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.
Jump to:
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 ½ inches thick.
- Wrap each log tightly in waxed paper and freeze for 1 hour.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into ¼ 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
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 ¾ cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 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.
Teresa says
Made these cookies for work. Everyone loved them. A non Keto co-worker even asked me to make these for her for her birthday.
Heather says
Wonderful as usual…
Karen Handy says
I’ve never had a bad experience with Carolyn’s recipes. These are delicious.
Marie says
They are AWESOME
Dana says
These are decadent!
Susan says
I’m not a baker, these are fantastic! Brought back memories of my Dad’s favorite cookie, pecan sandies. Hubby only likes soft cookies, so more for me!
Ilana says
These cookies are awesome! They are so easy to make and absolutely delicious! I took these to a function where everyone brought a snack to share. These were declared the best thing on the snack table and were gobbled up by all the people that don’t follow a Keto diet. Make these! You won’t regret it.
Kim says
Love this recipe!
Doni says
These cookies are delicious and so versatile. Good with Lily’s chocolate chips, too!
Di says
Double batch every week. Family favorite, never gets tired of them.
allison says
We love these cookies My hubby especially requests these all the time!
Wendy Patton says
These taste so good and are very easy to make!!!! LOVE THEM
Jen J. says
These are just like pecan sandies. My husband said they were the best cookies and he couldn’t even tell they were low-carb. There was a bit of that cooling sensation from that much swerve, but overall a really good recipe. We will definitely make them again
Ana Clara says
I really loved the taste of it and the smell while baking was divine, nevertheless, after hours they are still very soft. I was expecting something a bit crunchier. Is it how they are supposed to be or did I do something wrong? Maybe next time cut down on butter or use a bit more coconut flour??? Any ideas??? Thank you for the recipe!!
Carolyn says
It has to either be your ingredients (what kind of almond flour?) or you live in a humid area because these are like shortbread. Tender but with a bit of crunch, not soft.
Cherrie says
These cookies turned out perfect!! Oh how I have missed that shortbread, melt in your mouth pecan-y taste! And the flavor was delicious! At 1.1 net carb per cookie this will now be my go-to-cookie when I’m craving a sweet treat! Thank you so much for sharing and I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!
Brigittte Dimock says
I added an egg as it didn’t seem like the mixture would hold together. The cookies came out perfect. I used a fork dipped in cold water to press them down.
Carolyn says
Try it without an egg next time. More like shortbread. 🙂
Debbie Frank says
Thank you so much for getting back to me !
They said two weeks and maybe a few days
Debbie Frank says
I would like to send these cookies overseas to my military son is there a reason we need to put them in the refrigerator after four days if I vacuum pack them do you think they would last I love your recipes Have your cookbook ❤️
Carolyn says
How long does it typically take to get there? These cookies have no eggs so they don’t go bad quickly but it’s always good to refrigerate almond flour.
Kathleen says
Oops! I added 1/4 cup of cocoa nibs; not 1/2 cup. Can’t edit my precious post.
Kathleen says
In my pre-keto days one of my favorite cookies was a Pecan Cocoa Nib Shortbread recipe by Alice Medrich. I added 1/2 cup of cocoa nibs to Carolyn’s already delicious recipe here, and baked ’em a bit longer to get them really browned (I know shortbread is supposed to be pale but we like these fully browned). I also found that I can place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough balls and flatten them before putting them in the oven, eliminating the need to remove them from the oven after 5 minutes to flatten. The plastic wrap prevents the dough from sticking to whatever is being used to flatten it. Carolyn, you are the best! Your Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen book lives on my kitchen counter and I wait eagerly for your next books. Thank you, and bless you, for sharing your talents.