Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowOf all my low carb cookie recipes, these keto peanut butter cookies taste the closest to the regular version. That’s because, unlike my other popular ones (such as keto chocolate chip cookies and almond flour cookies), these don’t need any kind of flour at all — not even a low carb one. I simply swap out the sugar! You can enjoy them plain with just 3 ingredients, or jazz them up with a few optional extras. Make this recipe with me for a quick and easy treat you can feel good about!
Why You Need My Keto Peanut Butter Cookies

- Sweet, chewy, and crunchy – Not to mention major peanut butter flavor. My favorite thing about these cookies is the perfect balance of textures. They’re soft and chewy, and taste like the regular kind. But unlike most recipes, I add chopped peanuts for extra crunch.
- Quick and easy – With so few ingredients, my keto peanut butter cookies come together really fast. They’re the perfect keto dessert!
- Sugar free and keto friendly – With no flour at all, these cookies are a keto dream: sugar-free, gluten-free, and just 1.8g net carbs each! They’re wonderful dipped a cold glass of almond milk, but with their balance of protein and fat, I’ve even enjoyed them as a sweet keto breakfast with my bulletproof coffee.


Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto peanut butter cookie recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
3-Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Peanut Butter – I recommend a thick, creamy peanut butter without added sugar. I use and recommend this brand. Many brands of natural peanut butter are too oily or runny. If you want to substitute almond butter, follow my recipe for almond butter cookies.
- Eggs – You’ll need whole, large eggs. Flax eggs would work as an egg substitute if you need one.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to sugar substitute for chewy, soft keto cookies without any aftertaste! My notes on alternatives:
- Plain Allulose – This works great, but you’ll need more (increase to 1/2 cup).
- Besti Brown – Replace half of the Besti with this if you like a brown sugar flavor.
- Erythritol & Other Blends – I used to make these with erythritol, but don’t recommend it anymore. It makes the cookies more dry and hard, and gives a cooling effect. The same goes for Lakanto, Swerve, and most brands of stevia and monk fruit sweetener — they are typically over 99% erythritol.
- Concentrated Or Liquid – These won’t work at all, sorry. Pure monk fruit or stevia (drops or powder) don’t add the bulk that a regular granulated sweetener does, while liquid sweeteners will make the cookie dough too runny. I do have a recipe for healthy peanut butter cookies using maple syrup (and you can use my sugar-free one)!
Optional Add-Ins:
- Vanilla Extract – I like this brand for flavor.
- Sea Salt – If you’re using salted peanut butter or peanuts, you don’t really need it, but I still add 1/4 teaspoon to balance out the sweetness.
- Peanuts – I love adding these for extra crunch, but skip them if you want a smoother texture.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – They’re not in my keto peanut butter cookies here, but I like this brand when I add them. Sprinkle them on top instead of mixing them in (like I do for my protein cookies), because they stay intact better that way.

How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Combine the peanut butter, eggs, and Besti in a food processor. If you’re adding the optional vanilla and salt, add them at the same time. Blend well until uniform.
- Optional: pulse in the peanuts. If you’re adding them, pulse a few times until they’re mixed in but still chunky. Scrape down the sides every few pulses.


- Scoop and flatten. Grab a cookie scoop (I use this one that’s the perfect size) to portion the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the cookie dough balls down with the back of a fork in a criss-cross pattern.


- Bake until golden. Pop your keto peanut butter cookies in the oven. When they’re done, let them cool completely on the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

My Recipe Tips
- Don’t have a food processor? You can stir the ingredients by hand or with an electric mixer in a mixing bowl instead. I just find the food processor easier (I have and love this food processor). If you use a bowl and want to add the peanuts, just chop them by hand before stirring in.
- Pulse when processing the peanuts. This lets you control the texture, so you can more easily stop when they are chopped. I use this same trick for my keto energy balls, too.
- Press the dough firmly into the scoop. This makes it release cleanly onto the pan and keeps the cookies from falling apart.
- Flatten with a fork, and to the final thickness you want. My keto peanut butter cookies won’t spread on their own, so you want them the right thickness before baking. And why a fork instead of just flattening with your hands? It’s not just for looks — it helps the cookies bake more evenly.
- Wet your fork if it sticks. Sometimes I need to do this and sometimes I don’t. If yours is sticking, you can dip the fork tines in water or just wipe with a damp paper towel between presses.
- Baking time depends on thickness. The thinner you flatten your cookies, the faster they will bake. I recommend checking on them after 8 minutes, and every couple minutes after that.
- Don’t overbake. Low carb peanut butter cookies taste best when they are slightly underbaked. This keeps them from tasting dry.
- Cool completely. The texture of these cookies is very soft right out of the oven and they can fall apart. I’m obsessed with this thin cookie spatula for transferring them easily. Don’t worry, they’ll firm up as they cool!
More Keto Cookie Recipes
If you like my low carb peanut butter cookies, try some of my others:

Keto Peanut Butter Cookies (Chewy & Crunchy)
My keto peanut butter cookies are perfectly chewy, crunchy, and sweet. Just 3 basic ingredients and 1.8g net carbs each!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
3-Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies:
Optional Ingredients:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Combine the peanut butter, eggs, Besti, vanilla (if using), and salt (if using) in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed.
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Pulse in the peanut pieces, if using, until just combined. (Don't overmix – you want some pieces left for crunch.)
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Use a medium cookie scoop to place balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the cookie dough into the scoop tightly before releasing onto the sheet. Flatten using a fork in a criss-cross pattern. If it sticks, dip the fork in a glass of water or wipe with a damp paper towel between presses.
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Bake your keto peanut butter cookies for 10-12 minutes, until very lightly golden but a little underbaked in the center. Cool completely before handling. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 2-inch cookie
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the perfect texture in your keto peanut butter cookies and prevent them from falling apart. I’ve also got an alternative if you don’t have a food processor.
- Store: Keep your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: You can freeze the raw cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap, or the baked cookies with layers of parchment paper between them (to prevent sticking). They’re best within 3 months in the freezer.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Peanut Butter Cookies

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235 Comments
Brad
0These are absolutely delicious. One issue . . . I haven’t been able to get them to be crunchy. Sure there is the crunch from the peanuts but the cookie itself is not crunchy. I let them cool but they’re still soft, which I actually like but some others in my family don’t. so I’d like to appeal to them too. I’ve even put them in the fridge and they still aren’t crunchy when I take them out. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong? Did I not bake them long enough??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brad, These won’t crisp up in the fridge. They need to be left out at room temperature to crisp up. Most of the crispness comes from the peanuts, though.
Kathy
0I used a organic peanut butter and mixed it well before measuring. The dough was a very crumbly. What can I do to avoid this in the future?
Melissa
0Hi Kathy, You can add up to 1 Tbs of oil (melted coconut works great here) to the dough if it is too dry and crumbly. I wouldn’t start with the full tablespoon, just drizzle in tiny amounts at a time and work the dough until it forms a cohesive ball.
Terrilynn
0do you have to put the additional nuts in?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Terrilynn, You can omit the chopped nuts if you like.
Steffanie Kyle
0There is no oil in the recipe?
Making these now!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Steffanie, No need to add extra oil! There is plenty from the peanut butter itself. Enjoy!
Valerie No 3 Fallows
0Hi
Does this use eggs? In the list of ingredients, eggs arnt listed. But in the method and video, they are.
If so, how many do I use please. Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Valerie, The recipe calls for 2 whole eggs. It’s the second ingredient in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Dana
0Absolutely my favorite low carb cookie to date. I love crunchy cookies and most keto recipes produce soft mushy cake like consistency. Not this recipe! I never go more than day without having a bagful of these in the freezer. I use chopped almonds instead of peanuts. I also dip the fork in golden sweetener while crisscrossing so the fork does not stick to the dough. Do not attempt to eat these until they are completely cooled. Personally I wait until they are frozen. Thanks for creating this and sharing. Love it!!!!
Gail
0Can you use almonds instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gail, Sure. That should work out fine.
carol
0Concept was great. My cousin’s boy is in the Army and especially enjoys treats of keto type cookies. These cookies need either to cook at a lower temp or for a shorter time. The bottoms at even 13 minutes still too dark. I’m not a sciency cook so I don’t know how to fix it.
Thanks for the recipe though.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, Thanks for your feedback! Ovens can vary with temperatures and hot spots. Feel free to adjust the bake time as needed. (Update in 2024 – I’ve actually reduced the baking time in this recipe after additional testing. I now recommend 10-12 minutes.)
Nancy
0Mine are sitting in oil while cooking ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nancy, Make sure you use the right kind of peanut butter – it has to be very thick, like this brand. If you’re using that peanut butter and still getting a lot of oil, this is a sign they are baked too long. Hope this helps!
Barbara Dorn
0I love these cookies.. I sprinkle salt on top before baking for extra salt.. I also like them out of the freezer and an evening treat.
Bernice Humphrey
0I tried with pecans as that is what I had on hand. Oil is a problem for me and baking for even just 12 minutes resulted in burned edges. Next time, I’ll try to reduce the baking time. My question is: What is the measure for shelled peanuts after you’ve shelled a 3/4 cupful? I can find shelled peanuts more easily than shelled nuts.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bernice, Measure 3/4 cup of shelled, whole peanuts. Coarsely chop, then incorporate into the recipe.
Jen Rox
0I’ve a comfort connection with peanut butter which has led me to try a variety of nut free cookie recipes (low carb). None compare to these lovely morsels, plus I hand mixed & still great. I swapped out the oil with coconut oil (butter flavored) and used cacoa nibs 1/2 and half with chocolate bar chunks in place of peanuts. So grateful for your shared inspiration.
Kim
0Love them! Read the recipe and ran to the kitchen! After reading so many comments about the fat cooking out issue, I decided to add a tablespoon of almond flour. Perfect! no mess, no fatty blob. And a single tablespoon really makes such a teeny tiny difference in the carbs over the whole recipe. YUM
Tracy
0I made these this afternoon and they are amazing! So tasty and satisfying! Word of caution to anyone who buys pre-chopped peanuts though, best to use whole ones and pulse them as Maya says to. I used pre chopped and they made the batter a bit too thick so my cookie size was a bit too big, more fat/carbs/calories for each one. Next time i will follow the instructions 100%.
Bob
0Hi – I made these and they fell apart. I wonder if adding another egg or more oil might have helped. Used an all natural peanut butter, but also I hand mixed, as no mixer. I guess that matters? Any tips open.. better chef than baker.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bob, It might be the peanut butter you used (I use and recommend this brand), but falling apart is more likely a sign of not mixing well enough, baking too long, or not letting them cool to set before moving them.
Keely
0How do I print the recipes
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Keely, There’s a print button on the recipe card above.
Dianne Adams
0These didn’t work. 1 – it made 18 2″ cookies, not 27. 2 – When I baked them, the fat cooked out, and I was left with greasy cookies in a puddle of peanut oil and whatever fat they add to commercial peanut butter. 3 – Bake until golden? What does that mean when the dough starts out the color of peanut butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dianne, Sorry to hear that — this recipe works if you follow it precisely. You have to use thick peanut butter like this, and avoid overbaking. If you use runny peanut butter or bake too long, the oil will leak out like you experienced. Hope this helps if you want to try again!
Ja'Melia PUgh
0What kind of food processor are you using?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ja’Melia, I use this one.
ed
0Interesting. Anxious to try.
Rhonda
0I made these tonight but did not have peanuts so used pecans and they were so yummy!
Susie Williams
0I don’t have a Food processor can I use a hand mixer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susie, Yes that will work fine. I have tips in the post above for how to do it with a hand mixer.