Keto Peanut Butter Cookies with Almond Flour
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 08/13/2018 - Last updated on 05/15/2023
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These Keto Peanut Butter Cookies with almond flour are crunchy cookies perfect for a vegan keto diet because they don’t have any eggs or dairy!
Bonus, these cookies contain only 7 ingredients. So they are the easiest peanut butter cookies to fix a sweet craving in no time.
What Are Keto Peanut Butter Cookies?
Keto Peanut Butter Cookies are low-carb cookies made with 3 main ingredients: Peanut Butter, Almond Flour, and a sugar-free sweetener.
They are low in carbs with less than 4.4 grams of net carbs per large cookie and are easy to store.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
Everybody agrees that low-carb cookies are the absolute best snack on a keto diet, it’s easy to make, and delicious to eat. Not a single week should go by without eating a cookie.
Nut butter cookies are delicious, in particular any cookie with peanut butter!
This particular Keto Peanut Butter Cookie recipe makes the best cookies.
They are:
- Keto
- Dairy-Free
- Egg-Free
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter cookies are straightforward to make, and one of the easiest keto cookie recipes I have!
All you need are 7 simple ingredients for the most delicious crunchy vanilla peanut butter cookies.
Ingredients
- Almond Flour – I prefer using blanched ultra-fine almond flour instead of almond meal. It has a finer texture, and it works better in this recipe. Are almond flour recipes keto? If used with other keto-friendly ingredients, absolutely!
- Natural Peanut Butter – Yes, peanut butter is keto-friendly! Always make sure you use unsweetened and fresh peanut butter. An old peanut butter jar tends to dry out and would not make as delicious cookies. You can either use salted peanut butter or unsalted peanut butter. If you use salted peanut butter, don’t add extra salt to this recipe.
- Coconut Oil – I use unrefined coconut oil. Feel free to use refined coconut oil if you don’t like coconut flavor.
- Baking Soda
- Salt – optional, only if your peanut butter is unsalted.
- Sugar-free Crystal Sweetener – I used erythritol in this recipe. Feel free to replace it with monk fruit sugar if preferred. Both options are 100% sugar-free and have no carbs. If you are paleo, coconut sugar will work but the recipe won’t be low carb anymore!
- Xanthan Gum – optional but recommended to make sure the cookies hold any time!
Instructions
These cookies are very simple to make.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine them with a spatula.
- Divide the dough into 8 cookie dough balls that you flatten with forks by making a criss-cross pattern on a piece of parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes on a cookie tray.
- Cool them down for another 10 minutes on a cookie sheet and another 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
Expert Tips
Following are my tips to make the most delicious sugar-free peanut butter cookies:
- Follow the baking time. It takes 10 minutes, not more. The cookies will be very soft and will look undercooked, and that is what you want!
- Cool them down for 10 minutes on the cooking tray. Please don’t touch them. Start your timer and wait 10 full minutes. Now they are half hard.
- Cool them down for 10 minutes on the cooling rack. Transfer each cookie gently to a cooling rack by sliding a spatula under the cookie. Wait for another 10 minutes and let the magic happens!
Your keto peanut butter cookies with almond flour are now crunchy, buttery, and delicious!
So now, let me know what you think of these easy low-carb peanut butter cookies?
You can also use some vanilla essence or vanilla extract for a delicious vanilla taste.
Storage Instructions
These cookies can store really well as long as you follow some basic principles.
You can keep them for at least 3 weeks in a sealed jar, kept in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Heat, moisture, and air would oxidize and degrade the taste of these cookies. But if you store them sealed, they will taste delicious for longer.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in individual ziplock bags or in small airtight containers. Again, try to remove as much air as possible to reduce the moisture. Thaw them in the fridge, or pop them in a toaster or oven to reheat.
Allergy Swaps
If you are allergic to any of the ingredients, you can do the following swaps.
- Almond Flour: you can substitute almond flour for oatmeal or sunflower seed flour. Do not use coconut flour or flaxseed meal, they are too moisture-absorbent due to their higher fiber content.
- Erythritol: you can replace the erythritol with any other crystal sweetener such as allulose, tagatose, or coconut sugar (if not keto). Do not use Monk fruit extract, Stevia extract, or any liquid sweetener.
- Peanut Butter: if you are allergic to peanuts, you can swap the peanut butter for any other seed butter or nut butter such as Almond Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, or Cashew butter. Make sure to use a fresh jar of natural nut or seed butter so it’s runny. Do not use Crunchy Peanut Butter or any peanut butter that has sugar as an ingredient.
- Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is optional in this recipe. It helps make the cookie hold together, but you can do without it. Do not use a flaxseed egg instead, it would make the dough too wet.
- Coconut Oil: You can pick any other oil with a high-enough smoke point, like avocado oil but the cookies will taste different (a bit like avocado).
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Carbs Are In Keto Peanut Butter Cookies?
These peanut butter cookies are made with only keto-friendly ingredients and come at 4.3 grams of net carbs each.
Peanut butter is a good keto-friendly ingredient as it contains only 1.4 grams of net carbs per serving of two tablespoons!
However, store-bought peanut butter is not always made with only peanuts. In doubt, you can always make your own peanut butter. It’s effortless and rapid!
This recipe is also made with Almond Flour, and it is one of my favorite keto-friendly flours with only 10.6 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. Compare this with regular wheat flour that tops up at 75 grams of net carbs per 100 grams!
All this makes these Peanut Butter Cookies a great keto-friendly snack!
How Do They Taste?
So now you wonder what makes these keto peanut butter cookies so special? Well, compared to regular cookies, they will be super soft when out of the oven.
Like really soft! You might even think that they are undercooked. And you will think there is NO way this recipe will harden and works! But it does.
These cookies are egg-free and need more cooling time than baking time to become crunchy and delicious.
Can I make different flavors?
The best way to tune the flavor of these cookies is to add sugar-free chocolate chips to make perfect peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Are these cookies gluten-free?
Yes, these cookies are 100% gluten-free, made with only low-carb ingredients.
More Keto Almond Flour Cookies
If you like keto recipes with almond flour like these peanut butter cookies, check out these other keto almond flour recipes that make cookies just as delicious as this one!
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Keto Peanut Butter Cookies with Almond Flour
Ingredients
- ½ cup Natural Peanut Butter unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil melted
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sweetener no Xylitol, they won't firm up!
- 1 cup Almond Flour I used blanched fine almond flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt optional. Use only if your peanut butter is unsalted
- ½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum optional but highly recommended to prevent the cookies from falling apart
Instructions
- Preheat the oven using the fan-bake mode to 350°F (180°C).
- Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients: peanut butter, melted coconut oil, erythritol, almond meal, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and vanilla essence.
- Combine with a spatula until it forms a thick cookie dough.
- Divide the dough into 8 large cookies (or 12 smaller cookies).
Bake the cookies
- Place each cookie ball on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with your hand palm, then use a fork to flatten more and create a lovely fork print on top of your peanut butter cookies. Those cookies won't expand while baking, so there is no need to leave more than half a thumb space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the sides are golden. The cookies look uncooked, they are VERY soft after baking, and that is what you want!
Cooldown 10 minutes on the cookie tray
- Remove the tray from the oven and let cool down for at least 10 minutes on the tray, at room temperature. I know this isn't easy to believe they will harden, but they will! Don't touch them. Just let the magic happens.
Cooldown 10 minutes on the cooling rack
- Now, the cookies are a bit harder but still soft, so carefully slide a spatula under each cookie and transfer them one by one onto a cookie rack to cool down for 10 more minutes. Trust me. It is worth waiting for! I know it smells good, but wait for the magic to happen.
- After 20 minutes, the cookies are ready to eat, but if you love them crunchy, wait until they reach room temperature – should not take more than 20 more minutes. They will end up very crunchy, hard, and buttery.
- Store in a cookie jar – glass or metal – for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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CookiesDisclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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If you were going to use regular sugar, how much would you put in? Same amount?
I never use regular sugar, I guess the same amount will work but the cookie will be crispier as regular sugar melt into a caramel in baking. Enjoy the cookies, XOXO Carine.
Can I use almond butter instead?
I should work yes! Enjoy the recipe. XOXO Carine.
Just made these, they have been out of the oven for 15 minutes and half of them ate gone. Hands down, the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. Making more batches now! Thank you.
Aamzing! I love to read that. Thanks so much for trying my recipes. Have a lovely time on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Hello Carine,
is it possible to substitute the almond flour with oat flour or any other kind?
Thank you!
Hello! I did not try this option, I know by experience that sub almond flour for oat flour works really well but as I did not try I don’t like to say yes. Let me know if you give this a go! It is a healthy alternative as well. XOXO Carine.
The flovar of these cookies were amazing but unfortunately they were so fragile I couldn’t even pick one up without it crumbling to pieces. I followed the cooking and cooling times exactly as you stated. Would adding an egg help them hold together better? Thanks!
They are fragile but they firm up very well if you use the exact same ingredients and follow the cooling steps. May I ask if you change any ingredient? I did not try the recipe with an egg as my husband is vegan and it is what I make for him very often. It always come out great in my kitchen so I am very sorry to hear you had trouble with this recipe and I would love to help you out. Let me know, XOXO Carine.
Hey Carine,
Do you have any suggestions on how to alter the recipe to incorporate eggs and butter? I saw in a previous comment that you mentioned the eggs and butter can overpower the peanut butter taste if the proper quantities are not used. I understand this is intended to be a vegan recipe but I am just trying to go low carb at the time.
Thanks!
Hi! I did not made those cookies with eggs or butter but keep in mind that those are keto cookies! They may not have butter or eggs but they have all the fat, few carbs and perfect for the low carb diet. Of course, they are also vegan but that is just a plus. It will be a very different recipes if you alter it that way, you will probably don’t even need almond flour at all! I am so sorry I can’t provide much more options for you. I hope this answer your questions. Enjoy the low carb recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Hi, getting ready to make these. Hubby is type2 diabetic and likes crispy pb cookies. By fan bake, do you mean convect? Thanks!
Yes fan bake is convection ! I hope you guys like it. Enjoy the sugar free recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Thank you for all these wonderful recipes that are helping me through gestational diabetes.
Question- some of the nutrition panels are not showing up on some recipes like this one. Is this a problem on my side or is the recipe missing it?
And can xylitol be used instead?
You are probably using an ad blocker on your device and that is why it may not show. I can see it properly on my side, make sure you also scroll down after the recipe box to see it. Yes, any kind of sugar free crystal sweetener works, use your favorite one. XOXO Carine.
Hey Carine,
I made your peanut butter cookies last night and they are amazing. I really appreciate your step by step details. Working with new flours can be difficult, so I appreciate the tips and tricks. I’m excited to try your other Keto recipes.
Thanks!
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl! Thank you so much for this lovely message. I do take extra care to describe every little steps because as you said, baking with low carb flour is tricky! I hope you will try even more recipes on the blog. Enjoy my little place. XOXO Carine.
Peanut butter flavor was almost non existent. Followed recipe with just two tweaks. Used butter versus coconut oil and added an egg for a binder. Suggestions??
Hello, this recipe intend to be vegan, so you shouldn’t add an egg at all, it is not required to bind the ingredients. Also butter and eggs have very empowering flavors compared to unrefined coconut oil which has no coconut flavor. I guess that is why your adaptation changed the cookie flavor so much. Try to follow the recipe as describe on the blog and I am sure you will love the peanut butter flavor of those cookies. Enjoy the recipes. XOXO Carine.
Hi Carine, I used salted butter in place of the coconut oil and they turned out perfect. One point though, you say unrefined coconut oil has no coconut flavour when in fact I am certain it is refined coconut oil that has no coconut flavour. I bought some refined coconut oil to try it.
Hi, I am glad to here that the recipe works well with salted butter as well You are right it is refined coconut oil that has no flavor. I will update my post it is a mistake ! Enjoy the recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
I don’t get it. I followed the recipe but used sugar for the sweetener. The cookies are too fragile and fall apart, plus they taste like halvah. How can I fix this? Thanks! Wendy
You should not use sugar, this is a sugar free recipe and it may be the reason why this doesn’t work. I don’t eat sugar so I am not sure how much you should use but it explain why the recipe is not working. XOXO Carine.
I made this according to the recipe and the cookies tasted great, but were very crumbly. I’m thinking about adding a binder, but instead of an egg, I was thinking about a flax seed/water mixture. My thought is that it will help, but shouldn’t change the flavor profile. Thoughts?
Did you cool down the cookies for 20 minutes as mentioned? I did not try adding a flax egg but it should help with the texture if you encounter some issue. It should not change the flavor. Enjoy the recipe . XOXO Carine.
Well, apologies for my previous comment. Followed recipe to the mark. Results? Amazing! What can I say, I’m a typical man. Directions are only a guideline. This is now a staple sweet for us. Peanut butter flavor came through great!!
No problem! I admire a man cooking, I wish my husband bake too. haha. Thank you so much for trying the recipe again and sharing such a lovely feedback . Have a lovely time on the blog. Enjoy the cookies. XOXO Carine.
Delicious and easy to make! I added a few Lillys chocolate chips too
I agree, it is always better with chocolate chips ! Thanks so much for the lovely comment and for trying my recipes. Enjoy the blog. XOXO Carine.
Hi there 🙂 these look divine. Do you think that I could use Stevia liquid instead as the sweetener?
Hi can you use xylitol ?
Sure, any sugar free sweetener are working well in this recipe. I don’t really like Xylitol in high amount because I found it has a minty aftertaste but if it is your favorite sugar free sweetener go for it! Enjoy the recipe. XOXO Carine.
Xylitol raises your blood sugar 70% as much as sugar, so if you are keto, I wouldn’t advise it. Golden Monkfruit is my favorite in this recipe.
Xylitol has a low glycemic index. I work with diabetic patients and many of them successfully use xylitol to control their blood sugar and still enjoy sweet treats. Please do no spread misinformation like this because it could have serious effects on some people.
This information is easily obtained through many credible sources online.
Hi, first of all I am not saying that Xylitol is not ok for diabetic. Indeed, it has a low GI of around 15 compared to 0 for Erythritol, which is very low compared to regular sugar and stay safe for anyone looking for controlling their blood sugar level. However, Xylitol has gut side effets (bloating mainly like Maltitol) and that is the main reason why I don’t use it on my recipe. My recipes will work with Xylitol if anyone prefer this sweetener.
I never use or recommend Xylitol in my recipes as it has a higher glycaemic index (GI=15) than erythritol (GI=0). I always recommend Monk fruit crystal sweetener or erythritol, both don’t raise blood sugar level and they don’t have impact on your gut health (no bloating reported in studies compared to Xylitol). Enjoy the recipe. XOXO Carine.
That is a tricky question … I did not try myself so hate to say yes when I am unsure. The sugar free crystal sweetener is adding some bulk texture to those cookies so I am worried that liquid stevia will left the dough too soft, you may have to balance with extra almond flour to get the right texture. Let me know if you try something. Thanks for reading the blog and trying some of my sugar free treat recipes. XOXO Carine.