These flourless keto peanut butter cookies are so easy to make! They require 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!
Table of contents
I regularly make these cookies and they always disappear in a flash. My whole family goes crazy for them, even my teenage carb lovers.
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.
Why you'll love these cookies
1. NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
To make this keto peanut butter cookie recipe, you need NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. In fact, you can mix the dough in a bowl with a fork. And then lick it (the fork). See? No labour-intensive cleaning of blenders/food processors and more fun!
2. QUICK ASSEMBLY
5 minutes prep time and 15 minutes total time from start to finish! All ingredients go in as-is, and in any order you like. The only thing I would recommend that you keep your ingredients at room temperature.
3. SUPER SATISFYING TASTE
The cookies are chewy, crunchy and taste of peanut butter. They are filling and so satisfying.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make these keto cookies:
PEANUT BUTTER. Always check the label! Often, brands add palm oil and sugar. Here in the UK there are several brands that sell natural peanut butter that contain only one ingredient - peanuts. Try the Meridian brand in the UK or Whole Earth in the US.
If you have a food processor, you could even make your own peanut butter. 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.
Sugar-free SWEETENER. I used Sukrin, which is a brown sugar substitute blend made from erythritol and stevia. But really, any sweetener will work. You could choose a monk fruit sweetener such as Lakanto, xylitol, allulose or Swerve.
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 to sprinkle sea salt on top or mix it into the cookies.
How to make perfect keto peanut butter cookies
- In a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients with a fork.
- Form small dough balls and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or on a silicone baking mat.
- Now comes the ONLY ever-so-slightly challenging part of this recipe: the creation of the pretty criss-cross pattern on top of the cookie. Wet a fork and press it onto the balls to create a cookie. Clean/wet again as you work your way through the batch. This prevents the cookie dough from sticking to the fork.
- Bake and enjoy! The cookies will be soft when freshly out of the oven. Patience! They firm up as they cool down.
Soft versus crunchy cookies
BAKER'S TOP TIP: If you want a cookie that's soft in the centre, bake for around 8 minutes. If you prefer a crunchy one, leave it in the oven for 10 minutes.
Recipe variations
Here are ideas for recipe variations:
- Add sugar-free chocolate chips
- Dip one half of the cookie in melted dark chocolate (I recommend a minimum of 85% cocoa solids)
- Use smooth peanut butter instead of crunchy
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Use ½ teaspoon baking powder for a fluffier cookie
- Tiger cookies: 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 recipe.
Can I use different nut butters?
Yes. 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!
More peanut butter cookie variations
Sugar Free Coconut Flour Peanut Butter Cookies. Adding coconut flour or almond flour to the dough makes the cookies soft and fluffy.
Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies. This is another popular recipe. Almond flour adds another layer of flavor.
Keto No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies. If you leave out the egg it's possible to create the most delicious no bake cookies.
P.S.: If you love peanut butter as much as I do, you should definitely also check out this chocolate peanut butter freezer fudge or these yummy Low Carb Peanut Butter Protein Bars. Equally simple and equally delicious.
More Keto cookie recipes:
- Italian Walnut Kisses
- Low Carb Coconut Shortbread Cookies
- Keto Almond Butter Brownie Cookies
- Low Carb Sugar Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
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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Low Carb Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (100% peanuts) (250g)
- ½ cup granulated sweetener (100g)
- 1 egg large
- pinch of sea salt
- optional: ½ tsp 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 (ca 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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First published in January 2018. Republished with new recipe details in May 2022.
Kathleen says
These were so easy to make and taste fabulous!! biggest problem is just eating one or two
Rach says
Absolutely amazing cookies - my family were obsessed and I even had to make a second batch as they went so quickly! I used coconut sugar instead of sweetener and they came out perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!
MsSteel says
Just made these and they're yummy. I used 100g of Sukrin Gold and found the cookies to be a tad too sweet personally...but yummy nonetheless. Recipe here states 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sweetener, however I've just checked online and 1/2 cup is equivalent to 65g, which makes more sense in terms of cookie sweetness. Thank you for the recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Thanks for your comment! Sukrin Gold is a little lighter in weight than a white granulated sweetener - although I just measured 80g for 1/2 cup and not 65g like you did. Next time you'll know exactly how much you should use to make the recipe perfect for you 🙂
Kris says
I forgot to rate with my comment, doh! FIVE STARS!!
Kris says
I loooove these, Katrin! They are perfect. I wonder if you know how they would turn out using Xylitol instead of Erythritol?
But they were divine even with the cooling effect (I'll take that over sugar any day). I used 'Brown Xucker' by the way - it's a European brand of xylitol and Erythritol products. Sugar free Chop chips (similar to Lilly's in the US), etc. I added a couple of choc chips to some of them too as an experiment -worked out well.
Thank you so, so much for all your amazing recipes that have changed my life - really. It means I can still have awesome breads and desserts, etc and skip the sugar. There are tonnes of these types of blogs out there, but I am always back on this one. Your explanations are spot-on and recipes simple yet effective. Can't wait for your next book!!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Thank you so much for your support. New book is launching next Monday - Keto Cookies!
Krupa says
Made these yesterday and they turned out great. Was a little hesitant as it doesn't require flour but they were so delicious! I added a few chopped up pieces of dark chocolate too. My 5 year old loved them too which is great! So easy and tastes amazing. Also please do be patient as stated when taking them out the oven as they are soft and it's tempting to leave them in for longer but they firm up nicely once cooled. Will be making another batch very soon as they all disappeared very fast. Thank you for this recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you liked them!!
Laura says
Great sweet treat while doing keto, helps to curb those cravings! I used stevia for the first time and think I’ll look for an alternative, it has a weird aftertaste which ruins the cookie slightly. I’m new to keto so still figuring it all out. Great texture though and so easy to make!
Katrin Nürnberger says
I feel the same about stevia, though some people love it. Try erythritol - maybe you'll prefer it
Denisa says
Hi Laura, using a combination of erythritol+a little stevia or monk fruit produces a pleasant sweet taste, as the aftertastes of both somehow neutralize each other. Erythritol by itself also has a cooling aftertaste so it is best used with one of the above. Hope this helps!
Julie Mclean says
Delicious and so easy, thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
My pleasure!!!
Frances says
I made these this evening, OMG, i blooming love them. You have so many recipes that I'm looking forward to trying. Thank you. ❤
Katrin Nürnberger says
Wonderful! I love them because they're so easy yet rather good 😉
Becky says
These are amazing. My family loves them. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you all like them!!!
Heather Jones says
Hi, when I watch the video the sugar you add looks like brown sugar replacement instead of white. Is this correct?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, I used a brown "sugar" erythritol (Sukrin Gold) in the video. But you can use regular erythritol as well, it tastes just as good. 🙂
Jo says
Another great recipe. Love these guilt free cookies. Thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad they hit the spot!
Chloe says
Just made and they look amazing!! Only made 12 out of this recipe, maybe my ball rolling was uneven haha!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Jumbo cookies! 🙂
Karen Muldowney says
I cut sugar free Reese’s peanut butter cups in half and and put them in center of cookies just out of the oven. Omgosh, so good. I ate too many 🙁
Katrin Nürnberger says
That sounds scarily good!!!!
Robyne says
I’ve got to say these cookies are so good. Yum! I’ve made them several times and they are always satisfying. I am so glad I stumbled on your site.
jolene says
these are amazing, i need dessert after every meal and till this morning 3 days into my low carb plan, i was wondering how on earth i can do this without dessert. then i found your recipe, tried it and it couldn't have satisfied my sweet tooth better. THANK YOU!
Katrin says
That's great! I'm so glad it hit the spot. 🙂
Eniko says
It's just OMG best cookies ever. Thank you. I think it's gonna be a 5 of a day
Next time I will try with some dark choc in...
Vivian says
Wonderful recipe. Puzzled however, if we use sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey etc, the carb count goes up through the roof! Not Keto. I only have stevia drops -and I note you commented that perhaps they would not come crunchy. What if I add a little almond flour, just enough to make it crunchy?
Katrin says
Hi Vivian, the recipes uses erythritol, which is a zero carb sweetener. It's my favourite low carb sweetener and I prefer the taste over stevia. You could use stevia though, of course, and I think adding a little almond flour to make up for the missing bulk of the sweetener would be a good idea. How much would depend on how runny or firm your peanut butter is!
Riethmuller says
I love cookie
Just 0.4g net carbs per cookie?? Really? Hummy
Jacqui says
Made my 1st batch tonight, just on day 3 with the keto plan and I was going mad for something sweet. These are brilliant cookies and just right to curb a sweet craving. Just made the blueberry and raspberry jams and the rustic bread. Cravings sorted.
This is an amazing site, definately my go to place.
Katrin says
Wow, sounds like a cookathon!!! Glad you like the cookies 🙂
Deborah says
Have made 4 times now and they are my "go to" cookie. So fast, so easy. I also do mine with a few flakes of Maldon sea salt on top....so yummy. Thanks for all the great recipes. Also love your breads and cakes. You have the golden touch with baked goods.
Louisa says
Hi, is it really 100g of sweetener? If so these cookies work out to be 4.7g carbs each
Katrin says
Hi Louisa, I never count the erythritol in my recipes when calculating the nutrition because it passes through the body without being digested.
Karyn Agostino says
Hi Katrin!
erythritol Isn’t digested, how about Stevia?
I thought Stevia was the holy grail of sweetners for low carb, sounds like I was wrong. ♀️
Katrin says
You're not wrong at all! Stevia is a zero calorie zero carb sweetener. It's just as good as erythritol on that level. It's a personal thing which taste you prefer. Erythritol has a cooling sensation and stevia tends to have a metallic aftertaste. I used to mix stevia with erythritol when I started low carb baking, to get less of both aftertastes, but have since moved to just erythritol because I prefer the taste.
Mamonde says
Wow!! I just made them and they are delicious and super easy !!! I love your recipes Thank you thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Helen says
This would be my second time making them. I had crunchy peanut butter last time but smooth this time. Preferred with the crunch, but still good. I also added a couple tbsps of Almond flour/meal and used 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract instead of cinnamon. Hard to stop eating them and go over my limit 😛
Katrin says
That's always the issue with desserts that are good - I know what you mean!!!
Tania says
I made these this evening but instead of making cookies I put the whole lot into a silicone cake mould and made one giant cookie (being lazy really) spread melted chocolate over the top once cooked then ate a piece once cooled. Tasted so good. Just what I needed to stop me eating non-keto biscuits so thank you. I got 12 pieces out of the mixture. The cinamon is just lovely.
Katrin says
What a great idea! I'm all for saving time 🙂 I bet the chocolate was delicious on it.
Yacoub Bseso says
If I do not want to use any sweetner, can I proceed with the recipe less the granulated sweetener? Must I put an alternative or it would work as is? And if I were to sweeten them, and I do not mind adding a natural sugar source like honey, will that work? Thanks.
Katrin says
You could replace with coconut sugar, that would be the easiest way to get the dry/wet ratio right. If you did not want to use any sweetener, make sure your peanut butter is on the firm side and not too runny. Then adding honey would work, too. You might have to scoop the cookies onto the baking tray instead of forming them with your hands, but they should firm up in the oven and end up just as yummy.
Pat says
Just wanted to let you know that I made your your low carb flourless peanut butter cookies. I used p. b. 2 peanut butter and 2 tbsp. Refrigerated egg whites and 1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract. + 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetner. They came out perfect. Thank you for your recipe. Pat
Katrin says
Hi Pat, thanks for your comment and letting us know how you made the recipe your own! Using just egg whites in cookies always works well. I'm glad you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Alex says
Can I do this with almond butter instead?
Katrin says
Absolutely! Any nut butter would work.
Esther Zielke says
Thanks for all the great recipes!
I was very excited to try these & made them today. Unfortunately, I found them to be WAY too sweet! Next time I will try with 1/2 the sweetener. Do you think it will work as well?
Katrin says
It should still work 🙂 It's so funny, I've had a couple of people saying they were not sweet enough! We all have such different ideas of what's sweet & what's just right. Always best to try the dough before baking. Can I ask you what sweetener you used?
Esther Zielke says
Oops! My mistake! I realized I mistakenly used the wrong amounts of the sweetener (combination of Truvia & erythritol). Truvia baking blend is one of those you use less of than the recipe calls for... Next time I'll check it twice! 🙂
Katrin says
No worries, next time they'll be perfect then! Thanks for getting back to me!
Heather says
Hi Katrin, these cookies are just delicious. I thought they were just on the right side of sweet and couldn't believe how easy this recipe is!
Katrin says
Glad you enjoyed them!!