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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)
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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.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sweetener, until it's fluffy and light in color.
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Beat in the vanilla extract, salt and egg. Beat in sour cream, if using (optional).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Dee
1I love this recipe. I took half of the cookies and rolled them in a Monk Fruit and cinnamon mixture for a snickerdoodle flavor. They turned out great.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds delicious, Dee! Love the snickerdoodle twist, what a fun idea to change it up a little. So glad they turned out great!
Sierra
1I love how soft they turned out. The almond from the flour is definitely the prominent flavor so I might add more sweetener or vanilla next time, but it’s so nice to finally have cookies I can eat! I love your recipes!
Stephanie
1I love your recipes Maya. I rarely open emails from other recipe sites because yours are a hit every time!
I make these cookies every week. One batch makes 24 cookies. 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). As you can see from the photo, my cookies are a little brown on the edges, which we think is perfect.
When making the recipe, I bump up the Bestie 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.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Stephanie! I’m honored to hear that. And I’m so glad you like these cookies — enjoy!
Marsha D Filimon
1I just made the cookies for the first time and I thought they were delicious! I didn’t change the recipe and added the sour cream. I made mine larger and they were thick. I only cooked them about 12 minutes. Thank you for the yummy recipe, Maya!
Cindy
1So while putting the recipe together, I tasted along the way, and did notice the dough was very bland. So I added 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. I also cranked the cream cheese up to 1/3c as others have suggested, and added 1 tbsp of ground poppyseed. I did use a full 1/2c of sucralose, as I flat out hate the taste of monk fruit sweetener. This made the dough overall a lot “stickier” which I am fine with as once baked, they had a nice crunchy texture that I really like in a cookie. So, for me, the recipe “as is” would get 3 stars. A good start, but not so great as a stand alone by the book recipe.
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi Cindy, Star ratings are reserved for readers that follow the recipe as written. It sounds like you made quite a few changes to the recipe.
A
1You will want to add 1/3 cup more of cream cheese and use more sweetener and then they taste good!
Dot Shields
0I have made these cookies three times already. They are so buttery and nutty, I can’t stop thinking about them. I tried putting them in a cookie jar after they cooled, but they stayed too soft and crumbled easily. After taking the lid off the cookies jar, they dried out a little and were much better, in my opinion. Great recipe.
Wholesome Yum D
0I love hearing that you’ve already made them three times, Dot! Leaving the lid off a bit sounds like a helpful tip for getting the texture just right.
Connie
0Yummy…just yummy.
I added unsweetened cranberries and chocolate nibs. Two cookies are a wonderful treat. Made them only 1 tbls each. I wanted them small. Thanks again for sharing your talents with us. 😋
Wholesome Yum D
0Those sound like delicious additions, Connie. Thanks so much for your kind words and for sharing your variation.
kdehabermann
0Hi, where is the video
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi there, The video is on the recipe card above.
Alison England
0Really good cookies. I used 1/2 c cream cheese and Swerve, and lemon juice to cut the erythritol aftertaste. I made 3 different versions. The original ones, rolled some in swerve and cinnamon, and added 1/2 c coconut and chocolate chips to some. They were all really good. They have a nice texture and the cream cheese and sour cream balance the swerve sweetness and aftertaste. Thank you for a yummy recipe that is so versatile for add ins.
Alexandra
0I live in the uk and im trying to work out what 56.75g is i can only weigh out either 56g or 57g which should this be ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alexandra, In general you can round to the nearest gram, which would be 57g in the case of your question. Hope this helps!
Linda
0Can you please tell me how many carbs the keto syrup has in 2 tbsp? I have order your sugar and other things. I like them very much. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you like my products, Linda! I assume you’re asking about my zero sugar maple syrup? It has 2 grams net carbs per serving.
Patsy
0These are so delicious, easy & quick to make! We love your deserts!
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks, Patsy! I’m so glad you’re loving the desserts and the fact they’re quick and easy makes them even sweeter!
Vicki Grelson
0Your recipe sound delicious. However, I would like to be able to save them to Pinterest. I have had difficulty saving them on this site. It keeps asking me to login again and again or to sign up for email, which I already have. Ca you fix it so I can post recipes to Pinterest where everything is organized?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Vicki! The “Save Recipe” buttons on my site save them to your Wholesome Yum account, which allows you to save your own notes and sync your favorites to my Wholesome Yum App. That’s why they ask you to login. You’re more than welcome to save my recipes to Pinterest instead — just use the pin buttons either at the top or on the recipe card. They have the Pinterest icon on them. Hope this helps!
Ashli Heckman
0I’ve become a huge fan of almond flour and these were a great sweet treat that I don’t feel super guilty about! I made some regular and added some no added sugar chocolate chips to the last little bit of dough. So good!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked them, Ashli! Sugar free chocolate chips make a great addition, too.
Patricia
0The cookies taste good, kind of like a macaroon, but they are very dry and crumbly, even when cold. I made a thumb print and put my strawberry jam, which is a little runny, on the last batch and they were good. They are just about the size of a quarter.
Amy
0Very good recipe. Due to a milk allergy, I used Earth Balance butter, Violife cream cheese and Tofutti sour cream. After the cookies cooled, I melted some ChocoZero chocolate chips and dipped part of each cookie in, they were heavenly! I also took the advice and used about a half cup of the sweetener. My only knock was the cooking time. I ended up cooking for about 21 minutes. It may be my oven though.
iva
0I made this recipe as given, but used xylitol as a sweetener and included the sour cream. I added the zest of 1 lemon. They were not sweet enough so I made icing out of xylitol icing and lemon juice. This worked well, but for the second batch I added 1/2 cup more xylitol. The taste was good, but they were more inclined to crumble. Next time I will add only a little xylitol to the mixture and add icing to the top. They are soft in the middle, so differ from a standard cookie. This recipe is a great starting point for someone who hasn’t made a keto cookie before (me). Thankyou.
Nicole
0If I want to make this same recipe with regular flour and regular sugar, would the measurements for the ingredients be the same?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nicole, I have never tried that with this recipe so I can’t for sure say if it would work.
Damaris Coles
0Tastes sorta like a shortbread. Best keto cookie that I’ve made so far.