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Yummy low carb and gluten free cream cheese cookies. These tasty sugar free cookies can be pressed or cut into festive shapes for any holiday.
Do you have a regular holiday cookie that you make every year? My family doesn’t have one, but I think it’s about time we start a tradition with a holiday cookie that is low carb and gluten free.
We used to get together with my husband’s family and make his grandmother’s traditional sugar cookie. It was a really crisp cookie made with regular flour and lard.
I was given the recipe, but not sure if I can still locate it as I haven’t made it in years. When our older two kids were little, these were the cookies that they would decorate for the holidays.
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My youngest is just starting to get into the holidays. She turned 3 years old last week and did have some fun decorating a gingerbread house and cookies with her older sister.
She had a little trouble squeezing out the frosting, but she did a great job decorating with candies. Of course, she and her sister just wanted to eat the frosting and candies more than decorate.
I don’t push low carb on them, but I do try to offer them healthier choices. My husband gets away with eating tons of carbs so it’d be impossible to keep them out of the house.
I’m the only one in the house who follows the low carb way of eating. But, I’m hoping they will all convert one day.
I stumbled upon some cream cheese sugar cookies when I was looking for ideas to make a low carb sugar cookie recipe. I figured the cream cheese would keep the almond flour based cookies from crumbling. And, it did!
The dough for these cream cheese cookies is very versatile. You can use a cookie press or roll it out and cut.
I didn’t have a lot of time, so I didn’t use cookie cutters. Instead, I made some in the cookie press and then rolled the rest of the dough into logs and sliced into rounds.
Although I used a silicone mat for the pressed cookies, it wasn’t necessary. There is tons of fat in the recipe that keep the cookies from sticking to a regular cookie sheet.
I put the sliced rounds onto unlined cookie sheets and they came out perfect. In fact, the bottoms were crisper.
I’m pretty sure that this cookie dough could be made ahead, and frozen in the logs to be sliced and baked later. I am going to make a bigger batch next time and see how they perform after the dough has been frozen.
You can certainly frost and decorate these cookies like you would regular sugar cookies. I left them plain because my taste for sweet has really diminished.
I don’t see a need for all the extra sweetener. It does look pretty, but I like them less sweet.
The almond flavored icing that I used on my ricotta cheese cookies would be a nice topping for these cookies if you want to frost them. You don’t have to use the almond extract.
Lemon extract would be just as nice as the almond flavor. In fact, you may even want to replace the vanilla extract used in the cookies with something like lemon or orange extract.
There is a slight hint of the cream cheese. So, if you don’t care for the taste of cream cheese, you may want to use a regular sugar cookie recipe. However, I find that cream cheese helps counter the cooling effect of the erythritol.
This does make a lot of cookies so if you aren’t baking them to share, I’d either cut the recipe in half or freeze half the dough for later. The baked cookies could also be frozen if you can’t eat them all with a week.
Video Showing How to Make These Keto Cookies
Low Carb Cream Cheese Cookies
Cream Cheese Cookies - Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup Sukrin:1 or other sugar substitute
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract see note
Instructions
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Cream the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the cream cheese.
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Add in the egg.
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Stir in the the flours, then mix in the vanilla.
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Chill dough for at least 4 hours .
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Squeeze dough out of cookie press or roll out into a cookie log and slice.
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Bake at 350F until cookies begin to brown (about 8-10 minutes for pressed cookie or 10-12 minutes for slices). Cook longer for crisper cookies.
Recipe Notes
Vanilla extract can be substituted in part or whole with other extracts like almond, lemon or orange to change the flavor.
Nutrition per cookie (12g): 51 calories, 4.8g fat, 24mg sodium, 1.1g carb, 0.6g fiber, 0.5g net carb, 2.4g erythritol, 1.0g protein
Makes about 75 cookies, 4 cookies per serving
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Kristina says
Is it possible to sub one of the flours for protein powder? Can’t wait to try this recipe
Lisa says
Texture would be a little different, but it should work.
Agnes says
Thank you for your recipe. The cookies go well with a cup of tea. I decided to go for millet flour instead of almond flour, and it worked well; it is less greasy this way. I also added ksylitol as the sweetener. 100 g (1/2 cup) is enough for me. Sorry for tweaking the original recipe so much.
Oh, and do you use US cups or metric cups? I ditched cups and bought myself scales. Now every time I find a recipe that calls for cups, I do math, then cooking. 😉
Lisa says
I need to break the habit of using cups and break out my kitchen scale. It’s tough when all recipes in the US use cup measurements, but I have been starting to weigh out my flours as it can definitely vary is using volume.
Dina says
Hello,
Is there any way Splenda could be substituted for the erythritol? I really, really hate erythritol with a passion 🙁
Lisa says
You can certainly sub erythritol for Splenda. I’m not a fan of erythritol either. And, although Splenda is an artificial sweetener, it’s not a bad option.
T says
Hi, can I use regular sugar? How much? Obviously itsnot healthy option but I chose this recipe for its gluten-freeness…..
Lisa says
Absolutely! Just use 3/4 cup sugar in place of the Sukrin:1.
Amanda Gayle says
I’m intrigued and plan to try this recipe asap! My family loves the homemade Dutch Butter Cookies Imused to make, but since we’re living a lower carb lifestyle I’m hoping these will be a nice alternative. I plan to just put the douh into a lined pan, bake, and cut into squares. Really excited to try, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Lisa says
I’d love to know how the squares come out.
Dee says
I love this recipe! It makes a lot of cookies, so I can freeze them and have a supply. So far I have rolled it out and sprinkled granulated fake sugar (monk fruit), cinnamon, cardamom and some garam marsala, rolled it up and sliced it – delish! Then I added chopped nuts and some stevia chocolate chunks – also delicious. The other day, I used the dough to line a cake pan, baked it for about 15 minutes, then filled it with a homemade strawberry rhubarb custard and topped the custard with a strawberry meringue – this was soooo decadent that I always feel like I’m cheating when I eat it. This really is the best cookie recipe I found so far!
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing Dee! Those are some great additions to the recipe.
Shelley Hodge says
Hi, can you tell me if you used monk fruit as the main sweetener in the cookies? I have been wanting to try it but wasn’t sure how much to use. Thanks!
Lisa says
The cookies need about 3/4 cup of sugar replacement or a little less. If you’d like to use concentrated monk fruit sweetener, you’d need about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the powder or twice as much liquid (3 teaspoons). Hope that helps.
Stephanie says
These cookies are delicious! It’s great to have options when you are in a keto diet. Thank you for posting this recipe. Instead of cutting the cookies, I made small balls and pushed them down. Worked fine 🙂
Lisa says
I’ve done that too! They do need to be pressed and that works as well as rolling and cutting.
Judi Fikes says
For an inexperienced baker like me…omitting the size of the logs presents a situation! And the size of the slices! Food bloggers have a t ndency to write very skimpy recipe directions! I don’t like to waste these expensive ingredients on mistakes in baking time or thickness…that said…would add some different flavor next time as they are pretty bland!
Lisa says
The logs will work no matter what size. You just need to bake until they are browned on the outside.
JJ says
Is there a reason for leaving out the baking powder? Just curious before I try baking these.
Thanks for posting this recipe!
Lisa says
It’s not needed in these cookies. They do rise a bit without it.
Viola says
I followed the instructions to the letter but it was impossible to slice the cookies. The batter is too soft. It’s also impossible to roll it out and cut them.
In the end I stuffed it into silicone molds, since don’t have a cookie press. They turned out okay, but it’s definitely NOT the recipe for cut-out sugar cookies.
Lisa says
You need to chill or freeze it first to slice.
Lori Geurin says
I’ve been looking for an indulgent recipe that will fit into my keto eating plan and these look delicious! I think I’ll try adding some lemon juice and lemon zest like someone else mentioned.
Can’t wait to try them!
Lisa says
I think you’ll love these Lori!
Mary Beth says
This recipe is one of my son’s favorite low carb treats. He is diabetic and follows a low carb diet. I made them this time with the glaze and added almond extract to it. They were delicious. I used Swerve for the sweetener. I think I will try adding lemon extract instead of vanilla and use a little lemon in the glaze also. I did freeze one of the logs and the cookies were just as delicious. When I first made them, I rolled them into small balls after chilling for awhile instead of using a cookie press. Then flattened them a little. Worked really well. Thanks for this delicious recipe!!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Mary Beth! I’m so glad to hear that your son enjoys them.
L. Ruby says
hi, i am also making this recipe for a diabetic and the nutrition facts seem off. only the flour has carbs and if the recipe makes 75 cookies (which seems like a lot for such a small recipe) it means that the dough has more than 75 carbs, sounds like a lot. also, can I substitute the coconut flour with additional almond flour (lower carbs).
Lisa says
I’ve seen a lot of variations when calculating. I’ve used both MyFitnessPal and Calorie Count to estimate the nutritional data. It’s always a good idea to double check the numbers.
Loraine says
These look amazing!! Just wondering if they are “crisp” biscuits, most low carb cookies are soft and i would like something closer to the original hard cookies…
Lisa says
The almond flour does make these cookies crisp when baked until browned.
Steve says
LOVE this recipe! I make them as listed, except I use Swerve Granulated, Lemon Extract instead of vanilla extract, and I ice these cookies once they’ve completely cooled with Swerve Confectioners sugar mixed with lemon juice and a bit of zest. I call them “Alemonds”, and EVERYONE eats them up, regardless of their carb intake!
Thank you very much, Low Carb Yum!!!!
Lisa says
I need to give that a try! I have been wanting to do these as lemon cookies.
Adrien Chandler says
Didn’t read through all of the comments, but is there a substitute for the coconut flour? I have gluten-free oat fiber which is very flour-like, but I don’t think 1/2 cup would give a good texture. Maybe half and half? Thanks!
Lisa says
In this recipe, you should be able to sub the coconut flour out with another low carb flour like oat fiber.
Isata says
I just baked these at the spur of the moment. Everyone is asleep in my house and I was going to wait until tomorrow since I have to chill the dough but decided to skip that part and just put the dough straight in the oven. I cut the ingredients in half since it’s just for babe and I and it came out sooo yummy. I added maple extract and a dash of cinnamon and I don’t regret it. It definitely reminded me of a snickerdoodle cookie. However I am sad that my cookie is crumbly so I do regret skipping the step to chill my dough. Next time I’ll do that but the cookies came out perfect nonetheless.
Lisa says
If you put the baked cookies in the fridge, they should not crumble. Most low carb cookies do crumble shortly over baking, but they are a whole different texture the next day.
Isata says
Yes after letting them sit out and cool off they stayed together and didn’t crumble. I baked more today and put the batter to chill for an hour or so. Thank you for the tip.
Caz says
I added 2 small mashed bananas 🍌 and cut the butter to 1/2 a cup, they turned out great!
Lisa says
Good to know!
Diane says
Hi Lisa
Your sight looks like it has some great recipes but I am only able to see comments
And other info but no recipes or ingredients etc. I know I must be doing something wrong but don’t know what the problem is
Any suggestions
Lisa says
You need to click the “Read More” button.
Reena says
Hi Lisa, just wondering if it’s salted or unsalted butter for the cookies?
Thank you
Lisa says
It’s always salted unless specified. But, either should work in this recipe.
Sofie says
Hi Lisa,
what almond flour do you use? The link in the recipe directs to dried cranberries and not to almond flour?
Is it a very fine almond flour or almond meal?
thank you!
Lisa says
Hi Sofie! Thanks for finding that error! I use Anthony’s brand and fixed the link.
Angie Sadowski says
I made these cookies for Christmas, and dipped half of the cookie into melted dark chocolate with a dash of holiday sprinkles for a little extra something. I know it adds a little to the nutritional info, but it was worth it! They were so good, that even my family members who aren’t low carb loved them!
Lisa says
What a fantastic idea! It’s the holidays, so might as well splurge!
Laurie says
I was going to make these anyway. Then I read your comment and I’m even happier to try this! Lol
Eve says
Just stopping by to let you know that I made these for a holiday party and they were great! I added cinnamon and maple extract and used a little less erythritol than you, so that they wouldn’t be so sweet I’d wanna eat them all in one go. I made half a recipe and used my candycane molds to make 25 cookies. They are great with tea or coffee! Thanks for the recipe! Happy Holidays
Lisa says
The cinnamon and maple flavor sounds awesome!
Nessa says
I love your recipes (new to low carb life!), please keep them coming! I was wondering, though, (because I am NOT an accomplished baker!) what the “chill for at least 4 hours” does for this recipe? And, in reading your responses to questions here, I realize that coconut flour has some affect on moisture. It gives more moisture or it absorbs it?? Would you educate me on these questions, please? I’m desperate to find a “normal consistency” (most all of my low carb sweets have turned out just a crumbly and chokingly dry chunk of almond/coconut flour) cookie/treat.
Thanks so much, and
Merry Christmas!!
Lisa says
Chilling keeps it from falling apart in your hand. I find the cookies very fragile immediately after baking. And, putting in the fridge helps with texture for some reason.
Daryl says
Because the butter in them solidifys and tightens them back up
Peta says
My partner can’t have any nuts or nut products (including almond meal) I’d there a substitute i can use without using high carb flours?
Lisa says
You can try a seed flour made from finely ground sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
Michele says
I used sunflower seeds ground fine and it worked great
Lisa says
Thanks Michele! Good to know finely ground sunflower seeds is a good option.
Deborah Coleman says
I have swerve. Would the measurement be the same?? Thanks for recipe!!!
Lisa says
Yes. Measurement is the same for Swerve.
Sandi M says
Perfect timing for this recipe. I don’t use any artificial sweeteners. Do you think this will work with a bit of organic local honey. I know this will increase the net carbs but we don’t believe in using fake sweeteners as I don’t react to them very well (migraines/digestive isdues).
Lisa says
Honey will increase carbs as its primarily sugar. You can use any sweetener you like in this recipe.
Joan says
Can I substitute Truvia Baking Sugar for the Eyrithritol?
Lisa says
You can. You’d need to using the conversion at https://www.truvia.com/conversion-charts
Emily says
I’m very new to the gluten free baking and I tried two different cookie recipes from other blogs this past week and had no luck with the almond flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour/Meal and pyure organic stevia as the sweetener. Both times the edges burned and the centers were still runny. Anyway, do you have any advice for me? Do you think I could use just coconut flour, increasing the amount of course, so I don’t have to face my almond flour fears again? Again, the recipes I tried were not your recipes, so perhaps the other recipes weren’t great, or, most likely, it’s my error since I’m new to this whole thing. Thanks!
Lisa says
You may need to check your oven temp. If the edges were burnt and the inside not fully cooked, your oven could be baking at a higher temp than indicated.
Muna says
I am a bit confused… i let it bake for 10 minutes and i can see the sides have turned brown… but the part in the middle is still gooey … what do i do?
Lisa says
It really depends on the cookie thickness. You need to bake until cooked completely.
Lauri says
Hi,
I made these but seething is wing! Yours look like sugar cookies men came out all spotted, I used up blanched almond flour/meal, plus everything else in recipe what do you thNk I did went?
Lisa says
Did you also use coconut flour? I’m not sure what you mean by spotted.
Megan Young says
I think that the cookies may have been spotted if the cream cheese wasn’t completely softened before using. (Just a thought.) I can’t wait to try to this recipe!
Lisa says
That is a possibility.
Becky Addington says
How do I adjust sweetener other than sukrin to equal the taste of the 1/4 cup? Many thanks.
Lisa says
You need about 3/4 cup of sugar equivalent so it depends on the sweetener you are using. I used Sukrin which is a one-for-one replacement. If you use Pyure which is 2 times as sweet, you’ll need a little more than 1/3 cup.
Julie says
Hi! First of all thanks so much for all your great recipes! I have your site bookmarked and keep it handy 🙂
Question for you: how can I get these cookies to not be so crumbly? It seems like no matter what I do they break apart before we even bite them!
Lisa says
I’m not sure what’s going on. You could try reducing the baking time. These cookies should be crisp, but not crumbly.
Noelle says
Mine turned out crumbly as well but they hold together long enough for me to bite them. They are super dry, can’t eat them without something to wash them down.
On a positive note, The flavor is OK, I think after these are gone I’ll add another egg and perhaps make them with more butter next time. I used baking Splenda btw.
I dip or frost mine with cool whip free. It is no carb as well.
VG says
These are absolutely delicious! Thank you!! I love how simple the recipe is. I “only” was able to make 58 cookies and I did slice them pretty thin, but may be my log was too large in size? I am looking forward to trying this again with different flavors! Wonderful!
Lisa says
Yes. It has a lot to do with the size of the log. And, some of my cookies were pressed which don’t use as much dough. Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a very basic recipe with lots of room for adding more flavor or add-ins.
kestl says
Made these tonight…I actually ordered unblanched almond meal/flour…they still turned out great but next time I’m ordering blanched almond flour in a finer grind. The taste if these really remind me of a cross between a shortbread and a macaroon. I personally would add a little more sweetener if I’m eating them plain…and leave the sweetener the same if I’m decorating with icing. Can’t wait to try in my cookie press!
Lisa says
I made the mistake of buying unblanched almond meal before. I found it pretty good for breads.
kestl says
Good idea…I need to try some zucchini bread!
Dianna says
I have every ingredient handy except the coconut flour…. do you think I could I use more almond flour or sweetener to make up the difference?
Lisa says
I would think so. I’d just add until it feels right. For this recipe, you should be able to use about an equal amount or a little more.
Eliz says
Hi Catherine, these cookies look amazing! May I know how much protein is there in one serving?
Lisa says
It’s about 1g protein per cookie.
Kay says
I love your blog! Is it possible to add chocolate chip cookies to this recipe? Also, I have some low carb brownies made…i was thinking of adding a few bits of those to the recipe as well. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Kay
Lisa says
Are you wanting to add pre-made cookies and brownies to the dough? If so, I don’t see why not. The cooking time isn’t very long.
Kay says
I’m sorry…couldn’t edit my comment. Can I add chocolate chips to this dough?
Lisa says
You can add chocolate chips to the dough if you’d like!
Carla says
I make these with chocolate chips all the time. Delicious! Also, you can add cinnamon and they taste like snickerdoodles.
Lisa says
Thanks for the info! I never thought about adding cinnamon. I’m going to give it a try!
Chantelle says
I just had to take a minute to say T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U for this AMAZING recipe!! We’ve been eating low carb for over a year now and I have tried MANY various cookie recipes but this is BY FAR the best! 🙂 You are so right about the cream cheese cutting the ‘cooling’ affect of the erythritol!! That has a been a major hang up of mine because I don’t care for that cooling affect but have a major sweet tooth. Thank you so so much! — Do you know of a way to use cream cheese in a chocolate (or vanilla) frosting with erythritol to cut the cooling – but that doesn’t end up tasting like ‘cream cheese frosting’ intended for pumpkin or spice cake? Anyway thanks a million!
Lisa says
Thanks so much for the feedback Chantelle! I have to give Pernille, the distributor of Sukrin products in the USA the credit for the tip of using cream cheese. She told me about it a few months ago. You don’t need a lot of cream cheese to offset the cooling taste so try adding an ounce or two of cream cheese to one of your favorite frosting recipes. I also try cutting back on the erythritol sweetener and adding in a few drops of liquid sweetener as needed.
M G says
Using a little Inulin cuts down on the cooling effect of the erythritol
Jessica says
I had the hardest time getting rid of that cooling affect until I learned that plain powdered stevia or stevia glycerite also cuts the cooling affect. 🙂 I mix 3 cups Eyrithritol (or swerve) with 1 1/2 TBS of Better stevia powder together and store in a container. Or add 1/2 tsp of stevia glycerite per 1/2 cup of Eyrithritol 🙂
Lisa says
Great tip Jessica!
Helena Angelina says
Wonderful idea!
Helena Angelina says
These look so bloody cute! I have a similar recipe, using just almond meal (no coconut flour), and I just love the soft-batch consistency. But I’ve never tried pressing them into shapes, so I’m going to have to give your recipe a whirl. They look great!
Lisa says
Thanks Helena! I’m going to bake them in hearts for Valentine’s Day.
Kim says
Love this site
Lisa says
Thanks Kim!
Wendy says
These are amazing! I used the suggestion of adding another flavor and made lemon cookies by adding lemon extract and kicked it up a bit with grated lemon peel, then made a lemon icing. Amazing!!! I really love the light, soft texture of the cookies. This recipe is a keeper!
Lisa says
I knew the lemon extract would be amazing! I’m going to make it that way next time. Thanks for giving it a try!
Dianne says
Is there a way to omit the almond flour and just use all coconut flour? Love your recipes by the way. I’ve made several of them and they are all very good!
Lisa says
Replacing the almond flour with all coconut flour will result in a softer cookie. I’d have to experiment to determine the correct amount, but I’d start with about 3/4 to 1 cup of just coconut flour and add more if needed. The dough should be fairly stiff after the coconut flour has had time to absorb the moisture.
Lovisa says
Can you use gluten free all purpose flour instead of almond and coconut flour?
Lisa says
You can certainly use a gluten free all purpose flour in place of the other flours. It would be about the same amount.
Catherine says
Dear Lisa, your cream cheese cookies look so pretty! I love that you used almond flour and coconut flour…I bet it really enhances the taste. A perfect holiday recipe. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! xo, Catherine
Lisa says
Thanks Catherine! Enjoy the holidays!