Ultra tender, moist and buttery-to-boot, these keto peach shortcakes are the kind of late-summer dessert you’ll want to make again and again.
Keto Peach Shortcake 🍑
With a superb cream filling!
Peaches are often overlooked in low-carb baking, but they can fit into a keto plan in moderation. Thinly sliced peaches add bright, juicy flavor without blowing your macros: a single generous serving uses roughly one-third of a peach. That makes the shortcake itself about 3 g net carbs and the peach slices another 3–4 g net, totaling roughly 7 g net carbs for the assembled dessert.
This is a slightly higher-carb treat than some ultra-low-carb options, but when enjoyed occasionally and with quality fruit, it feels balanced and sustainable. Use the ripest, most flavorful peaches you can find — they’re the true star.
The Deets
This recipe is straightforward and works very well in a food processor, much like a pie crust. Pulse the dry flours together, add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles peas, then add the liquid ingredients and shape the dough. The key is keeping the butter in pea-sized pieces so the baked shortcakes are light rather than dense.
If you don’t want to use a food processor, grate the butter, freeze it briefly, and work it gently into the dry ingredients. Add the egg-cream mixture and fold until the dough just comes together.
The Main Ingredients
The classic version uses butter and sour cream for the richest flavor. If you avoid dairy, substitute coconut oil and coconut cream or use ghee. The ingredient notes below list possible substitutions and small adjustments.
Almond flour should be superfine — almond meal will make the shortcakes dense and oily. Golden flaxseed meal is used here; if your flax has flakes, regrind it very finely in a dry blender or bullet. If you can’t use flax, finely ground psyllium husk is an option but allow the baked shortcakes to cool completely before slicing.
Coconut flour adds structure; whey protein isolate helps keep the crumb light (it can be swapped for more almond flour if needed, though texture will be slightly denser). Xanthan gum is the binder used here; you can replace it with an equal-volume increase in flaxseed meal if necessary.
The Sweetener
These shortcakes work particularly well with erythritol (golden varieties give a warmer color), xylitol (avoid corn-based if you have sensitivities) or allulose for no aftertaste. If you’re not restricting sugars, a 1:1 swap with coconut or regular sugar works. For whipped cream, a liquid sweetener blends more smoothly — allulose syrup is a favorite for its clean taste.
Are peaches keto? 🍑
Short answer: it depends on your macros. Peaches are a relatively low-carb fruit in moderation. They contain about 13 g net carbs per cup, compared with roughly 7 g net in raspberries and 17 g net in blueberries, placing peaches in the middle of the low-carb fruit spectrum. Using thin slices keeps the carb impact moderate while delivering great flavor.
Keto Peaches (& Cream!) Shortcake 🍑
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the peaches ‘n cream
- 2 peaches veeery thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1-2 tablespoons allulose xylitol, or sweetener of choice to taste (I do just 1 TBSP)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (and pssst… you could even add some bourbon!!)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups whipped cream or chilled coconut cream, to serve
For the keto shortcake
- 112 g unsalted grass-fed butter grated
- 1 egg cold
- 77 g sour cream heavy whipping cream or coconut cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 96 g almond flour
- 60 g golden flaxseed meal or psyllium husk, finely ground
- 21 g coconut flour
- 20 g whey protein isolate or more almond flour
- 3 tablespoons erythritol xylitol, or sweetener of choice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 TBS. flaxseed meal
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
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Top tip: You can pulse the butter into the dry mix in a food processor, but I find grating the butter, freezing it briefly, and folding the dough by hand makes cleanup easier and still yields a tender shortcake.
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Mix peaches with lemon juice, sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the shortcakes.
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Preheat oven to 380°F / 190°C and line a baking tray with parchment.
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Combine egg, sour cream (or coconut cream) and apple cider vinegar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
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Whisk dry ingredients: almond flour, flaxseed meal, coconut flour, whey protein, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum (or extra flax) and salt until combined.
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Rub in frozen grated butter gently into the dry mix, keeping it cold. Pour in the egg-cream mixture and fold quickly until a dough forms.
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Shape and cut: Pat dough into a square or round on the prepared tray (dust with coconut flour if needed). Cut out six shortcakes, handling the dough as little as possible. Use scraps to form the remaining pieces.
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Brush with melted butter and bake 22–25 minutes until golden. Cool before slicing. While they chill, whip heavy cream or cold coconut cream to soft peaks, flavoring with vanilla and a liquid sweetener if desired.
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Assemble: Halve each biscuit, add whipped cream and top with macerated peaches (about 1/3 peach per shortcake). Spoon any peach syrup over the top to finish.
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Storage: Store unassembled shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. You can freeze shaped dough for 1–2 months and bake from frozen when needed.
Notes
This recipe yields 6 biscuits. Nutrition estimates are per shortcake without peaches so you can adjust fruit to fit your macros. Using roughly a third of a peach per serving adds about 3–4 g net carbs, bringing the assembled dessert to around 7 g net carbs per shortcake.