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- Ingredients For Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Tips For The Best Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
- Storage Instructions
- More Sugar-free Cookie Recipes
- Tools To Make No Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe - 4 Ingredients
Since these low carb keto peanut butter cookies are based on regular flourless peanut butter cookies, they are virtually indistinguishable from a regular version. Unlike cream cheese cookies or chocolate chip cookies that had to be reworked to use a low carb flour, these sugar-free peanut butter cookies have no flour at all – we’re just swapping the sweetener!
Without the sugar, I also think these are healthy enough for breakfast, served with a cup of keto butter coffee. Or dipped in a cold glass of almond milk or hemp milk. But you can decide. 🙂
The key to chewy keto peanut butter cookies? Besti sweetener! This blend of monk fruit and allulose makes them perfectly sweet like sugar, with no aftertaste, and the allulose makes them soft and chewy. I used to make these with erythritol a long time ago and they always got that cooling effect, plus they were more prone to hardening. They are so much better with Besti, give it a try and see for yourself!
This sugar-free peanut butter cookie recipe was originally published on November 8th, 2017, and the post was republished in April 2021 to add updated pictures and useful tips. The recipe is the same.
I’ve been making sugar-free peanut butter cookies for a few years now. They are super easy and so good!
The idea originally came from the recipe for flourless almond butter waffles. That one is made with eggs and almond butter as the main ingredients. I’ve also made them with peanut butter, which works equally well.
Flourless peanut butter cookies are the same idea. Believe it or not, these are easy peanut butter cookies with no flour and no sugar. The nut butter and eggs combine surprisingly well to form a wonderful sugar-free cookie dough.
I first made this keto peanut butter cookie recipe for a fun Cookie Week that I had here at Wholesome Yum, where I published a recipe for sugar-free cookies each day for a whole week. If you’re catching up, check out the chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies and lemon meringue cookies from the same week originally.
Ingredients For Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
The basic, classic recipe for 3-ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies requires just peanut butter, eggs, and sweetener. I prefer to add a few other things that I’ll explain below. Taking care of your sugar-free cookie cravings is just minutes away!
- Peanut butter – Make sure you are using a sugar-free peanut butter, and it needs to be creamy and salted! I recommend this brand or this brand, because they are not too runny. Some natural brands are more runny and don’t work as well for flourless peanut butter cookies.
- Eggs – The right size for this recipe is large, not medium or jumbo.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I recommend using this 1:1 sugar substitute, but you can also use other granulated sweeteners (see more options below).
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Sea salt
- Chopped peanuts – Use peeled and salted peanuts, or unsalted if you prefer less salt.
Wondering about the peanuts? If you really want the crunchiest, best peanut butter cookies, you have to add these in. And yes, it turns your 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies into 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies (vanilla being optional and sea salt not included in ingredient counts by convention). Either way, this really isn’t that many, and so worth it.
Besti makes the sugar-free cookies plenty soft, while the peanuts add crunch. Perfection!
How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Mix dough. Process peanut butter, egg, Besti, vanilla, and salt in a food processor.
- Add peanut pieces. Pulse in chopped peanuts, until they are mixed in but still in pieces.
- Scoop. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto a lined cookie sheet.
TIP: Press cookie dough into the scoop tightly before releasing onto the sheet pan.
- Flatten. Flatten cookies using a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
FYI: You may prefer to flatten them a bit more than the photo below. They won’t spread.
- Bake. Bake the low carb peanut butter cookies until golden.
Tips For The Best Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
If you want just the steps for how to make homemade peanut butter cookies, the recipe card is below and I have step-by-step pictures above. But below are some additional tips and tricks for the best keto peanut butter cookies every time.
1. Choose the right peanut butter.
I prefer to use natural peanut butter without sugar, but the problem is, many brands are too runny and can seep oil all over the place during baking.
Look for peanut butter that is thick and creamy (just like the sugary kinds), but without sugar. I recommend this brand or this brand, because they are not too runny and only contain peanuts, oil and salt.
2. Choose the right sweetener.
I mentioned this a couple times above, but this is very important. Monk Fruit Allulose Blend makes soft, chewy keto peanut butter cookies that taste like they are made with sugar. If you use a different low carb sweetener, you’ll still get sugar-free cookies, but you risk a crumbly result with a cooling effect, aftertaste, or simply one that’s not very soft.
3. Don’t overprocess the peanuts.
Your food processor will do all the work for you when making sugar-free peanut butter cookies. But when you add the peanuts, be sure to pulse (starting and stopping) and don’t run the processor continuously.
You want the chunky pieces to stay in there, and if you process too much, they’ll be gone. That’s how you get the delicious crunch in your sugar-free peanut butter cookies! (I use the same technique for keto energy balls.)
4. Flatten the sugar-free cookies with a fork.
After you scoop your yummy keto peanut butter cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet, flatten with a fork. This is where you add that signature criss-cross pattern we all know and love.
There’s actually a scientific reason for it beyond aesthetics: it helps the cookies cook more evenly.
TIP: To prevent sticking, dip the fork tongs in cold water between cookies. Wipe with a paper towel before moving on to the next one.
5. Flatten to the right thickness.
Unlike many other kinds, flourless peanut butter cookies don’t spread very much. So, when you are flattening them, make them the thickness you want them to be after baking.
Cool completely.
Don’t forget to let your low carb peanut butter cookies cool completely, so that they can firm up. (Like many keto cookie recipes, they will be fragile right out of the oven.)
Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
Are peanut butter cookies keto?
Peanut butter is keto, but most peanut butter cookies won’t be keto, because they are made with sugar. Even though some of them may be flourless, they are still made with sugar.
These low carb peanut butter cookies are made with Besti, which keeps the carbs and sugar low.
While these are not quite no carb peanut butter cookies, they are close: each cookie has just 2 grams net carbs!
Can you use a different sweetener?
As explained above, monk fruit allulose blend is the best sweetener for sugar-free peanut butter cookies, because it helps make them soft and chewy, with no aftertaste or cooling effect. You can also use plain allulose for a similar result.
I used to make these sugar-free cookies with erythritol, but don’t recommend it anymore because it creates a noticeable cooling effect and also hardens the cookies too much. Feel free to try it if that’s all you have, though.
If you decide to swap in erythritol or allulose instead of Besti, use 1/2 cup sweetener instead of 1/3 cup. Learn more about the differences in my keto sweeteners guide.
Definitely avoid swapping in anything super concentrated (like pure stevia powder), because the volume will be too different. The sweetener does help provide some structure in the cookies.
Can you make keto peanut butter cookies without almond flour?
Yes! While many sugar-free cookie recipes are made with almond flour, this is a flourless cookie.
Can you substitute the peanut butter?
While omitting the peanut butter and peanuts would mean these are no longer peanut butter cookies, you can do that if you have an allergy. Swap the peanut butter and peanuts for almond butter and almonds instead.
Can you omit the chopped peanuts?
Yes, you can. If you prefer smooth sugar-free cookies without the crunch, feel free to omit the chopped peanuts.
Can you make them without a food processor?
Yes, you can mix by hand in a bowl if you like. A food processor just makes it a lot easier to incorporate everything.
Storage Instructions
Flourless peanut butter cookies will last for about 3-5 days at room temperature. You can also keep the cookies in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can you freeze peanut butter keto cookies?
Yes, you can freeze sugar-free cookies for 2-3 months.
More Sugar-free Cookie Recipes
If you like this low carb peanut butter cookie recipe, you might also like some of these other recipes for sugar-free cookies:
- Keto Oatmeal Cookies – I bet you thought these would be impossible on keto! Just 1 gram net carb per cookie.
- Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – Soft and chewy with brown sugar flavor and amazing sugar-free white chocolate chips.
- Flourless Chocolate Cookies – Made with just 6 ingredients, these fudgey cookies take just 20 minutes. Just 2.5 grams net carbs each.
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft, chewy, and sweet! These classics are made with just 6 ingredients.
Tools To Make No Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Food Processor – No mixer required for these flourless peanut butter cookies. The dough mixes up easily in the food processor.
- Cookie Scoop – Use a cookie scoop to ensure that the low sugar peanut butter cookies are all the same size, so they’ll cook evenly. This one is the perfect size.
- Cookie Sheet – You’ll use this cookie sheet for everything from flourless peanut butter cookies to keto roasted vegetables.
Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe:
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Reader Favorite Recipes
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Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe - 4 Ingredients
Soft, chewy flourless keto peanut butter cookies with just 2g net carbs each! This sugar-free low carb peanut butter cookie recipe needs just 4 INGREDIENTS.
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Get Keto Sweetener For This Recipe
GET BESTIInstructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place the peanut butter, egg, Besti, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Pulse in the peanut pieces 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 cookie sheet. Press the cookie dough into the scoop tightly before releasing onto the sheet. Flatten using a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Between cookies, dip the fork in a cup with cold water and then wipe with a paper towel. (This will prevent sticking.)
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Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until very lightly golden. Cool completely before handling. Cookies will become crisp as they cool.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 2-inch cookie
Video Showing How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies:
Tap here to jump to the video for this recipe -- it's located directly above the ingredients list. It's the easiest way to learn how to make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies!
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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165 Comments
Deb
These are delicious and simple to make. I also use these as my crust for the peanut butter pie recipe.
Jacq
Kids love these for breakfast and i love them because they are sugar-free!!!
Amy L Huntley
I love that these are Sugar-Free. So soft and chewy and full of Peanut Butter Flavor
Kristyn
Less carbs means I can eat more!! Great recipe & they taste delicious!! Going to try adding some different nuts or berries!
Natalie
Totally doubling the recipe, so I can freeze some! They are delicious!
Katie
These are our go-to treat! We love how they help us keep on track.
Mahy
I’ve got to send this recipe to my old-time friend. She is CRAZY about peanut butter cookies!!
Dionne
I love how delicious these cookies are! So yummy. The perfect recipe for everyone in love with peanut butter 🙂
Katherine
So awesome to have a sugar free keto cookie recipe!
Pam
Peanut Butter cookies are a favorite around here. Thank you!
Jo
This is going to be my go-to dessert! Perfect sweetness and nutty flavor, Love it!
Regi Hofferth
I followed the recipe to the letter. I didn’t care for the flavor or texture at all. A cookie with almond flour would probably more appealing to me. I threw the entire batch away, sadly.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Regi, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. This recipe is similar to a traditional flourless peanut butter cookie recipe, so you may prefer a recipe that includes almond or coconut flour for a sturdier texture. While I don’t have a peanut butter cookie with flour, I do have a Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie that you may like better.
Karen
This is the third recipe I have used your allulose Monk fruit blend in and each time the bottom of the cookies gets so incredibly dark they are inedible, And the taste is just not good. I guess I just don’t like the Allulose. But why are the bottom of my cookies burning I never have that problem when I use erythritol Monk fruit blend. I ordered your sugar because I don’t like the cooling effect the erythritol has but I don’t like everything to burn and have to go in the trash . Wonder if anyone else find this happening?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Karen, Allulose does tend to brown more than erythritol-based baked goods. If it is not to your liking, you can either lower the heat and bake a little longer, or simply try pulling them a few minutes early if they are otherwise done. This recipe was tested using allulose and I didn’t have any issue with the cookies burning.
Kelly Blake
Maybe I used the wrong brand of peanut butter? My cookies came out very dry & brittle & sandy in texture.
The dough looked nice & moist while I was scooping them onto the baking pan.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kelly, Did you have a lot of oil runoff on your baking sheet? If your peanut butter is too oily or runny, this can happen. Use one of the brands linked in the post for best results.
Fran Sharp
Looking forward to making these cookies , I like monkfruit for a sweetener.
I’ll let you know how they turn out
Sharon
Hi Maya,
I am going to make your peanut butter cookies today and just finished watching the video – can you tell me the name/brand of the food processor in the video? Mine is old and bulky so I am looking for a new one.
Thanks
Sharon
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sharon, This is the one I use (I think this is a newer version than mine).
Daniel Franco
I had good success making these. I used Chunky peanut butter. After 1 hour I tried one and it was crispy and had good flavor, so i had 2 more. I got 24 cookies out of this batch. Very satisfied with this recipe, will use it again. Fast and easy. I put the rest in the freezer. Now for some chocolate chip!
LEILANI DOW
Wonderful cookies!! I’m diabetic and keto was the only way for me to naturally control my blood sugar. Just a suggestion to many of your followers: I live in a very rural area and it’s hard to find keto ingredients. Then I discovered Iherb. They have just about everything you could want. If they don’t I have had very good luck ordering flours and sweeteners from both Amazon and Ebay.
G. Stelma
Just made these cookies….they’re delicious. Made for my diabetic husband and he loves them. Asked twice “are you sure these are ok for diabetics?” No bitter, artificial flavor. I’ve never used monk fruit before – love it.
Sarah
Hi! These cookies were delicious! I’m going to make them very often!
Dottie Witting
Do these freeze well?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Dottie, Yes these freeze very nicely!
Brad
These 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??
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Brad, These won’t crisp up in the fridge. They need to be left out at room temperature to crisp up. I hope this helps!
Kathy
I 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
Hi 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
do you have to put the additional nuts in?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Terrilynn, You can omit the chopped nuts if you like.
Steffanie Kyle
There is no oil in the recipe?
Making these now!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Steffanie, No need to add extra oil! There is plenty from the peanut butter itself. Enjoy!
Valerie No 3 Fallows
Hi
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
Hi Valerie, The recipe calls for 2 whole eggs. It’s the second ingredient in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Dana
Absolutely 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
Can you use almonds instead?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Gail, Sure. That should work out fine.
carol
Concept 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.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Carol, Thanks for your feedback! Ovens can vary with temperatures and hot spots. Feel free to adjust the bake time as needed.
Nancy
Mine are sitting in oil while cooking ?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Nancy, Depending on the kind of peanut butter, it may give off a little oil while baking. If you used natural peanut butter, it is more likely to do this. Your cookies should still turn out fine. Next time you make them, be sure to stir your peanut butter well before adding to the recipe.
Barbara Dorn
I 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
I 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
Hi Bernice, Measure 3/4 cup of shelled, whole peanuts. Coarsely chop, then incorporate into the recipe.
Jen Rox
I’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
Love 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
I 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
Hi – 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.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Bob, These cookies do best when combined with a mixer, especially when using natural peanut butter that tends to seperate.
Keely
How do I print the recipes
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Keely, In the recipe card (just under the video) there is a button that will bring up a printer friendly version of the recipe.
Dianne Adams
These 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?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Dianne, The fat will cook out of these, that is normal. See the video for a visual to accompany this. When fully baked, the outer edges will turn golden brown, which is darker than the color of the peanut butter dough.
Ja'Melia PUgh
What kind of food processor are you using?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Ja’Melia, I use this one.
ed
Interesting. Anxious to try.
Rhonda
I made these tonight but did not have peanuts so used pecans and they were so yummy!
Susie Williams
I don’t have a Food processor can I use a hand mixer?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Susie, Yes that will work fine.
Beatrice Spencer
Have made these cookies and the result was very nice and such a relief to have a cookie with my coffee. But the mixture was very wet had a job to make mound of dough and was very difficult to flatten couldn’t use fork at all. Why was my dough so wet.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Beatrice, Did you use natural peanut butter? Sometimes natural peanut butter can be very oily. Be sure to mix in all the oils before measuring any natural nut butter.
Beatrice Spencer
My mixture/dough was very wet. Too wet to shape/flatten and couldn’t use the form fork cross cross effect as mixture broke up and stuck to fork.
I wish I knew how much your new book is as I can’t order without a price my budget is very limiting but I do use your free recipes all the time just waiting for cookies to come out of oven. Wait over reduction very nice but mine not crisp when cold they were hard.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beatrice,
This can happen if your peanut butter is too thin/runny. A “creamy peanut butter” will set better in the cookies, but they tend to have a small amount of sugar in them. If you use a natural peanut butter, make sure to stir very well. You can chill the cookie dough if it’s still not firm enough.
Thank you so much for your interest in my book! The retailers set the prices and they vary. You can see all of them here – just tap through on each retailer to see the current price.
Judy Cocke
Delicious cookie!
Sharon Strickland
I loved these cookies. I tried your brownie recipe and was a little apprehensive about trying this recipe. But I am so glad I did.
Anita B.
Can you post in the recipe how many cookies this batch will make? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Anita, you can see in the recipe card — it makes 27 two-inch cookies.
Rashaunda
Came out oily with burnt edges at 15 minutes.
Eileen
Could you add lilys chocolate chips to this? Would it affect how it comes out
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Eileen, Yes, you can!
Marie Gattas
LOVE THESE COOKIES!!! THE WHOLE FAMILY LOVED THEM
THANKS FOR THE RECIPE…DEFINITELY A KEEPER 😉
Lynard Burt
What if I used Smucker’s Natural “Chunky” Peanut Butter and with extra nuts?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Lynard, I have not tried the recipe this way. If you try it, be sure to let me know how it turns out.
Julie
Ok, so I used a non-separating, natural pb. The dough was quite oily. In my experience, using pb or freshly ground nut butter is best. If I wanted to make this recipe without nuts, I would definitely add PB2 to firm it up and give it something to soak up the oil. I already knew that’s why you added the nuts 🙂 Mine came out fabulous, no pools of oil….. Usually, when I use recipes for keto, etc, the stuff I make comes out pretty good but, I am usually the one with the flop 🙂 I also made the nice cream….I love that stuff!
Laurie
Hi, I only have powdered sweetener. Will that work? Would it be the same amount as granulated?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Laurie, it depends on the sweetener. Powdered erythritol should still work, but the amount will be less. Powdered stevia or monk fruit would change the consistency too much. Use my sweetener conversion calculator to get a more exact measurement for the sweetener you’re using.