Keto Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

These wonderfully sweet and crispy keto cream cheese cookies are simple to make for a perfect holiday treat. You can press them into shapes, decorate them, or enjoy them plain!

Something about cookies and the holidays goes together so well. Maybe it’s all of the cookie-decorating traditions or the fact that they’re Santa’s favorite snack. Either way, this is a great time of year to have plenty of keto cookie recipes on hand.

I first created this recipe to decorate with my daughter for the holidays. We also love making my family’s traditional sugar cookie recipe, which calls for lard.

The great thing about this cream cheese cookie recipe is that you probably already have all of the ingredients on hand. Plus, they only require a few steps before they’re ready to be sliced or pressed.

They’re lightly sweet and crispy with golden-brown edges. I love the taste of them plain, but you can also decorate them if you want more sweetness.

Whether you’re looking for a simple treat or planning for a day of cookie decorating, these cream cheese cookies are sure to be a big hit!

Ingredients

There are only a few simple ingredients needed to make these easy cream cheese cookies. Here's a bit more information about what I used.

Butter

Only use unsalted butter in these cookies. You really don't need any salt in them - all the flavors are already vibrant.

Sweetener

Any low-carb sugar substitute will work. Liquid stevia or granular sweeteners will dissolve well in the cookie dough. There's no need for a powdered erythritol blend.

Cream Cheese

Regular cream cheese with full-fat has more nutrients and flavor, so don't use low-fat.

Flours

To obtain that perfect crispy texture, I used both almond flour and coconut flour. Be very careful and measure it out exactly.

Vanilla

A little bit of vanilla extract makes the cookies taste like vanilla shortbread. But you can use almond extract or lemon extract to change up the flavor.

Xanthan Gum

I found that xanthan gum is the perfect binder and thickener in low-carb recipes. However, it's not essential for these baked cookies.

Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.

Quick Tips

• Cookies made from low-carb flours have a higher risk of crumbling. Adding xanthan gum binds the gluten free ingredients together better.
• Using a cookie press helps to compress the dough, so the time needed to refrigerate the dough is not as long. If you’re using the slicing method, I recommend chilling the dough overnight or place it in the freezer for at least an hour.
• Make sure you let the cookies fully cool after baking. The texture is best the next day if you refrigerate them overnight as well.
• Add chocolate chips. Adding just a tad of chocolate really ups the flavor.

Instructions

Making this cream cheese dessert only requires a few steps. However, the dough does need to chill, so you’ll want to factor that into the time.

Make and chill the dough

Start by creaming the butter and sweetener in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in cream cheese and eggs. Once well-combined, stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, and xanthan gum (if using), then mix in the vanilla.

Form the dough into a ball and then refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight. If you want colored cookies, add in your food coloring before you chill dough.

Bake the cookies

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Squeeze the dough out of your cookie press directly onto a cookie sheet or roll it out into a cookie log and slice first. There's no need to use a cookie scoop or make dough balls!

Bake until the cookies begin to brown (about 8-10 minutes for pressed cookies or 10-12 minutes for slices). Cook longer for crisper cookies and less for soft cookies.

Let the cookies cool

After resting on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Make sure you allow the cookies to cool completely to prevent crumbling. Cool on the counter, then refrigerate in an airtight container.

I also prefer to bake these keto cookies directly on the cookie sheets, without a silicone mat or parchment paper. They turn out crispier that way. However, it's best to grease the pan to prevent them from sticking.

I also prefer to bake these keto cookies directly on the cookie sheets, without a silicone mat or parchment paper. They turn out crispier that way. However, it's best to grease the pan to prevent them from sticking.

️Serving Suggestions

What you serve with these cream cheese cookies depends on when you eat them. They are the perfect late-night snack with a keto chocolate pudding.

If you just want a small treat, then brew a cup of bulletproof coffee and nibble away.

Of course, you can never go wrong with a bowl of delicious keto ice cream!

Recipe Card