These Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies make a perfect treat for the holidays! These rich, chocolaty cookies can be enjoyed by those on a low-carb, keto, Atkins, gluten-free, grain-free or Banting diet. Now, everyone can enjoy holiday baking!
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The Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
These cookies boast chocolate goodness inside and out! With cocoa in the batter and chocolate drizzled on top, the are a chocolate lover’s dream! Hazelnuts add nutty goodness and crunch. The combination of chocolate and hazelnuts gives the cookies a flavor similar to Ferrero Rocher chocolates or Nutella.
These cookies have a crisp texture and the butter makes them melt in your mouth. I use pasture raised butter for added nutrition, but any butter will work for the recipe.
These cookies are super-easy to make with a food processor. Just put in the ingredients and let the food processor do the work. After that, roll the dough up into a log and refrigerate it for a few hours. You can refrigerate it overnight if you prefer. Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to cut into slices.
The inspiration
These cookies were partly inspired by my pecan shortbread cookies. I made these cookies while I had a houseful of people for Thanksgiving and they disappeared faster than I could make them. Everyone enjoyed them, whether they were low-carbers or not.
This inspired me to make a similar cookie, but with a different flavor profile. Since I’ve always been a fan of chocolate and hazelnut together (Yes, I’m a recovering Nutella addict), I decided to try that flavor combination as a cookie.
My post-Thanksgiving relatives made this disappear just as fast as the Pecan Shortbread Cookies.
I created the final recipe by taking bits and pieces from both my Low-Carb Thin Mint Cookies-Copycat Recipe and my Low-Carb Pecan Shortbread Cookies.
Tips and tricks
The chocolate
You can use either a super-dark (90%) chocolate for these cookies, or a stevia-sweetened chocolate, depending on what works best for you and your lifestyle.
I melt the chocolate in a heavy pan over super-low heat. If you don’t have a heavy pan, or your burner doesn’t have a simmer setting, I recommend using a double boiler for melting the chocolate.
To create a double boiler, simply put a few inches of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heat resistant mixing bowl that will sit on top of the saucepan. Put the mixing bowl over the saucepan. Stir frequently while the chocolate melts.
A double boiler allows the chocolate to melt slowly and not burn. Be sure not to burn yourself with this arrangement because steam will slip out between the saucepan and the bowl.
Allow the chocolate to cool a bit before you drizzle it over the cookies. If you do this step while it’s too hot, the chocolate will spread all over the cookie instead of making a pretty design. I like to have it so it’s still liquid, but just about to set.
I used a cake decorating bag with a hole cut in the bottom to control the chocolate, but you could simple drizzle it on with a spoon.
The sweetener
I use the sweetener, Pyure in this recipe. Pyure is twice as sweet as sugar, so keep this in mind if you are using substitutes for sugar.
The baking time
When these cookies are completely baked, the middles are still soft. If you touch the center, it will depress and not spring back. This does not mean they aren’t done. They will continue to harden as they cool.
These cookies are easy to over-bake. It’s better to err on under-baking rather than over-baking. Over-baking will make them dry.
Final words
These cookies make holiday baking a joy! They are easy and fun to make as well as delicious to eat. Eat them yourself, or put them in a beautiful tin and give them as a gift.
If you’re as addicted to the flavor combination of chocolate and Hazelnut, you may also want to try our recipe for Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Pie. Enjoy!
-Annissa
These Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies make a perfect treat for the holidays! 🍫🍪
Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
These Low-Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies make a perfect treat for the holidays! These rich, chocolaty cookies can be enjoyed by those on a low-carb, keto, Atkins, gluten-free, grain-free or Banting diet. Now, everyone can enjoy holiday baking!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup super fine almond flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated stevia/erythritol blend (sweetness level 1/2 cup = 1 cup sugar) I use Pyure
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter chopped into large pieces
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1 1/2 ounce extra dark chocolate (90%) (may substitute stevia-sweetened) finely chopped
Instructions
Place almond flour, stevia/erythritol blend, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt in food processor. Pulse to combine.
Add vanilla extract and butter. Pulse processor until mixture sticks together to form a dough.
Add hazelnuts to the processor. Pulse to chop the nuts and incorporate into the dough. Stop the processor once or twice and break up the dough so that the hazelnuts spread evenly throughout the dough.
Turn dough out onto a piece of parchment. Shape into a log about 2 inches in diameter to about 6-7 inches long.
Wrap dough in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it overnight if you prefer.
Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment or greasing with coconut oil. I use a silicone coated baking sheet that doesn't require either.
Remove dough from parchment and slice into 16 equal circles.
Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until edges are set. Centers will NOT spring back when lightly touched. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack so they can cool completely. Be sure they have cooled before drizzling the chocolate overtop.
Place chocolate in a small heavy saucepan. Put saucepan over extra-low heat. (See article above if you don't have a extra-low simmer setting or a heavy saucepan). Heat, stirring chocolate constantly, until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Allow chocolate to cool until it has slightly thickened, but has not set. Using a cake decorating bag or a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies.
Recipe Notes
2 net carbs per cookie.
Nutritional calculations were done using 90% chocolate. Carbs can be decreased further by substituting stevia-sweetened chocolate.
These cookies look so tasty and it’s great that you can make them in a food processor!
I just made a batch of shortbread — with 3/4 pound of butter. These sound like they’d be a lot healthier and they look delicious too! Trying yours next time — my skinny jeans will thank me.
Shortbread Cookie recipe…no butter!
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp erythritol + monk fruit blend sweetener
2-3 drops vanilla…optional…or orange extract
Combine all ingredients.
Form balls…flatten slightly.
Bake @350F
Until edges are golden. Start watching at 5 minute mark.
I can’t tell you how long due to the fact my oven runs extremely hot. (My 40 minute bread recipe bakes in 0 minutes!)
See? Cookies shortbread cookies do not require added fats nor do they require an egg which makes them cake-y!
Those look so good! Slice and bake cookies are the best! I can’t wait to try these!
What a great alternative to one of my favorite kinds of cookies. Goodness knows after all the holiday eating I will need less carbs in my diet.
Simply loved these cookies!! I just have to get hazelnut geom the store.. adding it to my shopping list and going to try them this weekend 🙂 can’t wait!!
I always try to find ways to cut the amount of butter in my cookies. This looks like a great recipe for me to try this Christmas. Love it!
xo Ros | Zenhealth
I have the powders pyure. Woud that work? If so, stil 3 tblsp?
Debra,
Double check your container, but I think this sweetener is the same sweetness as sugar. The granulated Pyure is twice as sweet, so, to get the same sweetness, you will need to use more. Since powdered sweetener packs tighter than granulated, I would suggest increasing the amount by about 2 tablespoons rather than 3. I don’t think this will impact the quantity of dry ingredients significantly enough to need to change the other amounts.
-Annissa