Keto Trash Cookies

My recipe for keto trash cookies are sure to silence your sweet tooth; I promise they're that good!

At only 2.6 net carbs per cookie, it's a keto treat that rivals the original trash cookie recipe.

Whether you call this a compost cookie or a kitchen sink cookie, one thing is for sure: these low-carb cookies are flat-out delicious!

These keto cookies are loaded with flavor and texture and are a popular recipe for good reason.

With a name like trash cookies, you may be wondering why on earth it's a low-carb cookie recipe you need in your stash.

Here's the thing: when you understand what's in these low-carb trash cookies, you'll be curious enough to give the recipe a try. And when you do, you'll find yourself making them often. 

But what exactly is a trash cookie? Well, it's simply a cookie recipe that uses leftover items from your pantry to make a fantastic cookie that balances the salty-sweet combo perfectly. 

Most trash cookies get their classic salty-to-sweet combo by adding potato chips or pretzels to the cookie batter. But these are keto cookies, so I went with small pieces of plain pork rinds instead.

Yup, if you're a fan of salty-sweet combo-type recipes, this low-carb cookie recipe is calling your name.

In case you are not very familiar with this type of cookie, I will give you the basics.

For one, a trash cookie recipe goes by several names, like garbage cookies, trash can cookies, compost cookies, garbage dump cookies, or even Santa's trash cookies.

Just think of these as the ultimate cookie that contains some of your favorite ingredients. And since these are keto-friendly trash cookies, they pack a lot of low-carb mix-ins.

This recipe starts with my classic Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and then gets amplified by the addition of a variety of flavors and textures.  It's a cookie lover's dream recipe.

While you're here, you might also want to check out our entire collection of keto cookies for all sorts of great options.

Low-Carb Trash Cookies

The main takeaway is that these keto cookies are sweet, salty, delicious, and easily customizable.

Our family is a big fan of salty and sweet combination recipes. And this recipe hit all the qualifiers to make it an instant hit in our home.

The consistency of these cookies is spot on, with the pork rinds giving a little crunch and the gelatin powder giving them a slight chewiness.

I also added a couple of tablespoons of sugar-free maple syrup for flavor and for the added chewiness it provides. It's something I experimented with when I made my keto chocolate chip cookies and found that it worked quite well.

My recipe for gluten-free trash can cookies uses several mix-ins, but if you don't have the same leftover keto-friendly pantry options, use what you have.

Just keep the measurements the same and keep in mind that the macros will change accordingly.

When it came to the nuts I chose, I went for a combination of pecans and pistachios. It's what I had on hand, plus I thought it would compliment the flavors nicely.

I added both sugar-free chocolate chips and pieces of my favorite sugar-free chocolate bar for visual contrast and flavor, but you can choose either.

If you decide to add the pieces of the chocolate bar, you'll want to press them to the top of the cookies before baking. Doing so won't affect the flavor, but it does make for a more visually appealing cookie. 

Trash Cookies Made Keto

Because I was looking for options that would give these trash can cookies an interesting texture, I used both coconut flakes and coconut chips.

I added the unsweetened coconut flakes to the batter and then placed a few chopped pieces of coconut chips on top of each cookie prior to baking. But here again, if you're not a fan of coconut, leave it out. 

The chopped pistachios were added to the top of the cookies purely for aesthetic reasons. What I love about pressing a few of the ingredients into the cookies is that it allows people to see at first glance what's in them.

In addition, it makes it a little easier to ensure the mix-ins stay in place while baking.

I even added a teaspoon of fresh coffee grounds, unused, of course, to add to the "compost" factor of these keto trash cookies.

Note that the addition of coffee grounds is totally optional, and it's not something you would want to add if you are sensitive to caffeine or if these will be served to children.

It really is more for fun than anything else since the amount is negligible.

As long as we are talking about fun during keto baking, remember that the whole idea of these keto compost cookies is to use whatever keto-friendly options you have at your disposal and have some fun experimenting.

It's part of the reason I decided to sprinkle sea salt flakes on the top of the cookies before baking. This added another flavor dimension that elevated the cookies even further.

Honestly, if you haven't tried adding sea salt flakes to your baking process, you have no idea what you are missing. It's something that really adds to the complexity of flavors in this cookie. 

Ingredients Needed To Make These Keto Cookies

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Please note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this page.  But I recommend you read the entire post to get all the details that will help you execute the recipe flawlessly. 

• Finely milled almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Baking powder
• Brown sugar-substitute
• Granulated sugar substitute
• Unflavored gelatin
• Unsalted butter, room temperature
• Large eggs, room temperature
• Sugar-free maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Sea salt
• Chopped pecans
• Chopped pistachios
• Shredded unsweetened coconut
• Unsweetened coconut chips
• Plain airy pork rind pieces
• Coffee grounds, fresh and not previously brewed
• Sugar-free chocolate chips  or sugar-free white chocolate chips
• Sugar-free cocoa chocolate bar, roughly chopped (reserved to add to the top of the cookies before baking)
• Flaky sea salt flakes for sprinkling

How To Make These Keto Compost Cookies

To make these tasty keto trash cookies, the first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat to prevent the cookies from sticking.

Then, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter, sugar substitutes, two tablespoons of sugar-free maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sprinkle the gelatin powder into the mixture and combine well.

Mix in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then fold in the sugar-free chocolate chips, pecans, shredded coconut flakes, and chopped pork rinds.

Reserve the sugar-free chocolate bar pieces, pistachios, coconut chips, and ½ cup of the chopped pork rinds to press into the cookies once they are ready to bake.

If adding the coffee grinds, sprinkle it into the batter and combine well. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will ensure that the cookies do not spread while baking.

When ready to bake, drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet.

Press the reserved sugar-free chocolate bar pieces, pistachios, coconut chips, and chopped pork rinds into the top of each cookie. Sprinkle sea salt flakes on top of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 12–15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

How To Customize These Cookies

Since this recipe is easy to customize, it's a good way to use your leftover dry ingredients in your keto pantry.

It will be a great one to add to your keto holiday cookie rotation. You can have quite a bit of fun during the holiday season since it can be tailored to the festivities.

I think the one rule to keep in mind is to choose ingredients that can add a variety of both texture and flavor.

When it comes to adding a bit of sweetness, you can't go wrong with either Lily's sugar-free premium baking chips, Lily's sweets extra dark chocolate bar, or a combination. These are sweetened with stevia and are keto-friendly.

As far as giving these chocolate chip cookies a little bit of salty contrast, the pieces of pork rinds work really well.

Although adding pork rinds to a keto chocolate chip cookie recipe may sound bizarre, I assure you that if you are a fan of salty and sweet combos, this will make perfect sense. 

Another key to remember is to make sure that the pork rinds are not crushed. What you want are pieces that are small enough to resemble chopped nuts.

I recommend you get a sharp knife and cut the pork rinds into ¼-1/8 inch pieces. If the pieces are too large, it may affect the structure of the cookie, and it may not hold together well.

With that being said, what I noticed is that the pieces of pork rinds that were in the batter were a little on the chewier side, while the ones that were on the surface of the cookie were crunchy.

Having a combination of textures really enhances these cookies. I recommend adding some to the batter and reserving ½ cup of the pork rind pieces to press to the top of the cookies before baking. 

Choosing The Right Pork Rinds For Keto Trash Cookies

When adding pork rinds to your cookie dough, using the correct pork rind is vital in getting the right consistency.

Although I love some homemade chicharron (pork rinds), this is NOT what you want in this recipe.

It would simply be too meaty and would not give you the texture we are after. Plus, the pork flavor will be too intense and overpower your cookies.

What you want are the large, airy pork rinds that are only seasoned with salt.

I chose to add 1 ½ cups of chopped pork rinds to my recipe, but you can certainly use a lot less. Even ½ cup would provide enough crunch and flavor to keep these trash cookies interesting. 

Keto Trash Cookie Combinations

As I said, you can go to town and make these low-carb trash cookies your own. The following are just some examples of how to customize your cookies.

• Swap the pecans for chopped almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, or walnuts.
• Swap the pistachios for slivered almonds, pine-nuts.
• Not a fan of chocolate? Leave it out.
• For a toffee chip option? Roughly chop three pieces of Russell Stover stevia-sweetened toffee.
• For a colorful option, add a few Atkins chocolate-covered candies to the top of each cookie. 

Something else to remember when making this recipe is the importance of chilling the dough for at half an hour before baking.

This will ensure the cookies do not spread in the oven and maintain their structure.

If you are on a keto vegetarian diet, it goes without saying that pork rinds will not be added to your cookie dough.

But that does not mean you can't enjoy these trash cookies.

Just replace the pork rinds with ½ cup more of your favorite nuts, not the equal amount of pork rinds the recipe calls for. This is because it's not a 1:1 exchange.

Best Keto Sweeteners

This recipe uses a combination of sugar substitutes, both a white granulated monkfruit sweetener and a brown sugar substitute.

My top choice for a white granulated sweetener is a monk fruit/erythritol blend, Lakanto, but you can also use Swerve, an erythritol sugar substitute. 

You could also use the stevia and erythritol-based brand Pyure. However, if using Pyure, you will want to use half the amount called for in this recipe since it’s a much sweeter choice. 

Regarding what brown sugar version to use, I recommend Swerve's Brown Sugar or Sukrin Gold.

The use of brown sugar substitute gives a depth of flavor that you would otherwise miss, so I wouldn’t omit it if you want to ensure the same results.

Tag Us

I sure hope you will give this keto cookie recipe a try. Once you do, make sure you remember to tag us on Instagram and Facebook. It’s what keeps this girl encouraged to keep sharing and perfecting her recipes.

Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.

Since this recipe is made with almond flour and it's what you prefer to use, I recommend you visit our keto almond flour recipes for more delicious options.

Grab Our Books!

In case you don’t know, I have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years.

I pray these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.

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Looking for an online support system to help you stay the course on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet, looking at it from a Christian perspective.

As believers, we live our lives supported by God's grace.

So when the Holy Spirit led us to combine our Christian faith and the keto diet, we did so in hopes of finding lasting transformation.

When we followed the Holy Spirit's prompting, we got on the path to real transformation. 

Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision, we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives.

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