Nut-Free Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

These nut-free keto chocolate chip cookies can be baked and ready to serve in less than 1 hour! This keto-friendly dessert contains minimal grams of net carbs per serving, making them the perfect low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free, coconut-free, and refined sugar-free treat that will wow your tastebuds!

This delicious Nut-Free Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe post was made in partnership with Lakanto.

Be sure to read through this post for answers to commonly asked questions about this recipe. You will also find step-by-step photos of the preparation process to ensure you are successful when making this recipe.

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Classic chocolate chip cookies made keto-friendly

These nut-free keto chocolate chip cookies are warm, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of goodness! They’re very simple to make and only require 15 minutes of prep time.

This recipe is perfect if you’re in the mood for a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe with a low-carb twist! They don’t have a “fake” or artificial sugar taste, nor do they have a gritty texture!

The best keto chocolate chip cookies are made with Lakanto

Like with virtually all of the Real Balanced dessert recipes, these treats are made with Lakanto products: Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener and Monk Fruit-Sweetened Chocolate Chips. Monk fruit sweeter is FANTASTIC for use in baking because it doesn’t alter the resulting taste whatsoever.

This sweetener contains zero net carbs, zero calories, and it’s zero glycemic (so it won’t spike your blood sugar)!

To try monk fruit sweetener or to replenish your pantry, you can use code “REALBALANCED” for 20% off on your Lakanto order!

Notes on main ingredients in this recipe

Flour: These cookies are made with a ground sunflower seed meal base that acts as the “flour” component of the dough. In most keto baking recipes, almond flour is used. Since these are nut-free cookies, I use ground sunflower seed meal, which is an ingredient I’ve really come to love as someone with a nut allergy.

Chocolate Chips: In this recipe, I use my favorite keto-friendly chocolate chips from Lakanto. See below for information on ingredient substitutions if you don’t have Lakanto chocolate chips on-hand.

Servings and net carbs in this recipe

This recipe yields 10 delicious and decadent cookies. Each cookie counts as one serving and one serving contains 2.6 grams of net carbs.

Materials required

To make these cookies, a standard list of baking tools are required. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here! You’ll need to gather the following items:

• Measuring Tools: You’ll need to be able to measure out ½ tsp, ¼ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ½ cup, and ¼ cup.
• 2 Baking Sheets: You’ll need either two baking sheets, or one sheet that you can use two times. If using one sheet, allow the first round of cookies to cool completely before removing them from the sheet to replace with more dough.
• Parchment Paper: This is needed to line the baking sheets with before baking the cookies.
• Large Mixing Bowl: Be sure your mixing bowl is large enough to hold everything during mixing. You don’t want to end up with a countertop covered in seed meal and monk fruit sweetener!
• Electric Mixer: An electric mixer is necessary here rather than manually mixing with a fork or a whisk. This is to ensure all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined to prepare the cookie dough.

Ingredient substitution options

If you’d like to substitute a few ingredients and customize these cookies to your liking, here are a few options you can try:

• Butter: Coconut oil can be substituted in for butter at a 1:1 ratio, but note that cookies will spread much quicker and may not flatten as much as the original recipe intended.
• Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener: Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, erythritol, or Swerve can be substituted in for Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener at a 1:1 ratio.
• Ground Sunflower Seed Meal: If you don’t have a nut allergy or intolerance, you can use almond flour in place of ground sunflower seed meal at a 1:1 ratio. Note that I have not tested this substitution due to my allergies, but this is commonly a successful substitution option. Additionally, coconut flour will not work in this recipe and is not a viable substitution option.
• Gelatin Powder: You can substitute in 1/4 tsp xanthan gum for gelatin powder in this recipe or you can choose to altogether omit the gelatin powder. The recipe will work without gelatin powder, but it’s recommended to include it to yield chewy cookies.
• Chocolate Chips: If you don’t have Lakanto’s chocolate chips available to you, you can sub in a 90% cocoa chocolate bar. To break up the chocolate bar into chunks for the cookies, simply pulse a bar of dark chocolate in a food processor.

Nut-Free Keto Cookie FAQs

Before making this recipe, be sure to read through these answers to commonly asked questions about these nut-free keto cookies:

Which flour is low-carb?

For this recipe, we’re using ground sunflower seed meal, which is a fantastic low-carb flour option! I use this type of flour in virtually all of my keto baked goods. I purchase this brand from Amazon.

Can I substitute in a different flour for ground sunflower seed meal?

Yes! If you don’t have a nut allergy or intolerance, you can substitute in almond flour at a 1:1 ratio for ground sunflower seed meal. Note that coconut flour will not work in this recipe.

Will the cookies spread?

Yes, these cookies will spread. Be sure to split the dough up among 2 baking sheets so that the cookies do not spread and bake together.

How will I know when the cookies are done baking?

Once the bottoms of the cookies have a slight golden color around the edges, they should be done cooking. Note that the center of the cookies will be very soft when removing from the oven; you will need to allow them to fully cool before enjoying, otherwise they will fall apart if you try and handle them while warm.

How can I get chewier cookies?

For a chewier resulting cookie, add an addition 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp of gelatin powder to the dough.

Why do my baked cookies have green specks in them?

Sunflower seeds contain a chlorogenic acid that, when combined with an alkaline baking ingredient like baking soda, may yield spots of green in the dough. This coloring happens when the two ingredients are heated together and then cool.

The baking soda in this recipe is an essential ingredient, so do not omit it. Rest assured, your cookies are completely edible and will taste just as intended!

SunButter notes that in some recipes, adding a splash of lemon juice can help to offset any green hues. In this recipe, a small amount of lemon juice is included for this reason.

How should I store these cookies?

Store these easy keto chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container or storage bag in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 5 days.

How to make this recipe for keto chocolate chip cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. To a large mixing bowl, add butter, monk fruit sweetener, vanilla extract, and the egg. Mix with an electric mixer until the ingredients are well-combined.

To the bowl, add sunflower seed meal, gelatin powder, cream of tartar, lemon juice, baking soda, and salt.

Mix again with an electric mixer until fully incorporated.

Fold chocolate chips into dough.

Using hands, roll dough into 10 equal-sized balls. Place 5 dough balls on one baking sheet and 5 dough balls on the other.

Transfer one baking sheet to the oven and bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown, about 8-12 minutes (see note below). Remove first baking sheet from oven, transfer second baking sheet of cookies to oven, and bake second batch until edges of cookies are golden brown, about an additional 8-12 minutes (see note below).

Bake Time Note: I’ve found that 10 minutes is the “sweet spot” for baking these in my oven, but some people found that to be a little too long, whereas others have needed to bake their cookies for 12 minutes to cook them through. If you know your oven runs hot, bake for only 8 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and allow them to sit for a few minutes before checking the middle to see if they’re baked through. If they aren’t, return the pan to the oven to bake for a couple more minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving. Do not try to transfer the cookies from the sheet until they have fully cooled. They will seem soft in the middle, but let them sit at room temperature until they have cooled; they will harden.

The best chocolate chip cookies recipe that works for different diet types

These nut-free keto chocolate chip cookies comply with a variety of diets, making them a great option for many!

• Keto and Low-Carb: These cookies contain only 2.6 grams of net carbs each, making them a great option for keto and low-carb diets.
• Gluten-Free: This recipe does not call for any gluten-containing products.
• Grain-Free: All ingredients used in this recipe are grain-free.
• Nut-Free: These keto chocolate chip treats are made without the use of nuts or tree nuts.
• Coconut-Free: Coconut products are not included in this recipe.
• Refined Sugar-Free: This recipe is free of refined sugar.

Try these delicious keto-friendly cookie recipes next!

Are you a keto cookie lover at heart? Then, you’ll love these low-carb cookie recipes too!

• Low-Carb Sugar Cookies
• Keto Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies
• Nut-Free and Keto Snowball Cookies