Keto Sugar Cookie Bars
Nothing says Christmas like an assortment of Christmas cookies. As I contemplated which direction to go for my next recipe I thought of some of the popular Christmas cookie flavors we sold at the bakery I worked at years ago.
There were many popular flavors, but I remembered the sugar cookies and how the little bit of lemon extract we added set them apart from any other sugar cookie out there.
The sugar cookie is a classic treat I’ve been hesitant to try, simply because they are too sweet for me. However, I loved the sugar cookies we sold at the bakery. I realized that perhaps if I added some lemon to a keto version, that might be the key t making a sugar cookie I liked.
After some experimentation and adjustments, I settled on a recipe I was happy with. It had the right texture and just the right amount of sweetness.
The one thing I really struggled with was the frosting as I don’t like super sweet frostings. I dialed back the sweetener quite a bit, and much to my surprise, found myself very happy with the result!
Side note – If you love a sweet buttercream then I would recommend upping the powdered sweetener amount from 1/2 cup to a 3/4 cup. The texture works with either sweetener amount making it easy to adjust this frosting to your taste!
I hope you enjoy!
Ingredient List
1/2 Cup Butter (room temperature)
1/2 Cup Monk Fruit/Erythritol Blend (Or your favorite cup for cup sweetener)
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
1/2 Cup Vanilla Mölk
1 1/2 Cups Almond Flour
For The Buttercream
1/2 Cup Butter (room temperature)
4 Ounces Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1/2 Cup Powdered Sweetener
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Like all my recipes these bars contain Mölk (the best protein powder out there). Not only does Mölk add an extra hitter of protein to my baked goods, but it also helps improve the texture of low-carb baked goods!
Believe it or not, a good protein powder can make a huge difference in the crumb texture of many keto desserts! And why wouldn’t you want to make your dessert an avenue for protein? 😉
How to Make Keto Sugar Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and heavily grease a nine-inch square baking dish with either an olive oil or an avocado oil cooking spray.
Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sweetener together until smooth.
Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time and mix until evenly incorporated.
Add the lemon extract, baking powder, protein powder, and mix again.
Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed well, then slowly add the almond flour.
Mix until well incorporated and you have a nice smooth dough.
Spread the batter evenly into the greased baking pan.
To do this either use a spatula, or I found it easiest to lightly oil my hands and then press the dough out until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center has begun to pull up and the edges are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan before icing.
To make the icing combine the butter, cream cheese, and sweetener into a mixing bowl.
Using either a hand or stand mixer beat until well combined and you have a smooth mixture.
Add the vanilla and mix again.
Once the bars have cooled completely, spread the frosting over the bars.
I find it hard to frost these bars perfectly, and if taking these bars to any sort of get-together, I recommend either adding some keto sprinkles, or cacao nibs on top to spruce it up a bit!
Cut the bars into nine equal squares, serve, and enjoy!
Keto Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
- 1/2 Cup Monkfruit/Erythritol Blend
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Cup Vanilla Mölk
- 1 1/2 Cups Almond Flour
Buttercream
- 1/2 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sweetener
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and heavily grease a nine-inch square baking dish with either an olive oil or an avocado oil cooking spray.
- Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sweetener together until smooth.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Add the lemon extract, baking powder, and protein powder, and mix again.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed well, then slowly add the almond flour. Mix until smooth.
- Spread the batter evenly into the greased baking pan. To do this either use a spatula, or I found it easiest to lightly oil my hands then press the dough out until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center has begun to pull up and the edges are golden brown.Remove from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan before icing.
To Make The Icing
- To make the icing combine the butter, cream cheese, and sweetener into a mixing bowl.
- Using either a hand or stand mixer beat until well combined and you have a smooth mixture.Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Once the bars have cooled completely, spread the frosting over the bars. I find it hard to frost these bars perfectly, and if you are taking these bars to any sort of get-together, I recommend either adding some keto sprinkles, or cacao nibs on top to spruce it up a bit!Cut the bars into nine equal squares, serve, and enjoy!
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