Delicate and crispy pecan cookies dipped in sugar-free chocolate. Use these sweet keto lace cookies to make decadent sandwich cookies too!
Hey crispy cookie lovers, this one’s for you! And bonus points if you happen to be a pecan lover like me.
Back in January, a reader reached out saying she’d read somewhere that I really loved pecans. I don’t know where she possibly could have read such a thing. Perhaps it was in my Keto Pecan Pie for Two. Or perhaps it was Keto Pecan Turtle Candies that gave her that impression.
Whatever recipe it was, it also led her to offer to send me about 5 pounds of her homegrown and harvested pecans. Diehard pecan lover that I am, I couldn’t refuse.
When they arrived, my first order of business was to make these keto pecan lace cookies. And then of course I had to dip them in chocolate. And make little cookie sandwiches out of them too!
Thin and Crispy Keto Cookies
Some people like chewy cookies, some people like soft cookies, and some people like crispy cookies. Personally, I like them all. I have no prejudice when it comes to delicious cookies.
It depends on my mood and really just want kind of texture suits the cookie best. I love the chewiness of my keto ginger cookies, the softness of my keto lemon sugar cookies, and the crispness of my keto cut out cookies.
But I truly truly love these super thin and crispy pecan lace cookies. They’re fragile and delicate, but with a hefty toasted pecan flavor. They’re great on their own, but absolutely magical with a little dark chocolate.
My whole family loved them so much, I made a second batch soon after the first. I actually had to hide a few to save them for myself.
Pecan lace cookie inspiration
Lace cookies require a delicate balance between butter and flour, so that they spread and become super thin, but still hold together. Making keto lace cookies without any flour or gluten is tricky at best.
But I spotted this gorgeous recipe from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen, which included an egg to help hold things together. I’d actually made a similar “Oatmeal” lace cookie for The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking.
So I brought together the two ideas and experimented with the gorgeous pecans sent to me. I toasted them and ground them, and played around until the dough felt right.
And they came out perfectly crisp and thin, just like a lace cookie should.
Tips for Keto Pecan Lace Cookies
These aren’t hard to make at all, but a few of my best tips will help you get crispy cookie perfection.
Use the right sweetener
The kind of sweetener you use plays a big role in getting your cookies nice and crisp. To put it bluntly, nothing but erythritol based sweeteners will work. Cookies simply do not crisp up properly with xylitol, allulose, stevia, or any other sweetener.
Monk fruit blends like Lakanto will work too, because they are mostly erythritol. But if your sweetener contains even a little allulose or xylitol, your cookies won’t crisp up properly.
Ground and toasted pecans
You can start with toasted pecans, or you can toast your own (instructions in the recipe). But it is important to grind them well, almost to a flour, so that they hold the cookies together.
Watch them carefully as you grind, so that they don’t become pecan butter.
Baking soda, not baking powder
Don’t confuse these two! You don’t want your cookies to rise, but you do want them to spread properly. Baking soda helps cookies become crispy. As long as there is no acid to cause a reaction, they won’t rise.
They do still need a tiny bit of help spreading, as all keto cookies do (because they don’t contain sugar). Pressing them down with a glass partway through baking always helps.
Silicone mats
I specified silicone mats for lining the pans, as they will protect your cookies better. You can probably use parchment instead but I would watch them carefully so that they don’t burn before they are properly cooked.
Cookie scoops for perfect cookies!
I honestly don’t normally bother with cookie scoops, but in this case they helped me achieve perfectly sized keto lace cookies that baked evenly. I used a 1 tablespoon scoop and I leveled it off every time.
If you don’t have a cookie scoop, make sure you are using only 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie.
Let them cool!
As always, let them cool completely on the pan before you touch them. Keto baked goods need to cool to firm up properly. Try to remove them too soon, and you will end up with a lot of pecan lace cookie crumbs.
Dip them carefully
These are delicate cookies so use a light hand when you dip them in the chocolate or spread them with chocolate. You may break one or two… I did!
Ready to make these delicious Keto Pecan Lace Cookies?
More delicious keto pecan recipes
- Pecan Praline Sauce
- Pecan Crescent Cookies
- The Best Keto Pecan Pie
- Maple Pecan Scones
- Pecan Crusted Pork Chops
- Cinnamon Pecan Cookies
Keto Pecan Lace Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 6 tbsp butter softened
- 1/3 cup Swerve Brown
- 1/4 cup Swerve Granular
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Chocolate Dip/Filling
- 4 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350F and spread the pecans out in a single layer. Bake 8 minutes or so, until nicely toasted. Keep your eye on them so that they don't burn.
- Remove and let cool completely, then transfer to a food processor and process until well ground (but do not let them become butter). Set aside.
- Reduce the oven heat to 325F and line two baking sheets with silicone mats (parchment can work but they can burn more easily).
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweeteners until well combined. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract, then beat in the ground pecans, almond flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. (You can also use a regular spoon but you want only 1 tbsp of dough per cookie). You should get about 30 cookies.
- Bake 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and press down with a flat bottomed glass to flatten them out. If your dough is sticking to the glass, cover the cookies with parchment before pressing down.
- Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or so, until golden brown. Remove and let cool completely on the pan. Some oil may leach out during the baking process but it will re-absorb as they sit and cool.
Chocolate Dip/Filling
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter. Stir until melted and smooth.
- To dip cookies: Dip the cookies in the chocolate to about halfway up and hold above the melted chocolate to let the excess drain off. Lay on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans, if desired. Refrigerate until set.
- To make sandwich cookies: Spread about 2 tsp of the chocolate mixture on to the bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie. Refrigerate until set.
Kathi says
Have not made these but was thinking sandwiches with the dark chocolate would make them like a keto version of Pepperidge Farm Brussels Dark Chocolate sandwich cookies, which were my absolute favorite store-bought cookie before having to ditch grains and sugar. Carolyn or anyone who has made them, is this the case?
Jennifer says
I’m thinking of making sandwiches using your caramel sauce. I’m concerned that they won’t set up well, but they would be so delicious!!
Melissa Sperka says
Beautiful Job, Carolyn! I can’t wait to make these!!
Wendy says
Hi Carolyn , Fabulous recipe as always and thanks for sharing. If we wanted to make these dairy free, would you recommend the Nutiva Palm oil shortening for the butter or coconut oil / ghee substitute? Thank you!
Carolyn says
I think the palm oil is probably your best bet, as coconut oil will be very greasy. You also may need a bit less of it.
C. says
Replaced pecan nuts with ground hazelnuts and the outcome was like having Nutella cookies ! Loved it ! Also I did not use any butter in the melted choc, and it worked just fine. Awesome recipe !
Sarah Myers says
Can you just use white sugar as l cannot get Brown sugar?
Carolyn says
You mean brown sugar substitute, right? I haven’t tested them out with just Swerve Granular but I think it should work.
Sarah Myers says
In Zimbabwe l cannot get swerve brown sugar, would they work with just swerve white. Regards sarah
Carolyn says
I have yet to try it without the Swerve Brown but I think it should be okay.
andrea Walker says
My husband and I loved these cookies. What chocolate do you use for dipping? I used Lily’s and it seemed very thick. I’m wonder if I should have added extra butter or used a different chocolate
Carolyn says
I used Lily’s as well. Your heat may have been a little high… always melt double boiler style over very low heat.
Rachael Yerkes says
First off, love that these are keto friendly! They are delicious!
Paige says
These look amazing and delicious! I have been looking for a good keto cookie and think I found it! Thanks for sharing..
Eden says
These were fantastic! We all loved them 🙂
Shirley says
Hi Carolyn, these were crispy and delicious. I found them too wet to flatten at 5 minutes, so just let them bake without flattening and they were wonderful. Dipped them in Lily’s Extra Dark Chocolate bar, melted with butter. They stored well and stayed crispy for a few days in the fridge. Thanks for your great recipes.
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Amanda says
These are great! My third recipe of yours that I’ve made and the third recipe I love. And that’s just not something that happens much with keto baking. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad they worked out well!
Deb says
These are simply the best crisp keto cookie I’ve baked yet!! Simply yummy and satisfying
Gina Bailey says
Do you have a weight on the measurement for pecan halves?
Carolyn says
I do not, sorry.
Tresa Lovejoy says
These look great! My husband has been asking for a cookie like this.
Instrctons say :Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract, then beat in the ground pecans, almond flour. However I don’t see Almond flour in the list of ingredients. How much is needed?
Tresa Lovejoy says
Sorry Missed the Almond flour until I printed it out.
Ellie says
Hi Carolyn,
Can these be done with regular walnuts instead of pecans? I have various on hand and I’m eager to try this so wouldn’t like to wait until the next order of pecans arrives! Thansk in advance, Ellie
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not! They tend to bake the same way.
Ellie says
Great, thanks for confirming!
Jeannette says
I already have ground pecans. How much would you say I would need insted of the pecan halves?
Carolyn says
Probably about 1 1/4 cups.
Vicki White says
Just a heads up…Ingredients and blog say baking soda, but instructions say baking powder. I was not confused and saw it as a typo, but some folks might be confused. I’m making these this week once we finish the browned butter blondies I made a few days ago.
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Pam Bradley says
Those look so good. I would be the only one eating them , have you tried freezing the cookies? I thought about doing half a recipe , but I did wonder about freezing.
Carolyn says
I think they might lose a bit of crispness, but honestly, if you made them into the sandwiches and froze some, they’d still be delicious when thawed, even if less crisp.