Perfectly ooey-gooey, speckled with chocolate chunks and finished off with flaky sea salt, this keto skillet cookie is bound to become a favorite easy low carb treat! Added bonus? No sweetener aftertaste, whatsoever.
Chocolate Chunk Keto Skillet Cookie 🍪
An Ooey-Goey Affair!
That’s right, this keto skillet cookie *truly* tastes like an actual cookie. No weird aftertastes or dry dense textures here- just pure cookie delight!
Also, if you’re in a bit of a time pinch, this recipe is a less laborious route to cookie heaven than my (bakery-style!) chocolate chip cookies. And you can either bake the whole thing at once in a cast iron skillet (I love this 8-inch one and its under $15 bucks). Or, alternatively, divide the cookie dough into ramekins, freeze and bake-as-needed.
And at 3g net carbs a slice, let’s just say I’m fairly in love with the macros!
p.s. Be sure to top off with a scoop (or two!) of my no-churn keto ice cream. If you’ve tried it already, you know it stays scoopable even straight out the freezer(!!).
How To Make My Keto Skillet Cookie
Let’s get started with some hard-fast tips that apply to all cookies, be them keto or not! Because you’ll soon find that spending a little extra time prepping your ingredients will take your skillet cookie from good… to supreme.
- Cream the butter until light and fluffy. This is a *big* thing in cookies guys (i.e. the golden rule!) , and there’s no workaround! For best texture you want to cream your butter and the sweetener with your mixer for roughly 10 minutes, scrapping the bowl 2-3 times to ensure no uneven streaks remain.
- Chill your dough. If you don’t, all the hard work you put into making it nice and fluffy will be put to waste, as the butter will be warm and instantly melt. i.e. you won’t get that nice texture and puffed up cookie. 30 minutes will do, but try and do the full hour.
- Dairy free? Not gonna like, this is a tricky one. Shortening (i.e. lard!) is probably the closest sub to butter out there… but you’ll have to cut the amount of butter by 20% as it’s a pure fat. Also do keep in mind that you don’t get that butter taste (which is why even recipes with lard still throw in some butter).
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour (love Anthony’s) and coconut flour (again Anthony’s best taste and texture by a mile!) and a very small touch of konjac powder (i.e. glucomannan) for best crumb and bite. Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
What is konjac powder (i.e. glucomannan)? Short answer, it’s a great substitute to cornstarch for both thickening up sauces and gravy. And it also lends a nice chew and crunch to keto cookies, which you simply don’t get from either almond or coconut flour. p.s konjac is stuff your miracle noodles (shirataki) are made out of!
Can I sub out the konjac? Yes, you can do arrowroot (closest) or even just more coconut flour. The taste was just as good with all three.
The Sweetener
Perhaps surprisingly, getting the sweetener right for this keto skillet cookie is even more important than the flours. And, without a doubt, you want to use either allulose (my favorite here because no aftertaste, zero GI and it actually browns!) or xylitol (ensure its not corn derived to avoid tummy troubles).
Now, you can also use an erythritol sweetener (Lakanto’s golden is still my favorite) but do expect a bit of cooling aftertaste and a less gooey texture, particularly when cool (you can always rewarm it though!)
How sweet?! In case you haven’t noticed, keto palates in regards to sweetness are all over the place (I feel mine fluctuates constantly still!). So I’m giving you guys a range of 110-140g (7-9TBS) of sweetener… which is already less than the average 200g in your usual cookies. If you use allulose I suggest using the larger amount as its 70% less sweet than the others.
I also like to add a (totally optional!) teaspoon of blackstrap molasses for that extra brown sugar kick. 1 teaspoon (7g) adds 5g net carbs to the entire batch (just 0.6g net a serving!). But carbs aside, blackstrap molasses is a nutritional powerhouse rich in vital vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. But feel free to leave it out if it ain’t your thing.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
The Keto Chocolate Chips (or Chunks!)
Call me weird, but I don’t like chocolate chips in my cookies. What I like, is an actual chocolate bar broken up into bits. You see, chocolate chips were designed to not melt completely, and I’m all about those chocolate bits melting throughout the skillet cookie. And the darker the chocolate, the more it will melt through!
So I suggest simply breaking up a chocolate bar into bits. Don’t chop it up with a knife, or you’ll end up with powder and flakes which will make your cookies cloudy.
But in the end, just use whatever your taste buds desire (and Lily’s does make awesome sugar free chocolate chips too!).
Whatever you decide. just don’t forget a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top, it’ll cut through the chocolate and sweetness beautifully.
Looking for more keto cookies?! Don’t miss out on my famous (bakery-style!) chocolate chip cookies, (actually crisp!) oreos, and incredible toasted-almond shortbread (or try the double chocolate ones!).
(Ooey-Gooey!) Chocolate Chunk Keto Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 120 g almond flour
- 16 g coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon konjac powder (i.e. glucomannan) arrowroot powder or more coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt omit if using salted butter*
- 150 g (salted or unsalted!) butter at room temperature*
- 110-144 g allulose to taste (I use the larger amount for allulose and the lower for xylitol or erythritol)**
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses totally optional!**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 85-120 g Lily's Sweets dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips!
- 70 g pecans roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt to garnish
Special equipment
- 8-inch cast iron skillet a personal favorite under $15 bucks
Pair it with
Instructions
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, konjac powder (or arrowroot/more coconut flour), baking soda, xanthan gum and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add in sweetener and molasses (optional), and continue to cream until light and fluffy (about 8 minutes). And be sure to scrape down the bowl a couple times to ensure even creaming!
- Add in vanilla extract and egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth). With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest.
- Fold in chocolate chunks (or chips!) and pecan bits. Transfer cookie dough to your skillet (or ramekins), cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to three days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until set and nice and golden. I've noticed that baking time here varies a lot depending on your oven, skillet type (and size!) and altitude. So be sure to take a peak in the oven from minute 25 to ensure it doesn't overbrown (a known 'issue' with allulose).
- Garnish with flaky sea salt and allow to set for 15 minutes. Top of with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
- Note that the cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, and they can be baked straight from the freezer (adding 5-7 minutes more to the baking time).
Notes
*Top Tip!
I personally like to use salted butter and simply skip adding additional salt, as it lends more depth to the flavor (and I clearly love my salted cookies!). If you aren't into the salt, simply use unsalted butter and add a 1/4tsp of kosher salt.**The Sweetener
Perhaps surprisingly, getting the sweetener right for this keto skillet cookie is even more important than the flours. And, without a doubt, you want to use either allulose (my favorite here because no aftertaste, zero GI and it actually browns!) or xylitol (ensure its not corn derived to avoid tummy troubles). Now, you can also use an erythritol sweetener (Lakanto’s golden is still my favorite) but do expect a bit of cooling aftertaste and a less gooey texture, particularly when cool (you can always rewarm it though!) How sweet?! In case you haven’t noticed, keto palates in regards to sweetness are all over the place (I feel mine fluctuates constantly still!). So I’m giving you guys a range of 110-140g (7-9TBS) of sweetener… which is already less than the average 200g in your usual cookies. If you use allulose I suggest using the larger amount as its 70% less sweet than the others. I also like to add a (totally optional!) teaspoon of blackstrap molasses for that extra brown sugar kick. 1 teaspoon (7g) adds 5g net carbs to the entire batch (just 0.6g net a serving!). But carbs aside, blackstrap molasses is a nutritional powerhouse rich in vital vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. But feel free to leave it out if it ain't your thing. And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕 Please note that nutrition facts were estimated with Lily's dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips. But heads up that values can vary widely depending on what you use!Nutrition
and some food (for thought) 👁️
a newsletter about functional food to nourish, create and evolve.
(p.s. we don’t talk about fight club 🪄 )
xo! Paola
I wanted to say that my family, husband and 7 kids aged 17 to 5 loved, loved, loved this cookie! The first time I made the 8 inch size and this time I doubled it and put it in a 12 in size pan, but both times I made it dairy free!! I used softened coconut oil in place of butter in same quantities. Just in case anyone else out there can’t do dairy– want them to know its totally doable and delish! It was our Anniversary dessert and it did not disappoint!
Karen the best reviews are when the kiddos enjoy too lol! I’m so happy to hear it was even worthy of your Anniversary dessert (!!!) 🙂
And thank you for reporting back for dairy free (I’ve never tried it with coconut oil, but I have done half shortening half butter and that worked too). Not sure if you’re into shortening, but its a terrific sub in most cookies and even my pie crust, I have a feeling half coconut oil half shortening will help with texture and taste. xo!
Just made your recipe and it was awesome! I used coconut sugar for the sugar and followed the recipe to a T and perfect! Nice and gooey and did 30 minutes plus the 15 to cool – anticipation was very hard to wait……. Used a 8″ skillet and was perfect – did I say perfect enough? GREAT recipe!!
Yum!! Just baked this and we ate slices while still warm. So good! I made exactly according to recipe, using Swerve and molasses. Added mix of Lily’s dark chocolate chips and salted caramel chips. Baked in my cast iron skillet, bottom lined with parchment. (maybe not necessary but doesn’t hurt!) A soft cake-like texture while warm, and now that it’s cool, it’s a firmer chewy cookie texture. Great both ways! 🙂
How many and what size ramekins would be used for this recipe? I love the idea of having single serving sizes in the freezer as I tend to over eat otherwise. I might eat the whole thing at one sitting! I love your recipes, I have 115 of them saved so far!
If using a 10″ skillet, should I double the recipe?
Thanks!
You would end up with a sort of ‘deep dish’ cookie pie Barbara… maybe not a bad thing?!
But I’ve also tried a single batch in a 10″ skillet before and it works just as well (it will just be a bit thinner right?). And also note that it’ll bake quicker, so closer to the 25 minute mark. xo!
Does this cast iron pan need to be seasoned?
Yes it does, but its a very easy process. I simply brushed it with some avocado oil and left it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 450. xo!
I can’t remember the last time I left a comment in a recipe, but I made this last night and it was instantly devoured by the entire family. All three kids even asked for seconds and thats never happened with other keto cookies. Just WOW thank you!
Kids liking the recipe is literally the best feedback always… its zero bs with them! Really happy you all enjoyed and thanks for reporting back Jenny! xo!
Has anyone made cookie size cookies from this recipe and if so how long did you bake?
I would just head over here then donna! https://www.gnom-gnom.com/gluten-free-keto-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Can you use Swerve brown sugar in place of the allulose and blackstrap? If so how much would you use? Thanks!!!
Hi there Patti (hope you’ve been well!!)! You can use Swerve brown and I would use the smaller amount of sweetener suggested. Just note that since erythritol sweeteners tend to crystalize once cool, for best texture I would make sure to enjoy warm for that ooey-gooey texture 😉
I’m allergic to coconut!! I’m running into the coconut flour problem a lot, is there any way I can substitute it??
Mmmm… good question Brittany! Honestly substituting coconut is a bit of a difficult one (as you clearly know!) and I can’t give you a ‘guaranteed’ sub right now. Having said that, I am working on another cookie recipe and you could try to sub it with golden flaxseed meal (just make sure to regrind it so its extra fine, Bob’s makes my favorite one). xo!
Is allulose another sugar alcohol? thnx!
It’s actually classified as a ‘rare sugar’ Katie, but its similar to erythritol in that it’s zero GI so it won’t cause a sugar spike. Xo!
Welcome back Paola!!! Not gonna lie I was a bit worried!
Thank you Catherine! 😅 I’m reading quite a few comments of you guys worried (I’m sorry!).
It was honestly just an exhausting year, and it was nice to be able to focus 100% on my health and physical therapy in the last few months. Xo!!
Paola your bakery-style cookies are a family favorite! Will be trying it over the weekend welcome back 🙂
Awww thank you Ana! Hope you guys enjoy 🤗
Found it, sorry.
Doing some updates to the site to make it better for y’all 🙂
Thanks Paola – I definitely appreciate the work you put into it! I have absolutely started to prefer baking/measuring by weight, but the metric measurement equivalents still don’t come to me naturally. So – I always take a peek at the US measurements first – just so I can anticipate the approximate amounts, and then I switch back to metric when I actually make the recipes. It works perfectly – and allows me to determine quickly if I need to stock up on anything before I get started.
Baking with a scale is definitely the way to go for precise results time and time again, I’m happy to hear you’ve jumped on board Rebecca!
But I think the visualization in cups is fairly standard for all of us, even if I grew up accustomed to the metric system in Mexico. In fact, that is how I develop the baking recipes for you guys: by thinking in terms of fractions of the different flours, dry-to-wet ratios, etc… so I first jot them down in cups and then measure out the weight for you guys 🙂
What happened to the US format with cups and tablespoons instead of grams?
There are buttons at start of ingredients list to choose between us and metric.