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.
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Just wondering ,since the pecans are chopped fine, might pecan flour work in the batter. It is finely ground pecans!
No, the pecans are finely chopped, but not ground. Pecan flour tends to make things quite dry… I don’t recommend.
These were yummy! I didn’t have the holiday toppings so I put chopped pecans. I also didn’t have enough pecans so I added a bit of walnuts for the cookie dough.
Great to hear!
Keto Pecan Crescents
Can you please give me the sugar content of your crescents please because I count my daily sugar content.
Thank you for your recipes.
No, I cannot. I don’t calculate that. But you should use the carb count because sugars are carbs. So the sugar content will essentially be the carbs minus the fiber.
An amazing tasting cookie. You can never go wrong with one of Carolyn’s recipes.
Thank you for this recipe. Pecan crescents are one of my favorites and I knew I would have to make a Keto version, because my sister in-law always makes the regular version and sends them in her Christmas parcel. I will be able to stay on track with these!
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.
These are very delicious
Do you think it would okay to roll these in powdered Bocha sweet and also use for the frosting in place of swerve? I like how Bocha doesn’t give too much of the cooling sensation. Just wondering if it would change the flavor too much from this recipe. Thank you!
Yes but it doesn’t thicken the frosting quite as well so I would hold back on liquid until you see how it is…
I saw this too late????????♀️???? and you are right, was a bit thin, but it’s okay, they were delicious! I did them both ways. Thank you for responding! ❤️ I’ll see if I can add the pic on the recipe save at beginning ❤️
I love this recipe.
I lost my dad too, and this time of year I miss him even more than usual. I feel your story in my heart.
I’ll think of you both as I share these cookies.
Thank you!
Oh my, these cookies are amazing!! A must try!
Pecan cookies are a holiday must have!
Oh my goodness, how good do these look! I can’t wait to make them!
We call these Pecan Sandies in our house. One of our all-time favorite Christmas cookies! So buttery, flakey and delicious! Thanks for the Keto version! Perfect!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!! Love that they are keto friendly. They look so soft & I love the crunch from pecans!
Having baked for a while, I always wonder about one direction for keto baking. Normally with butter and sugar, instructions often say “cream together” and this is to break the crystal structure of the sugar down (I believe). I find when baking with a sugar substitute like Swerve granular, I find it very hard to get that “cream” texture. The instructions for keto baking will often say mix until “light and fluffy”. I don’t know about anyone else, but this seems to never quite happen for me. The resulting product therefore still has a granular texture. Any suggestions for how to achieve “light and fluffy”?
Creaming butter and real sugar or another granular sweetener is NOT to break down the crystalline structure at all. It is to beat air bubbles into the butter. Many recipes beyond keto also say “until light and fluffy”. It serves exactly the same purpose. You need to beat for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. Stand mixers are more powerful and will do it more quickly.
Hi I am a bit confused! How many cookies in total should this recipe make? If each serving is 2 cookies, would the total number of cookies made = 20 and with 2 cookies per serving there are 10 total servings? Or does the recipe make 40 cookies with 2 cookies per serving for a total of 20?!!!
Thanks in advance for clarifying!
It’s 20 servings at 2 cookies per serving so yes it’s 40 cookies.