KETO CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES
Alright guys, here it is…
The first official Holiday / Christmas recipe of the year!
That's right, we are starting early!
Last year I slacked a bit and didn't start baking until half-way through December so I felt like this year, since the blog has grown so much, I needed to work on that and redeem myself, haha.
So without further ado, say hello to my little friends (movie reference.. I'm lame, I know). Anyways, these are my Keto Chocolate Mint Cookies aka Snowball Cookies!
These are the cutest little things and if anyone has seen a Christmas or Holiday cookie recipe book, these are usually always included in some way, shape or form.
Everyone has their own version of these cookies so for me, I had to take inspiration from the best..
My mother.
Yup every year she makes these Chocolate Mint Cookies using a recipe she's had for AGES.
The cool thing about it is that it's a bit different from the other versions of this recipe since it uses “sweetened condensed milk” as the main source of sweetness in the cookies.
This gives them their characteristic fudgey texture.
Now I know what you're thinking.. “I'm on a KETO DIET. I can't be throwing sweetened condensed milk into my recipes?! That stuff is loaded with sugar.”
But fear not my friend.
I've found an alternative that will have you wanting to slather it on everything you eat.
(Honestly, I'm pretty sure I could have just eaten it by the spoonful but I figured actually making a recipe for you guys might be more important).
The recipe for the Low-Carb Sweetened Condensed Milk was developed by Carolyn over at “All Day I Dream About Food” and I give her full credit!
The only thing I did was change the amounts to make exactly enough for this recipe and cooked it for slightly less time.
(You can find the original recipe here: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/sugar-free-condensed-milk/ )
So with that said, let's stop the rambling and get to making some delectable chocolate mint cookies.
Some Ingredients I'd Like To Highlight
- Splenda & Truvia – Since I’ve re-made this recipe many times, I’ve switched over to using a monkfruit/erythritol blend instead of splenda and truvia. The reason being.. It’s much more keto-friendly in terms of it’s effect on insulin levels and it probably has the closest taste to real sugar! I highly recommend trying it out. I use this blend from SoNourished.
- Almond & Coconut Flour – I use the Kirkland Costco brand of almond flour (I buy it in bulk on Amazon or at Costco itself occasionally) and this brand of coconut flour for this recipe. As I’ve noted in many of my past recipes, the brand of almond and coconut flour can affect the final outcome of the recipe because absorbency can vary depending on how the flour has been processed.
- Xanthan Gum– This is such a great little ingredient! It gives gluten-free baked goods a texture and consistency closer to baked goods baked with white flour as it adds elasticity. It's also fantastic for thickening sauces! It may seem pricey at first but it will last you a LONG time. I've had my bag for about a 6 months now..and I do a lot of baking.
- Powdered Monkfruit/Erythritol Blend – I used to use swerve for my powdered sugar replacement but MAN. This sweetener is sooo much nicer. It tastes 1000x more like sugar with no strange aftertaste. Highly recommend it for this recipe as well as any no-bake recipes you try!
Keto Chocolate Mint Cookies (Snowball Cookies)
Serves: 24
Ingredients:
- 3/4 (85g) cup almond flour
- 3 1/2 (25g)tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup(120g) stevia-sweetened chocolate-chips (these or these)
- 2 tbsp(30g) butter
- 5 tbsp “low-carb sweetened condensed milk” (see recipe below)*
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp splenda (or another sweetener-add to taste) * See highlighted ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp truvia (or 5 tbsp of another sweetener that measures like sugar-add to taste) *See highlighted ingredients
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-1 tsp mint extract (add more or less to taste)
- 2 tbsp(30g) stevia sweetened chocolate-chips (do NOT melt, I use Krisda or Lily's)
- 5 tbsp powdered monkfruit/erythritol blend
*Ingredients for Low-Carb Sweetened Condensed milk: <– Make this first before starting the full recipe.
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp(10g) butter
- 2 1/2 tbsp splenda (or powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener to taste)
- Pinch of xanthan gum as needed
*Directions(Low-Carb Sweetened Condensed Milk):
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil
- Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer on low for about 15min, stirring regularly.
- Remove from heat, whisk in your butter, splenda (or another sweetener) and a small pinch of xanthan gum.
- You can add more or less xanthan gum as needed to thicken the cream. (Just be careful not to over-do it!!! A little goes a long way and too much could create a gummy final product.)
- Set aside until needed.
(Note: It will thicken more as it cools, use the entire amount in the cookies)
Directions:
- In a medium size bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients except the additional chocolate-chips and sweeteners.
- In another separate bowl, combine your chocolate-chips and butter. Microwave for 30-40s, stir, and then microwave in 15s intervals until melted.
- Let the mixture cool for 5min before adding your low-carb sweetened condensed milk, egg, vanilla extract, mint extract and sweeteners. Whisk to combine.
- Next add your dry ingredients back to the bowl. Stir until a thick batter forms and add more mint extract and/or sweetener if needed and your 2 tbsp of chocolate-chips.
- Refrigerate the dough, covered for at least an hour before shaping.
- Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 325*F.
- Place parchment paper on two cookie sheets.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and begin rolling it into small balls(I ended up with 24).
- Place each ball on the parchment paper and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Repeat until dough is gone.
- Bake for 11-15min or until cookies are “set” on top.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie liberally with the powdered swerve.
- Once cooled slightly, you can remove the cookies and set them on a wire-rack or plate to finish cooling.
- Serve immediately or freeze in an air-tight container for future holiday events! Enjoy your keto chocolate mint cookies ! – See Nutritional Information Below-
Nutrition per cookie (based on 24 servings): 76cals | 1g of NET carbs | 7g of fat | 1.5g of protein | 3g of fibre
Other Similar Recipes you may like:
Keto White Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Crack
Keto Peppermint Brownie Cheesecake
Juanita
Saturday 10th of November 2018
I actually have some erythritol in the cupboard - how would I change it from granular to powdered, I wonder . . . coffee grinder? food processor? Ideas?
Juanita
Friday 9th of November 2018
I see the product, SWERVE, in many of your recipes. Have you found a place to buy it affordably in quantity? I found it on Amazon for $22.90 USD for 12 oz each of granulated and powdered sugar replacement. YIKES! Who can afford to (enjoyably) eat Keto at this rate?
I would be grateful for suggestions.
sammysamgurl
Saturday 10th of November 2018
Hi Juanita! It can be quite pricey! I tend to only use swerve for only a few recipes that require a "powdered sugar" replacement. Otherwise I use a combination of truvia and Splenda for the rest. Splenda is typically the cheapest option (I know some people aren't a fan) but honestly it tastes the best when combined with truvia PLUS with truvia you only have to use 1/3 the amount of sugar or regular sweetener called for so although it's also pricey, it lasts a lot longer than swerve (Truvia is made up of a combination of erythritol and stevia). Otherwise I would reccomend looking into buying bulk erythritol online (that's basically all swerve is anyways. It's just marketed under a brand name) anyways. And as for where else to buy it, you can try a bulk store or the health sections of most grocery stores now carry swerve! I hope that helps! -Sam