I’m so excited to share this keto shortbread cookies recipe this time of year. They are my favorite almond flour cookies… and very shortly, they might be yours, too. Some people refer to the festive time at the end of the year as “the holiday season.” But I propose a new name: Cookie Season! And Cookie Season should be celebrated with these buttery almond flour shortbread cookies. 😉

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for almond flour shortbread cookies, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Basic Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies:

Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – Of course you need almond flour for almond flour cookies! This one is super finely ground and blanched, which is important if you want the best keto shortbread cookies without a gritty texture. Almond meal is not recommended, as the result will be grainy or gritty. If you need a nut-free version, make coconut flour shortbread cookies like this instead.Butter – Butter is going to be far superior to any alternatives in this almond flour cookie recipe. You can use ghee or even coconut oil for a dairy-free (or vegan) option, but butter gives the best flavor and texture. I recommend using salted butter, or adding a pinch of salt if your butter is unsalted, to balance the sweetener. Be sure your butter is softened at room temperature before you begin.Sweetener – I use Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, as it yields the best texture and doesn’t dry out the cookies. (It also has 0 net carbs and no aftertaste.) You can choose another granulated sweetener from the list of approved keto sweeteners (and use the sweetener conversion chart to substitute), but texture and flavor will vary.Vanilla Extract – With so few ingredients in these keto shortbread cookies, the quality will make a big difference. I like this brand.

Optional Chocolate Dip:

Sugar-Free Chocolate – Any kind will work, but I love this brand of sugar-free chocolate chips.Coconut Oil – Helps the chocolate harden after cooling, and also makes it beautifully shiny (instead of matte) when set.Chopped Nuts – I used pecans, but any other keto nuts will work.

How To Make Almond Flour Cookies

This section shows how to make keto shortbread cookies with almond flour, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Basic Keto Shortbread Cookies:

Optional Chocolate Dipped Edges:

Variations

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies – Fold chocolate chips into the almond flour cookie dough before baking, instead of dipping. (These will be keto shortbread cookies with chocolate chips, so if you prefer a more classic chocolate chip cookie, make these keto chocolate chip cookies instead.)Thumbprint Cookies – Make a thumbprint in each cookie before baking and fill with your favorite jam. I like this brand, or sometimes make my own sugar-free chia jam.Extracts – Instead of vanilla, try almond extract or any other you like.

Storage Instructions

Like most almond flour cookie recipes, this is one will last a while on the counter – at least a few days in an airtight container is fine. While it is incredibly easy to make these gluten free shortbread cookies keto, there are a few things to pay attention to:

Cream the butter correctly. Always begin with your hand mixer at a lower speed, so that butter and sweetener don’t fly everywhere, then increase as it starts to incorporate. This method creates little pockets of air, so you end up with more cookies. And because the air doesn’t conduct heat as well, the butter and sweetener in the cookies melts more slowly during baking. That means your keto almond cookies end up with a more delicate crumb. Start with butter that’s soft, but not too soft. If your softened butter is too warm, it won’t form those air pockets. That’s why you want to let it soften naturally instead of speeding up the process in the microwave. Take it out of the fridge, cut it up, and wait about 10-15 minutes – that’s the “just right” level of softness for these almond flour shortbread cookies. Don’t over-beat the butter. If you do, the air will actually break down and have the opposite effect of what you want. Five minutes is perfect. Use blanched almond flour. The type of almond flour you use is important. It needs to be blanched almond flour to be the right texture for keto shortbread cookies. Add almond flour gradually. If you dump it in in at once, it won’t mix as well and you’ll end up mixing it for too long, affecting the final texture. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Stop to scrape when you’re creaming the butter, and again after adding the almond flour. If you skip this step, you’ll end up with some pieces being more dense than others. Pack the dough gently into the cookie scoop. If it’s too loose in there, it might not stay together when you release. One lightly packed tablespoon of dough, flattened to about 1/3″ thickness, is going to give you the most delightful low carb shortbread cookies! Adjust oven time as needed. There are many factors that will affect the baking time for these keto almond flour cookies, including cookie thickness, the pan you use, what you lined it with, your oven size and temperature gauge, and even the weather outside. So, check promptly after 10 minutes in the oven, and then every couple minutes after that. Don’t open the oven too far to check because the oven temperature will drop. It’s best to use a light if you have one and just a tiny crack of the door, when needed. Be patient after baking. When they first come out of the oven, your almond flour shortbread cookies will be too soft and crumbly. Let them cool completely before handling them so that they can firm up.

If you want to keep them even longer, the fridge is fine for over a week.

How To Freeze Keto Shortbread Cookies

If you want to bake these keto almond flour cookies fresh for a party, a holiday, or just because you like still-warm-from-the-oven yumminess, you can! Make the cookie dough and freeze it. Lots of options here:

Freeze a whole ball of dough and then thaw later to make the gluten-free shortbread cookies.Scoop out the raw dough to form cookies qand freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag. When ready to place in the oven, you can just bake the frozen cookies.Freeze the keto cookies with almond flour after they are already baked. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter.

If you like these almond flour shortbread cookies, you might also like some of these other sugar-free cookies made with almond flour: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!

Nutrition info does not include optional chocolate dip and pecans. Salted butter is recommended. If using unsalted, add couple pinches of sea salt to the dough in step 3. Want to make these with coconut flour? Use this coconut flour shortbread cookie recipe.