Shop
My
Custom
These Keto Cookies With Cream Cheese Remind Me Of A Bakery Treat
I first tested these keto cookies because a reader asked me if she could add cream cheese to my almond flour shortbread cookies. After a few tweaks, the result turned out even better than I expected. The cream cheese added moisture, structure, and a subtle richness that reminded me of a bakery treat, not just a “keto substitute”. Here’s why you’re going to love these cream cheese cookies:
- Extra buttery and more tender than other keto cookie recipes – Many of you know I have dozens of options in my keto desserts archive, but these particular low carb cookies hit different. The combination of cream cheese and a touch of sour cream made the texture more delicate, buttery, chewy, and almost a little creamy… basically the opposite of dry. Even the next day.
- Versatile shortbread flavor with a hint of tang – These keto cookies taste a lot like vanilla shortbread, just a little more tangy. They’re delicious on their own, or can be a versatile blank canvas for more flavors and add-ins.
- Easy to make – They come together in one bowl, using just 6 simple staples that you probably have if you bake keto treats regularly.
- Very keto friendly – At just 1.7 grams of net carbs and 110 calories a pop, this is the kind of cookie that fits into your macros for a keto diet effortlessly. They’re also gluten-free.
If you’re looking for a simple, versatile keto cookie recipe for everything from holiday meals to cookie swaps to your everyday tea and coffee sidekick, you just found it. Make it with me!
“I make these cookies every week. My husband and I love them because they are just the right amount of sweet… not too much and not too little. These soft cookies do not crumble easily, which I find to be a problem with some low carb recipes. They only take me 30 minutes to make from start to finish (including cleanup). When making the recipe, I bump up the Besti Monk Fruit Allulose blend to 1/2 cup as suggested for a sweet cookie, and also include the optional 1 tablespoon of sour cream. We will usually eat one cookie after supper, which is all that is needed to satisfy your sweet tooth.”
-Stephanie
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto cookie recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – The flour you choose makes a huge difference in the end result. Many brands are very coarse and will leave your cream cheese cookies grainy. This one I use is super fine (the finest I’ve ever tried), which will get you that delicate crumb. Unfortunately I don’t recommend substitutes here — definitely not coconut flour.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I’ve been baking these keto friendly cookies since 2017, and I’ve tried them with just about every keto sweetener under the sun! Besti (which I started using in 2020) gets me by far the best result, with a chewy, tender texture that doesn’t dry out and no aftertaste whatsoever. Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of Besti Brown to get a brown sugar flavor. Other sweeteners I’ve tried (including erythritol, and other brands of monk fruit and stevia) leave the cookies more dry and can have an aftertaste. (In fact, some older comments complain about dryness, because this recipe used to use erythritol — this issue is fixed if you use Besti!) If you still want to substitute, check my sweeteners conversion calculator for the correct amounts.
- Butter – I use this grass-fed unsalted butter for most of my low carb cookie recipes.
- Cream Cheese – I recommend full-fat for the best flavor, but light cream cheese will work. (P.S. Cream cheese makes lots of great low carb recipes, so grab extra to make my low carb cheesecake and cream cheese pancakes!)
- Sour Cream – I originally started adding this when readers complained that my older erythritol-sweetened version was dry, and it helped, but I love the addition even more now that I use Besti. It’s optional, but makes the texture so much better.
- Egg – For structure. A flax egg or other egg substitute should work if needed.
- Vanilla Extract (for flavor) & Sea Salt (for balance)
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now
How To Make Keto Cookies
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and Besti. Combine them in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to beat together, until pale yellow and fluffy.
- Add the other wet ingredients. Add the vanilla, salt, egg, and sour cream (if using), adding gradually and beating in between ingredients. The mixture should be a little frothy.
- Add the almond flour. Beat until a soft dough forms. If you want to add any mix-ins, this is the time!
- Scoop. Use a cookie scoop (I use this size) to spoon the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a jar.
- Bake and cool. The keto cookies are done when they’re golden on the edges. Let them cool completely before enjoying. I like to dust them with powdered Besti using this dusting wand (pictured below).
My Tips For The Best Low Carb Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients. Softened butter and cream cheese are crucial to cream properly, and you don’t want to shock them with a cold egg later, either.
- How I soften butter and cream cheese fast: Pour boiling water into a stainless steel bowl. While you let it sit for a few minutes to heat up, cut the butter and cream cheese into pieces and arrange on a plate. Empty and dry the metal bowl and place it upside down over the plate. The residual heat will soften the butter and cream cheese in just a couple minutes.
- How to bring eggs to room temp fast: I just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, until they no longer feel cold.
- This is my favorite hand mixer for all my keto cookie recipes. It’s super powerful and even comes with handy storage. You can use a stand mixer if you have one, though.
- I highly recommend a cookie scoop. This dough is very soft and fairly sticky, so the scoop is super helpful. Besides, it makes all your low carb cookies the same size, so they bake evenly.
- These precut parchment paper sheets are so handy. They fit perfectly with this baking sheet, which I’ve had for years and love. Much easier than wrestling with paper from a roll that won’t stay put!
- Keto cookies don’t flatten or spread the way wheat flour cookies do. So, make sure you flatten them to your desired thickness before baking. I usually do about 3/8 inch thick. Also, since they don’t spread a lot, having the cookies about 1 to 1.5 inches apart is sufficient.
- If the dough is too wet and sticky to flatten easily, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. I also find it helps to wet my hands to flatten, so the dough doesn’t stick to them.
- Be careful not to overbake. I look for golden edges, but the center should still be soft when you remove these low carb cookies from the oven.
Keto Cookies (1.7g Net Carbs)
By
Sweet, buttery keto cookies with just 6 ingredients and 1.7g net carbs! These low carb cream cheese cookies are fast, easy, and satisfying.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
-
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sweetener, until it's fluffy and light in color.
-
Beat in the vanilla extract, salt and egg. Beat in sour cream, if using (optional).
-
Beat in the almond flour, 1/2 cup (64 g) at a time. The dough will be soft. If it sticks to your hands when you touch it, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-
Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tbsp, 22 mL volume) to scoop balls of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten with your palm.
-
Bake the keto cookies for about 12-15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan before handling (cookies will firm up as they cool, but are intended to be soft).
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cookie
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture in these keto cookies and work with the dough more easily.
- Variations: Don’t miss my recipe variations below to get ideas for mix-ins, flavors, toppings, and even a dairy-free version.
- Storage: Keep the cookies in an airtight container for 4 days at room temperature or a week in the fridge.
- Meal prep: Make the dough ahead to refrigerate or freeze. If frozen, thaw overnight before baking.
- Freeze: These cookies keep well in the freezer for at least 3 months.
- Note on nutrition info: I didn’t include the sour cream since it’s optional, but it doesn’t make a huge difference in the numbers, since it’s a small amount across the entire batch.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© 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.
Cream Cheese Keto Cookies Recipe
Recipe Variations
Like I mentioned above, these keto cookies are so easy to customize! Here are some fun ways to change them up:
- Mix-ins – Toss in sugar-free chocolate chips (this is my favorite brand), chopped nuts, dried cranberries, poppy seeds (amazing with the lemon zest I suggest below), or even fresh blueberries.
- Flavors – I used classic vanilla extract, but you can experiment with almond extract or even more exotic options. A teaspoon or two of lemon or orange zest adds a lovely flavor, as well.
- Toppings – After the low carb cookies cool, slather them with my keto cream cheese frosting, sugar free chocolate frosting, or even a drizzle of sugar-free caramel syrup (which will harden in the fridge). Top with sugar-free sprinkles if you like!
- Dairy free version – It’s not quite the same, but you can use butter flavored coconut oil instead of butter and plant-based cream cheese instead of regular. My go-to replacement for sour cream is coconut cream with a splash of lemon juice and pinch of salt.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
I’ve made so many low carb cookies over the years that it’s hard to narrow down a few favorites, but here are some that I’ve been loving lately:
730 Comments
Nancy s Pierre
0Love it. Crunchy in the outside, soft inside. Amazing!!
Shelia
0This was by FAR the BEST KETO cookie recipe I have tried and I have tried many!!! THANK YOU
Shannon Hartson
0I added an extra egg and instead of sour cream, I used about 1/8 cup mascarpone cheese. The result was a nice dense shortcake like cookie. I topped it with a keto chocolate frosting. So yummy.
hope
0My husband and I really enjoyed these cookies. They are very easy to make and taste great.
Thanks for everything you do.
Sherry
0My husband can’t do the salt. Can this be made with no salt or maybe less salt.?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sherry, You can omit the salt, but the cookies may taste a little flat. A salt alternative should help with the flavor profile if you have any.
Andrea Murray
0I defo did something wrong. All I have is a crumble paste of flour like mixture. Very hard to form cookie. Maybe I used the wrong amount of cream cheese? Not sure but I epically failed and these taste terrible. Sorry. Didn’t work out for me.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Andrea, Did you check out the video in the recipe card? It will show you what the cookie dough should look like before forming into cookies.
Joshua Johnson
0Stumbled upon these cookies in an internet search and decided to give them a try. Decided to switch up fron the allulose and use Anthony’s Erithrytol/monkfruit using 1/2 cup and also added Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chips. The texture was ok and overall I like them and plan on adjusting the recipe for different flavors in the future.
Christina Andrade
0I was about the make these, but just had one question. It is 1 whole egg or just the egg white? Your written recipe and video differ on that.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Christina, Sorry about the confusion – it’s a whole egg. An earlier version of the recipe used just the white, but I later found it works better with the whole egg. The recipe card is always the most up-to-date.
Lisa
0Very good cookies, hit the spot!
Just wondering if they can be frozen?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, Yes! These cookies freeze well!
Rikki Davenport
0I did not enjoy these. I added in the sour cream and followed the recipe exactly. All I could taste was the almond flour. I’m new to Keto so maybe I just need to get used to Keto desserts?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rikki, Yes, these cream cheese cookies are made from almond flour and cream cheese, so those ingredients will provide the predominant flavors for the recipe. If you want the cream cheese flavor to come out a bit more, then put them in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Sophia
0Hey Lady!
I made these and they are GREAT! I’m making them again, but adding my own twist of lemon zest!
Joan Talley
0Really delicious and so easy to make. Outstanding.
Jane Fischer
0I am sorry I couldn’t find a place for messages. This isn’t a review. I haven’t baked these yet. I have some questions. I want to send these to family out of state. Can that be done. If I mail them on 12/17 to arrive for Christmas will they be edible? Should I freeze them before I send them. What if anything can I do here?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jane, Obviously, I can’t speak to the handling or temperature changes that will take place during shipping, but these cookies will be good for about a week. If your package will arrive within that window of time, then they should be fine!
Rolinda Hameed
0These really satisfy my sweet tooth!!!
Lauie Whiting
0Hello- I Have Granulated Stevia Powder and not sure how much to use in place of the Monkfruit, have looked through the reviews and the conversion chart, however I am stil not sure what amount to use?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lauie, The amount will vary depending on how sweet your stevia powder is. The intensity can vary from brand to brand, so please check with the manufacturer to determine how sweet your stevia powder is (eg. 400x sweeter than sugar, 1:1 with sugar, etc.). Once you know how sweet it is I can help you to determine the correct amount for the recipe. Thanks!
Joan Talley
0Just ate two of the keto cream cheese cookies I baked tonight and they are delicious❗️ The only change I made to the recipe was I used one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one teaspoon of almond extract. Excellent recipe. I have to stop myself from eating them all. I have been craving a sweet cookie so badly. I buy Pecan Sandies for my husband every week and these cookies have the same appearance and texture. Thank you for your keto genius.
Amanda Lynn
0These cookies are fantastic! We experimented with sugar free coconut flakes, pecans, and Lily’s sugar free chocolate to make an almond joy version. I will definitely try to add some of my 310 low carb chocolate protein powder and mix up the light indulgence options. Oh! Just to share for fun; I ran out of almond flour mid mix so I switched to coconut flour. I think it would be nice to put the coconut to almond flour ratio substitute just in case someone doesn’t have it. (Honestly either way it was super easy to find and the answer on the internet)
Chgogirl
0Wonderful recipe Maya! Made exactly as written and came out perfect! Thank you for a great sweet keto option.
nicole
0So glad I found this! I made some exactly as written and also added some Lilys chocolate chips to the second batch for fun. The texture of the dough was also perfect cookie dough texture and my kids all came to grab a spoon. I warned them it wasn’t the kind of cookie dough they are used to but even my 3-year-old came back for thirds lol The cookie itself was slightly more “bread-like” than I expected but they taste good and do the trick. We are making keto cookies here so I wasn’t expecting them to come out like regular cookies. I appreciate having decent options that aren’t all expensive and store bought. Thank you!
Elaine
0I liked these. They were quick and easy to make in one bowl. I found the taste hinted of the vanilla which I liked. New to low carb baking, I think I have to get used to the graininess of almond flour (I used fine). The texture was pretty good and I will make them again and perhaps add chopped walnuts to give them some crunch.
Holly
0I made this recipe twice, really really hoping this would work… I followed the directions closely, exactly each time. The first batch I admit I used Erythritol and those had horrible aftertaste. So I ordered Allulose and made a new batch… That batch didn’t have the awful aftertaste, but the texture was still strange. I’m guessing that was from the almond flour. I’m thinking maybe mixing coconut flour with almond might help with the texture. I’m an experienced baker but new to keto. I’m really hoping that I can find some cookie recipes that taste good by Christmas. Sorry I can’t leave you a better review… but after two tries and having to throw them both out, I felt inclined to share this. The ingredients were too expensive to try again!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Holly, Have you had other baked goods made with almond flour before? The texture is different from traditional wheat flour in baking. For the best results, please make sure you are using fine or superfine ground almond flour. Almond meal or coarse ground almond flour will make for dense and gritty cookies.