Fun sugar-free keto gingerbread cookies that are also gluten-free, low carb, and easy to make. Only 1g net carbs per keto cookie.
These sugar-free gingerbread men are crunchy and have all the warm spices you'd expect in a traditional gingerbread cookie. Your children will love them, they won't even realise they're sugar-free and gluten-free.
Children love these fun sugar-free gingerbread cookies. It's nice to have some low-carb delicious recipes at this time of year. And remember to make my keto snowball cookies too.
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This is a great recipe that can be made all year round. There are plenty of variations so you can make different almond flour cookies from the basic cookie dough.
So whether you are reading this at Christmas time or mid-year, these are the best keto gingerbread cookies, the whole family will love.
Ingredients you need
These low-carb cookies taste just like the traditional recipes for gingerbread cookies that are made with wheat flour, blackstrap molasses, baking soda, and sugar.
To make the gingerbread cookies low-carb and sugar-free, the recipe uses two low-carb flours, almond flour, and coconut flour. Instead of sugar, we use a sugar replacement.
These are the ingredients you need to make the best keto gingerbread cookies. The instructions and quantities are in the recipe card below with a printable recipe.
Sugar-free gingerbread cookies
- Butter - you can use salted butter or unsalted butter. Adjust the salt when tasting your dough.
- Sweetener of choice - granulated or powdered sweetener. Erythritol, monk fruit, allulose, or any other powdered sweetener. You can also use brown sweetener to replicate the flavours of brown sugar.
- Eggs - fresh eggs are preferred but you can use an egg replacer.
- Almond meal/flour
- Coconut flour
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
Sugar free icing/frosting
- Butter - you can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
- Cream cheese (regular not spreadable)
- Sweetener to taste - powdered sweetener is best.
- Vanilla extract or vanilla essence.
Substitutions and variations
You can enjoy all the warm comforting spices of traditional gingerbread men, or make one of the many variations and substitutions to the basic keto cookie dough.
If you want to make these low-carb gingerbread cookies dairy-free, you may use coconut oil instead. Your cookies may need extra flavors such as additional ground ginger or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
When you use coconut oil in low-carb cookies your cookies may spread whilst they cook.
Instead of ground ginger and cloves, you can use any of the following: Ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ground cardamom, or mixed spice.
How to make gingerbread dough
In the recipe card below, I explain how to cream butter and sweetener in a medium bowl, then add the egg and all other dry ingredients. However, if you are in a real hurry, you can actually place all the wet ingredients and dry ingredients into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until a dough ball forms.
Be sure to read all the recipe gingerbread cookie recipe notes and FAQs, then you'll know exactly how to make the perfect dough every time, even if your dough is too dry or too wet.
How to roll out cookie dough
Once your dough is ready to roll, place the dough ball between two sheets of baking parchment paper. This stops the dough from sticking to your hands and the kitchen bench.
Take a look at how I roll out my pizza dough, I use the same method.
Use a rolling pin, a wine bottle, a coffee mug, or the back of a measuring cup to roll and smooth out the cookie dough. You want to roll the cookie dough to be about ⅛ inch = 3mm. This makes them sturdy enough to handle and decorate, but thin enough to bake crispy and golden brown.
How to cut gingerbread cookies
Before you begin, always use metal cookie cutters, not plastic cutters.
If your cookie cutters are sticking to your dough, you can spray them with cooking oil or lightly flour each cutter in almond flour.
Once you have perfectly rolled cookie dough, you can use your favourite cutters. Press each shape into the cookie dough, gently wiggle the cookie-cutter from side to side before lifting off the dough, and lift the dough gently with a bread knife or spatula. You can collect all the leftover dough and roll it out again for more gingerbread men.
Place the gingerbread cookies onto prepared baking sheets, sheet pans, or cookie trays that have been lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Place the baked cookies on a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
Baking tips for crunchy cookies
Cooking times will vary considerably for this recipe depending on how thick you have made your cookies, the moisture of the dough, and how crispy you like your gingerbread men.
Once cooked, you may want to flip each cookie over to turn them upside down onto the baking sheet and cook for a further minute to ensure they are crispy and crunchy.
How to decorate keto gingerbread cookies
How to decorate using icing / frosting
You can cut shapes such as Christmas angels, Christmas trees, hearts, and stars. But you might also like to make other fun shapes too. My son made some trains and dinosaurs, but they never made their way into the shots (these cookies 'disappeared' somehow).
How to make cream-filled cookie sandwiches
If you don't have the patience or time to decorate your gingerbread men then spread some icing/frosting in between the gingerbread cookies and sandwich them together. Just call them gingerbread 'sandwiches' and everyone will be impressed at how creative you are.
How to use marzipan (almond paste)
Using marzipan or fondant is an easy way to decorate cookies, and you don't need any baking skills.
Make my 3 ingredient keto sugar-free marzipan (almond paste) in just 5 minutes. Roll it out and cut the same cookie shape and place it on top of your cookies.
How to add colored frosting
You can also add a few drops of food coloring to your frosting for a more festive look. Dip your cookies in chocolate, drizzle in dark sugar-free chocolate or white sugar-free chocolate, or make royal icing with egg white and sweetener.
How to make a sugar-free gingerbread house
Some readers have managed to make small gingerbread houses from gingerbread cookies cut into the share of the four walls and two roof panels. You can download and print various gingerbread house templates online.
You need two baking sheets to accommodate all the different parts of the gingerbread house.
How to store sugar-free gingerbread cookies
Cookies are always susceptible to absorbing moisture from the air so store keto gingerbread cookies in an airtight container. The cookies must cool completely on a wire rack. Place a small sheet of baking parchment paper in between each layer to ensure the cookies stay dry and are easily separated.
They can be stored in a cool pantry or fridge for up to 4 days, or stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. They are best frozen before decorating.
Recipe FAQs
Your almond flour may be very low moisture or your egg may be smaller than usual. Simply add 1 or 2 teaspoons of hot water at a time to your dough and mix until a traditional dough ball forms.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra almond flour at a time and mix. It's best to add the almond flour slowly because you want to avoid it becoming too dry.
You need to add more moisture. Simply add 1 or 2 teaspoons of hot water at a time then mix until dough forms.
You want to roll the cookie dough to be about ⅛ inch = 3mm. This makes them sturdy enough to handle and decorate, but thin enough to bake crispy and golden brown.
For the best keto gingerbread cookies, always use metal cutters. Plastic ones are never sharp enough to cut cookie dough properly.
Press firmly into the rolled-out dough, wiggle the cutter before removing, lift from the cookie and use a blunt knife or spatula to lift and place on a cookie sheet. If the dough is stuck to the cookie-cutter, use the end of a knife to press the edges or a wooden chopstick to poke small areas of dough away from the cutter.
You can use a sharp knife to cut squares, stars, hearts, and letters. Use a small glass tumbler to cut circles. Or cut a paper stencil to make more intricate shapes such as flowers.
Yes, once you have made the cookie dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
This recipe uses coconut flour and almond flour mixture which are both gluten-free flours. You cannot use regular gluten-free flour because it is high in starch such as rice starch and potato starch.
No, it is still sugar and will raise blood sugars. You can use a sugar replacement such as erythritol or stevia, or brown sugar replacers in low-carb gingerbread cookies.
📖 Recipe
Sugar Free Keto Gingerbread Cookies
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Ingredients
Sugar-free keto gingerbread cookies
- 110 g (1 stick) butter softened
- 4 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 1 eggs
- 200 g (2 cups) almond meal/flour
- 4 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Sugar free icing/frosting
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon cream cheese (regular not spreadable)
- powdered sweetener to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Sugar free keto gingerbread cookies
- Mix the butter and sweetener together until creamed, light, and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix well.
- Add all the other dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Adjust the dough with extra almond flour or water until the dough is the right consistency to be rolled out.
- Roll between two sheets of baking parchment, cut out various cookie shapes using cookie cutters and place on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until cooked (cooking times will vary considerably for this recipe and how crispy you like your gingerbread men). Once cooked, you may want to turn them upside down and bake for a further minute to ensure they are crisp.
Sugar free icing/frosting
- Microwave for 10-15 seconds or heat on the stove gently to soften (not melt) the butter and cream cheese together. Mix.
- Add the vanilla and add sweetener to taste. Mix.
- Allow to cool slightly and thicken enough to be able to be piped onto the gingerbread men.
- If the icing/frosting is too thick, add a few drops of water, if too thin, allow to cool in the fridge to allow the butter and cream cheese to solidify slightly.
Notes
Approximate nutrition information is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. For the most accurate nutritional data, use the actual ingredients and brands you used in your preferred nutrition calculator.
More sugar-free Christmas recipes
Download your FREE printable gift tags. These sugar-free gingerbread cookies would look beautiful wrapped in clear cellophane and ribbon for a merry Christmas gift this year.
At Christmas time, it's nice to have sugar-free recipes and low-carb recipes to enjoy.
If you need more ideas for the holidays, I have 30+ healthy keto Christmas recipes for you, 61+ best Thanksgiving recipes, and the best ways to use Christmas leftovers.
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Spicy sugar-free roasted almonds
Benni
Thank you for such an easy sugar-free gingerbread cookie. I have made this so many times now I just throw everythgin in my food processor and voila! Even my children make it, it's that easy.
Riri
Merci merci merci for this recipe the best I have found ! And I change the butter by cacao butter it's like white chocolate yummy!!!!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Kia ora from NZ to you in France Riri. I am so glad we have such a wonderful international community here. And I am especially pleased that you have discovered my gingerbread recipe and made a fabulous adaptation. 🙂
Leisa
Hi Libby due to not liking the taste of coconut flour (I can taste even a small amount in a recipe) is there a substitute eg: protein powder or chia flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm afraid I have never tried either of these as a substitute in this recipe. If you give it a try and it works, I'd love you to come back and let us know.
Roberta
I'd need a coconut flour substitution too... really can't digest it lately 🙁 do you think it may be ok to try almond blanched flour with a pinch of xanthsn gum to thicken it a bit, or some mulled chia seeds in addition to the posted amount of almond flour? I'd really love to try this recipe... thank you if you'll find a suggestion to solve my problem 😉
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm sorry to hear you can no longer use coconut flour, it is so useful. My best guess to successfully omit the coconut flour from this recipe is to add 1/4 cup almond flour/meal then assess the consistency. If the gingerbread dough is too wet, add additional almond flour/meal. The xanthan gum may just work. If you do try it, I'd really for you to come back and comment on how well it worked and how much you used. Good luck and Happy Christmas Roberta.
Jen
Do you have a nut free version?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sorry, not for this gingerbread men recipe. I like a challenge, I'll try and develop one soon.
Jen
Hi, do you know whether the biscuit recipe works with margarine instead of butter? I'm thinking of making these for a friend who is both gluten- and lactose-intolerant, but sometimes substituting dairy-free margarine in place of butter doesn't work for roll-out recipes. Cheers!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I think the margarine will be too soft for the cookie dough to roll out. You could perhaps try with half the mixture so it isn't a huge waste if it doesn't quite work?
Sarah B
Can I use gluten free flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Many gluten-free flours are incredibly high in carbs as they are based on rice flour for example. They also work in completely different ways to almond flour and coconut flour. This post will explain Gluten-free vs Grain-free and this post is my Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Flours.
Sarah
Hi Libby.
I went ahead and made these with gluten free flour. The carbs aren't really an issue (more important to watch the sugar, as it's for a diabetic). They worked, were lovely and crumbly. Froze half and topped with crystallized ginger (having soaked it to get rid of excess sugar) before baking. A real hit as she wants me to make more!!!! Thank you.
jemimah Kreeck
Hello, In regards to the nutritional table I was wondering how many biscuits did you make so I can work out what 1 serving is, thankyou
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The recipe states it makes 30 biscuits - sometimes I make more or less depending on size, but it gives you an idea of the nutrition for 1/30th of the recipe.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
You shouldn't have had to add an extra cup of almond flour, that is what made them crumbly and only taste of almonds! That's not the recipe I developed. I would check your almond flour isn't the low fat variety or out of date. These aren't as sturdy as sugar and flour gingerbread, sure, but you simply slide a knife under them and place them on the lined baking tray.
Anne
what weight is a stick of butter? In Australia we get 250g or 500g packs.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I always put both measurements to help my metric and imperial readers. This recipe states 110g / 1 stick butter. I am in NZ so use metric also.
Emma
Brilliant recipe, thank you! I can't believe how great the dough is to work with considering there was no wheat flour in it. Absolutely no dramas rolling and cutting shapes, and the post-bake consistency is terrific. Another 10/10 from me!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Emma this is so lovely to read. I am so glad it works so well. My children have made this a few times since I developed it (they are always my recipe testers). Have a very merry Christmas and New Year, Libby x
Rachel
is the butter meant to be 'softened' or melted as per the recipe suggests? I cant seem to get the melted butter and sweetener to go light and fluffy
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I have amended it to softened, that would be easier to blend the two together.
Lisa
Could I use a cookie "gun" for these?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Probably not, they aren't gooey like a traditional cookie dough is. I roll them out between two sheets of baking parchment. Let me know if you give it a go though with your cookie gun, I'd love to try one of those.
Evelyn Sinclair
Great recipe! The exact recipe has a good consistency, easy to manage with the parchment roll out and taste really good. I serve the cookies with a bowl of apple sauce for dipping - tastes like apple pie
LexiLovesToTravel
I've made these twice now and have almost mastered them. For his recipe I personally think they taste better a little bit more crisp than regular gingerbread recipes. I use cinnamon instead of cloves, again, as personal preference. I'm very impressed with this recipe and they would make a great year-round biscuit treat! Thank you.
Edith
I like the recipes but I find your posts hard to read because it is in gray print a
nd does not show up as well as black pri t
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
is it just my website or do you need to turn the contrast up on your monitor? I have it set at the darkest black I can. Sorry to hear this.
urthboundmisfit
It's got to be their browser settings. I'm on Windows 7 and Chrome, and I can read your blog posts just fine. If they're reading from their phone, that introduces even more potential complications.
Jan
I have the same problem reading several websites. If the contrast is turned up I wonder if it's the font? I can see this one okay for the most part, but some are very hard.