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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Lany says
Following All Day I Dream About Food on Pinterest too!
Lany says
Following Pampered Chef on Pinterest 🙂
Kim says
The post says this expired yesterday, but I just saw you tweet about it, so… on the off-chance it counts, here I am. 🙂 My favorite cookies are orange cream cookies, which I found the recipe for in a Betty Crocker holiday cookie book a few years ago. They’re divine, and a great departure from all the chocolate and fudge that’s usually around.
Carolyn says
It will count. I meant to have it run until tonight! I have been sick over the holidays so if I am a little spacey, forgive me. I will go adjust that now!
Lany says
My fave is a sugar cookie. Nice and simple. Especially when they are shaped like snow flakes. Just really puts me in the holiday mood 🙂
barbara n says
My favorite Christmas cookie is a traditional cut out sugar cookie which we make every year with the kids!
Michele says
My favorite Christmas Cookie is pinwheels. I have never actually made them, but my mom used to make them every year.
Jennifer Clark says
We love OREO truffle balls. I wish I had the cookie scoop when I was rolling all them.
Kathleen says
My favorite Christmas cookie is Nut Butter Balls. It’s a type of sand tart with butter, a little flour and both almond and vanilla extract.
Maureen says
THIS Pecan Crescent is my favorite cookie! Truly, before I turned to low carb eating, Pecan Sandies, Crescents, Mexican Wedding cookies were my absolute favorite and I could never get enough of them! Thank you SO much for creating this low carb, gluten free version. Without the sugar, I can actually stop at two (one serving) and be content. The flavor and texture are spot on. I didn’t even make the glaze or sprinkle them with erythritol, they’re perfect as is. Thank you again and Happy Holidays!!
David Marshall says
My love for simple sugar cookies is profound.
Kathy - Panini Happy says
I follow you on Pinterest
Kathy - Panini Happy says
I follow you on Facebook
Kathy - Panini Happy says
My favorite Christmas cookie would have to be the chocolate sandwich cookies my mom makes with a peppermint filling.
Prescilla says
My favorite cookies are sugar cookies made with my granddaughter Brianna.
Jeeun Kim says
Luv sugar cookies! Bonus that the kids have a blast decorating them!
Lindsay @ Laughing Lindsay says
I like The Pampered Chef on Facebook.
Lindsay @ Laughing Lindsay says
I love to make peanut butter cookies at Christmas.
kaelikat says
Favorite Christmas cookie would almond crescents!
Michele says
I like pinwheel cookies the best – but I have not been brave enough to try to make them. They seem like too much work!
Susan C says
Like All Day I Dream About Food on Facebook