Linzer cookies, with their delicate, nutty flavor and jewel-like jam filling, are a beloved holiday treat. Traditionally made with wheat flour and sugar, these cookies can be transformed into a keto-friendly delight. These keto Linzer cookies offer a delightful combination of tender almond and hazelnut flour cookies with a sweet raspberry filling, making them a perfect addition to your keto Christmas cookies collection.
A Keto Makeover for a Classic Cookie
Linzer cookies are miniature versions of the famous Linzer torte from Austria and feature a tender shortcake crust with ground almonds or hazelnuts, or both. They also have a raspberry or apricot jam filling and a lattice top crust. The cookies are made in a similar fashion, with a buttery cookie base, a jam filling, and a top cookie with a little window cut out to allow the filling to peak through. Dusted with a little powdered sweetener, they are as appealing to the eye as they are to the tastebuds.
Since Linzer cookies already rely on some nut flours, they were ripe for a keto makeover. By using keto-friendly flours and sweeteners, you can enjoy these festive cookies without derailing your low-carb lifestyle.
Ingredients for Keto Linzer Cookies
Here's what you'll need to make these delectable keto Linzer cookies:
For the Cookies:
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated Erythritol, Swerve or low-carb sweetener of choice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
For the Raspberry Filling:
- Raspberries
- Water
- Sweetener
- Gelatin (or sugar-free jam, such as strawberry, blueberry or apricot)
To Finish:
- Powdered Erythritol or Swerve for dusting
Making the Keto Linzer Cookie Dough
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, hazelnut flour (if using), coconut flour, xanthan gum (if using), and salt. Sifting all of your flours together, along with the xanthan gum.
- Cream butter and sweetener: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener together until light and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat in the almond flour mixture until dough comes together.
- Form and chill the dough: Turn the dough out onto some cling wrap and form a disc. Wrap and then chill for 30 minutes. The dough benefits from some chilling prior to baking, as it helps keep them from spreading. Handling the dough can be difficult since making these cookies with low carb ingredients makes them much more delicate than normal. If you chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes it will chill up enough to be able to handle it and roll it out.
- Roll out the dough: Remove from the fridge and roll out to about 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Dust with a little almond flour if the dough is too sticky to cut.
Cutting and Baking the Cookies
- Cut out the cookies: Using a linzer cutter or cookie cutters, cut whole cookies (with now center hole) out of half of the dough. Then add the little attachment for the center cut-outs that you prefer and punch out the other half of the cookies. Basically you should have equal amounts of cookies with cut-outs and solid cookies with no center cut-outs. There are specific cookie cutters for them which have many different shapes and center cut out sections. For instance, the ones that we used were 2 sided. One side was the bottom cookie with scalloped edges. The other side had cut-outs of different shapes, a moon, a heart, a star or a flower that was built into the cookie cutter and interchangeable.
- Chill the cutouts: Chill the cut outs for 30 minutes. Chill on the trays in the fridge for a further 30 minutes.
- Preheat and bake: Preheat your oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (conventional), or 140 °C/ 285 °F (fan assisted). Place the sugar cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes, until they are just starting to colour on the edges. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Be sure to watch your dough closely so that you don’t overcook your cookies.
- Cool completely: Remove and cool on racks.
Preparing the Raspberry Filling
- Combine raspberries and water: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries and water.
- Simmer and mash: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the berries can be mashed easily with a fork.
- Sweeten and thicken: Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sweetener, then whisk in the gelatin. If you want to use regular store-bought gelatin like Knox, use about 1 envelope. You will need to “bloom” it first by whisking it into 2 tbsp of warm water.
- Cool and thicken: Let cool until thickened but still spreadable, about 20 minutes.
Assembling the Keto Linzer Cookies
- Dust the tops: Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the window cut out with powdered sweetener. After awhile If your powdered Swerve soaks into your cookie just use your small strainer and shake it over your cookie again, just like you did before.
- Add the filling: Pace 1 tsp of jam on the bottom cookie and slowly press the cut-out cookie on top, spreading the jam in an even layer between them and filling the heart-shaped window. To fill the cookies, take one solid cookie and one cookie with a center cut-out and top the solid cookie with a small portion of jam. Sandwich the cookies together as you would oreos so you can see the jam peaking through the center. Gently press a cookie top so that the raspberry filling spreads and pushes up a bit through the window of the top cookie.
- Serve or store: Serve immediately or chill/freeze them for later.
Tips for Perfect Keto Linzer Cookies
- Use a combination of almond and hazelnut flour: This adds a depth of flavor and a more authentic Linzer cookie taste.
- Don't overbake the cookies: They should be lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Let the filling cool completely: This will prevent it from running out of the cookies.
- Dust with powdered sweetener just before serving: This will give them a fresh, festive look.
Variations and Substitutions
- Nut flour: You could stick with just almond, if you prefer. You could also do all hazelnut flour but be prepared for a more “rustic” looking cookie because it is less finely ground and has a bit of the husks.
- Coconut flour: You can use oat fibre in its place if you really object to coconut.
- Jam flavors: Feel free to use different jams, such as strawberry, blueberry or apricot. You could make your own sugar-free homemade jam in the flavor of your choice, but I used store-bought sugar-free jam. I use the No Sugar Added Smucker's Jam for this recipe, which is available in Canada.
- Fillings: I filled mine with this crazy simple and delicious Super Smooth Low Carb Strawberry Jam, which doesn't require you to use any chia seeds, and I had the left-over jam swirled through some sugar-free ice cream, yum. To complete the cookies, you will need to prepare our Super Smooth Low-Carb Strawberry Jam.
Storing Keto Linzer Cookies
You can easily make these keto cookies ahead of time but do know that they tend to soften when they sit with the filling inside. This happens with conventional Linzer cookies as well. Some people like them more after they’ve softened. If you prefer them more crisp, as I do, you can make the cookies and the filling and keep them separate until you’re ready to serve. Your filling will gel but gently re-warming it in a pan over low heat will help it loosen up again. You can leave your leftover Linzer cookies on the counter in an airtight plastic container at room temperature. If you want to keep them longer, then put them in the same container, but instead put them in the refrigerator. We have found that the best way to freeze your low carb Linzer cookies is to just freeze the cookie part before you put the jam inside of it. When you want to thaw them out, bring to room temperature before filling with your favorite jam or other fillings.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
A Note on Nutritional Information
I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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