5 Ingredient Keto Green Cookies

4.4 stars, average of 25 ratings

By Martina Slajerova, updated June 14 201923

Five ingredients and less than half an hour - that's all it take to make these quick green keto cookies. I first learnt how to achieve the green effect when I was working on my Grain-Free Sunflower Bread. To my surprise, the sunflower seeds turned out vibrant green.

How does it work? Sunflower seeds contain chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that gives the seeds the ability of turning green under certain conditions. When chlorogenic acid mixes with alkaline baking ingredients such as baking soda, it turns green. Chlorogenic acid is beneficial because it may slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal.

If you don't want your baked goods to turn out green, you can neutralise the effect of baking soda by adding some acidic ingredients like cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice. Although the green effect is not always desirable, it's perfect for St Patrick's Day, Easter or Halloween!

If you follow a ketogenic diet, it's not easy to get enough magnesium. What's great about these cookies is that they will both satisfy your cravings and boost your magnesium intake. One cookie contains almost 25% of your daily magnesium requirements!

Tip: If you have my apps, try dipping these keto cookies in my Creamy Spiced Cocoa - it's sugar-free and dairy-free.

0 hours, 15 minutes

Hands-on 10 minutes Overall 25 minutes

Nutritional values (per cookie)

Net carbs3.6 grams

Protein6.6 grams

Fat17.3 grams

Calories193 kcal

Calories from carbs 7%, protein 13%, fat 80%

Total carbs6.3 gramsFiber2.7 gramsSugars1 gramsSaturated fat3.4 gramsSodium119 mg(5% RDA)Magnesium93 mg(23% RDA)Potassium191 mg(10% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 10 cookies)

1 ¹/₄ cups Homemade Sunbutter or any sugar-free sunbutter (310 g/ 10.9 oz)
¹/₃ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve, or more to taste (50 g/ 1.9 oz) - I used Sukrin Melis
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda (NOT baking powder)
2-3 tsp cinnamon or vanilla powder or pumpkin spice mix (you can make your own)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (fan assisted). Make the Sunbutter by following this recipe. I use this mixer with a food processor attachment to make any nut, seed or coconut butter in just a few minutes. Add the powdered Erythritol, cinnamon, baking soda, egg ...
How to soften nut or coconut butter: Place it in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a small saucepan filled with a cup of water. Bring to a boil over a medium heat and let it melt.
Mix until well combined. Using your hands, crate small cookie dough balls (one should be about 1 ¹/₂ oz). Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick silicon baking mat.
Using a fork, press down to flatten each cookie ball until about ¹/₂-inch thick.
Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep an eye on the cookies - seeds burn faster than regular flour cookies.
When done, remove from the oven and let them cool down. At first, they will be fragile but will crisp up as they chill.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per cookie)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Sunbutter, Sunflower Seed Butter (KetoDiet blog)
3.2 g	5.9 g	16.8 g	183 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Eggs, free-range or organic
0 g	0.6 g	0.5 g	7 kcal
Baking soda, raising agent (bicarbonate of soda)
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Total per cookie
3.6 g	6.6 g	17.3 g	193 kcal

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Elda 9 months ago #

Mine didn't turn green, either. I used sugar free roasted sunflower butter, so I'm not sure how exactly they can turn green unless you use fresh seeds and make the butter yourself. The flavor was okay. This is the first time I've used swerve so it has a very funky taste to me that isn't very pleasing. I made these for a Halloween gathering so I'm not sure how they'll go over. Maybe I'll dip them in dark chocolate once completely cooled and see how that makes them taste.

Martina @ KetoDiet 9 months ago #

That's interesting! I don't know if roasting does anything to it but I used homemade sunbutter made with raw sunflower seeds. I like the idea of dipping them into melted dark chocolate - it may help with the taste if you are not a fan of low-carb sweeteners. Here are some other sweetener options you can try: Top 5 Keto Sweeteners and Low-Carb Sweetener Conversion Chart

Christy one year ago #

I'm so sad. I made these and they did not turn green! Followed the recipient exactly. And I absolutely used baking soda not powder! They still taste yummy, but I made them specifically for the green.

Martina @ KetoDiet one year ago #

I'm sorry to hear that Christy, I wish I knew why they didn't turn green! I hope someone else may be able to comment?

Sam (http://www.ketodetective.co.uk/) one year ago #

Hi Martina, I love this recipe! Strange substitution, but I had a jar of homemade keto Nutella that needed using up, so I followed this recipe to make a fantastic batch of Nutella cookies 😊

Thank you for sharing this Sam! I so need to try that! did you use it as a dip or in the dough? ❤

Aline Pilani (https://alinepilani.com/) 3 years ago #

Yummy healthy recipe, thanks for sharing it with us!

Sara 3 years ago #

Making these with my 2 little girls tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day while listening to Irish music! I can't wait!

Martina @ KetoDiet 3 years ago #

Awesome! I hope you all enjoy making them 😊

Roman 3 years ago #

Can I use Almond, Cashew or Peanut Butter insead of sun butter?
Or is there an other alternative? Thanks in advance

Hi Roman, you can it will work but without the green effect 😊 5 Ingredient Keto Cookies

Beth 3 years ago #

Hello friend!I followed your instructions to the letter, including the toasting of raw seeds and making the sunbutter. The cookies are very yummy, but no green!
Baking soda didn't seem to make a difference.
Help!

Hi Beth, I'm not sure why that happened. I used raw (not toasted) sunflower seeds but that shouldn't make a difference. If you really use baking soda (not baking powder), it should work. Anyone has any tips? 😊

I figured it out!!! I roasted the seeds prior to baking. My second batch (we inhaled the first batch-yummy!) I was too rushed to roast and made them with raw. It's like magic!
Can't wait to see what my office says when I share them tomorrow. Thanks!!

Awesome! And great to know that roasting them may inhibit the green effect 😊

Jen Durand 2 years ago #

I used the same Sunbutter and baking soda and ended up with brown cookies. I made your bread with sunflower seeds previously and every seed turned the bread green around it. Was hoping this was a Fail-Safe recipe.

Martina @ KetoDiet 2 years ago #

That is unusual because the green colour is achieved by using baking soda and sunflower seeds/ sunflower butter. Are you sure you used baking soda (not baking powder that would neutralise this effect)?

Alicia Gaston 3 years ago #

Hi Martina, love your blog, have made a lot of your receipes. I made these and they didn't turn green, stayed brown. I used organic sun butter spread, roasted sunflower seeds being the only ingedient. Followed your recipe exactly. Any recommendations?

Hi Alicia, did you use baking soda? I think you may have used baking powder instead? Baking powder wouldn't work - you need alkaline conditions to make them green. Baking powder contains acidic ingredients that will neutralise the green effect.

Jack 3 years ago #

defo making these for St Paddy's day. bring on the green

Yay! 😊

Made a batch of these and they've turned into some of the yummiest, chewy, green cookies ever!
Beforehand I did a quick bit of research into the green colouration or lack there of. As Martina says its due to the chlorogenic acid in the sunflower seeds, however I think why some people may not see the green is due to either the pH or the temperature/time cooking. Using shop brought sun-butter may have some preservatives in it which would likely be slightly acidic in nature which would negate the alkaline baking soda, so homemade is best (and cheaper). Secondly I tried two batches one at 160*C; the first batch I put in the middle of the oven to 12 mins and the second slightly lower for 15 mins. The second batch were more green, I suspect because they had more time for the chlorogenic acid to react and turn green.

Thank you Jack and thanks for the tips too - great to know!