Think chocolate chip cookies are off-limits on a low carb diet? Think again! These Keto Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies has the toffee-like flavor of the original without all the sugar and carbs. With a little sprinkle of sea salt on top, this is an adult version of the classic childhood favorite.
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - Keto, Low Carb, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free
Since going low-carb and sugar-free, I've struggled to find a good chocolate chip cookie. Without brown sugar and white flour, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to recreate this treat in a way that actually brought back those nostalgic memories associated with the original version. But this recipe takes the cake...or should I say, the cookie? That really was a bad joke. I'm sorry; but not sorry enough to delete it from this post.
Making this keto dark chocolate chip cookie work took quite a bit of fiddling around. Once I found a flavor that made me happy, it took a few more tries to get a soft cookie with just the right amount of bite. My mother, and I think she's great by the way, is a crunchy cookie kind of lady. I had a childhood filled with crispy everything. Chocolate chip? Crunchy. Snickerdoodle? Crunchy. After realizing that not everything had to snap when you ate it, I've found that I'm a fan of somewhere in the middle.
What's so special about this version of a low carb chocolate chip cookie? This recipe has a toffee-like flavor, just a little chewiness in the middle, dark chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt on top. If you haven't been sprinkling sea salt on your chocolate chip cookies, now is the time to convert.
When I was eating gluten and sugar, I had cookie-making down to a science, and I've made more batches of chocolate chip cookies than perhaps any other dessert over the years, so it was important to create a recipe that was as close to what I remember as possible. This keto chocolate chip cookie fills me with all the fond memories of childhood. I'm sorry if you eat like five when you take these chewy chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. I always do.
How to make Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredient Notes
Blanched, super-fine ground almond flour. This keto cookie recipe is best with a super finely ground blanched almond flour. Using almond meal will result in a very dense, crumbly, and dry bread. I personally use Kirkland brand (Costco), but Bob’s Red Mill is also fantastic!
Sweetener. Much like almond flour, sugar-free sweeteners are not created equal. Some people cannot stand the cooling sensation that comes with erythritol. I find that that varies even amongst different brands. Swerve is great and readily available, but for me, it probably has a medium level when it comes to the cooling effect. Sukrin, while harder to find, has the least. But it’s all down to personal taste here. You can easily use monkfruit too, or a stevia baking blend. Just keep in mind that some of these are sweeter than others, so you may have to adjust the amount used to suit your tastes.
This keto chocolate chip cookie recipe does call for brown erythritol, which is essential in creating that toffee-like flavor. If you cannot find it, just increase the granular sweetener. You could duplicate the flavor by using a caramel extract instead.
If you’re not concerned about keeping the recipe sugar-free, you can easily swap out coconut sugar to make this a paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Sugar-free Dark Chocolate. I personally use and love Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips for all my keto cookies. Their product melts well, and is just the right amount of bitter for a dark chocolate. If you cannot find it, 80% or higher dark chocolate will have the least amount of sweetener added.
Flaked Sea Salt. Maldon Sea Salt is a pain to track down, but thanks to the Internet, we don't have to go sleuthing anymore. Just go buy it. Stop trying to put regular fine sea salt on your keto dark chocolate chip cookies. I know you've been cheaping out like I once did. This product is a game changer. Do not, whatever you do, listen to that voice in your head that tries to tell you that coarse sea salt will work out without incident. That voice is wrong. Bury it.
Directions
To make this keto dark chocolate chip cookie recipe,
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter until light and fluffy. Add in brown Swerve, beating until well incorporated; approximately 1-2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Add flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix in by hand with a wooden spoon.
Scoop out 1 1/2 tbsp sized dough balls (or use a scoop, don't dirty your hands) and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I leave about 1 inch between each cookie. Flatten each ball with the back of your cookie scoop; these will not spread out like a traditional chocolate chip recipe. Sprinkle the top with sea salt flakes. '
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool completely before transferring to an air-tight storage container.
Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
Is this a soft or chewy keto chocolate chip cookie? What I've found after experimenting is that the key to a good chocolate chip cookie when you are going gluten-free is the texture. I've experimented with only almond flour (too soft), coconut (a bit too dry for my liking, plus, not everything can have flipping coconut flour in it), and finally settled on almond with a little helping hand from coconut flour. These cookies will be a soft, chewy keto chocolate chip cookie.
Do you really need brown sugar? Yes! Alright, well, no. But you will not get the same flavor profile. Up until recently there was no real substitute for brown sugar. Swerve came out with a brown "sugar" version that really does make a difference. I'm dying to try it with a caramel sauce, but that's another experiment for another time. Trust me when I say that brown erythritol is where it's at.
Smooshing these keto cookies before baking is absolutely necessary unless you want something akin to a keto fat bomb. Alternative flours do not necessarily behave in the way that your old gluteny (not a word, but I'm calling Websters to have this added in as a good adjective) friend, white flour, does while in the oven. You will see a minimal spreading of the dough while in the oven. Give that keto chocolate chip cookie a little help by flattening just a smidge with the back of your cookie scoop or even a spoon.
How to Serve and Store
These keto chocolate chip cookies will firm up the longer they cool, so give them at least 20 minutes before consuming. Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. Almond flour does soften with time, so I do not recommend keeping these cookies longer.
If you make this dough in bulk, freeze before baking instead of trying to freeze individual leftover cookies. The dough can be frozen in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw to room temperature before baking.
I love to enjoy these low carb cookies with a glass of chilled almond milk, or a cup of coffee, but if you are looking for something fun to enjoy alongside, try this Keto Caramel Latte.
Other Low Carb Keto Cookie Recipes you'll love
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cookies
Low Carb Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
A soft (but with just the right amount of crunch) gluten-free and refined sugar free cookie speckled with sea salt and dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted, grass-fed butter, softened
- 1/4 cup erythritol, brown granular, Swerve
- 1/4 cup granular erythritol, Swerve
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour, ground, blanched
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 oz sugar-free chocolate chips, Lilly's (is my favorite)
- a pinch sea salt, fine
- sea salt flakes, Maldon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter until light and fluffy. Add in brown Swerve, beating until well incorporated; approximately 1-2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Add flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix in by hand with a wooden spoon.
Scoop out 1 1/2 tbsp sized dough balls (or use a scoop, don't dirty your hands) and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I leave about 1 inch between each cookie. Flatten each ball with the back of your cookie scoop; these will not spread out like a traditional chocolate chip recipe. Sprinkle the top with sea salt flakes. '
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool completely before transferring to an air-tight storage container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 141Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 3gNet Carbohydrates: 1gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and calculated to the best of my ability using online databases. It is suggested that you perform your own check to ensure that a recipe fits within the scope of your dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and make sure to join the @noshinandnumnums community on instagram or facebook and tag me in your cooking pictures!
Want more recipes? Join my mailing list or subscribe by RSS to keep up with new posts. You can also find me and my collection on Pinterest.
Noshin' & Num Nums is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Can’t wait to try these! This recipe looks delicious!