These keto chocolate chip cookies are soft in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and taste just like a classic bakery-style chocolate chip cookie. They're made with almond flour, sugar-free chocolate chips, and only one mixing bowl, making them one of the easiest low carb chocolate chip cookie recipes you'll ever make. Each cookie has just 2 grams net carbs and they're naturally gluten free.
Why You'll Love these Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
I've been making these keto chocolate chip cookies for years, and they're still one of the most popular recipes on my website. They're also the cookies I bring to family gatherings because even people who don't follow a low carb lifestyle love them. They're soft, buttery, loaded with chocolate chips, and so easy to make that you only need one bowl. Whether you're following a keto diet, cutting back on sugar, or just looking for a delicious gluten-free cookie, this recipe delivers every time.
- Soft centers with lightly crisp edges, just like a classic homemade chocolate chip cookie.
- Only 2 grams of net carbs per cookie, making them perfect for a low carb or keto lifestyle.
- Made in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients and ready in about 20 minutes.
- Naturally gluten free thanks to almond flour.
- No chilling the dough required. Just mix, scoop, and bake.
- A tried-and-true recipe with hundreds of five-star reviews.
- Freezer friendly, so you can always have a homemade sugar free treat on hand.
- So delicious that even friends and family who aren't eating low carb ask for the recipe.
What These Cookies Taste Like
These keto chocolate chip cookies are buttery, soft in the center, and lightly crisp around the edges, just like a classic homemade chocolate chip cookie. They're perfectly sweet, loaded with melty sugar free chocolate chips, and have a tender texture thanks to almond flour. Even people who don't follow a low carb lifestyle are surprised they're made without sugar or traditional flour.
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these keto chocolate chip cookies. Everything mixes together in one bowl, making this one of my favorite easy low carb dessert recipes.
- Almond flour: Use fine blanched almond flour for the best texture. I recommend Blue Diamond almond flour because it produces soft, tender cookies. Avoid almond meal, which is much coarser and can make the cookies gritty. If you need a nut-free option, sunflower seed flour works as a 1:1 substitute.
- Sugar-free granulated sweetener: I like Lakanto Classic because it's a 1:1 replacement for sugar and has a clean, sweet flavor. For slightly chewier cookies, you can use a brown sugar substitute like Swerve Brown.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies a little lift while helping them brown.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Butter: Softened butter creates rich, buttery cookies. You can also use coconut oil for a dairy-free version.
- Eggs: Help bind the dough and give the cookies structure.
- Vanilla extract: Adds classic chocolate chip cookie flavor.
- Sugar-free chocolate chips: Lily's semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite, but any sugar-free chocolate chips will work. If you can't find them, chop up an 85% dark chocolate bar into chunks instead.
How to Make Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
This section explains how to make this keto chocolate chip cookie recipe in 4 basic steps with photos. For a full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line 2 18x13 inch (46cm x 33cm) half sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 2 - Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Now add in the softened butter, eggs and vanilla to the almond flour mixture. Mix well with a hand mixer. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a little for the tops, if desired.
Step 3 - Scoop the cookie dough batter using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop (42ml) to form 21 cookies. Place them on the cookie sheet about 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) apart. Use clean fingers to flatten out the tops. Top with the reserved chocolate chips.
Step 4 - Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. The edges will start to turn golden brown and slightly brown on the tops. Underbaking is better than over baking, especially if you want soft centers.
Tips for the Best Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use fine blanched almond flour. Almond meal is too coarse and will give the cookies a gritty texture.
- Measure the almond flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping directly from the bag.
- Don't overbake. The cookies should be lightly golden around the edges and still look slightly soft in the center. They'll continue to set as they cool.
- Let them cool completely. These cookies are delicate straight from the oven but become perfectly soft and chewy as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Flatten the dough before baking. Almond flour cookies don't spread as much as traditional cookies, so gently press each dough ball down with your fingers before baking.
- Use a cookie scoop. This helps all of the cookies bake evenly and gives you consistently sized cookies every time.
- Press a few extra chocolate chips on top before baking. It's an easy trick that makes the finished cookies look bakery-worthy.
- Store extras in the freezer. These cookies freeze beautifully, and I love eating one straight from the freezer whenever I'm craving something sweet.
Variations
These keto chocolate chip cookies are easy to customize depending on what you have on hand or the flavor you're craving.
- Make them extra chewy: Use a brown sugar substitute like Swerve Brown instead of a granulated sweetener.
- Brown the butter: For a richer, deeper flavor, brown the butter before mixing the dough. Let it cool slightly, then proceed with the recipe.
- Add chopped nuts: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch and flavor.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt: A pinch of flaky salt on top before baking makes the chocolate flavor pop.
- Use chocolate chunks: Swap the chocolate chips for chopped sugar-free dark chocolate for pockets of melty chocolate.
- Make them dairy free: Replace the butter with coconut oil or your favorite dairy-free butter substitute.
- Make them nut free: Substitute sunflower seed flour for the almond flour using a 1:1 ratio. The cookies may turn slightly green due to a natural reaction with the baking soda, but they're perfectly safe to eat.
Storage
- Store: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze baked cookies: Let the cookies cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them on a baking sheet for a couple of hours first so they don't stick together. They're delicious straight from the freezer or after thawing at room temperature.
- Freeze the cookie dough: Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid than almond flour, so it isn't a 1:1 substitute. If you need a nut-free option, sunflower seed flour works much better.
I prefer Lakanto Classic because it's a 1:1 sugar replacement with a clean flavor. If you want a slightly chewier cookie, try using Swerve Brown.
These cookies are very soft when they first come out of the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes so they have time to set before moving them.
More low carb cookie recipes
- Soft Keto Sugar cookies with cream cheese icing
- Keto Breakfast Cookies
- Keto Thick and Fudgy Brownie Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- 15 Easy Keto Desserts for any Occassion
Recipe Card
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe - 2 Net Carbs!
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour (click to see my favorite)
- ⅔ cup sugar free granulated sweetener (click to see my favorite)
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ cup Softened butter or coconut oil see notes for browned butter
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ 9 Ounce Bag Sugar free Chocolate Chips
Equipment
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (175C) and line line 2, 18x13 inch (46cm x 33cm) half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Now use a hand mixer to stir in the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Reserve a little for the tops of the cookies, if desired.
- Scoop 18-21 cookies onto the lined baking sheets, about 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) apart. Flatten them out by pressing down on the top slightly with clean fingers. Press the remaining chocolate chips evenly into the tops of each cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges and tops will begin to brown.
- Let cool on the cookie sheets for 30 minutes. These will stay soft and delicious for at least 4 days in an air tight container. See notes for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Brown butter CC cookies: divide the recipe above in half, except for the baking soda and use ½ cup (1 stick) of butter. Brown the butter, make the cookies as instructed, then freeze the formed cookies for 30 minutes before baking.
- Chewy keto chocolate chip cookies: for slightly chewier chocolate chip cookies, you can use Swerve Brown as the sweetener.
- Almond Flour Free Version: So many people cannot tolerate almonds. For an almond flour free version, simply use the same amount of sunflower seed flour. It is comparable in price to almond flour.
- No Lily's Chocolate Chips?: If you are having trouble finding the sugar free chocolate chips, you can use an 85% dark chocolate bar and cut it into chunks. You may need 2.
- Cookie Scoop - Ensures perfectly even keto chocolate chip cookies. I always end up with 21 if I use my cookie scoop. I linked to the one I use in the recipe above.
- Checking for Doneness - These keto cookies get brown on the bottom and slightly brown on the top. Mine have always been perfect after 12 minutes.
- Freezing - I have kept these frozen for months and they still taste great. I freeze them all on the sheet tray for 2 hours, then I put them all in a freezer safe container or bag. I pull one out when I am ready to eat a cookie and they are so good straight out of the freezer.
- Nutrition - Please note, you must subtract the erythritol in the sweetener and the lily's chocolate chips and subtract the fiber to get an accurate carb count. I have done this in my nutrition information.
Emily says
These cookies are absolutely the best! My pancreas has recently decided to stop working, so I'm stuck poking myself with insulin 5 times a day (despite technically NOT being a diabetic). I miss sugar so, so much, and have tried a few dessert recipes that just did not do it for me. These taste just like regular chocolate chip cookies (albeit a slightly different texture, but I love them nonetheless). I made all my family try them as well and they were a hit! I used Swerve Brown for these, and again, they truly satisfy my sugar craving I've been having. Thank you so much for this recipe!!! 🙂
Mel says
At first I was disappointed because these are nothing like traditional cookies, very cakey and soft. But my husband loved them and anything that keeps him away from sugar and white flour is a winner in my book. I used Lakanto brown sweetener, regular mini chips, and added a bit of molasses and a pinch of both cinnamon and nutmeg. Next time I'll melt the butter since room temperature in November wasn't quite soft enough. Excellent with a glass of cold milk!
Kimberly says
Kind of skeptic with no cross but omg pumpkin pie again and hubby loves it. Next time we'll add some toasted pecans to it 5☆
Ed K says
Just tried for the first time - I guess I forgot to press them down as I was used to normal flour allow the cookie to go flat in the oven. That said they seemed rather dry though center was gooey but they are still cooling - thanks for the recipe
Kimberly A Wiesen says
These cookies are the best. They are super easy to make and have simple ingredients. I bring a few with me when I'm attending a pot luck or get together and I never feel deprived. I like my cookies crunchy and these turned put perfectly
Kehara says
just made it and they turned out great! only thing is my cookies were ready after baking for 17 minutes.
Shelby says
Could these be made into cookie bars, and if so, what size pan would you suggest? Thank you in advance!
Jennifer Banz says
Yes! I would suggest a 9x13
Andrea Ellis says
Are you saying when I use the melted butter technique, only use half the recipe except the baking soda, use full amount?
I’ve made your copycat cookie Crumbl recipe and that’s to die for, but so high in calories and huge cookies!????
Jennifer Banz says
Correct. You could also make the cookies as small as you like.
Martha says
I made the brown butter chocolate chip cookies. The brown butter gave the cookies extraordinary flavor. I will be making this recipe again.
Holly Bass says
Easy and delicious! The whole fam loves them. I used coconut oil, so they have a slight coconut flavor. Going to try butter next time. Yum!
#JBRecipeofthemonth
Kathy says
This sounds great and is so easy to make. Thank you for that. I would like to try this recipe. In the video, you said 1.5 cups of flour, but here it says three cups. So how much flour should I use? Thank you.
Jennifer Banz says
Please see the note for "Browned Butter CC Cookies" in the recipe card.
Katelon Gilbert says
So so easy!! I actually prefer the raw dough than baked cookies... but both are delish. Getting off sugar is almost impossible if there aren't some no refined sugar treats when the craving hits and these filled the craving. I used Swerve Brown sweetener and Believe no sugar chips and they turned out great.
Louise Slack says
Delicious on a very cold weekend.
Theresa Delaney says
Have you actually made made these cookies with softened butter? Or was it melted butter? I made these to your recipe and found that the butter does not actually mix well with the dry ingredients. Maybe you should advise people to mix the butter with the sweetener and the egg and then add the dry ingredients. Just a suggestion.
Jennifer Banz says
I've made the cookies with both softened and melted butter and it always works perfectly. I've made these cookies probably a dozen times. I've mixed with a spoon and an electric mixer. I've mixed the butter with the sweetener and egg first, and I've just dumped everything in the bowl. It all works. You're the first person to mention that the butter didn't mix with the dry ingredients. It sounds like your butter wasn't soft enough.
Sheila Burrell says
Thank you, Jennifer, for this delicious recipe! Do you think I could freeze the scooped dough uncooked, and take out to bake as I needed it? Would I lose any “cookie quality “?
Jennifer Banz says
I think that should work perfectly!