Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now- Why You’ll Love These Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Tips For The Best Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Storage Instructions
- More Keto Cookie Recipes
- Tools To Make Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
These low carb keto chocolate chip cookies are one of my oldest keto desserts, and they are also in my second keto cookbook, but I’ve tweaked them over the years because I make them so much. My sugar free chocolate chip cookies were originally inspired by my keto shortbread cookies, and I’m excited to share with you how these have evolved into a fan-favorite.
Why You’ll Love These Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
For the best keto chocolate chip cookies, I use a combination of granulated Besti and Besti Brown sweeteners for aftertaste-free sweetness with a hint of brown sugar flavor. Wholesome Yum Almond Flour creates the best texture because of its ultra-fine grind.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto chocolate chip cookies, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter – Make sure it’s softened at room temperature before you start. You can try to replicate it with ghee or coconut oil if you need to for dairy-sensitive or dairy-free options, but the texture is still a bit different.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My favorite natural keto sweetener with the best flavor and texture. It keeps the keto cookies soft and chewy. Other sweeteners contain erythritol, which is more drying but does make your cookies more crispy. If you want to use something else, use my sweetener conversion chart.
- Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – For a taste and aroma like brown sugar. If you need a substitute, you can replace the brown sweetener with the same amount of granulated Besti, and mash it with 1/4 teaspoon of blackstrap molasses, which adds a negligible amount of sugar.
- Egg – This keto chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for one whole, large egg and it needs to be at room temperature, otherwise it will solidify the butter and the cookie dough texture won’t be right. An egg substitute should work fine if needed.
- Vanilla Extract – This brand is my fave.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Make sure to use blanched, finely ground almond flour. You’ll be disappointed in the end result if you try to use almond meal or coarse “natural” almond flour (a misnomer, really, because the blanched kind is natural too!). If you can’t use almond flour, my coconut flour chocolate chip cookies are just as delicious, but don’t try to use coconut flour in this recipe.
- Sea Salt
- Xanthan Gum – Although optional, if it works with your diet restrictions, I highly recommend leaving it in to keep these chewy! But, you can skip it if you like crispy low carb cookies.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – I use this brand.
How To Make Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
This section shows how to make keto choc chip cookies, 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.
- Cream the butter and sweetener. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter, Besti, and Besti Brown, until fluffy.
- Beat in the other ingredients. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Then, beat in the almond flour, 1/2 cup at a time, then the salt.
- Add the xanthan gum. Sprinkle (don’t dump) xanthan gum over the cookie dough, then beat.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Use a spatula to fold until they are evenly distributed.
- Scoop the cookie dough. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten each cookie with your palm.
- Bake until golden. Allow the low carb chocolate chip cookies to cool completely before handling. (They need time to firm up.)
Now, go grab a glass of unsweetened almond milk… or your favorite keto milk of choice… or maybe even a cup of keto butter coffee? Either way, you’ll want to dunk these sugar-free chocolate chip cookies in there!
Tips For The Best Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Make sure your butter is soft enough. Soft butter is important to cream properly and create air pockets. You can do this by cutting it into pats and letting it sit on the counter for 15 minutes. For a faster way, fill a glass or stainless steel cup or bowl with very hot water and let it sit for a few minutes, then place the cup or bowl upside down over the butter. The residual heat will soften it.
- Cream the butter correctly. Start with lower speed to prevent splattering, then increase as it starts to incorporate. The right amount of time is 3-5 minutes. More or less time can make your sugar free chocolate chip cookies too dense.
- Add the almond flour gradually. This allows it to incorporate evenly and avoids beating too much, which can lead to dense cookies as well.
- Sprinkle (don’t dump) the xanthan gum. If you dump it in all at once, it tends to clump and might not incorporate into the cookie dough.
- Pack the dough into your cookie scoop. If it’s too loose, it won’t stay together once you release it.
- Flatten the cookies to the desired thickness. Unlike traditional ones, keto chocolate chip cookies don’t spread much, so it’s important to flatten them to the thickness you want.
- Reserve some extra chocolate chips. For prettier cookies, feel free to press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops before baking.
- Watch them carefully. Low carb chocolate chip cookies are done when the edges are golden brown. The allulose in Besti makes the cookies soft and chewy, but it can also burn more easily than other sweeteners, so keep an eye on them when baking.
- Adjust baking time for your desired texture. Cookies with darker edges will be more crispy than lighter ones. If you prefer them crispier,omit the xanthan gum. Keep in mind, though, that this is generally a chewy keto chocolate chip cookie recipe rather than a super crispy one.
- Let them cool. The cookies will look melty and smell amazing right out of the oven, but resist the urge to grab one right away — they will fall apart. They need to cool completely to firm up. (You can always reheat them a bit after cooling if you like them warm.)
Storage Instructions
- Store: Your keto chocolate chip cookies will store perfectly in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the fridge for 10 days.
- Reheat: If you like warm cookies, pop them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.
- Freeze: Arrange the cookies in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
If you like these sugar free chocolate chip cookies, here are more easy low carb cookie recipes to try:
If you love chocolate but cookies aren’t your thing, try my keto fudge brownies instead!
Tools To Make Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Baking Sheet – My favorite pan to use in the kitchen. It’s nonstick and easy to clean.
- Hand Mixer – I prefer using a hand mixer for cookie dough because it offers more control and takes up less space in my kitchen, but a stand mixer also works.
- Cookie Scoop – Makes the perfect size keto chocolate chip cookies!
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
The best keto chocolate chip cookies, with just 6 ingredients! This easy sugar free chocolate chip cookies recipe has only 2g net carbs each.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter, Besti, and Besti Brown, until fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
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Beat in the almond flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat in the salt.
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Sprinkle (don’t dump) xanthan gum over the cookie dough, then beat.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Use a medium cookie scoop (this is a good size) to scoop rounded portions of the dough, pack tightly, then release onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your palm to flatten each cookie to about 1/3 inch thick.
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Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until the edges are golden. (Time will vary depending on your oven and the exact thickness of your cookies.) Allow to cool completely on the pan before handling.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cookie (~2 1/4 inch diameter)
Recipe from The Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
272 Comments
Stephanie
0Toddler and family love it thanks!
Nita
0How is it low-carb when blackstrap molasses has 15 grams of carbs and 13 grams of sugar?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nita, those numbers are closer to what you would find in a full tablespoon of molasses. This recipe only uses a teaspoon, and those carbs and sugars are divided among a batch of 20 cookies.
Lisa Diver
0These are amazing! I used golden monk fruit sweetener and no molasses. Yum can’t stop at 1 though….
Elizabeth Swihart
0Love this recipe! I used another recipe to make my own homemade sugar free chocolate chips; it was better to buy silicone molds & make my own over & over rather than paying $9 a bag. I used all your tips & tricks, especially patience, & they turned out fabulous. I didn’t use molasses, instead I used 1/2 tsp of maple extract. Thank you
Laura
0I have appreciated and enjoyed reading your’ recipes for the ftime. I have a question about one of your products, what is Powder Erythritol and what is it used for?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laura, Powdered erythritol is a natural sugar-free sweetener, the consistency of powdered sugar.
Anita
0WOW, just made them. Mine don’t look as nice because the chocolate chips I used are so big – have to take care of that the next time. 😉
They taste sooooooooo good. Thank you for all the hard work you put into creating this great site & all the recipes!
Nom nom nom
Ann Turner
0I just made these cookies for my hubby, he is the sweet eater in our house. They are delicious. I tripled the batch so I could freeze cookie dough. I also want to say that I have tried lots of keto diet meal plans and Maya’s is the best. It’s easy to follow and the recipes are quick and delicious. Thank You Maya.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ann, I’m so glad you like the cookies and meal plans. I really appreciate the kind words!!
Toni
0I made these with a bit of tweaking, and they were great! I used Swerve brown sugar for sweetener, and no molasses. I also added about 1/4 tsp baking powder for a little lift. I baked them for closer to 14-15 minutes. It’s true that they get better after they cool…the texture is on point. I will be making them again, and will try a few flavor variations – adding low-sugar peanut butter and no chocolate chips, or add both! Excellent recipe either way. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Javier Labbe
0What can I substitute for the molasses?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Javier, Possibly a bit of maple extract. It’s just there for flavor, and doesn’t add a significant amount of carbs. You can skip it but it gives the cookies a more authentic flavor, as if they were made with brown sugar.
Bobby
0I’m not sure how anyone calls these incredible. We made them twice and found them mostly inedible. They taste nothing at all like real chocolate chip cookies, my kids both spit them out. The texture was good but that didn’t matter due to the taste…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bobby, Sorry to hear that you didn’t like them. Did you use a different sweetener by chance? Some of them have an aftertaste; the one I used does not. My kids do like these, but of course everyone’s taste is different.
Lea Verou
0These are SO good, I’m worried I’ll eat the entire batch in a day (which was meant to last a week as a snack for work!).
I was also quite happy to see that we use the same brand chocolate chips. 😀
I used maple extract instead of molasses and they turned out great. I also use far more than 1tsp of vanilla extract in all your biscuit recipes because I love the flavor of vanilla.
Oh, and I use more butter and a wee bit coconut flour to increase crunchiness.
Christine
0These are incredible! I’m still new to this way of eating, and these are so close to the regular kind, but no guilt! Actually, I think I like this better! Thank you so much!
Jenn
0Maya these are phenomenal! Creaming the butter and sweetener together is super key and I love how easy these are to make!
April
0These were surprisingly delicious! And the best part was, I didn’t feel guilty eating them. 😉
Melissa
0Just made these. They are soo good! Thank you for the recipe
Emilie
0These are so good! I’m currently on Whole30 but my brother in law is on keto and needed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Jenn
0I had no idea you could make cookies keto – HELLO GAME CHANGER!
Mary
0These turned out wonderfully! Will make again!
Victoria LeFils
0Oh my goodness! I made these the first time as outlined in the recipe. Tonight I made them again only this time I added a quarter cup of flaked coconut (unsweetened) and a quarter cup of sliced almonds along with the dark chocolate chips…almond joy cookies! They are wonderful.
Lynda
0I have some unsweetened chocolate baking squares. No chocolate chips. Could I do anything with that chocolate in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynda, You could try making chocolate chips using this keto chocolate bar recipe (just make chips instead of a bar).
Lynn
0Do you think using brown sugar extract would work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynn, I haven’t tried that but I’m sure you can!
Kim
0HAPPY DANCE!!! LOVED these! I just made these today (I didn’t have any Lily’s chocolate chips, so I used a no-sugar 100% chocolate bar I found at Trader Joe’s – “Montezuma’s Absolute Black”.) Using a small cookie scoop, this recipe made 37 cookies. The cookies were about 2-inches in diameter and done in 9 minutes. These are for a fellow Keto friend’s birthday tomorrow…I could not resist trying one (and then had to have another!) I can’t wait to make this again, maybe I’ll try Lakanto Golden, and freeze half to take on a trip with me…so tired of skipping desserts while everyone else is indulging! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kim! I LOVE hearing that! I hope everyone loves them at the birthday party.
Shannon
0I also have “zero calorie sweetener with stevia leaf extract” as an option–it says it has Erythritol and stevia leaf extract – but not sure how much to use to swap for your recipe. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shannon, You can check the sweetener conversion calculator here.
Carla
0Do you have a recipe for brownies ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carla, here is the link to all of my brownie recipes: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/?s=brownies
Nelly
0Does any one know how many grams of carb I each cookie
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nelly, there are 6 grams of total carbs and 4 grams net carbs per cookie. Thanks for stopping by!
Ángel
0Can I eliminate the molasses?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angel, Yes, you can.
Amy
0These are the best Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve tried! I didn’t have blackstrap molasses so I used 1/3 cup Lakanto Golden Monkfruit sweetener in place of the Erythritol. (I always use a little less Monkfruit sweetener when replacing Erythritol) They turned out great! Thanks so much for creating so many awesome recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Amy! I love the idea of using Lakanto golden, too.
Patrick Conley
0It’s no surprise that Maya hit another out of the park. These cookies really are good and it is not a sacrifice to give up gluten and sugar. I baked mine for 12 minutes at 325 convect and then smashed them. 2 more minutes in the oven and they browned up really well. My favorite parts were the brownest edges that were crispy. Eating healthy is so easy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Patrick! I love to hear that!
Cynthia
0Should baking powder be used in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cynthia, No, it’s not necessary for this recipe.
Dan
0Thank you Maya for another great recipe! I was jonesin for something sweet and chocolatey and this really hit the spot.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies, Dan!
Sam
0Loved the look of these but I substituted Almond Flour for Coconut flour and they turned out very dry. I’ll be getting some almond flour so I can try them again!
Faye
0Love your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Faye! Have a great day!
Randy Cummings
0Love the gluten sugar free chocolate chip recipe. Anxious to try your other recipes. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Randy!
Irene
0Is Black Molasses just Molasses? I have bought just Molasses.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Irene, No, they are similar but not the same. Blackstrap molasses is a lot more concentrated in flavor, and in this recipe its purpose is to add some flavor similar to brown sugar. Regular molasses will work okay, but the brown-sugar-like flavor will just be much less.
Alison
0These look amazing… I’ll be using a flax egg and either vegan butter or coconut oil! Can’t wait to try them! What is a serving size?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Alison! I haven’t tried those substitutions, so let me know how it turns out. The nutrition info is for one cookie.
Melissa
0They turned out great! I am not eating paleo or gluten-free, but I wanted a low-sugar cookie recipe with lots of nutrition, so I made a few adjustments to suit my family. Instead of Erythritol (I don’t know what that is!) I used four chopped dates, and I substituted half a cup of almond flour for ground oats. They are a hit, and I am grateful for your post!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I’m glad they worked well for you!
Melissa
0Hi there! I made cookies using a similar recipe recently, but they were very crumbly. Looking forward to trying yours tomorrow!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melissa, Not sure what the other recipe was, but hope you like this version!
Christy
0I used Truvia 1:1 with this recipe without reading the comments about the conversion. And guess what? They turned out great! I also used Krisda Chocolate Chips as they’re the only ones here available. Delicious cookies, honestly wouldn’t know they were healthy if I hadn’t baked them myself 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Christy! I’m glad you liked them!
Wendy
0The only sweetener have is THM Gentle Sweet. Can I use this instead and if so how much?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Wendy, Yes, absolutely! You’ll need about 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp of THM Gentle Sweet to replace the 1/2 cup erythritol in the recipe. You might also want to check out my sweetener guide here, which includes a conversion chart for lots of different sweeteners.
S
0Hubby is allergic to almonds. Would hazelnut flour work as a substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, that should work! Hazelnut flour is usually more coarse, so I recommend pulsing it in a food processor first to make it a finer consistency.
Tracie Fisher
0Any thoughts on sf maple syrup instead of molasses?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tracie, That should work! The flavor might not be as intense as molasses, but would still be good. Another possible option would be to use maple extract. Either way, I’ve made these cookies even without the molasses and they are still good. The molasses is just there for a deeper flavor.
Alliene
0Is it okay to left molasses out? I can’t have it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alliene, Yes, you can. It does provide a flavor commonly associated with chocolate chip cookies, but they’ll still work if you leave it out.
Jasen Six
0Except these are not paleo. Soy lecithin is NOT paleo and is contained in the chocolate chips you link to. Soy lecithin is a processed product and has estrogenic and potentially allergenic properties. So if you are going to use this recipe I would advise you to use a different dark chocolate chip without soy lecithin in them… of which there are plenty (don’t want to name them for fear of being seen as promoting any particular brand).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jasen, The cookies can be paleo depending on which brand of chocolate chips you use.
For the most part I’m happy with the minimally processed ingredient list of the sugar-free chocolate chips linked in the recipe, but you are correct that they do contain a small amount of soy lecithin. I’m not aware of any sugar-free chocolate chips on the market that do not contain soy lecithin, but would be happy to try them if you know of any.
If a small amount of sugar is not a deal breaker and you’d like the cookies to be strictly paleo, I highly recommend using these chocolate chips instead, which contain no soy lecithin. I hope those work better for you!
Roxana
0Hi, Thank you for the recipe. I did make them yesterday but the cookie is soft in texture. May I know how can I make it crunchy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roxana, The cookies do come out of the oven soft but tend to crisp up as they cool. If you want to make them extra crispy, you can leave them in the oven after they are done baking, with the oven OFF and the door propped open with a wooden spoon. Letting them cool in there gradually will get them even crispier. Also, making thinner cookies will make them more crunchy. Hope that helps!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
0YOU HOOKED ME with all those KEY WORDS – gluten free, paleo, etc 😉
Sarah
0These looks so delicious! I often have readers asking for a crispy chocolate chip cookie recipe. Now I will send them your way! 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run
0Great that you provided a healthy dessert for people with a sweet tooth who want to stay fit, Maya!
Georgina
0I’ve never used blackstrap molasses – I’ll check it out!
Kim | Low Carb Maven
0Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite and I have rarely met one I didn’t like. These look great. Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Loe
0How much Truvia would I use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Barbara, You’d need about 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of Truvia if you wanted to use that instead of erythritol. Hope that helps!