Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowCraving a Reese’s peanut butter cup? I’m a huge fan of chocolate and peanut butter together, but not so much of all the sugar in traditional Reese’s. These sugar free keto peanut butter cups are perfect when I want a little treat without the sugar crash. And they are much easier than my other chocolate dipped sugar-free desserts, like keto shortbread cookies or keto buckeyes.
Why You’ll Love My Keto Peanut Butter Cups
- Chocolate and peanut butter – Just putting this out there. If you like both of these, you’ll love my keto peanut butter cups!
- Just the right texture – It took some tweaking to get the inside to be pretty firm like a real Reese’s pb cup, but I did it! I think it’s much better than having a runny center.
- Sweet, but not too sweet – As someone that has avoided refined sugar for over a decade, Reese’s tastes almost coyly sweet to me. My homemade version of these cups is still sweet enough, but you can actually taste the other flavors instead of just the sugar!
- Easy to make – You need just 5 ingredients (plus 2 optional ones if you want), and these little low carb snacks only take about 10 minutes of active prep time. The hardest part is waiting for each layer to firm up!
- Sugar free, low carb, and keto friendly – With just 3g net carbs each and zero sugar, these are perfect for anyone watching their sugar intake or following a low carb diet. They are also gluten and dairy free.
- Great for holidays or any day – Many readers have told me they make these sugar free peanut butter cups in different shapes for Easter (see ideas below), and I make them for my kids every Halloween myself. But it’s also nice to keep a stash for cravings anytime!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my keto peanut butter cups, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chocolate Layers:
This recipe has two chocolate layers. One goes on the bottom of the mold, and one goes on top. Both use the same ingredients:
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – I use this brand for just about any recipe that calls for chocolate chips, but you could use any any sweetened sugar-free chocolate. I don’t recommend using unsweetened chocolate (designed for baking) for keto peanut butter cups, as it’s very bitter and (surprise!) not sweet at all.
- Coconut Oil – This helps the chocolate set better. You want the kind that’s solid at room temperature. And don’t worry, you can’t really taste it!
- Vanilla Extract – This is optional, but I think it adds great flavor.
Peanut Butter Layer:
This layer is our peanut butter center! You’ll need some of the same ingredients as the outer layers and some different ones:
- Peanut Butter – The brand you use here matters, because many natural peanut butters are very runny. You want thick and creamy natural peanut butter, like this sugar-free brand I use. Avoid “regular” peanut butter that has added sugar — make sure to check the label! Other types of nut butter, like almond butter or sunflower seed butter, work okay, but they are typically more runny, so the texture of the inside isn’t my favorite with them.
- Coconut Oil – Here it helps with the texture.
- Powdered Besti – Sugar free peanut butter cups doesn’t mean they are unsweetened! This natural sweetener mimics the taste and texture of conventional powdered sugar without the carbs and calories. But the most important part is that it dissolves easily and doesn’t crystallize (unlike most sugar alternatives), so your filling tastes silky smooth. If you want to try something else, use my sweetener conversion chart, but keep in mind that most brands can leave a slightly grainy texture if they contain powdered erythritol, especially after storing for a while. Definitely avoid granulated, liquid, or super concentrated versions, because they will throw off either the moisture balance, texture, or both.
- Peanut Flour – I use this to thicken the peanut butter filling without diluting that peanut butter taste! Another plus is that peanut flour is very fine, so unlike other keto flours, it won’t make the inside gritty. If you need an alternative, super fine almond flour or finely ground sunflower seed flour do work, but the inside still comes out less smooth.
- Optional Ingredients – Vanilla and sea salt.
How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cups
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make the bottom chocolate layer. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners or candy cups. Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a double broiler over low heat, or in a bowl in the microwave on low power, stirring often. Then, add vanilla. Fill the bottom of the parchment cups evenly with chocolate. Freeze until the top is firm.
- Make the peanut butter layer. Heat the peanut butter and more coconut oil using a double boiler or microwave, as in step 1. Mix in the powdered Besti, peanut flour, vanilla, and sea salt (both optional) until smooth. Spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter mixture into each cup, on top of the chocolate. It’ll spread slightly, but won’t reach the edges — that’s perfect. Freeze until the top firms up.
- Make the top chocolate layer. Melt more chocolate and coconut oil as in step 1, adding vanilla if you want to. Pour about 2 teaspoons over each peanut butter layer; it’ll fill the sides and cover the top. Return the keto peanut butter cups to the freezer and freeze until solid. Whew, we did it!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Since these homemade keto peanut butter cups don’t contain any preservatives or processed ingredients that store-bought ones have, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge to stay firm. They last for weeks that way… if you manage to not eat them all by then. 😉
- Freeze: These little treats freeze very well for up to 6 months. You can thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying, but I actually think they taste amazing slowly melting in your mouth straight out of the freezer!
Creative Ways To Use Them
These keto chocolate peanut butter cups don’t last long at my house! Beyond just snacking, here are some other fun ways I like to use them:
- Ice Cream – Chop and sprinkle these treats over my keto ice cream for a decadent topping.
- Cheesecake – My all-time favorite way to use these sugar free peanut butter cups is for my keto chocolate peanut butter cheesecake recipe, but you could also use them as a topping for a classic keto cheesecake, too.
- Halloween – These are fun to dress up in Halloween-themed wrappers for trick-or-treat bags. They also go perfectly on a keto charcuterie board if you want to add something sweet!
- Easter – Use a fun Easter-themed mold like this to make egg and bunny shapes. So cute!
- Keto Oatmeal – Customize your keto overnight oats by tossing in some chopped peanut butter cups, or use them to garnish warm keto oatmeal.
More Chocolate & Peanut Butter Recipes
If you loved these keto peanut butter cups, here are more ways I like to combine chocolate and peanut butter:
My Tools For This Recipe
- Muffin Pan – My muffin tin is warp-resistant, which is awesome because it means these sugar free peanut butter cups will come out perfectly shaped, without any lopsided surprises!
- Double Broiler – I prefer using a double boiler over a microwave for melting, because it gives me more control over the heat and helps chocolate melt evenly without burning.
- Parchment Liners – These give you that classic Reese’s peanut butter cups look, but you could also use special candy liners as well.
Keto Peanut Butter Cups (5 Ingredients)
These sugar free keto peanut butter cups taste Reese's, with only 3.2g net carbs each! You'll love this easy recipe, made with 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Chocolate Layers
Peanut Butter Layer
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners (or candy cups).
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For the bottom chocolate layer, heat half of the chocolate (5 oz, 142 g) and half of the coconut oil (2 1/2 tablespoons, 35 g) in a double boiler on the stove, stirring frequently, until melted. (You can also heat in the microwave, stirring at 20 second intervals.) Stir in half of the vanilla (1/4 teaspoon, 1mL), if using.
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Fill the bottom of the parchment cups evenly with chocolate (about 2 teaspoons (10 mL) in each). Freeze for 10 minutes, until at least the top is firm.
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Meanwhile, for the peanut butter layer, heat the peanut butter and coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave (same method as step 2). Stir in powdered Besti, peanut flour, vanilla (if using), and sea salt (if using), until smooth. Adjust sweetener and salt to taste if desired.
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Spoon a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture onto the center of each cup over the chocolate layer. It will spread a little into a circle, but not quite reach the edges, which is what you want. Freeze for another 10 minutes, until at least the top is firm.
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Meanwhile, make the top chocolate layer. Heat the remaining chocolate (5 oz, 142 g) and remaining coconut oil (2 1/2 tablespoons, 35 g) in a double boiler or microwave (same method as step 2). Stir in the remaining vanilla (1/4 teaspoon, 1 mL), if using.
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Pour the chocolate into the cups, over the peanut butter layer (about 2 teaspoons (10 mL) in each). The chocolate will fill the empty space on the sides of the peanut butter circles and also cover the top.
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Return to the freezer for at least 20-30 minutes, until completely firm. Store keto peanut butter cups in the refrigerator.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 piece
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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201 Comments
Sarah
0We love Reese’s in our house but I’m trying to cut back on the sugar we eat. These turned out great and everyone loved them, including my son who is pretty picky. Thank you for this recipe!
Kris
0Made these with my kids, and they had so much fun! We drizzled some melted chocolate on top for a fancier presentation. They had the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter without all the sugar.