These easy Keto Gingersnap Cookies are thin and crispy, and have the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Just the thing for a coffee break or to round out your holiday cookie trays.
I firmly believe that a good gingersnap has to have some real snap. In other words, it needs to have that crispy texture and a good gingery bite. I’m always startled when I see a soft, puffy cookie referred to as a gingersnap.
Don’t get me wrong, I love soft, chewy cookies too. And my Keto Ginger Molasses Cookies are one of my most popular recipes. I also love thick chewy Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies.
But a cookie with “snap” in the name has to actually snap when you break it. If you feel the same, then these Keto Gingersnap Cookies are for you.
Why you will love these cookies
Because that snap is so important to me, I tried these a few times to get them right. At first, I attempted to adapt a classic recipe that called for an egg. They were tasty but it took a lot of added baking time to crisp them up. And even then, they weren’t quite as crunchy as I would have liked.
Then it dawned on me that I had the perfect recipe already. My Keto Butter Pecan Cookies have the ideal crispy texture and I simply needed to adapt the flavor profile a little. I added plenty of ginger and other warm spices, and I used a touch of cocoa powder to give them a darker color.
It’s such an easy cookie recipe and they come out perfectly every time! Thin and crisp, with a nice gingery bite. I had to put about half of them in the freezer because I found them too tempting!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: For the best Keto Gingersnap Cookies, use finely ground almond flour like Bob’s Red Mill. If you need to be nut-free, try using sunflower seed flour. There is no leavening agent in this recipe so you don’t need to worry about the green reaction.
- Butter: Plenty of butter gives these cookies a wonderful flavor and crispness.
- Sweetener: This is important, folks. ONLY erythritol based sweeteners with NO allulose or xylitol will give you crunchy cookies.
- Molasses: I add a small amount of molasses to this recipe for added color and flavor. You can omit this if you feel strongly about it, but it only adds about 0.25g of carbs per serving.
- Spices: Plenty of ground ginger is a must, plus some ground cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of black pepper.
- Cocoa powder: I add a little bit of cocoa to darken the color, more like traditional gingersnaps. It won’t make them taste like chocolate.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Cream the butter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sweeteners until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses and vanilla extract and beat in.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, ginger, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and salt, and beat until well combined. Scrape down the beaters to make sure everything gets well combined.
3. Form the cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place a few inches apart on a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Use two baking sheets if yours are smaller as these will spread a bit.
4. Par bake the cookies: Bake at 325ºF for 5 minutes then remove from the oven and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten again to about ¼ inch thick. (If the cookies stick to the glass, cover them with a piece of parchment before you press them down).
5. Finish baking: Return to the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the cookies to remain inside for another 5 to 10 minutes. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don’t get too browned. Remove and let cool completely on the pans.
Tips for Success
I find that parchment lined baking sheets are better for keto cookies than silicone mats, as they crisp up a little better.
Ground ginger loses potency over time. If yours isn’t particularly fresh and you want some real gingery kick, add more to the dough. This recipe has no egg so you can taste and adjust as you see fit. My ginger was old and I found I had to add almost 2 tablespoons to get the flavor I was looking for!
As I stated above, you cannot use any granular sweetener besides erythritol if you want a crisp cookie. You can cut back on it a bit and add some stevia or monk fruit extract, but do not use anything with allulose or xylitol.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 7 days, or in the fridge for up to two weeks You can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.
Molasses is a byproduct of refining sugar cane but small quantities do not contain excessive carbs. 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has 11g of carbs. For a recipe like this, which uses only a teaspoon, you are adding less than 4g of carbs to the entire recipe. Which means you are adding about 0.3g of carb per serving.
This keto gingersnap recipe has 4.3g of carbs and 2.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.3g net carbs for 2 cookies.
More crispy keto cookie recipes
Keto Gingersnaps Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup granular erythritol sweetener
- ¼ cup brown sugar replacement
- 1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup almond flour
- 1 ½ tbsp ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use two baking sheets if yours are smaller as these will spread a bit.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sweeteners until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses and vanilla extract and beat in.
- Add the almond flour, ginger, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and salt, and beat until well combined. Scrape down the beaters to make sure everything gets well combined.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s). Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake 5 minutes then remove from the oven and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten again to about ¼ inch thick. (If the cookies stick to the glass, cover them with a piece of parchment before you press them down).
- Return to the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the cookies to remain inside for another 5 to 10 minutes. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't get too browned .
- Remove and let cool completely on the pans.
Jane says
I suggest dehydrating the cookies after baking for a few hours at a medium low heat to make the cookies hard and super crunchy.
PDX Girl says
this is perfect
I can finally .ake moo shu pork pockets
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/moo-shu-pork-pockets-recipe-1951690