These Keto Ginger Molasses Cookies are a dream come true for cookie lovers. Thick, chewy, and with the perfect balance of sweet and spice, they always hit the spot. And they have only 2.3g net carbs per serving!
If you love gingery sweets, then these Keto Ginger Cookies are going to blow your mind. They blew my mind when I created them, and clearly others felt the same way. They continue to be a fan favorite, year after year.
They are everything you want in a ginger cookie. Soft and chewy, with a nice gingery kick and a hint of molasses. And when I say a hint, I really mean just a hint.
I put these on my platter of Keto Christmas Cookies every year and they are often the first to disappear!
Why you will love this recipe
This recipe was the first in which I added gelatin for a chewier consistency. And I was surprised and impressed at the difference it made. I use the same trick in other recipes, like keto brownies.
Keep in mind that these are not meant to be crisp like Keto Gingerbread Cookies. Gelatin works best in recipes that have a soft texture. It helps mimic the characteristics of a classic ginger molasses cookie.
One thing I love about this cookie recipe is how easy it is to make. I can whip up a big batch that serves 20 people in less than 40 minutes. They also store really well so you can make them ahead and freeze until needed.
Reader Testimonials
“Yay!! Ginger snaps/molasses cookies are my absolute favorite and I miss them being on Keto. These are amazing and hit all the notes perfectly!!” — SandyB
“I made a batch of these today for ROAD TRIP SNACKS. I’ve gotta say these are the BEST low carb/keto cookies I have EVER made, and I’ve made many. These are the closest to REAL cookies in taste and texture and I really, really thank you!” — Andrea
“I’m surprised as heck, but these cookies work! I’m so used to almond flour producing a product that crumbles very easily and these have a real chewiness.: — Becky
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: As always, finely ground almond flour will make the best cookies, without a grainy texture.
- Grassfed gelatin: The addition of gelatin is key to a chewy consistency, so I don’t recommend skipping it. You can use Knox gelatin, and about 2 envelopes is sufficient for this recipe. You can also try replacing the gelatin with 1/2 cup of collagen peptides.
- Spices: Ginger cookies always include ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and either nutmeg or cloves. You can increase the ginger as much as you like. Some people like to double it in this recipe!
- Almond butter: I use almond butter in this recipe to increase the moisture and create a good thick cookie dough. You can use other nut butters, but peanut butter has a strong flavor and may overpower the spices.
- Swerve Brown: A brown sugar replacement adds more flavor to the cookies than granular white sweetener. I recommend Swerve Brown.
- Molasses: I add 2 teaspoons of real molasses to my cookies, for added color and flavor. You can omit this if you feel strongly about it, but it only adds about 0.5g of carbs per serving.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, butter, baking soda, vanilla extract.
Step by Step Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, gelatin, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, almond butter and sweetener until smooth. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the almond flour mixture and continue to beat until the dough comes together.
3. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently press down a bit (to encourage them to spread). Return to the oven and bake another 7 minutes or so, until just barely golden brown. They will still be very soft. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Expert tips
Don’t press the cookies down from the start, when the dough is completely raw. This tends to make the edges crack. Allow the cookies to bake for 5 minutes first, to warm up the dough. Pressing down at this point helps them spread properly without making irregular, cracked edges.
Sweetener options: For best results, I recommend erythritol-based sweeteners. BochaSweet and allulose tend to make cookies more puffy and soft, rather than chewy. Allulose also browns very quickly during baking, which may make the cookies too dark.
Gelatin substitutes: You can omit the gelatin altogether, although the cookies will be less chewy. You can also add some collagen peptides, but you will need about half a cup to get the same chewiness. I am not sure that any vegetarian substitutes, like agar agar, will have the same effect. But you’re certainly welcome to experiment!
Frequently Asked Questions
These keto ginger cookies have 4.2g of carbs and 1.9g of fiber. That comes to 2.3g net carbs per serving of 2 cookies. And yes, that includes the molasses!
Adding gelatin goes along way to making keto cookies chewier. It is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts and holds onto moisture during baking. This characteristic helps offset the lack of gluten and sugar in keto baked goods so that they don’t dry out as much.
Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months. The raw dough freezes nicely as well. Thaw completely before rolling into balls and baking as directed.
More ginger recipes you will enjoy
- Keto Gingerbread Pound Cake
- Easy Gingerbread Waffles
- Sugar Free Gingerbread Latte
- Mini Keto Gingerbread Cheesecakes
- Keto Gingerbread Biscotti
Keto Ginger Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 2 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (125 g) almond butter
- 1 cup (182 g) Swerve Brown
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp molasses, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, gelatin, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, almond butter and sweetener until smooth. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the almond flour mixture and continue to beat until the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. You should get about 40 cookies.
- Bake 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently press down a bit (to encourage them to spread). Return to the oven and bake another 7 minutes or so, until just barely golden brown. They will still be very soft.
- Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Notes
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.
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!
This recipe was sooooo good! I was looking for a recipe that I could make while visiting family. They came out so chewy and delicious, I was amazed… didn’t have the molasses, but made it with everything else.
Mine did not come out at all. Had to throw it all away. They spread way out and almost covered the whole sheet pan. They were too soft. And none of liked the taste. The only thing I didn’t add was the molasses because it’s not available where I live. Also I can’t get almond butter so I made my own out of fresh almonds. Could those two items made a difference?
Yup, your homemade almond butter is the issue… it was probably quite oily and thin, so you needed more flour.
I used organic brown sugar since I’m trying to avoid grains more than sugar. I wanted a delicious Christmas cookie and that’s what I got. The texture and flavor are on point.
Hi Carolyn
I’m hoping I can use this recipe as the crust for a pumpkin pie Christmas Day.
Do you think this would be possible, or will it get soggy?
My grandchildren LOVE these cookies and they love pumpkin pie sooooo…..😊
Thanks for your help and Merry Christmas!
This recipe reminds me of my Mom’s chewy ginger molasses cookies. She rolled the balls in sugar and the. baked them. Gonna do that with my Lakanto granulated sweetener. Love this. Thank you for all your great recipes. So life saving!
Hi Carolyn,
First question – no salt? That seems surprising to me?
Second question/comment – I bought that Yacon Syrup that you originally used in this recipe. You switched back to molasses so that yacon just not give the cookies enough flavor?
There is salt: baking soda, almond butter, and butter. 🙂 That should suffice. Yacon is fine… I switched back ONLY because molasses is more readily available and a LOT less expensive.
Can the dough be frozen for future baking?
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions section.
I don’t know what happened but mine came out soupy. I double checked what I was doing as I went along. I don’t know what the issue was.😥
Cookies came out soupy? I don’t know what that means…
Should we packing the Swerve Brown like we do conventional brown sugar ?
It kind of packs itself but don’t jam it in there.
Can’t wait to try these! I don’t have almond butter and I’ve never used it before. Can this be made by processing almond flour in food processor?
Hi there!
I hesitate to buy a pound of grass-fed gelatin, can I use Knox?
The pantry is sure looking different these days! ????
Hi back! I’ve already addressed that in the blog post, under the Ingredients You Need section. 🙂
Do you think this would work without the sweetener? I am needing to make changes to take out any sweetener so would love your input please! Or do you have any other baked recipes without sweetener? thank you!
I don’t think it would be great but you’re welcome to try.
I love a crunchy ginger snap. Could these be made as a crunchy cookie?
Please read the blog post… I already addressed this.
Before I started baking without sugar, I regularly made molasses ginger cookies every Christmas. They are my husband’s favorite cookie. I searched for a no sugar version to replace my old recipe and this one is near perfect to what I used to make. The soft, but chewy consistency to the cookie is wonderful and the spices are lovely. Most important, my husband loves them! They are on the list to make for this Christmas as well. I make them exactly according to your recipe, with no changes or substitutes.
I am so glad!
What can I substitute for almond butter? Not peanut butter,
Please read the blog post.
I love all the years of hard work, trial and error that you have invested into low carb cooking. I have several keto recipe books, mostly yours; but if I want fail-safe recipes, I know to always use yours. Thank you!
I’ve been meaning to ask…when baking cookies, cakes, bread, etc., do you bake on conventional or convection?
Thanks again!
I always use conventional since not everyone has convection. I like my recipes to be universal because they can always be adjusted for convection.