Keto Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Published June 20, 2019 • Updated March 3, 2026
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I accidentally invented these while making butter bars, and they turned out to be the chewiest almond flour chocolate chip cookies I've ever baked. 3.2g net carbs for two cookies, 9 ingredients, zero grainy texture.
I came up with this recipe completely by accident. I was making my keto butter bars and added too much almond flour to the batch. Instead of tossing it, I mixed in an egg, baking powder, and a handful of sugar-free chips. The first batch came out soft, chewy, and sweet without that grainy texture most low carb cookies have. That was back in 2018, and I’ve been making these keto chocolate chip cookies weekly ever since.
These are the only cookies I’ve made that a brand wanted on their packaging. ChocZero put this exact recipe on the back of their bag. Not a sponsored deal. They baked them, liked them, and asked to feature the recipe. That’s still one of my proudest moments as a recipe creator.
The secret I figured out early on is heavy cream. Just two tablespoons dilutes the off-flavors from the nut flour and sweetener, and it gives these cookies a tenderness that mimics real butter cookies. I’ve tested them without the cream and the difference is obvious (grainier, drier, less forgiving).
The whole recipe uses just 9 simple ingredients and comes together in about 30 minutes including chill time. If you want something even simpler, my 3-ingredient almond flour cookies are a good starting point. For a version with slightly different macros, I also have a 1.2g net carb version that uses both almond and coconut flour. And if you only need one cookie right now, there’s my single serve version that’s ready in 15 minutes.
I make these for Friday dessert night at our house. My kids don’t know they’re sugar-free (they don’t care about that), they just know the cookies are soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. If you’re looking for more keto baking projects, try my keto shortbread cookies or keto peanut butter cookies.
How to make these almond flour cookies
Mix dry ingredients first (almond flour, baking powder, salt), cream the butter and sweetener, then combine everything with egg, heavy cream, and vanilla before folding in the chips. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes before baking. I press each ball to about 3/4 inch thick on a parchment-lined sheet. If you want to try an air fryer method, I have a dedicated air fryer version with adjusted times.
Key ingredients
- Almond flour: The base of the whole cookie. If you need to use coconut flour, try 2/3 to 3/4 cup instead, but the texture will be different (drier, more crumbly).
- Baking powder: Gives these cookies their slight puff. I use baking powder, not baking soda. Baking soda makes them flatter and crispier, which isn’t what I’m going for.
- Butter: Real butter, softened. Margarine has more water and will make your cookies spread and flatten. I’ve tested both.
- Sweetener: Any sugar-free sweetener that measures 1:1 like sugar. I use an erythritol monkfruit blend. Brown sugar subs work too and add a slight molasses depth.
- Heavy cream: The secret weapon. Two tablespoons dilutes the graininess from almond flour and off-flavors from the sweetener. Most recipes skip this, and you can taste the difference.
- Sugar-free chips: I recommend ChocZero (monkfruit sweetened) or Lily’s. No access to keto chips? Use a 90% dark bar cut into chunks.
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Ingredients
2 cups almond flour -
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
1/3 cup butter, softened
-
3/4 cup sugar-free sweetener
-
1 egg
-
2 tablespoons heavy cream
-
1 teaspoon vanilla
-
3.5 oz keto approved chocolate chips
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix dry ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk almond flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
Cream wet ingredients
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar substitute. Beat in egg and mix in heavy cream and vanilla.
Make cookie dough
Slowly sprinkle in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Once combined mix in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate
Scoop into 1 inch balls, flatten and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Is a serving 1 cookie or 2?
A serving is 2 cookies, and the recipe makes 13 servings (26 cookies total). I know the nutrition card trips people up because it shows '13 servings' and readers think that means 13 cookies. Each serving of 2 cookies has 3.2g net carbs and 183 calories. If you're tracking per cookie, just cut those numbers in half.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I wouldn't. Almond flour is what gives these cookies their chewy texture. Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid, so you'd need to completely rework the ratios (about 2/3 cup coconut flour plus extra egg and cream). At that point you're making a different cookie. I've tested it and the result is drier and more crumbly. Stick with almond flour for this one.
Why did my cookies crumble?
You probably moved them too soon. These cookies are super soft when they first come out of the oven and they need to cool completely on the baking sheet before you touch them. I give mine a good 15 to 20 minutes. If they still crumble after cooling, double check that you didn't skip the egg.
Why did my cookies spread too thin?
Two things: warm dough or margarine. Always refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking so the butter firms back up. And use real butter, not margarine. I've tested with margarine and the extra water content makes cookies flatten out every time.
How long do these cookies last?
About a week in an airtight container on the counter. They do dry out faster than regular cookies because sugar-free sweeteners don't hold moisture the same way sugar does. I've also frozen them for up to 3 months and they reheat well. Just layer parchment paper between them so they don't stick together.
What sweetener works best?
I use an erythritol monkfruit blend because it measures 1:1 like sugar and doesn't have that cooling aftertaste you get with straight erythritol. Allulose also works great and gives a slightly chewier texture. If your brand is super concentrated (like pure monk fruit powder), you'll need way less. Reader Richard asked about WHYZ Organic Monk Fruit powder, and at 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon of sugar, you'd use about 4.5 teaspoons instead of 3/4 cup. Always check your brand's conversion ratio.
Can I make these dairy-free?
I haven't tested a fully dairy-free batch myself, but I've had readers swap coconut oil for butter and coconut cream for heavy cream with decent results. The texture is slightly different (less crispy on the edges, a bit more dense in the middle), but it works. Use refined coconut oil so you don't end up with a coconut flavor in the cookies.
Are these diabetic-friendly?
I can't give medical advice, but these are low carb and sugar-free, which is why a lot of my readers with diabetes bake them regularly. Each serving of 2 cookies has 3.2g net carbs and uses erythritol or monkfruit sweetener, which doesn't spike blood sugar the way regular sugar does. I'd still check with your doctor on how they fit your specific plan.
I've tried probably three other keto chocolate chip cookies and they all had that grainy almond flour thing that kind of ruins it. Made this one because of the 'zero grainy texture' claim, mostly skeptical. But the dough came together really smooth and the cookies actually spread like normal cookies, which I was not expecting at all. Still not quite my old Tollhouse, but it's the closest I've found.
Just tried recipe as written. I used white and brown Swerve, Lilys chocolate chips and threw in some pecans, these were the changes I did. I also froze the cookie circles for 10 minutes. The first batch at 13 minutes browned too much, on the bottom. The second batch(froze x 10 minutes) I put them at 11 minutes, it to browned more than I liked but less than before. The last batch I put at 10 minutes, it browned the bottom but thankfully not burned. First batch seemed undercooked; however I ate 2 right away( to check my sugar later). I’m pretty sure the others might be undercooked (maybe) as they were in oven less time. None of the cookies spread, stayed in roundish shape from the cookie scoop. Overall, I’m used to the cooling effect of keto sugar (alive and well) but, I think the taste of almond flour is more off putting to me than anything else. Sigh…I’ll still eat them, the taste may improve overnight. I don’t think anything is wrong with the recipe, just my tastebuds😂
The almond flour flavor does mellow. Mine taste pretty different by day two, the sweetener kind of settles in. Your oven is also running hot if they're browning that fast at 10 minutes.
Made these six times and the one time I skipped chilling the dough they spread way more than usual. Not skipping it again.
The butter needs that time to firm back up or it spreads the second it hits the heat. I've rushed it too and regretted it every time.
kids demolished these. didnt even ask if they were keto just kept grabbing more
Ha, I love that! My kids do the same thing - they just know they taste good. I actually freeze batches now so I'm not baking every other day. They thaw in about 20 minutes and taste just as fresh.
How do you get your macros to line up like that? The ingredients I use it comes out to around 8g of carb for a single cookie
It depends on the brand of ingredients you use...especially the chocolate chips. For two cookies, there are 9.4 total carbs but after you take out the fiber, they are 3.2 net carbs for two. Are you looking at total carbs instead of net? The recipe makes 26 cookies.
I don’t get it. Your nutritional facts show a serving is 13, with 183 calories and 9.4 carbs. What are the facts for two cookies? Or, was this supposed to be three cookies? If this is for two cookies it’s about the same for two Oreos! Please explain. What do you mean by a serving is 13?
Each serving is 2 cookies, so it makes 26 cookies. Eating two cookies would be 183 calories.
How do you store them once cooked. I just made them and they passed the picky husband test! Yeah!!! Lol
Counter in an airtight container, about a week. They dry out faster than regular cookies so I usually freeze half the batch. Love that your husband approved, mine's picky too.
Hi
First, what exactly is "1 1/2" bags of choc. chips? Secondly, why start at preheating the oven to 350 deg. only to find at the very end that the dough should be refrigerated for half hour? Now, I've heated up the oven for nothing for at least 30 minutes!
Thank you for your notes! I have updated the recipe.
The recipe calls for sugar free substitute. I plan on using WHYZ Organic Monk Fruit powder which I think is way sweeter than any other sugar free substitute. I think 3/4 cup of this stuff is way to much. Any suggestions for amount. Package say 1/8 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon sugar.
It looks like you will need to use 4 1/2 teaspoons of that monk fruit powder.
Great cookies! I used allulose and swerve brown sugar for the sweetener, and added chopped nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes, and the texture and flavor were amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Allulose and brown sugar together, that's interesting. I haven't tried that combo but I could see the allulose making them chewier. Did the coconut flakes toast up?
"1/2 bag" is NOT an amount!
Bags of sugarfree chocolate chips come in 7 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, 1 lb and up.
updated the recipe. Thank you
Lily's Choco Chips were like my best bro's tits man! Spectacular! Yo - brown your butter and let cool to room temp for a more rich flavor.
Love these! These are the best keto cookies I've tried so far. No aftertaste whatsoever. The texture is wonderful. I'll be making these again and again. Thank you!
The no-aftertaste thing is the sweetener blend. Straight erythritol has that cooling aftertaste, so I use a monkfruit erythritol blend. These were actually an accident too - I was making butter bars when the ratio clicked.
Could I use this recipe to make a cookie cake?
I haven't tried that but sounds delicious!
I did 1/4 C coconut sugar (faux brown sugar) and 1/2 C Monk fruit with allulose (hate erythritol, icky cooling effect in the mouth). I added chopped pecans. I did not refrigerate. They turned out perfect and brown, like a cookie should look. I had been experimenting to find the perfect Keto choc chip cookie substitute. I found it!
Allulose does that golden browning erythritol just won't. Skipping the chill and still getting a good set, the coconut sugar probably holds moisture differently than straight sugar-free sweeteners. Pecans are a great call.