My flourless keto peanut butter cookies are so easy! I make them with only 4 ingredients and you simply stir them together with a fork. Perfect for any low carb or keto diet. Gluten free and sugar free!
"I just made these and they are amazing! I have to force myself to portion control! I was unsure about the cinnamon but it really brings out the peanut butter flavor. Thank you! This one is a keeper." (Michelle)
We're all about back to basics today with this fabulous 4 ingredient low carb peanut butter cookies recipe!
I regularly make these cookies and they always disappear in a flash. My whole family goes crazy for them, even my teenage carb lovers.
The recipe has been on my blog since 2018. I have just updated the post with more tips and variations to bring it up-to-date. The recipe was perfect as it is and it hasn't changed!
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Why This Recipe Works
There are a number of reasons why you've got to try these keto friendly cookies ASAP - beyond the fact that they are only 1.6g net carbs per cookie.
1. NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
You need no blender or any other special equipment. In fact, you can mix the dough in a bowl with a fork. And if you are like me, lick the fork (and the bowl). See? No labour-intensive cleaning of food processors and more fun!
2. QUICK ASSEMBLY
The cookies take 5 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes total time from start to finish! All ingredients go in as-is, and in any order you like.
3. SUPER SATISFYING TASTE
The cookies are chewy, crunchy and taste of peanut butter. They are filling and so satisfying.
Have I convinced you? Let's get started with the recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make these flourless keto cookies:
- PEANUT BUTTER. I used a crunchy peanut butter. Choose a brand that contains only one ingredient - peanuts. Try Meridian or Whole Earth. Always check the label! Often, brands add palm oil and sugar. We don't want either. Also stir it before using to make sure it is nice and soft.
- Sugar-free SWEETENER. To make sugar free peanut butter cookies, you need a sugar substitute. I used Sukrin Gold, which is a brown sugar substitute blend made from erythritol and stevia. But really, any sweetener will work.
- EGG. Use a large, room temperature egg.
- SEA SALT and CINNAMON. Both are optional, but if the peanut butter does not contain salt, I recommend sprinkling sea salt on top of the cookies or mixing it into the cookie dough.
Tip: I recommend that you keep your ingredients at room temperature.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Let me show you how to make the best keto peanut butter cookies.
First of all, you'll want to preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 1
In a large mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients with a fork.
STEP 2
Form small dough balls with your hands...
STEP 3
...and flatten them onto the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or on a silicone baking mat.
Alternatively, use a cookie scoop and simply scoop the dough on the baking sheet.
The mixture makes 20 small cookies of around 15 grams each.
STEP 4
Press a fork onto the dough to create a criss-cross pattern.
Cookies should be about ½ inch thick.
STEP 5
Bake the cookies in the oven until golden brown and the edges are firm.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 I like to wet the fork before pressing it onto the dough to create the cross-hatch design. This prevents the cookie dough from sticking to the fork. I clean the fork and wet it as needed while I work my way through the batch.
#2 I always let the cookies cool fully before touching them. All low carb cookies are soft and fragile when freshly out of the oven. It's because they do not contain gluten. Patience! They firm up as they cool down.
Variations
I have made this recipe many, many times over the years. While it is perfect as written, I sometimes tweak it a little, just for fun. Here are ideas for recipe variations:
Chocolate chips. First of all, all peanut butter cookies taste great with chocolate. One option is to add sugar-free chocolate chips to the dough. Or, simply chop a few squares of dark chocolate. I recommend using chocolate with a cocoa content of 90%, such as Lindt.
Chocolate coating. Another delicious way to add chocolate flavor is to dip one-half of the cookie in melted dark chocolate (again, use a minimum of 85% cocoa solids). Just make sure the cookies are cooled fully first!
Make them rise. Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the cookie dough for a fluffier, lighter texture. I tried this recently and really liked the result. The cookies puffed up nicely in the oven.
Change the flavor. Sometimes I like to add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, which gives the cookies a warm note. Once I even made a delicious festive version by adding a teaspoon of pumpkin spice (a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves).
Tiger cookies! This version is a hit with my children: Separate the dough into two mixing bowls. Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to one bowl and incorporate. Then, roughly blend the two doughs together and proceed as per the recipe.
Substitutions
Use any nut or seed butter. This recipe works with almond butter, cashew butter or any other nut or seed butter. In fact, I used it to create my 3 ingredient Keto Almond Butter Cookies!
Smooth peanut butter. Feel free to use smooth peanut butter instead of crunchy. This way, the criss-cross pattern on the cookies will be more visible, too. You could even use a patterned cookie stamp.
Sweetener swap. As mentioned above, the recipe works with any sweetener. You could choose a monk fruit sweetener such as Lakanto, xylitol, Bocha Sweet, allulose or stevia drops. Keep in mind that the amounts needed may differ if you don't choose erythritol blends, especially when measuring in weight. Don't accidentally use too much!
No Egg. It is possible to make egg free low carb peanut butter cookies. I would use a sugar free syrup or liquid allulose as a sweetener and add almond flour or ground flaxseed until a cohesive, workable cookie dough is achieved.
Recipe FAQs
If you want a cookie that's soft in the centre, make them larger, thicker and bake them shorter - for around 8 minutes. Also, use allulose or xylitol as a sweetener.
If you prefer crunchy cookies, make them smaller, flatter and leave them in the oven for longer - 10 minutes plus. And, use erythritol as a sweetener. This is because it recrystallizes as it cools, making it ideal for anything crunchy.
Yes. The sweetener is not essential for the recipe. If you prefer sugarless peanut butter cookies, simply omit any sugar substitute. Just be sure to add sea salt and cinnamon for a good flavor.
To make homemade peanut butter, you need a food processor or high speed blender. Simply blend the peanuts for a few minutes on high speed until the peanuts release their natural oils and you have a smooth butter. Add in some crushed peanuts for crunchy peanut butter.
Serving Suggestion
I like to enjoy one of these cookies with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon. My kids tell me they are also very good dunked in a glass of cold milk.
It's good to know that they also make a great on-the-go snack as they are sturdy and easy to transport.
And here's a tip for gourmets: Take 2 cookies and spread the middle with sugar free nutella. It's like a peanut butter chocolate version of keto oreos!
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If stored in the fridge, the cookies will keep fresh for 3-4 weeks.
You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. It's best to freeze them on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and then transfer them into a ziplock bag once they are frozen. This way, they don't stick together.
Defrost frozen cookies on the kitchen counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
More Peanut Butter Cookies
I am a bit of an expert when it comes to sugar-free peanut butter cookies 😂😂! Here are more recipes I have created:
Fun fact - did you know a peanut is not a nut but a legume? True story, but really. In my book, peanuts are welcome to live alongside almonds, pecans and the like. Let a nut be a nut.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (100% peanuts) (250g)
- ½ cup granulated sweetener (100g)
- 1 egg large
- pinch of sea salt
- optional: ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork.
- Roll small balls of dough (about 15g each) with your hands (or use a small cookie scoop) and flatten them on a baking sheet.
- Wet a fork and press on cookies to create a criss cross pattern.
- Bake 8 -10 minutes, until the edges are firm. (8 minutes = soft centre, 10 minutes = overall crunchy)
- Let cool completely before eating. They are very soft when just out of the oven, but will become crunchy once cooled.
- Store in an airtight container.
Jk
I’ve made these several times. I love them. They are quick to make. I use creamy peanut butter since I don’t like crunchy. Several times I’ve use the powdered sweetener if I didn’t have the granulate. I add sugar free chocolate chips.
Rose M
These are our favourites of all keto bickies. I add 1/2 tsp baking soda to make them crunchy.
Joice
Hello Lovely,
Thank you for showing us this quick KETO cookie recipe. I would like to know if I can use a quarter of the sweeter instead of half.
Have a great day.
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course. The amount of sweetener is not essential to the texture. You can use as little or as much as you like.
Jan
Love this cookie but when i put the ingredients into my fitness pal, the carbs were higher. Carbs for 2 are 13g. Any idea why? I live in the UK so for carbs we count all carbs as there is no net carbs on labels.
Katrin Nürnberger
That seems a bit high to me so I don't think it's correct.