If you prefer soft buttery low-carb cookies, these chewy keto chocolate chip cookies are sure to satisfy. They taste just like the real thing but these treats are gluten-free with just 1g net carb each.
Article Index
I finally found a keto cookies recipe that is almost as good as the original high carb Toll House recipe. This one even passed the picky 13 year old daughter test.
It also got past my daughter's friend who had a few and said they were good cookies. I plan to make a big batch of this dough later and freeze it to bake on my busier days.
I liked these low carb chocolate chip cookies so much, I will bake some for the holidays. These keto cookies are also soft and chewy, just like the popular high sugar ones.
Ingredients Needed For Chew Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are also true cookies, nothing like cake in texture. The combination of butter and Brown Swerve gives these low-carb chocolate chip cookies a soft texture. The addition of stevia glycerite rounds out the sweetness.
They have a nice buttery flavor and the nut flours are not overpowering because of the added vanilla whey protein. The addition of peanut flour or coconut flour also lightens up the texture.
Please note: You'll find the full list of ingredients used in the recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom.
Quick Tips
- Line the baking pan. For easy release and cleanup, be sure to line the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Skip the egg white and double the yolks. In these buttery cookies, the yolks provide a moist cake-like cookie that makes them chewy.
- Add more flour. If you find that the cookies flatten too much during baking, just add more almond flour to the cookie dough.
How To Make Keto Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
The full step-by-by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below. In this section, I'll share some additional tips along with photos to help you make the recipe.
Cream The Butter
The original Toll House recipe was created by adding some chopped chocolate to a Butter Drop Do cookie recipe. So butter is an essential ingredient.
First, you'll beat the softened butter with the keto sweeteners then blend in the egg.
Add The Dry Ingredients
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, whey protein, peanut flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add this dry mix into the butter mixture.
The cookie dough should be fairly stiff. If the dough feels too soft, add in a little more almond flour. Just mix in a tablespoon at a time.
Stir In The Chips
To finish off the dough, stir in some keto-friendly chocolate chips. I like to use ChocZero because they taste great and melt well in the cookies. You can also save 10% on them when you use my discount code LOWCARBYUM!
You can also add in some chopped nuts with the chips. Walnuts or pecans work well in the cookies.
Bake The Cookies
Drop scoops of dough about two inches apart onto a lined baking sheet. Each scoop should be about a tablespoon.
A cookie scoop is the easiest way to get nice uniform scoops. But you can also use a couple spoons to drop spoonfuls of dough.
Bake the dough until the cookies brown. This takes about 8 to 12 minutes. Let the baked cookies cool for at least ten minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If you move them while they are too warm, they can break apart.
Recipe Suggestions
The dough can be frozen to use later. I recommend forming the dough into mounds with the scoop on a cookie tray and placing the tray in the freezer. Once the mounds are frozen, put them in an air tight container or freezer bag.
You'll want to make a large batch of these low carb chocolate chip cookies as the dough freezes well and can be frozen in scoops. This helps with portion control as you can bake only a few at a time. You can even just bake up a few in the toaster oven.
If you have a peanut allergy or just choose to avoid it, you can substitute the peanut flour with coconut flour, more whey protein, or more almond flour. The recipe is quite flexible. I used a mix of flours and whey protein because I find it gives the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chewy Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Before sharing the recipe, I wanted to answer some of the most common questions asked about these cookies.
What gives the cookies a chewy texture?
The brown sweetener and butter creamed together are the secret to getting a soft cookie texture. If you want a crisper cookie, you may want to check out my flourless cookie recipe.
How do you keep the cookies from going flat?
Not having enough flour is the most common reason for flat cookies. If the butter melts too fast while baking, this will also result in flat cookies. So you may want to try chilling or freezing the dough before baking.
Does adding more butter make cookies softer?
Because the butter adds more moisture to the dough, having a large amount should result in a softer texture. However, if you add too much butter, the cookies may flatten too much as it has a low melting point.
What's the best sweetener for soft and chewy keto cookies?
For this recipe, Swerve brown works best. But if you don't want the brown sugar taste, you can use allulose which acts more like sugar than erythritol sweeteners.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
Check out some of my other easy low-carb cookie recipes if you want some sweet snack bites or a little dessert after a meal. You'll find a few of my favorites below:
- Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies have been a favorite for the holidays and you only need 5 simple ingredients to make them.
- No Bake Keto Cookies are an easy snack to make and keep in the freezer. They come together quickly because there's no baking needed!
- Cream Cheese Cookies have a great freezable dough that can be stored in log shapes then thawed and sliced for fresh baked cookies any time.
- Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies are another holiday favorite that have a pretty red center that's perfect for Christmas.
- Ricotta Cheese Cookies come out soft and chewy every time because the cheese and butter add plenty of moisture.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Chewy Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup Low Carb Brown Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon stevia glycerite or stevia liquid concentrate
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein isolate
- 2 tablespoons peanut flour 12% fat, or coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking mat.
- Beat together butter, brown sweetener, and stevia glycerite until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together almond flour, vanilla whey protein powder, peanut flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir almond flour mixture into butter mixture until blended. If dough seems too soft, add in a little more almond flour. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
- Use cookie scoop to measure and drop onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. I recommend freezing the cookie dough drops on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes prior to baking. Otherwise, the butter may melt too fast resulting in very flat cookies.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published November 3, 2010. Post updated on April 24, 2021, with new photos an additional recipe information.
Marcia
Can I use plain whey protein powder in this recipe instead of vanilla whey protein powder?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can but you may need to add vanilla extract and sweetener to taste.
Ellie
What is stevia glycerite?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's a stevia liquid sweetener that contains glycerine. If you can't find it, an equivalent sweetener is fine to use.
Donny
These look so good! Definitely need to make these next time I have a cookie craving.
loren
thanks for a great keto chewy cookie!
Amanda Miller
I really wanted to like these, and I was excited about the prospect of a keto chocolate chip cookie like the real thing. Unfortunately, these were very puffy and cake like. And very dry. 🙁 The search continues!
Lisa MarcAurele
Did you freeze before baking? If so, the butter may have been too cold. If you get the temperature right, you should get cookies aren't too puffy or flat. Mine have never been dry so you have had too much flour.
Beth
Can you use something else besides whey protein
Lisa MarcAurele
The protein powder gives a lighter texture but you can substitute as stated in the note: "It’s best to use whey protein powder. However, the protein powder could be replaced with vanilla collagen or almond flour and vanilla extract."
Yang
Love these nutty chocolate cookies. You can't beat this flavour combination!
Alyssa Fusco
I love this recipe!
Jean Choi
Such a perfect texture! Love these.
Laurie Meyer
I made these tonight and they are delicious! But they are really, really soft. I have no idea how to make them a little less soft so they don’t fall apart. I will eat them anyway but they are just crumbled up pieces instead of whole cookies.
Lisa MarcAurele
Try placing them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight and keep them chilled. That usually prevents the crumbling.
Cathy
Lisa, I have a question about using allulose in the recipe instead of the Low Carb Brown Sweetener and liquid stevia. Is that possible and if so, how much to compensate for both?
Lisa MarcAurele
When I use my sweetener conversion calculator, I get 2/3 cups allulose needed. However, you won't get the brown sweetener taste with allulose.
Emily
How much molasses?
Lisa MarcAurele
You only need a very small amount like 1/4 teaspoon.
Anita
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this. Mine came out very flat... the dough was also a bit more watery than regular cookie dough.
Wondering what may have gone wrong? I did leave the butter out at room temperature for quite a while so it was very, very soft when I used it. Could it be the temperature of the butter?
Thanks
Lisa MarcAurele
These are flat cookies, but the temperature of the butter likely was a reason for the dough being watery. You could add in a bit of coconut flour to absorb any liquid if it happens.
ANNE
I’m sure that I have made this recipe before. I don’t remember the Sukrin Gold though. Was the original recipe posted using molasses? If so, how much?
I have this recipe saved because we liked it soooo much! I don’t want to change a thing! (Plus, I’m baking today and I don’t have the other sweetener)
Thanks,
Anne
Lisa MarcAurele
The original recipe used a tiny amount of molasses (I believe 1/4 teaspoon) along with white granular sweetener.
Monica
Definitely very good. The batter itself is delicious and could be made without the egg for cookie batter fat bombs. I cooked them for 6 minutes before taking them out. The bottoms were slightly browned and tops still soft.
Dawn Watts
Hi Lisa, these just came out of the oven 10 mins ago and they are fabulous! I used Sukrin gold Brown Sugar, Lily's dark chocolate chips, and I didn't add nuts. My husband is nommming as I type this to you. lol.
Thanks so much, it is so great to find a recipe that works great the first time and to have a treat while doing keto and not feel guilty. 🙂
Cheers,
Dawn
Lisa MarcAurele
I'm glad the cookies worked out! When I created the recipe, Sukrin Brown wasn't available. I should add some notes for that.
Bon Albers
Would Monfruit gold work?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use a monk fruit gold like Lakanto for the brown sweetener.
Wendy
Dr Berg uses a little black strap molasses in his cookies. He says the small amount does not make enough difference. So your cookies are KETO. I have not tried yet but I am going to tonight.
Lisa MarcAurele
Blackstrap is the healthiest molasses as it's where all the nutrients end up when sugar is refined. It was my go to ingredient for low carb brown sugar taste before sweetener companies started making keto friendly versions.
De
Delicious! Used chocolate whey, will omit salt next time. 4 star rating!
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for letting us know how the cookies turned out!
Darla
Thanks for the recipe. I used 1/4 swerve and 1/4 c brown sugar swerve that I found in the store today! I also only had chocolate whey protein and used it for double chocolate chip cookies. I confess I also doubled the chips and put 1/2 tsp vanilla. Didnt seem right not putting in vanilla. They turned out fabulous!
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing. The chocolate whey sounds like a nice way to make a chocolate cookie!
Dot
Hi lisa,
These are very close to toll house cookies.
I have been keto 3 years now and this is by far the best cookie I have tried.
Can a double chocolate version be made?
I Would like to make a double chocolate version can you give me some suggestions on how much cocoa to add and still get the same texture.....
I did not have pb flour so subbed coconut flour and they were done at 8 minutes,
they taste the best once cooled.
Love your recipies xo
Lisa MarcAurele
You could try backing off the flour and add 3-4 tablespoons of cocoa.
Carleen
Was hoping you could post the low carb brand you use for whey protein. Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele
I like to use Isopure because it's zero carb.
Lisa
I made these over the weekend and they were awesome! I did have to change the temp to 325 for about 8 minutes worked perfect.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing the temperature change. Ovens can vary and mine is a convection, but I adjust to regular baking temp.
Kay Overby
I baked these cookies at 375, I checked them at 6 min and they were burned. These ingredients are expensive so needless to say I was disappointed.
KO
Lisa
They should not have burned that quickly. Were they on the middle rack? I can add a note to check sooner.
Mira
While the texture of these cookies was good, my family didn't care for them. What can be substituted for the Peanut Flour or the PFlour alternative, Coconut Flour (family member is allergic), ... more whey protein? Using more almond flour will make cookies heavier and dense, which I want to avoid. When they were baking, all we could smell was peanut butter, and even the finished cookie had a muted flavor. If I wanted to make peanut butter cookies, I would have. I wanted choc chip cookies, but this is the 8th choc chip cookie recipe I've tried that disappointed us again; still haven't found a CCC recipe that "screams" chocolate chip cookie!
I used an Oxo Med. cookie scoop to make cookies that were larger, 1.5 tablespoon, than the stated size of one tablespoon, and cooked them for 9.5-10 minutes. Although we baked them at 350°F instead of the stated 375°F, cookies were burning around the edges at 5 minutes like other reviewers mentioned. They became crispier with just one extra minute of baking. So, they have to be watched closely if you don't like crispy cookies.
Lisa
More whey protein should be an acceptable sub for the peanut flour. Almond flour should work too.
Chip Kea
My cookies came out very cake like. What did I do wrong. Tried it twice, and the same results both times. Thru both batches away. I'd love for these to work. Just don't know what I did wrong. Welcome any advice you might offer.
Lisa
These are soft baked cookies. If you prefer crisper cookies, I suggest you try this flourless chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Rhonda Tillman
These turned out great! Mine came out crisp and thin, and loved the flavor and the crispness. Best LC cookie I've ever made or eaten!
Cristal
Not keto, because molasses isn't optional in keto, and whey protein powder is a No go because it's not a keto ingredient.
Keto is more than just low carb.
No protein powder, no molasses.
Low carb is not keto.
Lisa
Protein powder is allowed on keto and the blackstrap molasses can be omitted because it's an optional ingredient.
Mira
I was going to make these (and compare them to a Choc Chip cookie recipe I love from Australia that I found months ago), but after the comment about these baking up like a cake I am hesitant. Why didn't you use Sukrin Gold for brown sugar instead of the blackstrap molasses? (FYI: Swerve also makes a brown sugar substitute.)
Lisa
This is a very old recipe that was created before I knew about Sukrin Gold (it may not have been available back then).
Cindy
On another keto site belonging to a professional baker, it was said that cookies made with erythritol and some of the other sugar alcohols must cool completely, preferably overnight, to have the proper texture.
Lisa
I've experienced the same which is why I let cookies sit overnight in the refrigerator.
afsaneh bhimji
I would like omit the almond flour altogether because of allergies, can I only use coconut flour? If so, how much?
Thank you
Lisa
Typically, you only need 1/4 to 1/3 coconut flour for every cup of almond flour. And, you'll have to increase liquid and or eggs.
Lina
Have these in the oven now.
I only had regular whey, so I added vanilla kept "sugar" the same amounts.
My sugar is Bochawsweet and liquid s tevia.
My chips are Lilly's.
I'm SO hoping they will be a good chocolate chip cookie.
Excited for the results. thank you!!!
Lisa
Hope they worked out with what you had on hand. My kids love these cookies.
Sarah
Carb count of 1g ? I used swerve and xylilol and they both have 4 g of carbs per teaspoon. For low carb do I not count the carbs in natural sweetness? Still learning.
Thank you
Lisa
The carbs in Swerve are from erythritol which can be subtracted. With xylitol, it's best to count at least half of the carbs.
Swan
Does the peanut powder make the cookie taste like peanut butter?
So I tried this recipe today. I used more almond flour instead of the peanut powder. Honestly, its okay, but I really can't stomach the taste of the protein powder in the cookie. I made this recipe lastnight without the molasses and protein powder and it was great (Andres Regalado's recipe http://the-lowcarb-diet.com/low-carb-chocolate-chip-cookies/#comments) The molasses might make the recipe better so I'll have to try this recipe without the protein powder and also try it with the peanut flour to see if it makes a difference.
Lisa
The whey protein makes for a lighter texture. You could try subbing out both the whey and peanut flour with coconut flour.
Joanna
I don't have peanut or protein flour, but I do have almond and coconut flour. How much coconut or almond or both, should I use in the recipe?
Lisa
Try a 3:1 ratio of almond flour:coconut flour. You may also want to add additional sweetener.
Paula
These are fantastic! I made them exactly as written and got about 2.5 dozen cookies using a Tblsp measuring spoon. Perfect size. I'm usually not too fond of low carb sweets just because they never taste anywhere near the real thing, but these were perfect! Thank you so much!
Lisa
I'm so glad you like them. I made these ones for the kids and they liked them almost as much as the real thing.
Sara
These are, by far, the closest low carb cookie I have had to the real traditional deal that comes to mind when thinking, "I want a chocolate chip cookie". I say this having tried -many- recipes looking for just that.
I followed the recipe exactly and have no complaints.
Thank you!!!! A keeper for sure. I especially love them right out of the freezer.
Lisa
Thanks so much Sara! These are my low carb go to for soft and chewy style chocolate chip cookies.
Jennifer
Do you think these would work with an egg substitute like flax seed/water. I'm having a sensitivity to eggs.
Lisa
I don't see why not. I prefer using psyllium eggs, but flax should be fine.
Brynn Alexander
I made them 325 9mins with 3/4 cup swerve and no peanut flour. I used coconut flour. The best cookie ever!
Lisa
Thanks Brynn!
Samantha Marandola
Hi Lisa,
I only have flavorless whey protein powder. Could I add vanilla extract in addition to the powder or will that alter the consistency?
Lisa
That should work with added vanilla and a bit more sweeter (may want to add to taste).
Stephanie
Can you make these without the whey powder? I am lactose intollerant. Thanks!
Lisa
I'd add in a little coconut flour in it's place. You could even leave out the peanut flour if you used coconut flour.
Roberta
And what about using egg white protein instead of whey? I usually switch these one for other and this substitution mostly work...
Lisa MarcAurele
I haven't tried egg white protein, but it should work as it's similar. Freezing the dough on the cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes should also help the cookies from baking too flat. I'm adding that into the card now.
Judy
These look great but I cannot handle the SAs. May try with Monk fruit and 90% chocolate and see how they turn out.
Lisa
You should be able to use any alternate sweetener in these.
Lisa
These are delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have a sweet tooth and these will definitely help me stay on track. I did lower the temperature to 350, and they turned out great for me!
Lisa
Glad you enjoyed them! I'm in need of making this one again!
rhonda
I've adopted a sugar-free diet and would like to make these cookies without using the molasses. Do you have any recommendations? Should I increase the Swerve? Can't wait to make these!
Lisa
The small amount of blackstrap molasses is added to give a brown sugar effect to the low carb sweeteners. You can leave it out if you wish.
Rischa
Thank you for answering, Lisa. I appreciate it. I was seriously thinking my stove was going bad last night. It's pretty old. Anyway, I do use a different whey protein powder than you do. I'm going looking for the silicon mat today, too. If I don't find it I'll get one on Amazon and try again. Even with the toasty bottom of the cookies we're eating them and I can still taste how yummy the top part of the cookies are. I think this will be a go-to recipe for me if I can get the problem figured out. Thanks so much for this and all of your recipes!
Rischa
Hi Lisa,
I made these cookies tonight. I followed the instructions and double checked everything. Mine were burned on the bottom by 4 minutes of baking. I started to smell it and opened it up to look. I turned the oven off and left them in there as the top was still wet and I was hoping to salvage a few. The only thing that I can think that I did differently is that I used parchment where it looks like you used the mat. Could that be why they burned? I double checked everything and can't figure out why they burned. I've been making some other low carb chocolate chip cookies every few days for the past couple of months and have never had this problem. Maybe my oven is broken? lol I really can't figure what I did wrong. Please help?
Thanks for the recipe. I think they'll be wonderful if I can figure out where I went wrong.
Lisa
There are several things that could have gone wrong. The fat content in the peanut flour does make a difference. Also, it could be the brand of protein powder, I use Designer brand. Other things I can think of are the silicon mat and also the fact that I use a convection oven. These cookies came out really well for me and I do swear by the non-stick silicon mat which was well worth the cost.
Laura
Convection ovens cook differently than standard electric or gas. Wish you had mentioned that earlier. thanks.
Lisa
I haven't noticed much difference as I do adjust my convection oven to be comparable to a regular oven. However, I've notice that ovens can vary.
Jen
Mine were actually quite overdone at 8 minutes too - still delish though. Whenever I get around to making the second batch, I will definitely take down the heat some and check them earlier! Btw, the cookie dough is amazing - thinking about making a batch without the egg so I can just eat the cookie dough!
Lisa
Might be differences in ovens. I do use a convection oven set at 25 degrees lower.
samantha denham
Mine were overdone at 9 min, burnt on the bottom. I also used parchment paper and have a convectiono oven. Very soft too. Nice flavor but I would omit the salt if using salted butter. I will try with coconut flour next time.
suzi
Just wondering about peanut flour. Have a good substitute for that? Almond flour?? THese look good. I'm looking for a recipe I can put inside cupcakes for daughter's birthday. They're not low carbers but nice to "sneak" in when you can 🙂
Lisa
Almond flour should be fine as a substitute. The difference is that peanut flour is finely ground and defatted.
zandra morris
where do get your peanut flour.i found some at Netrition,com
Lisa
I use the Protein Plus brand. It is available at Netrition, but I do a price check on the net to compare before buying. I don't recall where I bought it last, but I think I found a better deal than Netrition last time.
Colleen
Is the vanilla whey protein the same as one would use in a protein shake? I have some vanilla whey protein shake mix that only has 2 carbs. Its probably a silly question but im new to all this
Lisa
Hi Colleen. There's never a silly question. Yes. The vanilla whey protein is the same powder used to make shakes. Just look for one that's low in carbs. Sounds like yours should work.
Jillian
These look so delicious! I plan on trying them soon!
fooddreamer
Oh, these look good! They look like regular cc cookies. I have already bookmarked the recipe to try!