These Low Carb Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies are sweet little bites filled with a delicious lemon curd. If you are a fan of thumbprint cookie recipes, then you are going to love these tender buttery cookies filled with tangy homemade lemon curd!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
Sugar-free cookies: these lemon thumbprint cookies are sugar free, low carb, and keto friendly.
Sturdy: these buttery shortbread cookies are sturdy and are the perfect vessel for the sweet tart lemon curd filling.
Versatile: these cookies can be made with regular sugars instead of sweeteners without affecting the structure of the cookie. This does change the recipe to only gluten free.
🥘 Ingredients
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Please scroll to the bottom of my page for the printable recipe card with amounts and complete instructions.
Lemons: you will use fresh lemon juice as well as the lemon zest.
Granulated sugar or sweetener: you can use regular sugar or a sugar free sweetener, I like monkfruit best.
Powdered sugar or sweetener: you can use regular sugar or a sugar free sweetener, I like powdered monkfruit best
Large eggs: you will use both the egg yolks and whites for these lemon curd cookies.
🔪 Instructions
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- In a double boiler, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar free sweetener, and eggs until well combined.
- Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and lemon zest. Stir until combined and creamy. Chill until ready to use.
FOR THE COOKIES
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the sweetener and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a stiff dough forms. You may need to switch to a wooden spoon as the dough stiffens.
- Measure about ¾ tablespoon of dough and shape into ball. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and put a small indent in the center of the dough ball with your thumb.
- Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, until edges of the cookies have begun to brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack
- When ready to serve, place 1 teaspoon of lemon curd in center of each cookie. Store unused lemon curd in refrigerator.
🥄 Equipment
Double boiler: to make the lemon curd
Mixing bowls: a large and medium bowl
Electric mixer: note that a stand mixer with a paddle attachment can be used in place of the electric mixer.
Small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the dough
Baking sheet: I like a large baking sheet without edges.
Parchment paper: lines the baking sheet to prevent sticking
Wire rack: to cool the cookie after baking
Citrus reamer: to juice the fresh lemons
Microplane zester: to remove the zest from the lemon
🥫Storage
Refrigerate: store cookies fully assembled in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.
Freeze: store cookies fully assembled in a freezer safe airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Substitute fresh lime juice and zest in place of the lemon juice and zest
💭 Tips
- For best results, make the lemon curd recipe the day before making the cookies and keep refrigerated.
- Be sure to use room temperature ingredients to allow for ease of mixing and to prevent curdling.
🙋 FAQ's
This recipe was crafted specifically to be a gluten free recipe and has not been tested using other flours.
📚 Related Recipes
This Lemon Curd Cheesecake is my favorite cheesecake recipe.
You will love this keto low carb Peanut Butter Frosting recipe!
You will love these Coconut Lime Thumbprints!
Hazelnut thumbprints for the nutella fans.
These Strawberry Rhubarb Thumbprint cookies are a must try during rhubarb season.
🍽 Serve with..
Serve cookies with hot tea or coffee as an afternoon snack or as an after dinner dessert.
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📖 Recipe
Low Carb Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sweetener
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Lemon Curd
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sweetener
- 3 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Make the lemon curd ahead of time and place in refrigerator to chill.
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- In a double boiler, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar free sweetener, and eggs until well combined.
- Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and lemon zest. Stir until combined and creamy. Chill until ready to use.
FOR THE COOKIES
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix in the sweetener until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until stiff dough forms.
- Measure about ¾ tablespoon dough and shape into ball. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and put a small indent in dough with thumb.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- When ready to serve, place 1 teaspoon lemon curd in center of cookie. Store unused lemon curd in refrigerator.
Brooke says
Do you think I could get away with just lemon extract?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
It depends on what you want to use it in place of. If you want to use lemon extract instead of zest, that should be fine. But lemon juice is essential for the lemon curd. I hope that answers your question. Shelby
Angela Mansell says
The cookie recipe says granulated swerve but then the cookie instructions say mix in powdered sugar. So is it granulated swerve or powdered sugar?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Angela, in the recipe it indicates granulated swerve for the cookie dough and powdered swerve for the lemon curd. However, since I posted this recipe, I have used powdered swerve in the cookie instead of granulated and it does work.
Jonell says
This recipe is DELICIOUS! My son loves key lime pie so we substituted lime for the lemon, and instead of vanilla extract, we used 1/2 tsp rum extract and 1/2 tsp coconut extract. You can use this base cookie recipe for just about any flavor, and also, I absolutely love, love, love that this cookie is soft and chewy. 😀 Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Shelby says
Thank you for sharing Jonell! I love the lime twist too (am a huge fan of lime here also!)
Michelle says
Which sugar free sweetener do you use? Would Truvia or Pyure work?
Shelby says
Yes, I'm sure Pyure would work, I have used that one before. I normally use Swerve granular and powdered. I'm thinking truvia would probably work but I don't recommend the blend as that has sugar in it (if you are trying to completely eliminate sugar).
Carolyn says
You had me at lemon! I can't wait to try making this recipe!
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake says
I love thumbprint cookies and I think these would be super fun to make!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Mmmm lemon thumbprint!
Courtney Buteau says
These cookies look so delicious! I agree with you, drinking hot tea just makes me feel good. I've been drinking multiple cups this winter! My nana always had cookies with her tea, I need to start doing that more. A nice way to slow down! 🙂 #client