These pistachio cookies are low carb, low sugar and keto-friendly. The cookies need just 2 ingredients and turn out crispy and chewy. You don't need any flour substitutes, eggs or dairy to make these cookies.
1cup (114g)finely ground pistachios, see note before starting
3tbspsugar-free maple flavored syrup, see note before starting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add pistachios to a food processor and pulse until they become the consistency of fine crumbs or coarse flour. See photo for reference. You should hear the change in sound in the food processor when the nuts are ready (there will no longer be clanging sounds of large nut pieces hitting the blades or the sides of the food processor). Be careful not to pulse too long or the nuts will start to become pistachio butter. Measure out 1 cup for the recipe.
Add pistachio mixture to a mixing bowl. Drizzle syrup on top. Stir with a spatula until all of the pistachio crumbs are evenly coated in syrup. If you pinch a clump of the mixture, it should stick together. If your dough is not sticking, add a little more syrup.
Use a 1 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough and release it onto your prepared baking sheet, spacing the dough about 2 inches apart. Press down on each dough ball with the palm of your hand or the back of a metal spoon so that it forms a thick round disk (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick). Smooth the edges of cookies if needed because the cookies do not spread much during baking. If you find the dough is sticking too much to your hand or spoon when pressing down or shaping, lightly wet your hand or spoon to prevent sticking. If desired, you can press a pistachio lightly into the center of each cookie for garnish. This is optional.
Bake cookies for about 10-13 minutes until the cookies look set and are lightly golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool and fully set before removing them from the cookie sheet. The cookies are then ready to eat. If not eating right away, make sure to store cookies in an airtight container. If they are left out too long, they may absorb too much moisture and become soft and sticky. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature, around 3-4 days in the fridge or about 1-2 weeks in the freezer.
Notes
Pistachio note: This recipe uses raw shelled pistachios. If you don't have a kitchen scale, start with about 1 heaping cup of shelled pistachios and then measure out 1 cup of fine pistachio crumbs for the recipe. Try to choose pistachios that have very little skin. You can also use chopped or silvered pistachios which tend to have less skin. Greener pistachios will result in cookies that bake up more green in color.
Syrup note: It's important to use a thick syrup, preferably one using monkfruit sweetener. If you use a syrup with a thin, watery consistency, it contains too much water and the cookies won't bind. We also had issues with the cookies binding and crisping up with other sugar substitutes like erythritol and allulose. I used ChocZero maple flavored syrup.*
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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.
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.