These tender crisp Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are a delightful keto sweet treat. With bright lemon flavor and a bit of poppy seed crunch, they make the perfect afternoon snack or dessert.
Spring hasn’t quite sprung yet, but I am gung ho on all the lemony goodness. Really, it’s an all-season flavor in my mind. And keto friendly Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are a great way to kick into high gear!
I know I have many fellow lemon lovers out there. Some of my most popular recipes include the bright, tangy yellow citrus. Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars come to mind, as do my tender keto lemon muffins.
I won’t be the least bit surprised if these lemon poppy seed cookies become just as popular.
Why you will love these cookies
I modelled these cookies after my Keto Shortbread Cookies, to give them a texture that is simultaneously crisp and tender. I used the same basic ingredients but added plenty of lemon zest and some poppy seeds.
They turned out perfectly. Not overly sweet, but like a cookie you might enjoy with afternoon tea or coffee.
But then I got a little wild with my Keto Lemon Curd. I mean, who can’t help but get wild with that stuff? I spread it on some of the cookies like a frosting. Tangy deliciousness!
Finally, I created a dreamy lemon filling. The curd is too soft on its own to be the filling so I beat it with a little cream cheese and smeared it on. It makes the prettiest keto sandwich cookies!
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: I really can’t recommend anything other than almond flour for these cookies. Other nut and seed flours are too coarse and can make the cookies crumbly. And coconut flour really doesn’t have the right texture and they end up tough, rather than tender.
- Powdered sweetener: Make sure you use an erythritol-based sweetener, as it is the only kind that will produce the crisp texture of shortbread. Any amount of allulose or BochaSweet will prevent the cookies from crisping up properly. I always use Swerve Confectioners.
- Xanthan gum: A little xanthan gum helps add strength to the dough so that it’s not as fragile. You don’t have to use it but I do recommend it.
- Butter: Cut the butter into small pieces and return to the fridge until you are ready to use it, so that it doesn’t soften. Chilled butter is key to that tender-crisp texture.
- Lemon zest: The zest of the lemon has much of the flavor so don’t skimp! You will need about 1 tablespoon from 2 lemons.
- Lemon extract: Lemon juice will introduce too much liquid, but lemon extract helps intensify the flavor.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla helps tame down the sharpness of the lemon extract.
- Poppy seeds: The addition of poppy seeds adds delicious crunch and a unique flavor.
Step by Step Directions
1. Pulse to combine: In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, xanthan gum, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
2. Cut in the butter: Scatter the butter over top, add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to cling together.
3. Add the poppyseeds: Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the poppyseeds by hand. This ensures that they don’t get chopped up by the food processor.
4. Roll out the dough: Gather the dough together into a ball and transfer to a silicone mat. Cover with a piece of parchment or waxed paper and roll out to an even ¼ inch thickness. Do not roll too thinly or they will cook too quickly.
5. Cut out the cookies: Use a 2 to 2 ¼ inch cookie cutter to cut out circles. Gently lift the cookies with an offset spatula and place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake: Bake 18 to 23 minutes, until just golden brown around the edges. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the cookies sit inside until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Expert Tips
Using a food processor cuts the chilled butter into the dough evenly, which adds to the unique shortbread texture. If you don’t have a food processor, the next best thing is to grate the butter with the large holes on a cheese grater. Then work it in with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to cling together.
I recommend using silicone mats over parchment paper as they protect the bottom of the cookies better from over-browning. They are also more sustainable than parchment paper, as you can use them over and over.
Keep your eye on the cookies! They can go from pale to too dark quickly. If your oven has hot spots, be sure to rotate the pan partway through for more even baking.
Do be aware that adding the lemon curd icing or cream filling makes the cookies become softer. It’s actually quite a pleasant texture. However, if you want them to be crisp, add the curd or filling only when ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poppy seeds are quite low in carbs and work well for a keto diet. One tablespoon of poppy seeds has 2.5g of carbs and 1.7g of fiber. They also contain nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.
Conventional cookies like this have 15 to 20g of carbs per serving. However, these keto cookies have only 4.8g of carbs and 2.5g of fiber per 2 cookies. So they have only 2.3g net carbs.
These crisp lemon cookies freeze extremely well so go ahead and make them weeks or even months in advance! Simply store them in an airtight container and freezer for up to 3 months. Add the lemon curd or cream filling when ready to serve.
Related recipes
- Everything Bagel Bread
- Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Lemon Cream Cake
- Keto Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Garlic Baked Halibut
Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¾ cup Swerve Confectioners
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoon butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
Lemon Curd Filling (Optional)
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup keto lemon curd room temperature
- ¼ cup Swerve Confectioners
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, xanthan gum, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Scatter the butter over top, add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to cling together.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the poppyseeds by hand.
- Gather the dough together into a ball and transfer to a silicone mat. Cover with a piece of parchment or waxed paper and roll out to an even ¼ inch thickness. Do not roll too thinly or they will cook too quickly.
- Use a 2 to 2 ¼ inch cookie cutter to cut out circles. Gently lift the cookies with an offset spatula and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
- Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the cookies sit inside until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Optional Filling
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the curd and sweetener. Refrigerate 1 hour to help firm it up.
- Spread the bottom of one cookie with the filling and top with another cookie.
Erin M says
Your lemon curd recipe isn’t linked in the main recipe above.