Sugar-free Keto Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

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These are my best keto gingerbread cookies! They are soft and chewy, and no one will guess that these are sugar-free gingerbread cookies. And no need to tell them. 😉 Make these low carb gingerbread cookies in just 15 minutes prep + baking time. I love to decorate them with a simple sugar-free cream cheese frosting, but they can also be left plain – they are delicious either way. And if you like ginger in your desserts, you’ll also love these keto ginger snaps!

Keto cookies are one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season, but don’t forget about the drinks to go along with them! I love dipping these sugar-free gingerbread cookies in bulletproof tea, keto coffee, or even vanilla almond milk. Or have them before or after your sugar-free eggnog.

This low carb gingerbread cookies recipe was originally published on November 30, 2016 and the post was republished in December 2020 to add updated pictures, useful tips, and some significant improvements to the recipe for almond flour gingerbread men (or women, haha). The original version was my first attempt at cookie cutter cookies! Here is one of the original photos, if you’re curious:

How To Make Keto Gingerbread Cookies

This low carb gingerbread cookies recipe is based on my classic almond flour shortbread cookies. But don’t worry, they don’t taste like shortbread.

The addition of egg, spices, and keto brown sugar (as my readers like to call it) totally transforms them into the best keto gingerbread cookies! Here’s how we make them:

• Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together Wholesome Yum Almond Flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder.

• Cream butter and sweetener. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and Besti Brown Sweetener until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

• Add dry ingredients. Beat in almond flour mixture until a slightly sticky dough forms.

• Chill. Form dough into a ball and chill to make it easier to work with. (You can even freeze it to make it faster if you like!)

• Roll and cut. Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Roll out remaining dough and cut out shapes, using all the dough.

• Bake. They are ready when they are golden on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet to firm up.

• Frost. You can make keto cream cheese frosting like this, or for the “lazy way”, just heat some cream cheese and add powdered sweetener to taste.

Tips: How To Cut The Best Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Transferring cookie shapes can be a little challenging, but here are a few tips:

Chill.

This is the most important part. Chilling the dough firms it up so that it’s easier to work with. If it takes you a long time to cut all the shapes, it may soften, so chill again if necessary.

Use an extra thin spatula.

This was my original method when making this recipe for low carb gingerbread. An extra thin spatula like this one makes it easier to transfer the cookie shapes onto your baking sheet.

Reattach.

If you accidentally smush your little gingerbread men, or their arms and legs fall off during transfer), don’t worry. You can just reshape or reattach as needed once they are on the baking sheet.

Worst case, just smash the dough together, roll it out, and try again.

Cut right on the baking sheet.

This was recommended to me by a few readers, and it does work quite well!

Roll out the dough, then transfer the whole thing onto the baking sheet. Use the cookie cutter to make the shapes, then simply remove the parts around the cookies.

From there, you can make a ball out of the parts you removed, roll it out, and repeat again on a second baking sheet.

Skip the shapes altogether.

As fun as it is to frost these low carb gingerbread cookies with faces and cut out shapes, this part is totally optional. These sugar-free gingerbread men are just as delicious if you make them as plain round cookies!

Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies FAQs

What do gingerbread cookies taste like?

Gingerbread cookies are sweet and spicy! They’re a little different than traditional cookies, which makes them extra special.

Are gingerbread cookies keto?

Most gingerbread cookies are not keto as they are made with white sugar and flour.

This sugar-free gingerbread cookies recipe uses almond flour and keto sweetener, making each cookie have just 1.4 net carbs! Compare that to the average gingerbread cookie that contains over 21 grams of net carbs.

What kind of almond flour can I use?

I recommend using super fine almond flour like this for the best texture.

Can I use a different sweetener?

Besti Brown Keto Sweetener is best for cookies like this, to get a nice chewy and soft cookie, and more importantly, for brown sugar flavor.

Check my keto sweetener guide to other sweetener options, but keep in mind that using something else can mess with the consistency of the dough, because Besti Brown is moist like real brown sugar. Even other brands of brown sweetener tend to work differently.

Storage Instructions For Keto Friendly Gingerbread Cookies

Can you make them ahead?

Yes, you can make these cookies ahead, or you can prep the dough ahead and then store the dough ball in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make the cookies, simply roll out and bake.

How to store them short-term:

Store these easy keto gingerbread cookies in a container for a few days, or they will last for about a week in the refrigerator.

TIP: Make sure not to frost them until right before eating, if you are keeping them out on the counter.

Can you freeze low carb gingerbread cookies?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies for 2-3 months. Make sure that you let them cool completely and freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag, so they don’t stick to each other.

More Keto Holiday Cookie Recipes

If you like this keto gingerbread cookie recipe, you might also like some of my other keto cookie recipes for the holidays:

• Flourless Chocolate Cookies – Is it a brownie? Is it a cookie? How about in between! Made with 6 ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.
• Keto Sugar Cookies – These nut-free sugar cookies can be rolled into shapes and frosted, making them great for any holiday.
• Keto Shortbread Cookies – These taste like real shortbread! Made with just 4 ingredients, no one will ever guess that they only have 1 gram net carb!
• Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies – Soft, chewy and the perfect fall dessert. Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
• Keto Meringue Cookies – Made with just 4 ingredients, these cookies are light, bright, and sweet. They are perfect for any holiday table.

If you like other cookie flavors and prefer to buy them pre-made, try these cookies!

• Hand mixer – This one is really powerful and I love the convenient storage. A hand mixer is a must for the best texture in these gingerbread keto cookies!
• Stand mixer – Another great option for making no sugar gingerbread.
• Rolling pin – For rolling out the sugar-free gingerbread cookie dough.
• Cookie cutter set – This is the exact set I used in the pictures! It has 11 different shapes – so fun.
• Sheet pan – This one is sturdy and will last a long time.
• Frosting bag with tips – Use this to draw faces and buttons your sugar-free gingerbread men and women!