My
Shop
Wholesome Yum
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThis post is sponsored by ChocZero. All opinions are my own and I only share products I personally love. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this site possible!
Whether it’s for breakfast, a snack, or a treat, you’ll always find a reason to pop one of these keto no bake cookies into your mouth! And you can feel totally great about it, because while they taste like a treat, these sugar free no bake cookies are packed with macro-friendly ingredients like almonds and unsweetened cocoa powder. They have a prep method and texture like protein balls, but with added crunch and a chocolaty twist!
One thing I don’t like about many keto no bake cookie recipes is that they turn out too soft. A soft cookie is nice, but I also like a little crunch. These cookies have the perfect balance of crunch and softness, which is why they are the best no bake keto cookies I’ve ever tried.
Why You’ll Love This Sugar Free No Bake Cookies Recipe
- Chocolaty, lightly spiced flavor
- Crunchy and chewy textures
- Uses easy keto baking and pantry staples
- No specialty flours needed
- Fast 10 minute prep time
- Naturally gluten free, dairy free, and great for a keto diet
- The perfect fast way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto no bake cookies without peanut butter, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Keto Cookie Butter Spread – I love the flavor of this for these low carb no bake cookies so much! But, you can easily substitute thick peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter. You could even use homemade sugar free Nutella. The cookie flavor in this spread is my top recommendation, though.
TIP: Drain any oil from the top of the spread, if there is oil present.
This will ensure that the cookies turn out firm enough.
- Cocoa Powder – For rich chocolate flavor. Use the highest-quality one you can for best flavor.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My favorite sugar free powdered sweetener that keeps this keto no bake cookies recipe from taking on a gritty texture. It mixes easily into the cookie dough and tastes just like real powdered sugar! Other powdered sugar substitutes could work, but may still leave a gritty texture or cooling aftertaste if they are erythritol-based (as most other brands of monk fruit are).
- Sea Salt – Balances the sweet flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a quality one for best taste.
- Almonds – For added crunch and texture. You can substitute your favorite chopped keto nuts (such as pecans, macadamia nuts, or peanuts), or even use unsweetened coconut flakes (though cookies may be more difficult to scoop). If you need a nut-free version, sunflower or pumpkin seeds are the best substitute.
- Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – Optional, but add another layer of rich chocolate flavor and texture. Other sugar free chocolate chips, such as white chocolate or milk chocolate, would also taste great. If you prefer, you can melt the chocolate and drizzle it on top, then let it cool to harden.
How To Make Keto No Bake Cookies
This section shows how to make keto cookies no bake, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a food processor, pulse together Besti, cocoa powder, and salt until uniform.
- Add wet ingredients. Mix in the cookie butter spread (or nut butter) and vanilla. Process until smooth, scraping the sides of the container as needed. Adjust sweetener to taste, if desired.
TIP: What should the dough look like?
The dough will be dense, but should still feel sticky when pressed together. If it’s crumbly, you may need to add more cookie butter. If it’s too runny, you can try more sweetener and cocoa powder.
- Add nuts. Pulse in almonds until just combined.
TIP: Avoid over-mixing the nuts.
They will not keep their crunchy texture if over-mixed. Stir with a spatula instead of pulsing if nuts are chopped enough but not mixed in well.
- Shape. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to gather spoonfuls of dough. Press firmly into the scoop, then release onto the sheet. Use your fingers or a spoon to to shape dough into desired thickness. If using optional chocolate chips, press them into tops of the cookies. (Alternatibely, you can met the chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate on top instead.)
- Chill. Refrigerate the keto no bake cookies for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. The cookies may become sticky and hard to pick up if left at room temperature for too long. (You can see in the picture below, they are starting to get soft, compared to the other photos.)
- Freeze: Keep in the freezer for 3-6 months. Freeze the cookies on the lined sheet pan first, until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. To thaw, arrange in a single layer again on a lind baking sheet. Then, thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
Can’t get enough cookies? Keep every bite sugar free with these easy recipes!
Recommended Tools
- ChocZero Keto Cookie Butter Spread – All the rich cookie flavor you crave, without an oven — plus no sugar, sugar alcohols, soy, or GMOs.
- Food Processor – Makes this recipe for sugar free no bake cookies a breeze to blend up.
- Cookie Scoop – The perfect size for the best keto no bake cookies.
Easy Keto No Bake Cookies
Keto No Bake Cookies (Sugar Free, Easy!)
These sugar free keto no bake cookies taste rich, sweet, fudgy, and crunchy, with just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time!
Remove Ads
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
In a food processor, pulse together Besti, cocoa powder, and salt, until uniform.
-
Add the cookie butter and vanilla. Process until smooth and slightly glossy, scraping down the sides and bottom to make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated. Adjust sweetener to taste if desired. (The dough will be very dense, but should stick when pressed together. If it's powdery or crumbly, you may need to add more peanut butter, depending on how thick yours is.)
-
Pulse in the almond pieces until just combined. (Don't overmix – you want pieces for crunch.) If the almonds are chopped sufficiently but not uniformly distributed, remove the blade and stir with a spatula.
-
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough, press it into the scoop firmly, then release onto the cookie sheet. Use a spoon to spread the cookie ball to your desired cookie thickness. If using chocolate chips (optional), press them into the tops of the cookies.
-
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up more. Store cookies in the fridge and enjoy them cold. (They will become soft and sticky at room temperature.)
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
This helps other readers and also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site.
Related Easy Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cookie
Nutrition info does not include optional chocolate chips.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Save This Recipe Now© 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. 🙂
71 Comments
Gary Borah
0I made the lemon bars and they were great.
SHANNA
0My new favorite cookie. Easy to make and very delicious!
Carol
0Yummy deliciousness! The recipe came together quickly, and I love that it’s no bake. My husband loved them, too!
Kyla
0Wow. This is probably going to be my favorite easy dessert! I love chocolate and can at times eat too much of it. One serving was perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth and chocolate craving. I’ll be making these again.
Matt
0So yummy and healthy. I love keto dessert recipes and this one hits the spot.
Teresa F
0I made these earlier and they are amazing! My kids loved them too so thank you.
katerina
0WOW! These no bake cookies were incredible!! Everyone loved them!
David
0Another winning recipe from you! I’d put this one in the category of cookie dough/fudge/candy! I read the comments, but I thought it came out exactly as described. Plus, it’s so easy when using a food processor to mix everything up. I’ll be making these often to satisfy my sweet craving! If you have other recipes that utilize a processor for all the mixing, I’d be very interested…Thanks!
Joy
0Love these! Didn’t have a food processor but a hand mixer work well! I have been craving something sweet for quite a while and this cookie more than satisfied it.
Simply Delish
0You had me at low-carb! And with only 6 ingredients and they’re no-bake cookies… this recipe sounds like the perfect keto cookie recipe! Sending love, not carbs, Simply Delish
Riz
0Honestly…you had me at cookies, and then I saw they were no bake cookies, and I’m looking for the ingredients in my pantry right now!
Lisa
0Is there a low carb recipe for Divinity candy? That is my Dad’s favorite thing during the holidays but he is diabetic.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, I don’t currently have a recipe for divinity, but I’ll add it to my list of things to make!
veenaazmanov
0My kids would love to try these no bake cookies as they are so easy to make and would love to gift it too. Healthy for sure.
Claudia
0Hi Maya!
I would love to try these cookies but I don’t have a food processor. Would a hand mixer be ok to make these?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Claudia, For best results, a food processor works best for this recipe. A hand mixer may work, but it will probably take more time to incorporate the ingredients.
Amy
0My family enjoyed these cookies. They tasted like Reece’s! Thanks.
Trish
0Omg. This cookie was too moist, not firm at all. Could it be because I didn’t have a processor and used my mixer? I couldn’t add more sugar to make drier as you said. Way too sweet. It Was delicious tho so want to figure this out. Also used Swerve- 1/2 was Confection style and rest was granular. Ran out of the powered. Your thoughts?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Trish, A couple of things to keep in mind when making these: 1. If you don’t use powdered sweetener your cookies will have a gritty texture. 2. The peanut butter is what makes this recipe work. Make sure whatever you use (either natural or conventional peanut butter) is thoroughly stirred with the oil completely mixed in. If it’s too thin and oily the cookies won’t set well. If your peanut butter is too runny, that can prevent them from setting. If you do end up in this situation, worst case, you can refrigerate or freeze them to firm up, but they are best refrigerated anyway. I hope this helps!
Kath
0These are great if you like eating dough. I thought they would be like a cookie. Followed recipe to a t. Tastes is nice but consistency isn’t like a cookie.
Jules
0Hi Maya,
I haven’t given the recipe a rating as thought I would touch base with you first. I will preface this by saying I really like your website and recipes and have had much fun and deliciousness creating in the kitchen thank you to yourself.
Unfortunately this particular recipe really tripped me up- it has been my biggest keto ‘baking’ disaster to date. I followed instructions to a tee. The peanut butter I use is the same natural brand I have bought for the last few years and has been used to make no bake cookies many times. I wasn’t sure how these were going to hold together as most other recipes use even just a teeny bit of coconut flour or something to help bind them. My most recent batch of no bake PB cookies even came out on an overnight cycling trip with me and were fine at breakfast time, just softer than they would be from the fridge. So I did have my reservations but thought I would give it a go, I stuck to the powdered sweetener amount in the recipe- knowing it would be too sweet as I use a stevia/erythritol blend- as I thought maybe the magic was in that volume holding it together. In any event, they were just a pretty sloppy mess which was disappointing as the investment in the ingredients is no small matter with the nuts, PB etc. I even out a few in the freezer to see if I could get them to a point where they could come off the baking paper, but still was not really happy. The flavour (other than being too sweet) was pretty delish though.
I scraped the fridge ones back into the bowl and back to room temp, added an egg and 1/2 tbsp coconut flour, some further crushed nuts (macadamias) and a sprinkle of xanthan gum. After that they were in keeping with the consistency of other no bake cookies I have made, but I wasn’t keen on the raw egg aspect, so baked them for 15 minutes at 180C. I allowed them to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. I am pleased to say that I have at least rescued the ingredients, even if it wasn’t quite what I was going for. I cannot imagine what I could possibly have done wrong when others have had such awesome success. I literally measured everything carefully, followed instructions and adjusted as necessary as per your method. I shall put my dunce cap on and enjoy a crunchy cooked version of it now with a coffee 😉
Thank you so much for all the hard work you do though- it really is a great resource here.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jules, I’m sorry these didn’t turn out as you had hoped. How thick or thin is the peanut butter you used? It definitely sounds like your cookie dough needed to be thickened up a lot! The dry ingredients listed in the recipe should be enough to bind the dough together, but that obviously has not worked out in your situation. You can increase the amount of cocoa powder to thicken the dough or even add a small amount of coconut flour to balance the moisture and make the dough workable. I’m glad you were able to save the first attempt at this recipe, and hope that when you try it again you will have better success with these troubleshooting tips! Best of luck!
Tammy
0Can I use regular monk sugar and not powder? I am out and need a chocolate fix.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tammy, Because these cookies are no-bake, the texture of the erythritol will not change and they will be gritty.
Tara Osborn
0These are fantastic! Thanks so much for the recipe. I do need to try a thicker peanut butter because they were too soft, but definitely worth peeling off the parchment paper. Lol!
Gina
0I made these cookies tonight. And they are wonderful. Hard not to eat more than one. Mine don’t look like the pic above, more like the video, but not as much texture.
I over pulsed my almonds. But they are so good!
Crystal
0These were great! When the dough was done I rolled it up into a “log” in plastic wrap, froze it for a bit (actually overnight because I forgot about it, haha). I took it out in the morning and let it soften a bit and then sliced it. These did NOT last long! Thank you for a great keto friendly recipe.
Glenda
0I had an issue. They are too soft, just like when I put them on the parchment sheet. They’ve been in the fridge for hours and did not firm up at all. So I’m layering them between wax paper in a closed container and putting them in the freezer to see if that does the trick. I haven’t really tasted them yet, but so far I’m sure I wouldn’t make these again.
Tet
0Do you think roasted cacao nibs would be an alternative to choco chips?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tet, I haven’t tried that but it should work! Let me know how it goes for you.
Rachel gagnon
0I doubled the vanilla because I love it. I also had to add a little water because the dough was kind of dry. I used powdered swerve. They are delicious! A little high though in carbs at 5 each since I’m trying to stay below 20 carbs a day. I also do miss the coconut and outs. But super delicious for sure!!
Rachel Gagnon
0So delicious I almost couldn’t stop eating them!
Charlene
0These cookies are really fudgy when they are not baked; it feels uncooked when you eat them. They are so much better when cooked. I used Skippy crunchy peanut butter (didn’t need to add any nuts) and I did what someone else did-they added one egg and baked it at 350 for 10 min. I like it this way.
K Grant
0I made these cookies tonight and they are delicious! I’ll definitely be making them again. Thank you.
Tera
0I don’t like keto sweets. It’s just not the same. These are seriously the BEST cookies I’ve made since keto, ever!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. It will get me through Christmas for sure!!!
regina
0I cannot wait to make these. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like them, Regina!
Pat Conley
0I added a tbsp of coconut oil instead of more peanut butter to smooth it out. NOTE: the chocolate chips are sweetened, no sugar added chips, not just sugar free unsweetened chips. Lily is the brand to look for. I also used Dutch process cocoa for a richer chocolate flavor. This recipe makes a very small batch so you may want to double it. Thanks Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing with us, Pat!
G
0Thank you for sharing…my husband is diabetic so we love trying low carb and low sugar recipes …
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Best of luck to you! Thanks for stopping by!
Janet Adey
0I made these using stevia which is more powdery that the granulated erythritol I usually use. It made them have a nasty aftertaste and they were not nice at all. 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Janet, Sorry they didn’t work for you with stevia. It might be that stevia isn’t for you (some people don’t like the taste), or it could be that the amount you used was off (if it’s pure stevia, you’d need much less than the sweetener amount in the recipe). I hope you’ll try them sometime as the recipe is written.
Patty
0No oats! No coconut! Not that I’m against these, but every now and then I’d like something different and then…BAM! Your recipe comes along! Out of curiosity, why didn’t you use peanuts instead of almonds?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patty, You can use either one – peanuts and almonds will both work!
Jan Krassner
0Could I make these with almond butter? Any tweaks needed?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jan, Yes, you can. It should work the same.
Jan Krassner
0Thanks, Maya!
Kathryn
0I added an egg and a little more peanut butter. I baked at 350° for 10 minutes and they made amazing peanut butter chocolate cookies!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Kathryn! Thanks for stopping by!
Heather Monk
0this website is awesome!!! i didn’t think i would like this keto diet, but i really do!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks so much, Heather! Hope to see you back again!
Jessica
0Since so many people have trouble with the peanut butter, do you mind telling what peanut butter you use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, This is the peanut butter I use for this recipe.
Valerie Lane
0Do u think I could make like brownies instead of cookies? Also, pecans instead of almonds?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Valerie, yes I’m sure instead of forming these into cookies just put the whole batch into a pan and cut out pieces like brownies instead. Also, pecans would work just fine instead of almonds.
Heather Monk
0I think you probably could… it would be delicious!!!
Karine
0I made them last night, the taste is amazing but they never took shape, they stayed really runny, we had to scrape them off the paper with a spoon to eat them, wonder what I could of done differently…
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karine, I’m glad you liked the taste but sorry you had issues with the consistency. I’m guessing it’s because your peanut butter was too runny. It needs to be a pretty thick one. If yours is more runny, you could try grinding up more almonds to a finer consistency and adding that to the mix to thicken (or just add some almond flour). Also, did you refrigerate them? They do need to cool to firm up. For the batch you already made, if they are too soft even from the fridge, you could always freeze them, too.
Christy
0I made these today! They have been in the fridge for 5 hours and still not getting hard. Are they suppose to be like cookie dough texture?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Christy, Yes, they are soft no-bake cookies with crunchy pieces.
Betty peters
0I am both gluten free and type 2 diabetic. I love your recipes but am using someone’s wifi and she asked if I would please use less. I will be sending my granddaughter your email so I can still get your wonderful recipes.
Tanya
0These sound really good! Is the cacao powder unsweetened?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tanya, yes, the cacao powder is unsweetened.
Carol
0Hi Maya,
Would it be okay to add Dr. Axe Multi Collagen protein to these cookies? I am trying to add this somewhere but not sure where it should go.
They say it has no taste, so I also wanted to try it in Good Dee’s brownie mix. Last time I tried making those in an 8 x 8 pan, they came out so flat and dry. They would not rise after checking them every ten minutes for an hour! Big mistake. I saw a picture of the finished product and they were HUGE!
Can you help me? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol,
You could probably add some protein powder to these cookies, but you’d need to alter the amounts of other ingredients, unless you’re only adding maybe a tablespoon. If you add more, you’d probably also need more peanut butter to compensate for the dry protein powder, and by then I’m not sure if you’d also need more cocoa and/or sweetener to maintain flavor and sweetness.
I do have a peanut butter fudge recipe here that uses Dr. Axe Collagen Protein Powder in it. I hope you’ll try it!
As for any issues you had with Good Dee’s, I would recommend contacting the brand directly. They will have more experience with what may have gone wrong.
Cindy Mrva
0Hi, Looks like a good and tasty recipe but I have a nut allergy. Is there anything I can substitute for the almonds? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy, Peanut butter is also a main ingredient in these cookies, so are you allergic to that? It might work to use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of almonds, and possibly sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, but the flavor would be different.
Marion Robinson
0Hi Maya,
I love any no-bake low carb recipe, as they can usually be whipped up quickly.
However, I can’t seem to find any peanut butter, or even loose peanuts to make my own, that don’t come from China.
I avoid anything from there. I live on the West coast of Scotland, & although we have fabulous, organic stores etc. along with organic farm shops, nowhere can I find non-Chinese peanuts. Any ideas?
Thanks, I just love your site.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marion, I’m not familiar with stores in Europe, but maybe you could purchase online?
Mary
0Hi Marion, not sure you can receive something from Amazon.co.uk but there is a Planters Peanut available and it originates from the UK. Maybe that would work.