These keto peanut butter cups feature a sugar free chocolate shell and a rich, creamy peanut butter center. They’re delicious and easy, so whip up a batch today!
Eat them plain or use them as garnish on keto peanut butter pie. Sweet and delicious.
Peanut butter is my Achilles heel. It’s my weakness, my downfall, my greatest temptation. And peanut butter cups have long been one of my favorite candies.
Thank heavens for these keto peanut butter cups so I can indulge without risk. I’ve been making these sugar free treats for about as long as I’ve been low carb. And they’ve saved me many a time when I needed a sweet bite to keep me on track.
My kids love them too and since they’re so easy to make. Along with my keto peanut butter fudge, we have them around almost constantly.
Why make your own keto peanut butter cups?
I created this recipe back in 2012 because I had no other option. At that time, you couldn’t buy good quality sugar free peanut butter cups like Lily’s or ChocZero. And I do believe I may have been the first person to make them.
But now that there are several good storebought options, why bother making your own? I have two reasons for you: cost and availability.
The pre-packaged cups cost about $1 per cup. My recipe makes 16 to 18 cups and comes out to less than 60 cents per cup!
Additionally, not everyone has access to Lily’s or ChocZero, whereas almost all of us can get our hands on some sugar free chocolate, peanut butter, and a little sweetener.
And I am one of those weirdos who takes pleasure in making things from scratch. If you are too, then I highly recommend having some fun with this.
How to make keto peanut butter cups
You will need:
- Candy molds – I recommend these ones because they are the exact same size as the storebought keto peanut butter cups.
- Sugar free chocolate
- Cocoa butter or coconut oil
- Peanut butter
- Butter
- Powdered or liquid sweetener
- Vanilla extract
Method
- Melt the chocolate. As always, I recommend doing this double boiler style to avoid seizing. Adding a little cocoa butter or coconut oil also helps thin the chocolate coating.
- Coat the candy molds. You want to use a little over half the chocolate to coat the bottom and sides of each cup.
- Freeze the molds. You want that first later of chocolate to firm up properly.
- Make the peanut butter filling. Simply melt some peanut butter and butter together, stir in some sweetener, and fill each cup almost to the top.
- Freeze the molds again to firm up the filling.
- Top with the remaining chocolate. Then freeze or refrigerate until firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
You bet! Any nut or seed butter will work here, including my Homemade Keto Nutella.
The filling for these keto peanut butter cups can be made with any sweetener, but it’s important to use powdered or liquid sweeteners to avoid grittiness.
That’s an easy switch. Be sure to use keto dark chocolate and swap the butter for coconut oil or palm shortening.
Yes but I want to caution you that the white chocolate doesn’t always melt that well and can seize very easily. Watch it carefully and stir constantly.
Yes you can. If you are using standard muffin cups, they will be larger and you will likely get only 12 cups. Only coat the sides with chocolate about 1/4 of the way up.
You can do that too but I recommend placing them into a muffin tin so that they hold their shape.
I have a solution for that! I used to make these keto peanut butter cups with a chocolate shell made from scratch. I have provided those directions in the recipe notes.
Storage instructions
I recommend storing these keto peanut butter cups in the fridge in a covered container, but letting them come to room temperature before serving.
Have some fun baking with keto peanut butter cups
Obviously, you can just eat them as is, but it’s fun to add them to other keto recipes too. Why not try:
- Keto Peanut Butter Cup Poke Cake
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza
- Keto Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Fudge
Keto Peanut Butter Cups Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Coating:
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) sugar free dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 ounce (14.17 g) cocoa butter, (or 2 tsp coconut oil)
Peanut Butter Filling:
- 1/2 cup (129 g) peanut butter
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together, stirring until smooth.
- Use the back of a small spoon to spread a little over half of the chocolate mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the candy molds. Freeze 10 minutes.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter and butter together on high in 30 second increments, stirring until smoth. Whisk in the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
- Remove the chocolate cups from freezer and fill almost to the top with the peanut butter mixture, leaving enough space to cover with remaining chocolate. Return to freezer for another 10 minutes or so.
- Rewarm the remaining chocolate gently over low heat and stir until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter filling to the sides of each cup. Chill until set, 20 minutes.
Notes
-
¼ cup butter
-
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
-
1/4 cup powdered Swerve
-
2 tbsp cocoa powder
-
1/2 tsp vanilla extractIn a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, unsweetened chocolate and sweetener together, stirring until smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder and vanilla.Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until somewhat thickened, the proceed as directed.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
I’ve made this recipe about 10 times for my husband. It has evolved that I use Lily’s chocolate chips and I’ve stopped adding the cocoa butter. They were just too hard, even with half the cocoa butter. I bought/used the Wild brand. Without it, in the fridge, the cups still hold together well and the Lily’s chocolate is very firm, if not hard. We leave some out at room tmperature overnight, the chocolate softens, and has very nice texture which holds together well.
these look so darn addictive but hey! at least they are healthy 😉
These look so tasty and delicious!
Those look fabulous, I can’t wait to try them!
I can’t wait to try this!
I love making homemade peanut butter cups. They taste so much better!
So excited to find this recipe, now I can enjoy my favorite candy again without so much sugar!
I can’t use peanut butter, possibly bc of mold issues… but when I sub in cashew butter IT TASTES LIKE COOKIE DOUGH!!! I added a bit more of the dairy-free butter to soften it. (Dairy allergy too)
Thank you for these, treats help me stay the course!
These are a staple in my house – so yummy! I’m wondering if there’s a way to make the chocolate less dark and more ‘milk’ like? Perhaps more cacao butter and Swerve? Not everyone in the family is a fan of dark chocolate.
These are SO delicious. I wanted to pass along though that the net carbs (if you use the ingredients you suggest; subtract fiber; do NOT subtract the erythritol) is actually close to 10g. Jsut worthy of noting for people counting their macros.
Thank you for the recipe!
You should absolutely be subtracting the erythritol, since it doesn’t affect blood sugar at all for most people. I see this first hand since I test my blood sugar regularly. It’s the only sugar alcohol that has almost zero carb impact.
I made these the other day, and they were delicious! I used crunchy peanut butter, and couldn’t find cocoa butter so ended up using coconut butter. I bought some cocoa butter online today so I can follow the recipe precisely next time. With that said, it was delicious, and I have been trying sooo hard to save one to give to someone that I won’t see until Wednesday… I hope just one survives, they’ve been such a hit at home, who knows!
Thanks so much for adding in how to make the chocolate shell by hand if sugar free chocolate is not available, We live in a rural area. This recipe has added to my 9 year old son’s quality of life so very much dealing with the disease of childhood diabetes. He can eat this treat and no extra pokes for blood sugar or extra shot needed. Just great blood sugar control. God bless you!
So glad to hear it, Marie. I hope you will read this post that I just put up for Diabetes Awareness Month! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/donating-diabetes-awareness-month/
Birthday cake idea … made for my 11 year old…. make recipe in a 9 by 13 pan,,, ist layer pb and second layer chocolate. Top with birthday candles! 🙂
These look awesome!!
fabulous as always! Carolyn you have set yourself apart as THE go to person when I need a recipe for just about anything. I also used Almond Butter (Justin’s) because I believe the nutritional value of almonds is way better than peanuts. The addition of butter and vanilla just takes it over the top. So delicious!
Thanks so much, Wren!
I’m searching through your comments but haven’t seen exactly what I’m looking for, sorry if it’s been asked already!
Can I swap the butter for coconut oil and peanut butter for sunbutter?? My son is allergic to dairy & peanuts and I’m LCHF t1 diabetic! Looking for a shared treat :-P!
yes and yes!
Thank you for this question/answer post! I want to make this with either sun butter or almond butter and NO dairy due to same allergies. <3