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    Home » Gluten Free » Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies

    Published: Dec 15, 2018 · Modified: Oct 30, 2022 by Carolyn

    Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    7.0K shares
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    Tender pecan crescent cookies made with almond flour. These easy and delicious low carb cookies are a must make for the holiday season. They also make great snowball cookies too! And at 4g total carbs per serving, you can afford to indulge.

    Pecan Crescent Cookies on a white plate

    These low carb pecan crescent cookies are full of deep and emotional nostalgia for me. Pecan crescents were my father’s favorite Christmas cookie, and as many of you know, he died a few years ago right around Christmas. I miss him terribly but I am lucky I got so much time with him in the end.

    I originally created this recipe in 2012, long before his diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He and his wife often used to spend Christmas with us when we lived in Boston, before he got too ill to travel. One holiday, I was inspired to attempt a low carb version of his beloved pecan crescents.

    Low carb pecan crescent cookies in a circle on a black plate

    And I was absolutely delighted by how they turned out, and how pleased he was to indulge in my healthier version. They have the same soft and yet slightly crumbly texture of the original, and the same delicious pecan flavor coming through, without an ounce of sugar or gluten. The old man gave them two thumbs up.

    It truly is astonishing what you can accomplish with a stick of butter, a bag of almond flour, and a willingness to experiment.

    I decided that in his honour, I needed to update this old post and give them some pretty new photos.

    Low carb pecan crescent cookies for the holidays

    How To Make Pecan Crescent Cookies

    Pecan crescents are akin to shortbread and they have that unique sandy texture of a typical shortbread cookie. To shape them, you simply roll them into balls and then form them into crescents. Or you could simply leave them as balls and turn them into pecan snowballs.

    Be sure to use finely chopped, toasted pecans. If the pecan chunks are too large, it’s harder to roll and shape the cookies properly.

    Our traditional family recipe took brown sugar. At the time I first created these, I subbed in granulated Swerve and some molasses, but now that Swerve has a brown sugar substitute, it’s perfect for these cookies. If you can’t find Swerve Brown, try regular Swerve and 2 teaspoons of Yacon or molasses.

    We used to decorate our cookies with some canned vanilla frosting that we thinned out with a little milk. Ugh, can you believe that? Now I simply whisk together a little vanilla glaze with powdered sweetener and heavy cream, and it’s just as good.

    Sadly, there really aren’t any great sugar-free sprinkles out there. I just use a few holiday sprinkles on the frosted cookies to give them a festive flair.

    You could also simply roll them in powdered sweetener. I did that to half of the pecan crescent cookies this time and they were lovely that way. If you want to make snowballs with these cookies, you simply roll them in powdered sweetener after they’ve cooled.

    This recipe makes a lot of cookies so it’s perfect for holiday parties or gift-giving. The great thing is that the cookies freeze well both baked and unbaked. For unbaked, simply wrap the dough up tightly in plastic and freeze. Thaw before shaping and rolling into crescents.

    If you want freeze the baked cookies, let them cool properly first. Freeze before frosting or rolling in powdered sweetener. They can last in the fridge for up to two months.

    Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies in a pile

    So there you go, Dad. I am sending a healthy keto version of your beloved Pecan Crescent Cookies into the world so that people can enjoy them. Miss you!

    Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies in a pile

    Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies

    Tender pecan crescent cookies made with almond flour. These easy and delicious low carb cookies are a must make for the holiday season. They also make great snowball cookies too! And at 4g total carbs per serving, you can afford to indulge.
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Dessert
    Keyword: pecan crescent cookies, pecan snowballs
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 168kcal

    Ingredients

    Cookies:

    • 2 cups almond flour
    • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
    • 2 tablespoon coconut flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • ⅔ cup Swerve Brown (or regular Swerve and 2 teaspoons Yacon syrup)
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Vanilla Glaze:

    • ⅔ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol
    • 6 to 8 tablespoon heavy cream
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    For the cookies:

    • Preheat oven to 325F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, chopped pecans, coconut flour baking powder and salt.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter with Swerve until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
    • Beat in almond flour mixture until dough comes together. Form dough into ¾ inch balls, then roll between palms and shape into crescents.
    • Lay on prepared baking sheets and bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until just lightly golden brown. They will not be firm to the touch, but will firm up as they cool. Cool on the pan.

    For the glaze:

    • Whisk powdered Swerve with ¼ cup cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon more cream at a time until a thin but spreadable consistency is achieved.
    • Spread on cooled cookies and decorate as desired.
    • Or simply roll the cookies in powdered sweetener. 

    Notes

    Serves 20 (2 cookies per serving). Each serving has 5.2 g of carbs and 2.2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3 g (minus the sprinkles, but those don't add much if used judiciously).
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Pecan Crescent Cookies
    Amount Per Serving (2 cookies per serving)
    Calories 168 Calories from Fat 140
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15.5g24%
    Carbohydrates 3.8g1%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Protein 3.5g7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    7.0K shares

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    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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      Recipe Rating




    1. Joanne says

      November 25, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe. Pecan crescents are one of my favorites and I knew I would have to make a Keto version, because my sister in-law always makes the regular version and sends them in her Christmas parcel. I will be able to stay on track with these!

      Reply
    2. Cindy says

      November 06, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Just made these and they turned out Great. Made half the recipe, but will make a whole recipe for Christmas. My family really liked these.

      Reply
    3. Cindy says

      December 15, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      These are very delicious

      Reply
    4. Claudette says

      December 07, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Do you think it would okay to roll these in powdered Bocha sweet and also use for the frosting in place of swerve? I like how Bocha doesn’t give too much of the cooling sensation. Just wondering if it would change the flavor too much from this recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 07, 2021 at 2:28 pm

        Yes but it doesn’t thicken the frosting quite as well so I would hold back on liquid until you see how it is…

        Reply
        • Claudette says

          December 07, 2021 at 7:22 pm

          I saw this too late????????‍♀️???? and you are right, was a bit thin, but it’s okay, they were delicious! I did them both ways. Thank you for responding! ❤️ I’ll see if I can add the pic on the recipe save at beginning ❤️

          Reply
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