Low Carb Lemon Cookies. Crisp and buttery lemon-scented cookies topped with sweet and tart icing. These go great with a cup of earl grey tea and a good book.
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I don't think I've ever met a cookie I didn't like. Depending on my mood I like chocolate, nut, mint, fruit, and citrus cookie flavors. When this was first published back in 2016 I was on a holiday baking journey to bring you a dozen new cookie recipes before Christmas. These low carb lemon cookies were number two. I did publish a bunch of new cookies that season. I'm pretty sure I did hit a dozen new recipes!
In case you missed recipe number one you can check out my Almond Crunch Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies here.
I've been working on the perfect base cookie dough and I think I've perfected it. The dough for both of these recipes is very similar and I used it again in my Peppermint Fudge Sandwich Cookies. To get a one-page printable of my base cookie dough and easy ways to use it click here.
Feel free to experiment with it on your own by changing the flavor of the extract and the mix-ins.
Ingredients:
Cold Salted Butter - I only buy salted butter and use it in any baking recipe. It brings out the flavor in the other ingredients and I've never found my baked goods too salty.
Almond Flour - Blanched almond flour has a mild flavor and a tender texture that works well in low carb baking.
Coconut Flour - Just a little bit of coconut flour goes a long way. Coconut flour helps to balance the oiliness of almond flour since it is naturally drier and absorbs more liquid than other alternative flours.
Sugar-Free Sweetener - I like to use a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. By using a combination of sugar alcohols and stevia you can use half the amount required of 1:1 sweeteners and regular sugar.
Gelatin - these cookies do not have eggs so the gelatin acts as a binder and helps hold them together. If you sub in eggs your low carb lemon cookies will be softer and cakier.
Lemon extract or fresh lemon zest - obviously the star of the show when making a lemon-flavored cookie. I prefer to use fresh lemon zest when possible.
Powdered Sweetener for the icing - Most of the time I use my own sweetener blend but there are some recipes that work better using a store-bought powdered sweetener. Those are ground finer than you can normally get in your home kitchen.
How to make Low Carb Lemon Cookies
The dough for these lemon cookies mixes up in the food processor in minutes.
First Step: Add the ingredients to the food processor. Process until the dough comes together in a ball. This takes 1-2 minutes. First, it looks dry and crumbly but then it will come together.
Second Step: Make balls of dough and flatten them onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Third Step: Bake the low carb lemon cookies. Top with the lemon icing and garnish with lemon zest.
What other flavors can I use?
Citrus: You can easily make these low carb lemon cookies with another citrus flavor like orange or lime by swapping out the lemon extract, juice, and zest for the option of your choice.
Plain: Make a regular buttery shortbread cookie by omitting the citrus.
Cranberry: Add in chopped unsweetened dried cranberries and sugar-free white chocolate chips.
Chocolate: Leave out the lemon and drizzle the tops with melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts.
More Keto Cookies & Bars:
Keto Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
I hope you enjoy these low carb lemon cookies! For a soft chewy lemon cookie try this keto lemon cookies recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients:
- 4 oz cold salted butter (1 stick) cut into pieces
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoon gelatin
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract or zest
Icing Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sweetener
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
- lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Next, combine all the dough ingredients in the food processor and pulse until a uniform dough forms. Divide into 24 balls and put on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down with your fingers. Sprinkle with a little more sweetener.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Combine the powdered sweetener with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Add additional lemon juice if needed. Spread on the cooled cookies.
- Garnish with lemon zest.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published December 9, 2016. Revised and Republished August 25, 2021.
Karen from Florida says
I looked at several lemon cookie recipes before trying this one. Some were a little fussy in that you had to chill the dough before baking. This was so quick and easy to make that I thought surely it would be mediocre, but NO, they are my new favorite! I will definitely be making these over and over again! The only changes I made were to use one packet of Knox gelatin instead of 2 tsp and I halved the glaze recipe (the perfect amount for a light glaze). They held together well (which is exciting for us Keto cookie bakers) even before they cooled, so I can mail these to family in Hawaii. I like big cookies, so I made 12 instead of 24 but they still only took 15” to bake. 🙂 I see you have a newer lemon cookie recipe on your website, but this one is a perfect winner for me. Thank you, Taryn!!!
Alysyn says
These HIT the SPOT! I have a lemon scented candle that had me STARVING for a lemon cookie, so I stumbled upon this one, following THM. Next time, I'll cut down the flour just a smidge or up the butter by a tablespoon. Also, I'm without a doubt adding Lily's white chocolate chips next time. Very very good, guiltless lemon cookie! Can't wait to try these with cranberry next!
Marcella Rice says
It's crazy to have to leave STARS before making a recipe but that's the only way to ask a question!! So these may be 2 or 3 or 5?? In one cookie recipe you say ADD an egg along with gelatin for a softer cookie, but in this recipe you say sub an egg for the gelatin to achieve a softer version. Which is correct?
Taryn says
Marcella, you do not have to click the stars at all. Just type in the comment box without clicking on them.
To answer your question, you can sub an egg instead of the gelatin OR in addition to the gelatin. The gelatin adds protein but can be omitted if you add an egg. It is up to you.
Sydney Lee says
I can’t wait to make these cookies! Lemon iced cookies are my fiancé’s favorite. We do like them soft and chewy so to sub the gelatin for egg, how many eggs, and would you use the whole egg or just the whites? Thank you!
Taryn says
I'd try 1 egg.
Sydney Lee says
Thank you, Taryn!
Tsimes says
If you subtract the fiber, that means that each cookie has zero carbs?? What am I missing here?
Taryn says
Yes, if you just eat one. Eating several will raise the net carb count to 2 or 3. This is helpful to figure out nutrition for how many you eat. Just make sure to delete the carbs for the sweeteners since they are sugar alcohol. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe_parser
Carlie says
Maybe I'm being done but why does it say 4oz (1 stick) butter when 1 stick of butter is 8 oz. Sorry. Love your recipes!!!!
Taryn says
Generally, there are 4 sticks in a one pound box so each is 4 ounces. A pound has 16 ounces. 1 stick has 8 tablespoons, that might be why it's confusing.
Carlie Kukielski says
I knew I was missing something...hahaha. Thank you for clarifying. Sometimes one is too close to the problem to see the solution XD.
Erin says
I made these today and the cookies turned out perfect! I had a little problem with the frosting. I used powdered swerve, and made it exactly per the recipe. I was able to frost two cookies before it turned in a hard mess. I added a little more lemon, and ended up adding hot water to try to get it pliable. I was able to salvage it, and the cookies, but they aren't pretty. : ) Has anyone else had this problem with Swerve?
Taryn says
How much swerve did you use? If you doubled the amount (as I mention in my sweetener notes since it isn't as sweet) you would definitely need to add more liquid.
Erin says
I used 1 cup, and started with 2 T. lemon juice. I ended up adding a bunch of hot water and that helped a bit. I'll probably start with a smaller amount of Swerve and go from there. The cookies have been a huge hit! I shared some with my mom, she said I could bake those for her anytime. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jamie Pittman says
Could you use fresh meter lemon juice in the dough instead of lemon extract? If so, how much would you recommend? Do you have any other Keto recipes that use fresh lemon juice? Thanks!!
Taryn says
You can use fresh lemon juice. I'd try 2 tsp and add some zest into the dough too.
I use fresh lemon juice in my Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole. And you can make my Lime Curd with lemon instead.
Ellen says
Hi,
I was wondering how much lavender you would add to make a lemon and lavender cookie. The two go beautifully together...and would be divine with a cup of earl grey tea.
Taryn says
I'd start with 2 tsp and then taste the dough. I've never made lavender cookies but I just looked up some recipes and most use 2-4 tsp.