These Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies are full of deep and emotional nostalgia for me. Pecan crescents were my father’s favorite Christmas cookie, and as many of you know, he died a few years ago right around Christmas. I miss him terribly but I am lucky I got so much time with him in the end.
He and his wife often used to spend Christmas with us when we lived in Boston, before he became too ill to travel. One holiday, I was inspired to attempt a keto version of his beloved treat. He was thrilled with them, and they quickly became one of our go-to Keto Christmas Cookies.
They have the same soft and yet slightly crumbly texture of the original, and the same delicious pecan flavor coming through, without an ounce of sugar or gluten. And if my cookie monster of a father enjoyed them, you know they are the real deal!
Pecan lovers will also like my famous Keto Butter Pecan Cookies and my Keto Pecan Pie Bars.
Reader’s Thoughts
“Just made these and they turned out Great. Made half the recipe, but will make a whole recipe for Christmas. My family really liked these.” — Cindy
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Delicious texture: These cookies have a texture that is similar to pecan sandies!
- Rich flavor: They are not overly sweet, so the pecans really shine through.
- Easy to make: With basic keto ingredients and straightforwards execution.
- Make ahead recipe: You can freeze the cookies baked or unbaked!
- Edible gifts: Perfect for holiday cookie trays or hostess gifts.
- Low carb and gluten-free: No added sugar, no grains, and less than 4 grams of carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: A good finely ground almond flour will give you the best texture.
- Pecans: Lightly toasted pecans offer the best flavor. Also make sure to chop them finely!
- Coconut flour: This helps firm up the dough so the cookies don’t spread too much during baking.
- Butter: Make sure that butter is well softened since you need to cream it with the sweetener.
- Sweetener: The cookies require an erythritol based sweetener for the right texture.
- Cream cheese: This gives the glaze some structure without having to add tons of powdered sweetener.
- Heavy whipping cream: Use this to thin out the glaze so it’s easily spreadable.
- Kitchen staples: Egg, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
How to Make Keto Pecan Crescents
- Chop the pecans: Use a sharp knife to chop the pecan finely.
- Cream the butter: Beat the butter with sweetener, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients: Beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Then stir in the pecans.
- Bake the cookies: Form the dough into 3/4 inch balls, then shape into crescents. Place on baking sheets and bake until just lightly golden brown.
- Make the glaze: Beat the cream cheese with the sweetener, then beat in the heavy cream.
- Garnish: Add sprinkles or additional chopped nuts as desired.
Tips for Success
Be sure to use finely chopped, toasted pecans. If the pecan chunks are too large, it’s harder to roll and shape the cookies properly.
This recipe makes 40 cookies, so it’s ideal for holiday parties or gift-giving. And the cookies freeze well both baked and unbaked. For unbaked cookies, simply wrap the dough up tightly in plastic and freeze. Thaw before shaping and rolling into crescents.
To freeze unbaked cookies, let them cool properly first. Freeze before frosting or rolling in powdered sweetener. They can last up to two months.
Don’t feel like making glaze to decorate? Simply roll the cookies in powdered sweetener!
Sweetener options: I highly recommend an erythritol based sweetener for the cookies, as any amount of allulose will make them too soft. But the glaze can be made with whatever powdered sweetener you like best.
More classic holiday cookies to love!
Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar replacement, erythritol recommended
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream, more as needed
- Keto sprinkles, or additional chopped pecans
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to chop the pecans up further, until finely chopped.
- Use a sharp knife to chop the pecans up further, until finely chopped. This helps the cookies hold together better.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about a minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Form the dough into 3/4 inch balls, then roll gently between yours palms and shape into crescents. Arrange on the baking sheets at least an inch apart.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. They will not be firm to the touch, but will firm up as they cool. Let cool on the pan.
Vanilla Glaze
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. then beat in the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Beat in the heavy cream until well combined. If the mixture is very thick, add more cream, one tablespoon at a time, until a thin frosting texture is achieved .
- Spread over the tops of the cooled cookies and add sprinkles as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional pecan crescents are made with wheat flour and powdered sugar, so they aren’t low carb. But this keto version uses almond flour, keto-friendly sweeteners, and plenty of butter, making them perfectly suited for a low carb lifestyle.
Yes! Use a good dairy-free butter substitute that is solid at room temperature (not coconut oil on its own). The texture may be slightly softer, but they will still hold together well.
There is no need to chill the dough for these Keto Pecan Crescents. They will spread just a little during baking, and this is normal.
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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
I have wonderful memories of my mom’s Christmas cookies and these are one of them. I would sneak into the dinning room and “sample” a few when she wasn’t looking. I hesitate trying keto dessert recipes because they don’t always taste good but these are exactly the way I remembered them! Thank you so much!
So glad to hear it!
Carolyn,
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! it’s very similar to one that my grandma used to make with hazelnuts and that my father, who passed away a year ago around this time, loved. I’m sorry to hear that you lost your dad, too.
I’m going to use your recipe and sub in toasted hazelnuts. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Happy Holidays!
Best,
Linda
So sorry for your loss, Linda. It’s a tough time. Hazelnuts would be delicious!
Thank you so much, Carolyn! I hope you had a lovely Christmas!
I just wanted to follow up to say that I made these with the hazelnut and the flavor was a spot on match to my family recipe. However, I was trying to cut back on the amount of swerve I was using in the recipe, since I was planning to dust them with swerve confectioners and didn’t want an overload of cooling, so I used allulose for the cookie part and they didn’t crisp up. Do you think the allulose would have kept them from getting crispy?
Aside, for a handful of them, I added cinnamon and cardamom to the dusting swerve and it was an absolutely delicious complement to the hazelnut cookie.
Once again, I want to thank you for your site, recipes and advice. I have made the most delicious and memorable Christmas meals with your help.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year! I look forward to more of your creations in 2019.
Best,
Linda
Hi Linda, I am just beginning to play with allulose myself and yes, I am finding that it affects the consistency of baked goods. Swerve is non-hygroscopic, which means it doesn’t attract moisture. Allulose and other sweeteners like Bocha Sweet do attract moisture. That’s why they help caramel sauce and ice cream stay soft but they aren’t so great for crisp cookies.
Thanks! This is great info – I knew you’d have some good insight.
Regards,
Linda
I almost dropped my tablet this morning when I saw this post. I am in my early seventies and reading this, too, brings back deep nostalgia for me. I made these every Christmas with my 3 daughters and what fun we had trying to get them hot from the pan into the 1st coat of powdered sugar without breaking them and then into our mouths without burning ourselves. As they cooled we always rolled them a second time in the icing sugar and then left them to set up on a wire rack. Have missed my grown girls so much; making these tomorrow to bring back some special memories and, for that, I thank you.
Enjoy, Denise!
These cookies sound delightful and what a sweet tribute to your father. My dad would have loved these too. Next week is my baking week and I’ve added these to my list of “Carolyn’s cookies”. Seriously..all the recipes are yours. My family is a huge fan of yours!! Merry Christmas to you and your family! ❤️
“They can last in the fridge for up to two months.”
Hey Carolyn, did you mean the freezer? (Though I’m certainly adventurous enough to try 2-month old cookies…)
I made these cookies today and they are very good. Did you use sugar-free sprinkles?? where do you buy those? thanks!!
What brand of liquid stevia do you use? Looking forward to making these!
NuNaturals liquid, usually!
Real Vanilla Extract is NOT GLUTEN FREE. You have to use Imitation instead.
I am sorry, but I am not sure where you are getting your info from. There are many brands of REAL vanilla extract that are in fact gluten-free. Here’s one of them. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAWH4G?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000GAWH4G&linkCode=xm2&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20
I totally missed the contest, but have a question about the recipe. Is there a non-nut substitute for almond flour? Maybe a combination of whey protein and coconut flour? The nut flour is too much for the hubby’s system…I will take a stab at a substitute myself and let you know how it goes, but if you have a suggestion I would love to hear it.
gingerbread men! 🙂
LIKE Pampered Chef on Facebook
Already LIKE All Day I Dream About Food on Facebook 🙂 🙂
Following All Day I Dream About Food on Pinterest too!
Following Pampered Chef on Pinterest 🙂
The post says this expired yesterday, but I just saw you tweet about it, so… on the off-chance it counts, here I am. 🙂 My favorite cookies are orange cream cookies, which I found the recipe for in a Betty Crocker holiday cookie book a few years ago. They’re divine, and a great departure from all the chocolate and fudge that’s usually around.
It will count. I meant to have it run until tonight! I have been sick over the holidays so if I am a little spacey, forgive me. I will go adjust that now!
My fave is a sugar cookie. Nice and simple. Especially when they are shaped like snow flakes. Just really puts me in the holiday mood 🙂