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These crispy Keto Shortbread Sticks are festive, fun, and delicious. Studded with cranberries and a hint of orange zest, they make a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
In case you hadn’t noticed, I love Keto Christmas Cookies. I love everything about them, from baking to eating to giving them away to friends and family. They bring me such joy in so many ways.
Shortbread has always been one of my favorites. That tender-crisp texture belies the simplicity of the ingredients. And to my delight, it turns out that keto shortbread cookies are almost as easy to make as the conventional kind.
For a festive twist, why not add some sugar-free dried cranberries and a little orange zest? And maybe dip them in chocolate while you’re at it?
Perfect for your holiday cookie trays!
If you’re looking for something to round out your cookie trays, these Keto Shortbread Sticks are just the thing. They’re pretty and festive, and the cranberry orange flavor tastes like Christmas.
And they have that ideal shortbread texture that is both crisp and tender at the same time. They hold up nicely at room temperature for at least a week, and they freeze well too. Which means you can make them ahead of time and get them out when you need.
Each serving of 2 cookies has only 3.7g net carbs. Now that’s my kind of holiday cookie!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Let it sit out on the counter to soften properly before mixing.
- Sweetener: As with all crisp cookies, you can only use erythritol based sweeteners.
- Orange zest: Adding some grated orange zest gives wonderful flavor without the carbs.
- Flavor extracts: I use a little orange extract to kick the orange flavor up a bit. I also add vanilla extract, for the classic shortbread flavor.
- Almond flour: I really can’t recommend anything other than almond flour for these keto shortbread cookies. Other nut and seed flours are too coarse and can make the cookies crumbly. And coconut flour really doesn’t have the right texture and they end up tough, rather than tender.
- Xanthan gum: A little xanthan gum helps add strength to the dough so that it’s not as fragile. You don’t have to use it but I do recommend it.
- Salt: Shortbread should always have a little salt to bring out the sweetness.
- Dried cranberries: You can make your own from my recipe, or you can purchase some unsweetened dried cranberries online.
- Sugar free chocolate: You can use dark, milk, or white chocolate for these cookies. Whatever you like best!
- Cocoa butter: I add this to help the chocolate melt more smoothly. You can also use coconut oil.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener together until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the orange zest and extracts and beat until well combined. Add the almond flour, xanthan gum, and salt and beat until the dough comes together. Stir in the chopped dried cranberries.
2. Roll out the dough: Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and press into a square. Cover with another piece of parchment and roll out to an even 9×9 inch square (you will need to keep removing the top parchment and reshaping it as you go). Use a sharp knife to cut the square into quarters, then cut each quarter into 6 sticks. Do not separate at this point.
3. Bake the shortbread: Bake at 300ºF for about 25 minutes, until the edges are becoming golden. Then remove and turn off the oven. Recut the shortbread along the cut lines and gently separate them.
4. Bake a second time: Return the cookies to the warm oven and use a wooden spoon to prop the door open slightly. Let the shortbread sit inside for another 10 to 20 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
5. Melt the chocolate: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stir the chocolate and cocoa butter together until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from over the pan.
6. Dip the cookies: Dip one end of each shortbread stick into the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined tray. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set. You can also drizzle the ends with any remaining melted chocolate.
Tips for success
I recommend chopping the dried cranberries up pretty finely, as they have a tendency to tear the dough when you try to cut through them. I just chop them on a cutting board with a big sharp knife.
Rolling the dough out into an even 9 inch square takes a little patience! You have to keep straightening the edges. I did this with a bench knife, which is an infinitely useful baking tool. It helps cut straight up and down, as well. Get one if you don’t already own one!
It did occur to me after I made my shortbread sticks that I could also have lined a 9×9 pan and pressed the dough into that, then lifted the parchment out and baked them. You could try that method, just make sure to even out the dough in the pan and smooth it as best you can.
This method of baking twice is a trick I use frequently for keto crackers and cookies. Placing the separated shortbread back into the still-warm oven helps it crisp up nicely without browning too much.
Sweetener options
You really need an erythritol based sweetener with no allulose or xylitol for these to have the right texture. You can cut back on the granular sweetener a little, but I wouldn’t do less than ⅓ cup or you will have trouble getting them to crisp up. You can add additional sweetness with stevia or monk fruit extract.
Frequently asked questions
Conventional shortbread is made with butter, flour, and sugar so it’s not a low carb option. But this recipe uses almond flour and keto-friendly sweeteners, and is a great recipe for those on keto or low carb diets.
These keto shortbread cookies freeze extremely well, so go ahead and make them weeks or even months in advance! Simply store them in an airtight container and freezer for up to 3 months.
This keto cranberry orange shortbread recipe has 7.2g of carbs and 3.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.7g net carbs per two cookies.
More crispy keto cookie recipes
Keto Cranberry Orange Shortbread Recipe
These crispy Keto Shortbread Sticks are festive, fun, and delicious. Studded with cranberries and a hint of orange zest, they make a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
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Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 166kcal
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300ºF and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener together until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the orange zest and extracts and beat until well combined.
-
Add the almond flour, xanthan gum, and salt and beat until the dough comes together. Stir in the chopped dried cranberries.
-
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and press into a square. Cover with another piece of parchment and roll out to an even 9×9 inch square (you will need to keep removing the top parchment and reshaping it as you go).
-
Use a sharp knife to cut the square into quarters, then cut each quarter into 6 sticks.
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Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges are becoming golden. Then remove and turn off the oven. Recut the shortbread along the cut lines and gently separate them.
-
Return the cookies to the warm oven and use a wooden spoon to prop the door open slightly. Let the shortbread sit inside for another 10 to 20 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
-
Return to the warm oven and use a wooden spoon to prop the door open slightly. Let the shortbread sit inside for another 10 to 20 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
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In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stir the chocolate and cocoa butter together until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from over the pan.
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Dip one end of each shortbread stick into the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined tray. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set.
Notes
Storage Information: Store on the counter in a covered container for up to 7 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. They also freeze extremely well. You can make them weeks or even months in advance! Simply store them in an airtight container and freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cranberry Orange Shortbread Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)
Calories 166
Calories from Fat 131
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.6g22%
Saturated Fat 3.4g17%
Carbohydrates 7.2g2%
Fiber 3.5g14%
Protein 4.8g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
