the dough clumps together in one big ball.
- Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip such as the Ateco #824, and fill with dough. Holding the bag straight up and down, pipe the dough into tight circles, about 2 inches in diameter. Tip: It takes a bit to get the hang of this but if you mess up, just take that cookie dough and add it back into the bag to be re-piped.
- Bake the cookies for about 18 to 20 minutes, until they are just golden brown around the edges. Remove and turn off the oven. Let the oven cool for about 15 minutes, then put the cookies back in to dry out and firm up, another 15 to 20 minutes or so. Remove and let cool completely.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a bowl of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
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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I only have Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered Sweetener. Would that work or do I need to get something else?
You can use that but it is 2x as sweet so you will need to cut back.
My cookies spread quite a lot, they barely kept their shape. I followed the recipe exactly (using the metric measurements). They taste really good, but I’m disappointed they don’t look as pretty as your photos! Any tips? I thought maybe I should refrigerate the dough before piping or perhaps after piping but before baking?
It shouldn’t need it. What brand of almond flour did you use?
The Kirkland brand, from Costco.
So I think that’s the issue, actually. Next time, add 1 to 2 tbsp coconut flour to thicken the dough a bit.
I used the Kirkland brand, and mine turned out great! I used a cookie press also.
Any idea if this cookie dough would work in a cookie press? I have zero experience with piping cookies and am afraid I will mess them up terribly if I try piping.
yes but I have a proper Spritz cookie recipe that holds the press shape better. Try these: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/chocolate-orange-spritz-cookies-low-carb-and-gluten-free/
Thanks so much! I have all your books, btw, your recipes never fail!
Can I substitute in coconut flour with the almond flour? I don’t have enough almond flour to make these today and already started pulling the ingredients together.
No sorry. This recipe is almond flour based and coconut flour won’t let them become crisp. They wouldn’t be the same at all.
Hi Carolyn,
I am a huge fan of yours from Singapore. These cookies are calling out to me! Would xylitol work if I use it for these cookies?
Warmest regards!
It’s going to make them a lot softer and more cake-y, although the flavour will be good.
Congratulations on the publication of your new book. You are amazing! I love the danish butter cookie recipe. Can you tell me if the Cocoa Butter can be stored in freezer until ready to use?
It’s very shelf stable so it does fine in a pantry for a long time but yes, I imagine it could be frozen.
What is coco butter can I use something else
You can try a little coconut oil. No more than 1/2 tbsp
Thank you Carolyn I just ordered your book♥️
Thanks so much!
What size of piping bag do you use with the suggested top?
I didn’t know there were sizes, I just use the regular piping bags from Wilton.
I can’t wait to try these! Would this dough work in a Spritz cookie press gadget? I don’t have a piping tool or tip.
I was going to ask this same question.
Yes but I think you might like my regular spritz cookies better. They crisp up more.
Looks delicious! Can you leave out the fancy piping and just shape regular cookies?
Sure, but I would try to shape them quite flat so they crisp up.
I used a cookie press and they came out divine!! So fancy looking!!
Thank you!! I’m so excited to make these.
What attachment do you use for the food processor? I have never made any dough in mine.
Just the regular S-shaped blade.
Can I use butter or a substitute instead of cocoa butter?
For melting the chocolate? Yes, try coconut oil. Butter tends to thicken the chocolate and then it’s much harder to dip.
Yummy!!! Recommendation on sugar free sprinkles?
Yep check this Etsy shop out… https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSprinkleCompany?
Janis, if you don’t mind a small project, Carolyn’s sprinkle recipe works excellently!
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-sugar-free-sprinkles/
1 cup of powdered sweetener + a little mindless work while watching television = oodles of sprinkles. (The Sprinkle Company makes a lot of pretty products, but wow, the prices! It’s a case of opportunity cost, as always…money vs time.)
I should probably clarify that the above-mentioned mindless work is breaking the piped lines into sprinkles. ???? You’d think it would take forever, but it was actually a fun and fairly quick task.
It is totally mindless! But now I need to remember to do it in front of the TV or maybe while listening to a podcast or some music. I was bored to death by piping those fussy little lines. LOL!
can’t wait for the cheese straw recipe!
I’m definitely trying these cookies. But I think I will use almond extract to make them like Spritz cookies. Thanks for such good recipes.
Me too — yum!
Oh Carolyn….these look and sound delicious!!