Crispy and delicious, these low carb butter pecan cookies are one of my most popular keto dessert recipes. They’re so buttery and sweet, and so easy to make. And they’re egg free!
I am delighted to be re-introducing you to one of my most popular keto cookie recipes. Now, for those of you who love these butter pecan cookies, don’t panic. I haven’t changed the recipe at all.
I’ve just taken some new photos and added in even more tips and tricks to get the best low carb cookies imaginable! Because you deserve success in your keto baking.
Popular low carb cookie recipe
This recipe was first published in my cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen, and I was amazed at how popular it was right off the bat.
But really, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these unassuming little cookies took the keto world by storm.
While they aren’t fancy looking, and they don’t have frosting or sprinkles or beautiful drizzles of chocolate ganache, they pack a huge flavor punch.
They’re shortbread-style cookies, with no eggs and no baking powder. Just like traditional shortbread, they are the perfect marriage of flour, butter, and sweetener. Crispy, buttery, and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth.
Have I sold you yet?
Ingredients for butter pecan cookies
Just like conventional shortbread, you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients for this recipe. You simply need:
- butter
- sweetener – must be erythritol based for a crisp cookie
- flour – a mix of almond and coconut flours gives the right consistency
- vanilla
- salt
- chopped pecans
Tips for keto butter pecan cookies
The method is ridiculously simple but I have a few extra tips for you!
- Use softened butter. The butter should be soft enough for you to press a finger easily into it. If not, warm it up ever so slightly before proceeding, otherwise the other ingredients won’t beat in as well.
- Beat in the sweetener. It is absolutely imperative to use an erythritol based sweetener such as Swerve here. Erythritol is the only sweetener that allows cookies to get crisp. Even a small amount of allulose or BochaSweet will make them too soft.
- Add the flour, vanilla, and salt. The dough should be very uniform and well combined.
- Stir in the chopped pecans. I find it easiest to do this by hand, as the nuts can get caught in the beaters.
- Roll into balls and flatten slightly. Don’t push them down too much yet, as the edges crack when you do. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Flatten again. This is a trick I developed to get nice flat keto cookies. After a few minutes of baking, the dough is softer and more cohesive, so you can press them down thinly with a flat bottomed glass.
- Finish baking and enjoy! Remember, they will continue to crisp up as they cool so, as hard as it might be, leave them alone for a bit.
Slice and bake method
I want to give you one additional tip for these low carb cookies that I think you will appreciate, and that’s the slice and bake method. It’s ideal for making them in advance and baking a few cookies at a time. Here’s what you do:
- Divide the dough in half and roll each into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Wrap each log tightly in waxed paper and freeze for 1 hour.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices.
- Bake 5 minutes, then flatten with a glass.
- Proceed as directed.
You can freeze the dough logs for up to 2 months, but they will be very hard right out of the freezer. Let them soften for about 20 minutes before slicing. You can just cut a few and return the rest of the dough to the freezer, or you can make the whole batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
As mentioned above, these are shortbread style cookies. The recipe works as written and trust me, as long as you are using finely ground almond flour, they hold together just fine!
Please be sure to read the How To section. If you want a crisp cookie, the sweetener MUST be erythritol based, with no allulose or xylitol in the blend. As long as the main ingredient is erythritol, other sweeteners such as Lakanto should be fine.
Absolutely! Many readers have enjoyed these as low carb chocolate chip cookies too.
I have not tested this myself but palm shortening or coconut oil will probably work.
Storage information
Once baked, simply keep these low carb cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 10 days or freeze them for several months.
If you would prefer to freeze the raw dough, please refer to the “Slice and Bake” method outlined above.
Other keto pecan recipes you might like
- The Best Keto Pecan Pie
- Keto Maple Pecan Scones
- Sugar Free Pecan Turtles Candy
- Keto Biscotti with Pecans and Cranberries
- Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Brown Butter Pecan Muffins
Keto Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1 3/4 cups (182 g) almond flour
- 2 tbsp (14 g) coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 cup (49.5 g) chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener together until lightened and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. 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. Return to the oven and bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove and let cool completely. Store on the counter for 4 days and in the refrigerator after that.
Video
Nutrition
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!
These came out perfect! I was worried because they crumbled while I was rolling into a ball but they held together just fine. Tastes so awesome! Reminds me of my old time favorite Pecan Sanders that I ate pre-keto. I will make these again.
Carolyn,
First, I need to say that I get a little annoyed when comments involve completely changing the posted recipe – we are supposed to be commenting on THIS recipe. That said, I am about to be guilty of doing just that.
Second, this is absolutely THE BEST almond flour cookie recipe I have ever found, and I have tried so many for the past many years.
Third, I am grateful to the poster who suggested rolling the dough into a log, refrigerating for 30+ minutes, slicing and baking. This eliminates 2 steps, and works brilliantly. If a thumbprint style cookie is what you are after, however, your way is better.
Finally, in consideration for those posters, like me, who have family members who cannot gastronomically tolerate any of the sugar substitutes, I tried your recipe with 85 grams of organic pure cane sugar. These cookies are fantastic. SO much tastier, bigger, and better for you than pecan sandies. The texture is divine.
FitnessPal calculates 264 calories, and 14 gr carbs for 2 cookies, which is 9 carbs more than using Swerve or Allulose. But still – YUMMM.
TIP: For those posters who struggled with dry dough, I recommend weighing the almond flour (182 gr) rather than measuring (1.75 cups). After I got a kitchen scale, I found my measurements to be vastly different from weights, especially with flours. Once you try it, you can’t go back. Weighing is is the bomb of baking!
THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!
This is an update to my December 23 comment. I wanted you to know that I have made these 3 times since then. There are only the two of us here – my husband cannot get enough of them!
Wonderful to hear!
What flour can you use in place of coconut flour…I cannot digest it and also do not like the taste. Was wondering if I could add more almond flour or use tapioca flour?
Thank you
Sounds like you might need to experiment!
I followed the recipe exactly but when it came to flattening the cookies with a glass they stuck to the bottom. I decided to dip the bottom of the glass in water and work very quickly which helped.
I wanted a more crispy cookie as I find with Keto baking they tend to come out too soft and grainy. I decided to flip them over & bake them on both sides which improved the texture.
Toasting the pecans is a nice touch.
You just need to cover the cookies with parchment before you press them down…
OMG these are addictively delicious! I made a DAIRY FREE version using melted coconut oil. After mixing all ingredients together it was too crumbly so I drizzled some more coconut oil and slowly beat until the batter stuck together. Not sure why I needed more (perhaps coconut oil acts different than butter…dunno! I will bake them again though and see if I need more 🥥 oil the second time around. I 💕 this recipe, thank you!
Love the texture of these! I reduced the amount of sweetener from 1/2 to 1/3 and that was perfect for me. Thank you so much for a great cookie recipe.
Carolyn, you don’t have to publish this, but my cookies came out with very bland (or no) flavor at all! I followed the recipe exactly – what could I have done wrong?? I really look forward to trying more dessert recipes but am now worried about the lack of flavor in these.
I am not sure how they could have no flavor… what sweetener did you use?
These cookies are amazing. My family loves them.
I absolutely love this cookie. It is one of my favorite cookies by Carolyn Ketchum. It is an easy recipe and doesn’t take very long. Follow her directions completely- you won’t be dissappointed!
Scrumptious cookies that are possibly the best keto cookies I’ve had & made!
We simply love them. Great recipe