Name: Low-Carb Sugar-Free Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 32
Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups almond meal; 1 cup whey protein powder; 1/2 cup (one stick) butter; 4 oz cream cheese (can use a low-fat version); 2 eggs; 2 and 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (or other sugar substitute equal to 1 and 1/2 cups sugar); 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2/3 cup chopped walnuts; 1 cup whole cranberries (fresh or frozen; no sugar added)

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

Calories 88

Fat 7g

Carbs 2g

Protein 5g

Show Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories	88
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Sodium 76mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 2g	1%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 1g
Includes 0g Added Sugars	0%
Protein 5g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 25mg	2%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 53mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(27 ratings)

Total Time 29 min
Prep 20 min, Cook 9 min
Servings 32

With their festive red cranberries, these drop cookies make a nice Christmas cookie, but they are a great healthy cookie anytime. They are sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free, and full of nutritious ingredients. See notes on some of the ingredients below.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups almond meal
1 cup whey protein powder
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
4 oz cream cheese (can use a low-fat version)
2 eggs
2 and 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (or other sugar substitute equal to 1 and 1/2 cups sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole cranberries (fresh or frozen; no sugar added)

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Cream the butter and the cream cheese together until the mixture is fluffy. Add the sweetener, cinnamon, and salt, and beat again. Add the eggs, and beat until combined.
Add the almond meal, protein powder, and baking soda and combine well.
Mix in the cranberries and the walnuts.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, or one covered with a silicone mat. The size is up to you but avoid very large cookies.

Bake about 7 to 9 minutes, until the tops are just browning. Cool the cookies completely before eating. Store the cookies in a sealed container.

Notes on Special Ingredients: In this recipe, a combination of almond meal and whey protein powder takes the place of regular wheat flour. If you use a flavored protein powder, you will probably want to cut down the amount of sweetener in the recipe. I used Designer brand Vanilla Praline, which does have artificial flavorings in it. If I didn't use the flavored powder, I'd be more inclined to add a little black molasses, which has about 4 to 5 grams of carbohydrate per teaspoon.