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Welcome to Day 3 of Cookie Week! We’re halfway through and I’ve been really enjoying this. I always like an excuse to make yummy low carb treats. Today, I’m excited to share my favorite sugar-free low carb peanut butter cookies recipe.
If you’re catching up, check out the chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies and lemon meringue cookies from the past couple of days. Then, read on about these flourless peanut butter cookies, because you’re going to want to make them – stat.
Inspiration for a Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
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. Peanut butter and eggs combine surprisingly well to form a dough that gets nice and crunchy when baked. Just like that similar combination made those waffles crispy, the same concept works for cookies, too.
The final low carb peanut butter cookies recipe I’m sharing today is a modification that I started making more recently. I have to say, it’s even better than the ones I used to make.
Crunchy Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies (No Flour, No Sugar!)
The basic, classic recipe for 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies requires just peanut butter, eggs, and sweetener. This trio works whether you are going for low carb or not. I use a low carb sweetener for mine, but if you want to use a natural sugar sweetener for the kids, try these healthy peanut butter cookies that use honey instead.
I add vanilla as well, which is optional. Oh, and salt, but everyone has salt around. (I never count salt, pepper, and optional ingredients in the total count, by convention.)
Like I said, the combination of nut butter and eggs results in deliciously crispy, crunchy cookies in the oven. Yes, you really can make amazing and easy peanut butter cookies with no flour and no sugar. Now you know.
How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies Crispy or Soft
But, there’s one more ingredient that makes them even better. If you really want the crunchiest, best peanut butter cookies, you have to add this in. Don’t worry, it’s nothing complicated and you probably have it around.
What’s the secret to making extra crunchy peanut butter cookies? (Okay, okay, I won’t make you guess any longer.) The secret is to add chopped peanuts!
Sure, this does increase the ingredient count. It turns your 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies into 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies. But, four really isn’t that many, and it’s well worth it. Try it, you’ll see.
Seriously, the nuts add such a delicious added crunch and chunky factor. Can you see those little peanut pieces in the pictures? I’m pretty sure these are the ultimate, best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made.
So, what about if you like soft cookies? Well, you can have the best of both worlds, if you act fast. These sugar-free peanut butter cookies will be soft when they first come out of the oven, with just those crunchy peanut pieces throughout. Perfect for anyone wanting a chewy or soft version.
I much prefer crispy low carb peanut butter cookies, though, so I let them cool completely before eating. This ensures maximum crunch.
If you want them warm but still crunchy, just let them cool first. Then, reheat them right before eating. They’ll stay crisp! I love dipping them in hot tea or cold almond milk this way.
Tips for the Best 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
How do you make peanut butter cookies – without flour, without brown sugar (actually, no sugar at all!), and still tasting absolutely amazing? It’s easier than you may think. All it takes is ten minutes of prep and fifteen minutes in the oven.
If you want just the steps for how to make homemade peanut butter cookies, the recipe card is below. But I still want to discuss the details, so that you can see how easy it is.
Besides, I have some tricks to share that you don’t want to miss!
Your food processor will do all the work for you when making sugar-free peanut butter cookies. Combine the peanut butter, egg, sweetener, vanilla, and salt in there. Blitz it until totally smooth.
By the way, you can use almost any sweetener you like. I prefer erythritol, but feel free to use anything you have, as long as it’s granulated. Check the sweetener conversion chart to find out how much to use.
Just don’t swap 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.
Now back to the process…
Pulse in the chopped peanuts until just combined. Don’t overdo it at this step, because you want the chunky pieces to stay in there. That’s how you get the delicious crunch in your sugar-free peanut butter cookies!
Scoop your yummy peanut butter cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a fork. This is where you add that signature criss-cross pattern we all know and love in peanut butter cookies. There’s actually a scientific reason for it beyond aesthetics. It helps the cookies cook more evenly.
You may notice that your fork tends to stick to the cookies as you flatten them. This is easy to fix.
Grab a glass or bowl of cold water to keep next to you as you do this, and dip the fork tongs in the water after each cookie. Wipe with a paper towel before moving on to the next one. There you go, no more sticking!
Bake the low carb peanut butter cookies for 15-20 minutes, until they are golden. Don’t forget to let them cool completely, so that they get super-duper crunchy!
Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe - 4 Ingredients:
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RECIPE CARD
Sugar-Free Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe - 4 Ingredients
PrintIngredients
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- 1 1/4 cup Peanut butter (creamy, salted)
- 2 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Erythritol (or any granulated sweetener; use 1/3 cup for less sweet cookies)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt (or 1/2 tsp if you like salty-sweet!)
- 3/4 cup Peanuts (measured whole and shelled, then coarsely chopped)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS in the post above! VIDEO + nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the peanut butter, egg, sweetener, 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.)
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.)
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 Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies From Scratch:
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies From Scratch!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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87 Comments
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 cheap 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 some substance 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!
Janice
The natural peanut butter I used let off a lot of oil and I think it affected the recipe. It was dripping from my hands when I rolled the cookies and pooled on my cookie sheets when I baked them. I’ll try again with a different brand of peanut butter.
Karen Leonard
Question can you make it with out the peanuts and just use creamy peanut butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Karen, Yes, you can, but they are more crunchy with the peanut pieces.
Patricia Gallant
l do not have a food processor. Can I make the cookie recipes with a hand held mixer instead? I have several attachments.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Patricia, Yes, you should be able to use a hand mixer instead.
Anna
Do any Long Island ,NY stores carry erythritol? Maybe Costco or Samsclub?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anna, I have not seen it at warehouse clubs. I have a link to where I buy it online on the recipe card above.
Kelly A Finkelstein
You can use Stevia, it’s another natural sweetener. I get the Navy brand of Stevia sweetener and it actually HAS Erythritol in it!! In some recipes, it calls for confectioners Erythritol and I made my own pulverizing the granulated Truvia. I made some Choco Chip cookies and they came out fine.
Robyn Cerone
Can I use egg whites only to cut the fat a bit too?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Robyn, I haven’t tried that, but they might be dry or rubbery.
Jessica
I used almond butter. Excellent recipe!
Laurie
Hi. Just tried your recipe. Followed it to the letter. Used a good name-brand peanut butter that is very firm. All went well with mixing. While they baked, I could smell the peanut butter. Opened the over after 15 minutes and there was oil all around the cookies. I tried one and the pb flavor is almost gone. I think the oil seeped out. I’ll try again using oatmeal, see how that does.
Wholesome Yum
Hi Laurie, sorry to hear it didn’t work out. Since these are flourless cookies, extra oil is more likely. Make sure your batter is cool and you use a cookie scoop instead of your hands to keep the oil under control.
Shashi
These would be perfect for the afternoon slump!
Kim
I love this healthy treat idea! So nutritious and tasty too!
Demeter
I’m a sucker for a Peanut butter cookie! Love that this one’s a no guilt one. Yay!
Veena Azmanov
Love the Crusty and Crunchy looks to these Peanut Butter cookies. Love to have these with my Chai every morning. Great snacking option too.
Jack
Wow this really look delicious!
Patricia Evans
I just made these cookies tonight. My husband, who has diabetes, said they were the best sugar free cookies he has ever had. Thank you so much for sharing this easy and delicious recipe.
Carmen
I have tried to make these cookies twice, with no success. When I roll the cookies, my hands get very oily / greasy from the peanut butter. I am using Skippy Creamy, 2 large eggs and Splenda. The first time,when I pull the cookies from the oven, they are floating in a yellow-ish liquid (like oil). After doing some research, I made another batch using the same recipe, but split the batch into 2 trays. I baked the 1st tray for 8 minutes instead of 15, and there was less oily liquid, and let the cookies stand for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack, but the cookies tasted like peanut dust. The 2nd tray I refrigerated for 30 minutes then baked for 8 minutes. Even lesser oil, but same result. Any ideas?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Carmen, At what point are you rolling the cookies? That might be the issue. Use a cookie scoop instead and then just flatten. Or it could be too thin peanut butter, if you’re using part of the jar and it separated a bit.
Shaun
Can I sub out anything for the sweetener? I don’t use any sweetener at all and noticed you said it adds to the consistency.
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shaun, Possibly unsweetened peanut butter powder (peanut flour)? I’m really not sure that any cookies would taste good without some sweetener. I understand some people prefer to avoid sweeteners, but in this case I’d probably just skip making cookies. Feel free to try it, though!
Tanja
Could you use chunky peanut butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tanja, Sure, you can!
Farwin
The cookies are awesome. Just what I needed with a cup of tea post holiday!
Tilly
So easy to make and taste delicious!
Sues
Oh my goodness, these cookies are incredible. I can’t even believe they’re low sugar and low carb. And so easy to make, too!!
Lisa Huff
Wow, hard to believe no sugar and so few ingredients. They look perfect!
Cindy
These cookies are amazing! I love that they are minimal ingredients!
Lauren
I am definitely going to be trying these! I’m following keto but sometimes the sweet tooth still kicks in.
Mike Hultquist
Another GREAT one, Maya! They’re super easy to make, and DANG are they good. Love it.
Deborah
Maya, I thought these cookies were just great. I have made a similar cookie before and loved the addition of the chopped nuts….added more flavor and texture. Spot on. I like my peanut butter cookies on the soft side and found baking them for 12 minutes was perfect. FYI: I did use alternate sugar substitutes….not crazy about the cooling/minty effect of erythritol. I used a mixture of xylitol and tagitose (no dogs in the house) and it worked out just fine. I also added a few drops of Enlish Toffee Stevia drops. I add that to almost all my sweet baked goods….gives the caramelized sugar taste that you normally get when baking with regular sugar. Not enough to tell its there ….just a hint of something.
Also: I use a meat tenderizer to press in the “grid” shape on peanut butter cookies. I find it easier than the fork method. Works great. Got a cheapie at the dollar store….this is its sole purpose in life at our house.
Great recipe….has become my go-to when I want something homey and comforting.
siochifitness
Great recipe. I’ve tried many iterations of keto peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal recipes and this holds up we’ll to the toddler test. My daughter actually ate these.
Perfect sweetness for someone on a keto style diet. For someone looking to mimic normal full sugar cookies, you may need to up the sweetener to 3/4 to 1 cup instead of half a cup.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Daphne Wilder
This is my first time trying this recipe. It is so easy!
Trudy
I made these with natural peanut butter and walnuts. Very oily!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Trudy, I can’t say for sure but it could be the walnuts. Or, it might be that the peanut butter separated, as natural peanut butter tends to do, and the part added to the recipe had more oil.
Ej
Why don’t you just use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth? Back down to 3 ingredients rather than 4, plus saves you a step and the extra time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Sure, you can try that as well!
LilLeo67
Can I add almond flour if I want them softer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
This is a crispy cookie, so you’d need to make multiple other changes to make them soft. Just adding almond flour would make them dry, not necessarily soft.
Bebe
Do you have a particular hand held food processor (like the one shown in your video) that you would recommend? I have a hand held immersion blender but it doesn’t work for recipes and quantities like this.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bebe, This is the food processor I have and recommend.
Brenda
How much would it change the nutrition if pecans were used instead of peanuts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brenda, I don’t have the nutrition info for substitutions, but you can enter it into an online calculator to find out. That sounds delicious!
Cynthia
Will Splenda work in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cynthia, Yes, it will work. If you use this brand, I recommend Splenda Naturals to stick with a natural sweetener. But, any granulated sweetener works. The amount may vary depending on which one you use.
Carol
Just made these using a natural peanut butter. The oil kind of separates during baking making it almost like they are being deep fried! But, having said that, they don’t taste too bad even though I used half the sweetener it called for.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am glad you liked them, Carol!
Claire
If I used Truvia instead erythritol how much Truvia would I use ? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Claire, It would be pretty close – check my sweetener conversion chart here.
Anne
I’m reading the comments and people keep saying one cup of sweetener and or Erthritol. The recipe says 1/2 cup. Which is it? I made the recipe as is and they are in the oven.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for noticing, Anne! I actually re-tested the recipe and updated it to 1/2 cup – so you did it right!
Sue
How can you calculate the carbs on this when 1 cup of Erythitol contains around 200 carbs??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sue! All of the carbs in erythritol are sugar alcohols, so they have a net count of 0. This recipe also makes 27 cookies so that one cup of erythritol is divided by 27 servings. I hope that helps!
Update: The recipe has since been updated to reduce erythritol to 1/2 cup.
Gwen Thompson
I’m confused. The title of the recipe says there are 4 ingredients to make these cookies. I count 6 ingredients in these sugar-free low carb peanut butter cookies. Is this the same recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gwen, Sorry about the confusion – it’s the same recipe. I don’t include optional ingredients and salt in ingredient counts, by convention. The vanilla is optional. So without the vanilla and salt, it’s 4 ingredients. You can even omit the salt too if you want to, they are just better with it in my opinion. I hope you’ll try the cookies!
Marcelle
I like to make these cookies, but how much grams do I need instead of cups?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Marcelle, I don’t have metric measurements in my recipes quite yet, but will be adding them soon. If you are on my email list, you’ll be the first to know! The signup forms are scattered throughout the site, there is one at the top of this page. 🙂
Chris Clark
I’m not sure what I expected, being low carb and sugar-free, but the taste was not pleasing at all. Sorry.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Chris, Sorry that they weren’t for you. Did you use the same sweetener? Sometimes that can make a difference.
Michael
Hi,
Could you leave out the sweetener? Will the cookies bake and stay together?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Michael, The sweetener is part of the structure of the cookie so I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out.
Connie
Are we supposed to use sugar-free peanut butter in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Connie, Yes, I would recommend it. Most stores have at least one brand without any sugar. Just check the ingredient labels.
Danette Kelley
Will omitting the peanuts make any difference ??? I just don’t have any but really want to make these cookies.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Danette, They should still work without the peanuts. They do have a more interesting texture without the nuts, but they are not required.
Jordan
Hi, The recipe calls for 1 cup lakanto and when I put that in My Fitness Pal it says a whopping 196 carbs! Now I know it’s different as a sugar alcohol but my question is, is it still zero net carbs (and thus keto) at 1 cup/196 carbs? It seems 1/2 Truvia is high too at 96 carbs. Any help would be immensely appreciated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jordan, The carbs in Lakanto are erythritol, which does not get absorbed and is still zero net carbs. It’s definitely keto friendly! The same applies to Truvia, assuming you are using the version with just erythritol and stevia. The Truvia blend does contain some sugar.
Update: The recipe has since been updated to reduce sweetener to 1/2 cup.
Cherylie
Thank you SO MUCH for including the nutritional breakdown. Being new to low-carb/quasi-keto, this is a huge assist on the journey.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You’re welcome!
Kimberley
Didn’t go right for me! Not sure what I did wrong, but the mixture was runny. I even put psyllium husk in to try and bind it. Lovely taste. What did I do wrong? I used xylitol sweetener. Is it possible to also give measurements in grams? I am British and converting cups is not always accurate! Great site, thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kimberley, Sorry you had issues with these. I’ve never had them be runny. Was your peanut butter very runny? That is the only reason I can think of. It needs to be thick, creamy peanut butter (the typical consistency of peanut butter, not runny). It’s on my list to add measurement conversions but unfortunately I don’t have them yet.
Berenice
Hello! Can I replace the peanut butter creamy for pb2 in this recipe? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Berenice, I haven’t tried that, but in theory it should work. It just needs to be thick and creamy, not liquid-y, so don’t add too much water when mixing the PB2.
Joine
The peanuts – raw? roasted? salted? unsalted?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Any will work, just depends on what you prefer. 🙂
Kathy
I made them as I love peanut butter. My only complaint is I can taste the sweetener. Any suggestions? I’ve been putting butter on both sides and warming them in the microwave. That helps!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kathy, What kind of sweetener did you use? You could try using less if the sweetness is too strong for you, or use a different sweetener if you don’t like the one you used.
Catherine Dawson
Hi, these are lovely and so easy to make. How would you store them? Can they be frozen?
Thanks,
Catherine
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Catherine! I’ve stored them on the counter for multiple days with no issues. You can put them in the fridge or freeze them to keep them for longer if you want to.
Susan
I love cookies! So glad to see these recipes. I don’t have a food processor, can I use a handheld mixer? I don’t eat peanuts. Can I use almond butter and almonds or another nut?
Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Susan! Yes, a hand mixer should work. You can use almond butter and almonds (or any other nuts you like).