Cream cheese adds an incredible tenderness to these Keto Peanut Butter Cookies. They’re chewy and sweet, and packed full of amazing peanut butter flavor!
Have you ever made keto peanut butter cookies with cream cheese? Let me just cut to the chase. Run to your kitchen right now and make these. You won’t regret it!
I’ve come to the conclusion that there are about a bajillion different ways to make peanut butter cookies. And every recipe you see claims that it’s THE BEST EVER. Well I am not going to make that claim here.
That doesn’t mean these keto peanut butter cookies aren’t spectacular. They are, they truly are. But I already have a number of other recipes that I also think are truly spectacular. They’re all a little different and which one I think is THE BEST depends on so many factors. Like what I am craving at the moment and how much work I want to put in.
Today, we celebrate the deliciousness that is Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookies.
So many awesome keto cookie recipes
What other peanut butter cookie recipes have I already made? Let’s take a little trip down keto cookie memory lane. I’ve got…
- Copycat Do-si-dos (or Pirate Cookies, if you’re Canadian!)
- Keto Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Peanut Butter Cookies for Two
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles
- Chocolate Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
Wow, that’s a lot of keto peanut butter cookies! And that’s not even including recipes that are in my cookbooks and on other sites I write for. What can I say? Peanut butter and cookies together make me extremely happy.
Cream cheese in cookies?
Adding cream cheese to cookie dough is nothing new. Most cookie recipes call for butter, but cream cheese makes an excellent replacement.
And it can really take your cookies over the top. It adds so much in terms of both taste and texture. Cream cheese cookies are softer, puffier, and slightly chewier. They also have a little tanginess that’s lacking in butter-based cookies.
In some cases, it can even replace the eggs. I have some gorgeous Keto Chocolate Peppermint Cookies that are completely egg-free.
How to make Keto Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookies
You will need:
- Creamy natural peanut butter: Preferably the kind without a lot of oil on top, and that’s already thick and rich. I like Justin’s or the Thrive Market Brand. O Organics at Safeway carries a good one as well. If you do have a thinner kind, you may find you need to use a little more flour to get a proper cookie dough.
- Softened cream cheese: It’s vital that it’s properly softened so that it creams well into the peanut butter. You should be able to gently stick a finger into it and leave an indent.
- Keto brown sugar replacement: I recommend Swerve Brown because it is hands down the most like real brown sugar. You could use the granular instead. You can use any granulated sweetener here but do be forewarned that allulose and BochaSweet will make your cookies VERY soft.
- Large egg: Despite the cream cheese, this is not an egg-free cookie this time! The egg helps hold everything together.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond flour: If you need to be nut-free, try replacing it with sunflower seed flour. You will need to add a tablespoon of lemon juice to offset the green reaction that sometimes occurs between sunflower seed flour and baking soda.
- Baking soda
- Salt
The method:
This is a standard method for making peanut butter cookies. You first beat the wet ingredients together, and then beat in the dry ingredients.
Then you simply roll it into balls and press them down. If you want the classic peanut butter cookie look, use a fork to make a cross hatch on the top of each cookie.
To dip or not to dip?
You may be aware that I have an obsession with peanut butter and chocolate together. So I couldn’t help myself but dip some of the cookies into dark chocolate and sprinkle a little sea salt on top. You could use any good keto friendly chocolate, like ChocZero.
Do be aware that the chocolate adds to the carb and calorie count. So while the serving size for the plain version is 2 cookies, the chocolate dipped version is 1 cookie.
Either way you do it, these are delicious!
How to store keto peanut butter cookies
I typically store cookies on the counter in a covered container, as I prefer them room temperature. They will last up to 5 days, if you can keep your kids or significant others from devouring them all!
Refrigerated, they should last at least a week. They can also be frozen for for two to three months. I recommend freezing them before you dip them in chocolate, if you plan to go that route.
More delicious keto peanut butter recipes
- Keto Peanut Butter Fudge
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pizza
- Easy Keto Peanut Butter Mousse
- Peanut Butter Popsicles
- Low Carb Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- Keto Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup Swerve Brown
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Chocolate Dip
- 4 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- ¼ ounce cocoa butter
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the sweetener, then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- All at once, add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until the dough is cohesive.
- Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls, and press down with the palm of your hand to about ½ inch thick. Use a fork to make a cross hatch pattern across the top.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool completely on the pan. They will still be very soft when they come out of the oven.
Optional Chocolate Dip
- In a heatproof bowl set over a bowl of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together until smooth.
- Dip one end of each cookie in the chocolate. Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before you do this or they may crumble!
- Set the dipped cookies on a waxed paper lined tray. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if desired. Refrigerate until set.
Notes
Total fat: 9.82g
Carbohydrate: 4.92g
Total dietary fiber: 1.85g Protein: 3.57g
Debra says
I love this recipe! I added some nuts to it this time. Had to make a double batch this time. so good!
Janice says
I have finally found a gf peanut butter cookie recipe that tastes good and is chewy. Plus the added bonus of low sugar. My husband is so glad I found it! Thank you.
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Gary says
The dough tasted great raw, but it seemed too moist. I followed instructions exactly. Baked and they sort of blobbed out and became one large cream cheese peanut butter cookie with only a slight distinction between each them as possible cookies. I was surprised there wasn’t a step to refrigerate the dough for a while until it became more firm and easier to roll into balls. As followed for the recipe cookie batter, the dough was too soft. I had to use a tablespoon as a scooper to get the dough onto the baking sheet. Baked on parchment. Next time, I’ll refrigerate the dough for 1/2 hour or hour to firm it up.
Carolyn says
Sounds like you didn’t have enough flour. No one else has had this issue and there is no need to refrigerate the dough in this recipe. If you can’t roll the dough into balls… then it IS too soft and you should add more flour.
Ralph H says
only the second time I’ve tried to bake peanut butter cookies. These turned out fantastic. I will be making these again. I used dairy free cream cheese as i have an allergy.
Fredagh says
I normally add 1/4 cup of coconut flour at the end as it makes it easier to handle, and they turn out perfect! ????
Jeannie says
These were ok, not very sweet. I used granular monkfruit. If I made them again I would definitely add the dipping chocolate
Teresa Sims says
Can you make ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator? How long will they keep in int refrigerator or freezer?
Carolyn says
They should be fine in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for sevearl months.
Kristyn says
Yum!! Of course, my kids love the dipped version! Any way to get some chocolate. Peanut butter cookies are one of my favorites & I love that they are keto-friendly!
Eden says
These were fantastic! Loved the flavor and texture of these keto cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
Taylor says
These were DELICIOUS! So tender with an amazing peanut butter flavor. Will definitely make again and double the batch to have extras!
Fonda Carver says
I just made these cookies and they are cooling. I can’t wait to try them. You’re right though, it’s hard to wait on them to cool. I’m getting very impatient!
Annie Kearsley-Pratt says
I made these using almond butter to reduce omega-6 FAs. They are hands down the best tasting, best textured nut cookie I have EVER made! Carolyn, thank you yet again for providing us the fruits of your hard labour. It is very much appreciated. They freeze exceptionally well too.
Joan says
Hi Carolyn,
I love all things peanut butter and love your recipes….
What would you say is the crispiest peanut butter cookie you’ve created?
Carolyn says
Nope… these aren’t crispy at all, nor are they meant to be.
Bev says
I’ve searched to find this answer, but when using brown sugar Swerve, do you pack it in the up like you do measuring real brown sugar? It says “measure for measure”, and I’m not sure if I should pack it or not. Thanks
Carolyn says
It packs itself! It’s not an easy scoop and measure kind of sweetener. So I always say “lightly pack”. Don’t press it in there but just let it pack itself.
Sherma Lewis says
I will definitely make these cookies again! They are firm enough on the surface to handle easily, yet soft and moist on the inside. I chose to dip them halfway in Lily’s milk chocolate, as suggested, and the result was so beautiful and scrumptious! I ran out of the dipping chocolate leaving a few cookies naked, but they were delicious without the dip. My husband was worried that these cookies were not keto because they tasted so good.
Carolyn says
thanks!
carol walter says
I will be making these often. They are awesome and the taste is awesome. I used pure erythritol and crunchy peanut butter. Oh My? Just like the “real” thing, but with a liitle different flavor, not too sweet, and just right. I didn’t get the chocolate coating on them. That would have been awesome. I am thinking about adding choc chips to the remaining dough, but they really don’t need anything extra. Thank you Carolyn. Another A+ for you,.