These low carb gingerbread cookies are every iconic holiday scent, smell, and taste rolled into one perfect, smiley, little bite!
Alongside my almond flour sugar cookies, these low carb cookies are my favorite way to get the holiday season started! Yes, friends, one bite, and these will have you singing carols, lighting candles, and throwing on a movie where the leading lady falls for a small-town baker to save the parade.
Now, those are my kind of low carb desserts!
Enjoy them as breakfast cookies with a cup of tea, or cozy up by the fire after dinner for a treat. Let’s bake!
What I Love About This Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Ummm, aside from filling your house and belly with holiday cheer?! Everything.
Here’s what to expect before you start baking these low carb gingerbread cookies:
- Easy ingredients
- Spicy + sweet
- Crunchy outside, soft inside
- Low carb!
- No fancy techniques
Ingredient Notes
Almond Flour – As far as low carb flour goes, almond flour is most similar to traditional wheat, in terms of baking characteristics, taste, and texture. You’ll want to grab a fine-grained almond flour for the best texture results. My favorite products are Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s brand.
Xanthan Gum – Since almond flour doesn’t contain gluten (which acts as a glue in baking), we’ll rely on xanthan gum, a natural binder, to keep our cookies in one solid piece. Very little is needed, but it makes all the difference!
Brown Swerve/Lakanto – My keto sweeteners of choice! If using erythritol or allulose, you’ll want to add more, as they’re 70% as sweet.
Dark Molasses – Makes cookies softer, and gives our gingerbread man cookies their distinct texture and flavor. “Dark” molasses just means it’s the 2nd time this ingredient has been filtered, so it’s thicker and less sweet than “light” molasses.
Now. Since I know many of you are wondering, molasses is not a low carb ingredient (it’s a by-product of the sugar-making process), 1 Tablespoon has 15g sugar! We’ll only be using 2 teaspoons in this recipe, which adds a nominal amount of sugar per cookie, especially considering traditional recipes use molasses by the cup full.
Spices – This low carb gingerbread cookies recipe wouldn’t be what it is without ginger. Add in a dash of allspice and cinnamon for an even more festive treat.
Can You Freeze These?
YUP! Make a bunch and save them for your next holiday event or a rainy day that calls for some special cookies. Layer in an airtight bag with parchment or wax paper between the layers, and you’re all set!
Recipe Variations
This low carb gingerbread cookie is perfect as is (IMHO), but if you’d like to add your own flair to your keto Christmas cookies, here are a few ideas:
- Use different cookie cutter shapes. I used these cute little guys. You could mix in these adorable Christmas trees and snowflakes.
- Change up the spices. The spices below are the standard for keto gingerbread cookies, but feel free to add what you prefer.
- Get decorative! I’m a big fan of decorating these with icing (recipe below). For a quick and easy version, sprinkle the top with powdered erythritol. You can also dunk them in melted chocolate or white chocolate (like my almond flour shortbread cookies). Or cover them in a cream cheese frosting like my low carb cream cheese cookie.
More Low Carb Cookies
- Coconut Flour Cookies
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
- Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
Low Carb Keto Gingerbread Cookies
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Cookies:
- 2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour (note 1)
- 1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum (note 2)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter melted. unsalted
- 3/4 Cup Granular Swerve or Lakanto (note 3)
- 2 Teaspoons Dark Molasses
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Egg
Icing:
- 1 Cup Confectioners Swerve or Lakanto (note 3)
- 1 Egg White
- 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
- Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour (2 1/2 cups), xanthan gum (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon ), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon). Set aside.
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter (3/4 cup), granular erythritol (3/4 cup), dark molasses (2 teaspoons ), cinnamon (2 teaspoons), ginger (2 teaspoons), and allspice (1/4 teaspoon) using an electric mixer. Beat in the egg (1). Slowly, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fully combine.
- Chill. Wrap in saran wrap, and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Roll + shape. Divide the chilled dough in half. Keep one in the fridge, and roll the other between 2 sheets of parchment until 1/4" thick. Press cookie cutters (note 4) into the dough. Move cookies to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving 1" in between -- if the cookies are hard to move, place them in the fridge for 10 minutes, then try again using a thin spatula (this will help to harden the butter, and make them easier to move).
- Chill + bake. Preheat oven to 350 F. Once on the baking sheet, place cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. You'll know they're done once the edges begin to brown. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cookie rack. Meanwhile, roll scrap dough, and repeat the steps above.
- Frosting. In a medium bowl, combine the egg white (1), vanilla (1/4 teaspoon), and confectioners erythritol (1 cup). Transfer frosting to a pastry bag, or a resealable bag with a small hole cut in the tip.
- Decorate + EAT! Decorate cookies once cooled completely, and enjoy!
Fans Also Made These Low Carb Recipes:
Lindsey's Tips
- Almond Flour - Using fine-grained almond flour will give your gingerbread cookies the most "flour-like" results. Bob's Red Mill, Trader Joe's, or Costco brands are perfect.
- Xanthan Gum binds this gluten free flour together. Don't skip or sub (guar gum won't work here).
- Lakanto, Swerve, or Erythritol. Erythritol is 70% as sweet as Lakanto and Swerve, so if using a different brand, adjust your cookie's sweetness accordingly.
- Cookie cutters. I used these gingerbread cookie cutters.
Nutrition
