These delicious keto peanut butter cookies are made with natural peanut butter and a touch of sweetener. They are so wonderfully flavorful! The fact that they are flourless makes their peanut butter flavor extra concentrated.
Made with just three ingredients, these cookies are incredibly good. They're not too sweet, and their texture is just right, especially after an overnight rest. I make them with natural peanut butter and a powdered sweetener to ensure a smooth texture. I like to add a few dark chocolate chips to some of them while leaving the others plain.
Ingredients
You'll only need three simple ingredients (plus optional chocolate chips) to make these cookies. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, including this one.
- Powdered sugar-free sweetener: I use erythritol.
- Natural peanut butter: The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt.
- Dark chocolate chips: I like to use 85% cacao chocolate chips made by Pascha.
Variations
- Sometimes, I add ¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the batter.
- One of my daughters likes to add a pinch of cinnamon. I'm not a fan... but she loves it.
- You can use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips.
Instructions
This is such an easy recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Lightly whisk an egg, then add the sweetener. Next, add the peanut butter and mix well using a rubber spatula. The mixture will be very thick - it should have the consistency of playdough.
Measure 1.5 tablespoons per cookie (using a cookie scoop) and shape them with your hands into a ball. Arrange the dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
For the plain cookies, use a fork to create a crisscross pattern. Press on the dough balls with the backside of a fork, then rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again. The cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter.
For the chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, gently flatten and shape them with your hands, then press 4-5 chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies until their edges are beginning to darken, about 15 minutes in a 350°F oven. Cool the cookies in the pan, then remove them to a cooling rack.
Cool them on the cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before enjoying them. Their texture improves as they rest and cool. In fact, they are best the day after you bake them.
Expert Tips
- If your peanut butter is unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. The peanut butter I use is quite salty, and the saltiness comes through in the cookies and enhances them.
- Natural peanut butter will usually undergo normal oil separation, with a layer of oil at the top of the jar. Stir it patiently and thoroughly until it's fully blended. Pay attention to the sides and bottom of the jar, where you will usually find areas of hardened, dry peanut butter that should be blended with the oil.
- It's important to let the cookies cool on the cooling rack and not in the pan. That’s how they get a proper cookie texture. If you leave them on the pan, they will be too soft.
- The cookies' texture improves the next day. They are on the soft side on the first day, but by the second day, they have a perfect cookie texture.
Recipe FAQs
I use Whole Foods' natural creamy peanut butter. It's salted, and there's no added sugar. The only ingredients are peanuts and salt. It's important to mix the peanut butter thoroughly before using it.
It's best to use a powdered sweetener to ensure the cookies have a smooth, non-grainy texture.
While I usually use stevia in my recipes, I have experimented and found that these cookies need the volume and texture of a powdered sweetener.
While this recipe should work in terms of texture with any smooth and creamy natural nut butter, the flavor will be different.
If you use almond butter, check the consistency of the batter. It should be very thick and dough-like. If it's too liquid, add 1-2 tablespoons of almond flour.
Serving Suggestions
Much like almond flour cookies, keto peanut butter cookies are lovely with tea (or iced tea), coffee (or iced coffee), or a tall glass of cold almond milk.
When I make them without chocolate chips, I sometimes turn them into sandwich cookies and add a layer of keto hazelnut spread in the middle.
Storing Leftovers
The leftovers keep well for up to four days in an airtight container on the counter. I keep them in a glass food storage container like this:
You can also refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to a week. Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
You can also freeze these cookies in freezer bags for up to three months. If layering them, separate the layers with wax paper.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
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Keto Peanut Butter Cookies, Two Ways
Video
Ingredients
- 1 egg - large
- ⅓ cup powdered erythritol
- 1 cup peanut butter - natural, smooth; 256 grams
- 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips - optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then add the sweetener. Mix with a rubber spatula, then whisk with a wire whisk until smooth.
- Add the peanut butter and mix well using a rubber spatula. The mixture will be very thick - it should resemble playdough.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Shape the dough portions with your hands into balls. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, 1-inch apart.
- For the plain cookies, use a fork to create a crisscross pattern. Press on the dough balls with the backside of a fork, then rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again. The cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter.
- For the chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, gently flatten and shape them with your hands, then press 4-5 chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies until their edges are beginning to darken, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies in the pan for about 10 minutes. They will be too soft to remove from the pan at this point.
- Use a spatula to gently remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool them to room temperature for about 30 more minutes. The cookies will be very soft initially but will harden and set as they cool and get a proper cookie texture.
- Serve the cookies with your desired beverage - my favorite is unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Notes
- If your peanut butter is unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. The peanut butter I use is quite salty, and the saltiness comes through in the cookies and enhances them.
- Natural peanut butter will usually undergo normal oil separation, with a layer of oil at the top of the jar. Stir it patiently and thoroughly until it's fully blended. Pay attention to the sides and bottom of the jar, where you will usually find areas of hardened, dry peanut butter that should be blended with the oil.
- It's important to let the cookies cool on the cooling rack and not in the pan. That’s how they get a proper cookie texture. If you leave them on the pan, they will be too soft.
- The cookies' texture improves the next day. They are on the soft side on the first day, but by the second day, they have a perfect cookie texture.
- The leftovers keep well for up to four days in an airtight container on the counter. You can also refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to a week. Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. You can also freeze these cookies in freezer bags for up to three months. If layering them, separate the layers with wax paper.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Jennifer says
Hi Vered,
I made these cookies without sweetener or chocolate chips. I only had crunchy peanut butter so they turned out a bit dry (next time I'll add a little oil), but were very good with cheese.
Thanks, Jenny
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jenny,
Fascinating! I never thought to use them as a type of cracker and serve them with cheese! Love it!
Christine Bergen says
I am allergic to peanut butter so I used almond butter and they turned out beautifully, thanks for the recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Christine, and thanks for letting us know it works with almond butter.
Yael says
I love low-ingredient recipes!! So easy to throw together when you have a craving for something sweet, and I like that they're relatively high in protein so it's an all-around feel-good dessert. Plus, they are DELICIOUS!
*Please note I am Vered's daughter, but this is my honest opinion!*
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you, Yael. ❤️