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These Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies are a delicious, healthy way to satisfy your cookie craving! They come together in 1 bowl with only 5 ingredients for a super easy treat.
Why you should make this recipe
If you’re like me and have a weakness for cookies, you’ll love these low-carb peanut butter cookies! They’re perfectly chewy and delicious, and you can eat more than one without overloading on sugar.
In fact, these cookies are completely sugar-free and only have 4 grams of carbs (mostly fiber) per cookie! This makes them suitable for even a ketogenic diet.
If you’ve never made these before, you’re in for a treat! The batter comes together in just 1 bowl using 5 simple ingredients. No fancy kitchen equipment is needed, just mix it all up and bake!
I recommend making these cookies at the start of the week so you have a treat ready to enjoy or share with friends and family. They will be amazed at how easy and tasty low-carb baking can be.
Ingredients
These keto peanut butter cookies call for 5 simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen.
- peanut butter: make sure to use classic peanut butter with no added sugar. Smooth, creamy peanut butter is the best in this recipe.
- egg
- erythritol: powdered erythritol works best in this peanut butter cookie recipe (you can blend regular erythritol or use low-carb confectioner’s sweetener)
- baking soda
- vanilla extract
Step-by-step instructions
You can see how I make this keto cookie recipe in this short video or read the step-by-step instructions below.
It only takes about 5 minutes to mix up the batter, and then you’ll have a delicious treat ready to be enjoyed throughout the week!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Add the erythritol to a Nutribullet or blender and blend until powdered. Set aside. If using a confectioner’s low-carb sweetener, you can skip this step.
Step 3: Add a cup of peanut butter, egg, powdered erythritol, baking soda, and vanilla extract into a medium mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, glossy dough forms.
Step 4: Roll about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough between your palms to form a ball, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all dough has been used. You should end up with 12-14 cookies.
Step 5: Use a fork to flatten the cookies, creating a criss-cross pattern across the top.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 25 minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack for another 15 minutes.
Now your cookies are ready to be enjoyed! How easy were these 5 ingredient peanut butter cookies?!
Expert tips
Even though your cookies are going to smell amazing when you take them out of the oven, resist the urge to sample one right away! Make sure you give them the full amount of time to cool on the baking tray and the cooling rack.
Because this recipe does not contain any flour, the cooling step is crucial to allow the cookies to firm up. The longer they are able to cool, the better the texture will be. You don’t want them to fall apart when you eat them!
Be patient with these. I promise it’s worth it 🙂
Variations
There are a few different variations for this recipe that you can try. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
- We all know that peanut butter and chocolate are a classic combination. For a little extra sweetness, add some sugar-free chocolate chips for peanut butter chocolate cookies.
- For a truly decadent treat, half-dip each cookie in melted sugar-free dark chocolate to make the best chocolate peanut butter cookies. This takes it to a WHOLE new level! Just be sure you allow the cookies to fully cool before dipping.
- To give the cookies a nutty texture, try using crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter.
- You can also swap out the peanut butter altogether and use different nut butter. Cashew or almond butter would work well in this recipe!
Keep in mind that the natural peanut butter will add the most taste to the cookies, but if you prefer not to use it or have an allergy, any nut butter will do.
Storage
I recommend storing these keto peanut butter cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They will stay fresh, soft, and delicious!
For longer storage, you can freeze them instead and enjoy for several months.
Nutrition
This peanut butter cookie recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy free. They are also free from any flours, making it all the more easy and practical to whip up a healthy low-carb cookie treat.
Each cookie has just 4 grams of carbs and only 2.8 grams of net carbs, making it a wonderful treat for those following a keto or low-carb diet.
Even though these are a healthier option because they are lower in carbs than traditional peanut butter cookies, it’s important to remember it is still very much a treat. Therefore, it should be enjoyed in moderation and never on an empty stomach.
Learn more: Is Peanut Butter Good for People Living with Diabetes?
Frequently asked questions
Plain peanut butter is keto compliant and suitable for those following a low-carb diet. But stick to good quality peanut butter that is free from added sugars and other additives. Flavored peanut butter is not ideal as it is usually higher in carbs from added sugars and flavorings.
Peanut butters that have only 1 or 2 ingredients are best for the keto diet. It should be plain and natural peanut butter with only peanuts and possibly salt. Chunky or creamy peanut butter are both suitable for keto and low-carb diets.
When making keto and low-carb cookies, use erythritol-based sweeteners for the best results. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that mimics sugar in its molecular structure. This makes it a great option because it browns nicely, yielding a very crispy texture. More importantly, erythritol does not impact blood sugar at all due it its zero carb count. It is an excellent sugar substitute for people with diabetes.
Other healthy dessert recipes
I believe a healthy diet should absolutely include dessert! If you’re looking for a few more treats that you can enjoy guilt-free, check out these recipes I know you’ll love:
You can also read this roundup of my favorite 10 diabetic cookie recipes for even more delicious inspiration!
When you’ve tried these cookies, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked them and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, (no added salt and sugar)
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup erythritol, (powdered)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Skip this step if using a confectioner's low-carb sweetener. Add the erythritol to a Nutribullet or blender and blend until powdered. Set aside.
- Add all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and mix until a smooth, glossy dough forms.1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 large egg, ⅔ cup erythritol, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Roll about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough between your palms to form a ball, then transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all dough has been used. You should end up with 12-14 cookies.
- Use a fork to flatten the cookies, creating a criss-cross pattern across the top.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 25 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack for another 15 minutes.
Notes
- To add chocolate, you can mix sugar-free chocolate chips into the batter or dip the cookies (once cooled) into melted sugar-free chocolate.
- You can use crunchy peanut butter to add a nutty texture.
- The peanut butter can be substituted with any nut butter, but keep in mind that peanut butter will add the most taste.
Barbara Szczepanik
Very easy to make & surprisingly delish. My guess were unaware that they were low carb. But, u did not indicate how many cookie per serving. Or r u saying 140 calories per ONE cookie? Plz reply. Otherwise, thank u for the recipe.
Christel Oerum
If you make 12 cookies each cookie will have 140 calories
Love
Your recipe calls for vanilla essence, but your video shows vanilla extract. Are the amounts the same?
Tobias Oerum
Good catch, we hadn’t even noticed ourselves. Vanilla extract tastes a little stronger than vanilla essence but you can use the same amounts without any problems.
kevin
so good—and easy!
Randy Leal
Wow just wow, so simple to make yet so delicious! I wish you allowed photos, I am going to give these out to my family for Christmas too?? They came out perfect but remember you have to Wait the 25min before eating or they fall apart. After we waited the 25min and let me tell you it was the longest 25min and my family were in line counting every second lol. Well worth the wait?
Christel Oerum
Yay, so glad to hear that they were a success with the whole family
kimberly pleasant
Can I use splenda and do I still grind it? if not do i still use same measurments?
Christel Oerum
If the product you use is larger crystals I’d recommend grinding them and I’d use the same measurement
Paula Sitter
As each person goes thru diabetes separately, no 2 are alike. I use Splenda Naturals where it calls for sugar. SEA Salt where it asks for salt. When it asks for brown sugar, i use either molasses, or Kitchen Bouquet Browning or seasoning sauce, its loaded with veggies. Since i stopped all sugars, ive dropped my A1c to 6.4, and started walking. At 66.5 years old, I’ve lost 45 pounds and kept it off. Instead of bread, i use Keto tortillas, Flat bread, Flapjakes, or crepes. Or you can make a thin pancake, with any flavors you like. I use Kodiak cakes gluten free mix. Amazon or Ebay, Splenda Naturals, doesn’t cause any other problems. Its a combo of erythritol and Stevia extract Reb D. No aftertaste and you can cut the sugar amount from cups down to 1/2 tspn or so. Remember Stevia is more powerful than sugar. So you dont need as much. Crazy Richard’s Peanut butter, found at Kroger’s is 100% peanuts, no extra oil. Enjoy and remember we all have a sweet tooth, Do everything in moderation.
Lorayne Lunsford
I’m confused, how can you make these peanut butter cookies sugar free when the peanut butter has sugar in it?
Christel Oerum
If you buy regular unsweetened (no sugar added) peanut butter it should not have anything but peanuts and maybe a little salt listed in the ingredients
Mary Brown
I made this recipe using Splenda. It made 20 cookies, with the end ones a little smaller. They were very tasty and held together well after cooling for the stated time. Recipe was quick, easy, and results very good. My husband liked them and he won’t eat any sugar free desserts!
Christel Oerum
Excellent!
Susan Marie Rogers
These cookies are the best peanut butter cookies I have truly ever eaten! And let me tell you, I have eaten my share of anything Peanutbutter
Linda Lafayette
Is any form of flour used in this receipt?
Christel Oerum
If you scroll down to the end of the page you can see the ingredients used. No flour is used for this recipe