These pecan thumbprint cookies are low carb, low sugar and keto-friendly. The cookies need just 3 ingredients and don’t require any flour substitutes, eggs, dairy or butter. They are easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time.

These pecan thumbprint cookies are easy to make and can be customized with different fillings.

Ingredients

  • Pecans
  • Sugar-free maple flavored syrup
  • Sugar-free chocolate chips

Pecans: Raw pecan halves are pulsed to small crumbs in a food processor to form the base for the cookie dough.

Sugar-free maple flavored syrup: The syrup is used to bind the cookies and sweeten them. I recommend using a syrup that is sweetened with monk fruit. Avoid using one sweetened with allulose because it can cause the cookies to turn too dark in color when baking. You can also use regular maple syrup if you don’t need the cookies to be low sugar.

Sugar-free chocolate chips: The cookies are filled with melted chocolate sweetened with a sugar alternative. If you prefer a softer chocolate center, you can add a little melted coconut oil to the chocolate so that the chocolate does not fully firm up when the cookies set. If you need these cookies to be dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.

How to Make Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

  • The pecans are pulsed in a food processor until they become the size of small crumbs. You can also use a blender, but if using a blender, you do need to be careful and not overpulse. You don’t want the nut mixture to feel oily.
  • Add the pecan crumbs and syrup to a mixing bowl and mix together until a dough forms. Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop and release the dough onto your prepared baking sheet.
  • Use the back of a round teaspoon to press a deep well into the center of each cookie. Use the back of a metal spoon to smooth, round the edges of the cookies so they have a classic thumbprint shape.
  • Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and set around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool fully on the baking sheet. Once cooled, melt the chocolate until smooth. If adding coconut oil, stir it in. Spoon the melted chocolate into each indent or transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and pipe the filling into each cookie. Let the chocolate cool and set and then the cookies are ready to eat.

Expert Tips

  • If you pulse the pecans in a food processor, the crumbs will be a little bit bigger, but they will still work. For finer crumbs, you can use a blender. However, because the blender is more powerful, you need to work in small batches and pulse for less time.
  • You don’t want to overpulse the pecans. This results in the pecans releasing their oils, which will make the mixture oily and cause the cookies to be oily or spread too much during baking.

More Keto Cookie Recipes

No ratings yet

3 Ingredient Keto Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

These pecan thumbprint cookies are low sugar, low carb and keto-friendly. They need just 3 ingredients and don't require any flour substitutes, eggs, dairy or butter.
Servings: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (215g) raw pecan halves , see note before starting
  • 4 tbsp (60ml) sugar-free maple flavored syrup
  • 1 cup (150g) sugar-free dark chocolate chips, see note

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add pecans to a food processor and pulse until they become the consistency of small crumbs or coarse flour. Be careful not to overpulse the pecans because you do not want to release their oils which will result in an oily dough. See note for more details.
  • Transfer pecan crumbs to a mixing bowl. Drizzle syrup on top. Mix with a spatula until the crumbs are evenly coated in the syrup. When you pinch some of the mixture together, it should stick. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little more syrup.
  • Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Release on the prepared baking sheet, spacing each portion about 2 inches apart.
  • Lightly wet the back of a teaspoon and press a deep well into the center of each cookie (the hole should be the size of the full back of the teaspoon). Lightly wet your fingers or the back of a metal spoon and smooth, shape and round the edges of the cookies to form a classic thumbprint shape.
  • Bake for about 12-16 minutes, or until the edges and surface look set and are lightly golden.
  • Let cookies cool on baking sheet and set. When cookies are almost finished cooling, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring in between with a silicone spatula, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. If you prefer a softer chocolate center, you can add 2 tsp of melted coconut oil to the melted chocolate.
  • After cookies are set, spoon chocolate filling into each indent. You do not need to use the full amount of chocolate. You can also transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and pipe the filling in.
  • Let the chocolate cool and firm up. You can do this at room temperature or briefly put them into the fridge to help speed up the process. The cookies are then ready to eat. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Pecan note: You can use a food processor or blender to pulse the pecans. If using food processor, you will end up with small crumbs. If you use a blender, your crumbs will be finer. I generally recommend a food processor because you're less likely to overpulse the nuts. If you use a blender, you need to work in small batches and pulse less time. You want to be careful not to overpulse the nuts because this will cause them to release their oils, making the mixture dough oily. This recipe uses raw pecan halves or pieces that have not been salted or roasted. 
  • Syrup note: I used ChocZero brand maple flavored syrup.* You can use other brands, but we recommend a thick syrup, which usually is found with monkfruit sweetened syrups. Allulose based syrups tend to be too thin and will brown the cookies too quickly.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Chocolate note: You can use whatever your favorite keto-friendly brand of chocolate chips is. The chocolate center will be more firm if you use just melted chocolate to fill the center of the cookies. If you want the cookies to have a softer chocolate center, mix 2 tsp coconut oil into the melted chocolate to keep the chocolate softer. If you need the cookies to be dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.
  • Estimated nutrition assumes 3/4 cup chocolate used because not all of it ends up in the cookies.
  • If you are on a keto diet, please remember to look at net carbs and not just total carbs in the estimated nutrition. The net carbs count excludes fiber and carbs from sugar alcohols.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 168kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 2mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 1g, sugar alcohol: 2g, NET CARBS: 2
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!