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
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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I have made this three times. They taste great, nice texture, and allow me to enjoy a treat with a cup of tea!
I really like this recipe, have made it three times! Reminds me of my sugar laden Pecan sandies. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Thanks so much!
I made these today, followed the receipe until it came to shaping them in balls. I made fairly small balls and baked them as is. Lightly browned, took out of oven and waited 3 minutes and gently dipped them all around in powdered swerve confectioners sugar. They are the best Mexican Wedding Cake cookies ever!!! Next time I’ll try them flat.
Great to hear!
My favorite cookie recipe. I almost always have these in my freezer!!
Does it work ok in your cookies recipes to eliminate the salt?
I’m baking for a friend who’s had a kidney transplant. I have the alternative to baking powder already, but wonder about how no salt would effect something besides taste.
thank you!
I am pretty much addicted to these cookies, so much so, that I had to stop making them because I’d eat 5-6 a day.
Maybe only make them when you need to share with a friend or at a party!
Thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to try these! I have a question though, the swerve sweetener you linked has allulouse in it, but you said even a small amount would make them soft and not crispy. Is that maybe a mistake link?
No… it’s an older recipe from before they changed their formula.
They are super super super delicious! Perfect cookie for a coffee break.
Made today with Whole Earth erythritol + monk fruit sweetner and almond flour from Costco, plus coconut flour from Aldi. Really impressed w/ the texture of these cookies, but IMHO they could be a tad sweeter. I am just starting on this journey for my T2D husband, and your website has been really, really helpful! I made one of the cheesecakes for his birthday last week, and that worked out well also. But I’d love to hear your thoughts on ingredients that can be purchased for less at places like Costco. Keto baking is expensive!!
One of my favorite cookies. They melt in your mouth. I may use this recipe as a base for individual muffin tin cheesecakes! Thanks for sharing.
Great cookies!!
I already had a butter pecan recipe I liked, but yours is better! Love the crispness—thanks to your flattening technique—and no eggs or baking powder. Toasting the nuts made a huge difference in flavor. Thank you, Carolyn!
My go to crispy cookie….and cookie dough snack!! Another amazing recipe!
These are our favorite cookies! I make them frequently exactly as the recipe is written and they are always a big hit with my keto and non-keto family members! Last night I was in the mood for a little chocolate so I added a 1/4 cup of no sugar added chocolate chips and I was drinking a cocktail so I added a few tablespoons of whiskey cream to the dough. Not sure of the carb count with those changes, but the cookies were amazing this way, as well! I might have to try some other varieties. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
They are cooling down right now. They look incredible.
I still can’t believe these cookies are Keto and gluten free! These are the best cookies I have ever tried!
I made a small modification: I added 1 egg and 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
Amazing cookies!!
These were delicious! I don’t currently have a mixer of any sort, so I just mixed by hand the sweeteners with the butter. It worked out just fine.