Perfectly soft, lightly tangy and ultra cinnamon-y! Some recipes translate outstandingly well into their gluten free and low carb counterparts, and these keto snickerdoodles fall right into that category… at less than 1g net carb.
Gluten Free & Keto Snickerdoodles
Perfectly Soft!
I’m also happy to announce that these keto snickerdoodles just so happen to be one of the easiest cookies on the site! There’s no chilling time and no special methodology, just simply cookie goodness in thirty minutes.
My one advice though, is that you cream your butter very well until it’s light and fluffy. Since we’re using sugar alcohols rather than sugar, it won’t get quite as fluffy or smooth… but! I’ve still noticed a huge difference in the cookies texture wise. So cream away pretty please!
Oh, and these are also ridiculously low carb- think just 0.7g net carbs a pop!
Looking for more special cookies to kick off the holiday season?! Check out our keto amaretti, snowball cookies (!!) and gingerbread cookies!
The Flours
Nothing too fancy! To turn snickerdoodle cookies keto, I used a mix of super fine almond flour, coconut flour and a touch of xanthan gum. (See links for specific brands I use).
Oh, and I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to snickerdoodles and will always advocate for using cream of tartar (as tradition calls!).
Some recipes sub the baking soda and cream of tartar with baking powder (same difference sorta thing in ‘general baking’), but for some reason you don’t quite get the same tangy kick or texture in my opinion.
The Sweetener
Perhaps surprisingly, getting the sweetener right for these keto snickerdoodles is even more important than the flours. You’ve got a few options though.
Think erythritol (some cooling aftertaste, but best texture), and allulose (no aftertaste, but more fragile) or xylitol (same as allulose!) (no aftertaste, but more fragile).
Keep in mind (!!) that with allulose and xylitol, your cookies will spread much more. So you might not want to pre-flatten them before baking, and I always suggest you do a test run with one (as even from brand to brand, differences can be quite big). And also keep in mind that your cookies will take much longer to set (popping them in the freezer once cool speeds this up though).
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 
How much sweetener? I prefer to use 1/3 cup of erythritol as opposed to the traditional 3/4 cup. This lessens the cooling effect and keeps them lightly sweetened. I then give them a light roll in the cinnamon ‘sugar’ with allulose, which has no aftertaste for me once the cinnamon is in.
Oh! And it might just be me over-analyzing things (shocker!), but I found that erythritol version gave me no cooling aftertaste while the cookies were warm (so fresh from the oven or rewarmed slightly).
And… the video story!
(Perfectly Soft!) Keto Snickerdoodles
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
- 120 g almond flour
- 16 g coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g grass-fed unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3-3/4 cup erythritol allulose or xylitol, to taste (I use 1/3 cup)*
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add in sweetener and continue to cream until light and fluffy (about 8 minutes). Add in vanilla extract and egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth). With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest.
- Scoop out cookie rounds using a tablespoon for guidance. Roll in cinnamon 'sugar' mix and flatten slightly. Note that because keto cookies don't spread much, how much you pre-flatten them will dictate their final texture. Like them thicker and softer?! Leave them rounder! Also note that a few of you have reported back with your cookies 'spreading too much' (i.e. some erythritol brands are behaving like real cookies!), so I suggest you guys do a trial with one cookie to get the perfect texture!
- Transfer cookies to prepared tray and bake for 6-8 minutes, until just very lightly golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Note that the shaped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply freeze them shaped, thaw them out in the fridge overnight, roll in cinnamon sugar and bake away.
Notes
The Sweetener
Perhaps surprisingly, getting the sweetener right for these keto snickerdoodles is even more important than the flours. You’ve got a few options though. Think erythritol (some cooling aftertaste, but best texture), and allulose (no aftertaste, but more fragile) or xylitol (same as allulose!) (no aftertaste, but more fragile). Keep in mind (!!) that with allulose and xylitol, your cookies will spread much more. So you might not want to pre-flatten them before baking, and I always suggest you do a test run with one (as even from brand to brand, differences can be quite big). And also keep in mind that your cookies will take much longer to set (popping them in the freezer once cool speeds this up though). And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys!
How much sweetener? I prefer to use 1/3 cup of erythritol as opposed to the traditional 3/4 cup. This lessens the cooling effect and keeps them lightly sweetened. I then give them a light roll in the cinnamon 'sugar' with allulose, which has no aftertaste for me once the cinnamon is in.
Oh! And it might just be me over-analyzing things (shocker!), but I found that erythritol version gave me no cooling aftertaste while the cookies were warm (so fresh from the oven or rewarmed slightly).
Though I found these cookies to be a perfect balance of texture, they were somewhat lacking in flavor. Would you suggest adding some cinnamon to the batter or maybe upping the vanilla flavoring? I am so used to the real thing that they just seemed lackluster. Love the recipe though just need a suggestion on more flavor.
Made these last night and everyone loved them! Even my teenage daughter grabbed several after being just tasting one!
I do feel the cooling effect…so strange! I’ve never felt it before in other recipes! I used a little over half of erythritol…maybe will try 1/3 next batch to see if that helps. Even stranger is my teenage daughter did NOT have any of that cooling effect!!! I was shocked because it was so intense for me.
Thanks this recipe! Low cal, low carb, easy to make and delicious!
Oh and I also wanted to mention that my cookies spread quite a bit. I’ve seen pics of snickerdoodle cookies and they look like they are supposed to be small but mine came.out like a regular sized cookie….and i was able to get about 27 or 28 cookies out of my dough..totally ok with that! Lol
I don’t have cream of tartar? Would there be any sub or okay to leave out?
I didn’t have any so used the same amount of baking powder and they came out lovely!
This recipe is fantastic. Thank you. I made them just like you said. I went with a 1/2 cup… fear it would not be sweet enough. I think I will go with 1/3 next time. Wonder what could cut down the cooling effect. It literally is the only thing off about the cooking and not off enough for me to stop making them.
Thank you!
What erythritol brand did you use Laurie? I get you, I’m super sensitive to it too 😉
Leigh:
Try Lakanto or Sukrin. The cooling effect is not noticeable with either. I normally sub in xylitol, which has no cooling effect.
Made these last night and OMG so delicious! I feel guilty eating them. I do have to say that I noticed they had a cooling effect. I used erythritol, this was my first time using this. It was a little weird with the cooling effect, but so delicious. Will continue to make this receipe. Thank you 🙂
The cooling effect is rather infamous in the keto world 😂! What brand did you use? I’ve found that various brands have more/less effect (varies from peep to peep so you might need to test around). But I can tell you that Lakanto, with its monk fruit blend, is what works best for me 😉 xo!
Aren’t they awesome cookies?!! I made them with allulose (bought on Amazon). No cooling effect. Also check out Webstaurant store online. They have a bunch of different sugar free syrups (Monin, Davinci, etc.) that are awesome for flavoring things. We use them in moderation because some of the sugar alcohols they’re made with seem to build up & cause stomach issues. The syrups are made for coffee shop flavorings, but I’ve tried adding them to baked goods with some success. They’re probably not the best stuff in the world for you, but once in awhile, they’re a nice treat to have around. My son has used them with carbonated water to make “pop”, etc. too.
Thank you for all your detail and recs Karma! My one suggestion with the syrups is that you check that they don’t have Maltitol (frequently used in sugar free products, but not very low GI and def can kick you out of ketosis) xo!!
Ah, yes. I know one of my son has issues with sorbitol if he has too much. I’m making these recipes for my son who has type 1 diabetes, so it’s more for the low carb/able to take less insulin thing, not the ketosis. Speaking of, I’ve been making your pb flour pancakes for him every morning for the last week. They’re amazing! I better go review those too! We so appreciate all of your work and awesome recipes : )
Gotcha (and so awesome to hear about the pb pancakes!!)! Yeah but still be careful with some of the higher GI sweeteners as they spike sugar quite badly too. xo!!
Read The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung. Your son can reverse his diabetes completely. Yes, I’m serious!
I made them too and I loved them. The cooling effect is there though. I feel guilty eating them too. So good!
My husband’s favorite Keto dessert by far! 😊
Yay!!!
Mine too! A weekly baked good at our place 🙂
A note-I do use glucomman (Konjac root) powder instead of Xanthan Gum (which doesn’t agree with me), but otherwise no changes. The cookies are wonderfully easy and yummy! I’ve been using Monksweet, which is a monk fruit, stevia and erythritol blend at a .5-to-1 ratio (purchased locally as they are based in the Pacific Northwest where we live, but products also are available on Amazon or on their website-the 5lb pound bag is a great deal) and practically no cooling effect.
I made these about 2 weeks ago and they were delicious! I did 2 batches and found that an extra 2 minutes of baking time made them just firm enough. My picky husband liked them, so this goes into my bake-it-again list!
I substituted 1/2 cherry extract and 1/2 vanilla extract. I made the cookies into 1 inch balls and cooked them like the recipe says. Then I froze them for 20 minutes. Instead of using Swerve and cinnamon to dust them, I creamed 113 grams of butter, added 1 cup of swerve and 1 tsp of vanilla to make a delicious icing. Then I dipped the cookies in the icing. Amazing!!! I call them Cherry Bombs!
These cookies were fabulous! I’ve been grain free low carb for 3 years. I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that cakes and cookies were never going to be the same again….then I came across your website! Thank you so much for everything you do…and for allowing me the luxury of eating my favorite cookie again. 😊
Awesome! I just made these. I only used 1/3 cup of allulose, though, and it may not be quite sweet enough, but maybe after they cool.
Mine spread out perfectly! I used an egg right out of the fridge though. Maybe this had something to do with it.
The texture is super light weight right out of the oven. More like muffin tops. But I imagine after a few hours, they’ll be more like regular cookies. I wonder what will happen if I put them back in the oven for a bit after they cool. Hmm…I may try this.
Either way, this is the best low carb cookie I’ve made so far! I’ll just add a bit more sweetener next time. Thank you sooooo much for your fabulous recipes! I look forward to freezing the dough for quick snacks.
PS: I also used regular salted butter, so I just added a small dash of salt instead of what recipe calls for.
Wonderful to hear Karma! Keto sweeteners all behave a bit differently, so your cookies might even change texture overnight 😉
I had the same issue of the cookies spreading…they also never “set” and remained very soft and flexible. Here’s what I used:
Used a scale to measure out ingredients and I’m not at high altitude
“Now Real Food” Xylitol – 1/4 cup
“Keto Genie” Allulose – 1/4 cup (mix of allulose, monk fruit, and stevia)
The dough was very sticky and soft when forming the balls. I’m wondering if adding in more almond and/or coconut flour until the dough is more firm is necessary? Should the consistency of the dough be closer to a pie crust firmness?
I did flatten the cookies to maybe 1/8″-3/16″ thick. But based on how soft they stayed after baking, I don’t know if leaving them in balls would have made a difference.
They did taste good though, so I’ll have to keep experimenting 🙂
Thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael! It’s the sweeteners that can take up to a day to set…. as for the spreading, it seems that it depends on the sweeteners you use (they vary SO much!). It’s an easy fix though so just don’t preflatten them xo!
Thanks Paola,
I’ll keep trying until I get it right! The first batch never firmed up even after two days, but found a good solution…Snickerdoodle Muffins:
* Throw cookies into a bowl
* Add 8oz of cream cheese
* Add 6 eggs
* Mix well and fill 12 regular muffin cups
* bake at 375 for about 16 minuntes
The texture of these actually reminded me of typical non-keto muffins
I made these Snickerdoodles this evening and now I’m addicted!! So delicious and soft/crunchy texture!! I only varied a little on the sweetener. I used 1/4 cups each of Swerve and Monk Fruit. I scooped out rounded spoonfuls and rolled in “sugar” and plopped on parchment paper line cookie sheet. I gently flattened a tiny bit, so they weren’t rounded. Came out so perfect and I’m so impressed! Thank you for sharing!
Ooooh wonderful to hear Debbi! Thanks for sharing your subs, always super helpful!
Oh wow!! The next day they’re even better! I popped a couple in the air fryer to warm them up for a minute and the texture is exactly like regular snickerdoodles!! Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside!! I’m doing a happy dance!!
These are absolutely brilliant! So soft, tender and yummy! I read about the spreading issues some were having and I tried leaving mine in “slightly squashed balls” which seemed to work perfectly. I think my egg was super cold, too – I forgot to get it out of the fridge before I started & it made a visible difference with the first vs. the last ball I formed. I only got 17 cookies myself, but some were a little larger. I don’t have scoop or melon baller, or I would have used it to maintain the size consistently.
I’ve made three of your recipes so far and I have to say – you are amazing and I love you for making my keto journey a little more fun and a lot more flavorful! ❤️
Awesome to hear Nelly! And I dunno guys, the spreading ‘issues’ are actually the ideal snickerdoodle way 😂 (i.e. I wish that happened to me!!), but thanks for your feedback as I have added a note to the recipe for future readers. And yup, a few of you keep repeating 18 cookies, I dunno I got 22 (clearly I scooped mine out smaller!) 🙊
The first time I ever made Snickerdoodle cookies, it was a conventional recipe that called for 1/2 butter and 1/2 vegetable shortening. I lived in San Diego at the time. The cookies never flattened out! They were tasty, but I was surprised they didn’t spread.
Just made this lovely recipe, and it is yet another winner! Although as some others have mentioned, the recipe only yielded 18 cookies for me. You have such a gift for Keto baking and I for one am very thankful that I found your site!
I’ve made your tortillas, pumpkin bread, cookies and cream fat bombs, Chile, and now these wonderful little treats! They are fabulous! My husband ate 4 of these snickerdoodles right away!
I can hardly wait to try your cinnamon roll recipe!
Thank you so much for all your hard work!
Paola, is there a typo for the ingredient: 1/3-3/4 tablespoons erythritol xylitol or allulose, to taste (I use 1/3 cup)* . Should it read: 1/3-3/4 cups erythritol xylitol or allulose, to taste (I use 1/3 cup)*? cups instead of tablespoons?
Mari you guys keep writing to me about this typo but I think it’s an issue with the recipe plugin as I don’t see it 🙈 thanks so much for letting me know you guys are still seeing the TBSP rather than cups, I’ll keep looking into it!
Hi Paola! Made these and they turned out delicious! But like another reader, mine spread a LOT. I was also only able to get 18 cookies using a tablespoon to scoop. Even after cooling in the fridge, the didn’t crisp up and we’re very fragile. Should I have packed them somehow prior to baking? I followed the recipe exactly and used erythritol (1/2 cup) for the batter and xylitol for the coating. Again, flavor was amazing so I’ll definitely be making them again, but it would be great if they would hold together. Maybe I’ll try a teaspoon to scoop next time.
Oh man that’s so weird Yetza! I was thinking that the other reader’s problem was because she used a mix of allulose and erythritol (all these sweeteners have different melting points, so a bit of a nightmare to standardize!). Which erythritol did you use (some vary such as Swerve which has inulin?). I used Lakanto?
Rather than 1 tsp scoops, may I suggest not flattening them? Try with just one, but maybe if you simply bake them as rounds they will spread out as normal snickerdoodles?! I mean, this ‘problem’ you guys are having might just be the ideal cookie situation (which you don’t pre-flatten and they simply spread!). I hope this helps!
I used Anthony’s Pure Erythritol. I did not powder it since it wasn’t mentioned in the recipe.
I’ll definitely try not flattening next time.
Another question for future recipes: is it okay to sub pure Erythritol for blends like Swerve and/or Lakanto?
Sorry I couldn’t get to your qs until now! Tbh I’ve only baked once with the Anthony’s erythritol, nothing bad with it at all texture wise etc- just the cooling aftertaste was a little too much for me (my taste buds have gone crazy and I can’t even stand stevia 🙈)
I made these tonight!! They smelled so good, and were just as delicious as they smelled!! 🙂 I had the same problem of spreading. I used 1/3 cup Swerve for the cookie, and xylitol for the coating. I used a one Tbsp scooper and also only got 18 cookies. They also didn’t crisp up, but remained fragile…not crumbly, just very pliable. I’m thinking about using gelatin instead of the xanthan gum, would this be a reasonable substitute?
I think you just need to let them cool longer… sugar alcohols can take a few hours to firm up! I added a note about the spreading in the recipe now, but don’t call it an ‘issue’ its actually the way real snickerdoodles behave (so just don’t flatten them as much before baking, or at all!) xo!
After a night in the refrigerator these cookies were even more perfect!!! I’m new to keto baking, so it is a pretty big learning curve. They are nearly gone now, and will need to be replaced ASAP!! Your recipes are phenomenal and I really appreciate all the time you take in discussing the flours, sweeteners, and other components of the recipes in your posts! Very informative and extremely helpful. Your pumpkin bread, peanut butter brownies, and gingerbread cupcakes are next in the queue after the Snickerdoodle refill!! Thank you <3
As always you never ceases to amaze. I have been keto for a year now and at the very beginning of my journey I tried a different websites “cookies”… Yeah the birds wouldn’t even eat them. So I haven’t had a cookie in a year. These were sooooooooo yummy fresh from the oven and very easy. Note to future self referring to this recipe: 7 min. was the perfect time 😊.
Hi Paola,
I made two batches of these cookies and both spread out all over the pan. The flavor was great but very soft and flat..any thoughts why this has happened?
Hi Melissa! Can you give me a few more details so I can help you out (remember I’m not in the kitchen with you!). Say what sweetener did you use etc? Cookies spread out a lot in high altitude (but I’m baked these in Mex City and didn’t have that issue). xo!
I am located in western N.C., so not high altitude at all. I used 1/2 allulose and 1/2 erythritol. Everything else was exactly as the recipe called for in us measurements.
I think this might be a mistake on measurements for the sugar. You said “1/3-3/4 TABLESPOONS erythritol xylitol or allulose, to taste (I use 1/3 cup)*,” I think you meant to say cups and not tablespoons? Great recipes as always. Thank you for your hard work.
I noticed that too. The metric shows it as cups but the US conversion shows it as tablespoons. I used 1/3 cup of the Lakanto golden monkfruit in the cookie dough and the classic Lakanto with cinnamon to roll them in. Best cookie ever! Now I’m wondering if I can use this cookie dough as a base for chocolate chip cookies (without rolling them in the cinnamon sugar of course). These snickerdoodles have such a great texture! These and the amaretti cookies have become my favorites!
I think I just assumed. I went with 1/2 cup and they came out great.
New to Keto and beginning to need something ‘sweet’! so thank you for this. But may I use all coconut flour as I have a tree nut allergy and almonds are the second worst for me! Should I reduce the flour to a third or increase the ‘liquids’?
Thanks for any help…
Unfortunately all coconut won’t work… but have you tried sunflower seed flour? So many readers use it throughout the recipes as a 1-1 sub for almond 😉 xo!
Oh my! These were absolutely delightful! Perfectly delicious…maybe too delicious. :/ I ate quite a few more than I intended, but I won’t knock myself around for it. I used the 1/2 c. erythritol (lakanto classic) as suggested, and added in 1/2 Tbsp. SweetLeaf organic stevia powder (I always mix a little stevia powder with my erythritol to cut the cooling effect)…it worked out great! I used bocha sweet for the cinnamon coating, I think it must be just like xylitol because it has not off taste at all.
Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
Can you substitute coconut sugar for the sweetener? I am allergic to almost all artificial sweeteners, including erythritol.
Hi Cheryl! Just note that sugar alcohols are actually natural sweeteners (unlike say Splenda). You can sub with coconut sugar, just keep in mind your cookies will end up darker and likely have some different notes in flavor because of the sugar xo!
These are spectacular! They just came out of the oven and both myself and my partner are having trouble not devouring an entire tray 😄. FYI I used 1tsp ground flax seed instead of xantham gum as I realized I was out, and they turned out great.
Awesome to hear Carol! Also awesome to hear flaxseed worked as a sub 😉 xo!
I don’t have xanthum gum, what can I use as a substitute?
Paola, is there any issue that could arise from only baking half or so of these and refrigerating (or freezing) the rest of the dough for later use?
Also, since I’m not at high-altitude I was wondering if there would be any benefit or drawback in taste or texture to using half spectrum shortening (as mentioned in another comment) since grass fed butter is SO EXPENSIVE here on this small island.
Thank you so much for these delicious recipes and especially your e-books which I highly recommend! You’re a rockstar!
Hi Holly! Yeah no prob, you can either freeze the dough shape or refrigerate it for about 3 days.
Regarding your high altitude, I’m right there with you (Mexico City here!)… I haven’t tried with shortening, but Cheryl did report back in our facebook group (and with a lovely picture!) that using half shortening worked wonderful! So I think definitely worth a try!
And thank you so much for your support with the ebooks- means a lot!! 🙂
Hi there! Can’t wait to try these for Christmas:) Being from Canada, I buy my butter by the pound—what would the equivalent of 1 stick of butter be?
Thanks so much
It’s 1/2 cup! Hope you enjoy Jennifer! xo
These snickerdoodles are awesome right out of the oven. So easy to make. Thanks
Awesome to hear Rene! And I agree with you, I think it’s the only Keto cookie I’ve made so far that’s awesome freshly baked 😍
Yay!! I’ve been looking all over for a keto-snickerdoodle cookie!! Thank you!
What do you mean by allulose is fragile? The cookie is crumblier? Thanks!
Hi Gail! The cookies just tend to crumble until the sweeteners crisp up (xylitol takes the longest up to a day 🙈😂)
These are my daughter’s favorites thank you!!!
Hope she loves them Stace!
Wow, looks good! What would be best for sub to the butter (dairy allergy)……..coconut oil or a dairy free shortening?
Thanks. Love your recipes! So hard to work around the egg and dairy allergy!
Oh man I’m not sure for this one! I don’t think coconut oil would work, but I’ve never baked with df shortening so I’m not sure how it behaves 🙈
Patricia,
Straight coconut oil won’t give you the texture you want. Try rendered lard. Makes amazing cookies! I can get rendered lard (vs the on-the-shelf, full-of-preservatives kind) @ Whole Foods now in their frozen varieties meat section, but there are various grassfed versions of lard/tallow/duck fat that I see for sale all the time at my health food store or online. I don’t have to avoid dairy, so my fav combination is half butter/half lard (or organic palm shortening). Good luck!
Cheryl that’s such a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing it I can’t wait to try it too 😍
Hope you like the results! 🙂 I’m getting ready to make a batch right now! Gonna use half lard and half butter. 🙂
I found a while ago with conventional cooking that using some sort of fat that’s not liquid at room temp in combo with butter gives me better cookie structure at high altitude. It seems to translate well to grain-free/sugar-free cooking too. 🙂
I’m so excited to try!! My mind sort of blew up when I read your comment 😂😍😘