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. You can fill them with chocolate, like my Keto Peanut Butter Blossoms. Or turn them into sandwich cookies like my Keto Do-si-dos.
Or you can cut down the recipe wayyyy down and make low carb peanut butter cookies for two. There really is no wrong answer here. Each of these recipes is delicious in its own special way.
So today, we celebrate the special magic that is Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookies!
Why this recipe is so awesome
Adding cream cheese to cookie dough is nothing new, and lots of recipes call for it in addition to butter. But for these keto peanut butter cookies, it replaces the butter entirely.
And it really makes them extra special. Cream cheese adds so much in terms of both taste and texture. These cookies are softer, puffier, and slightly chewier than their butter-based counterparts. They also have just a hint of tanginess that other cookies lack.
I have used cream cheese in other recipes like Keto Gingerbread Cake and Keto Strawberry Scones, and I am always impressed by the tenderness it adds to baked goods. So why not for cookies too?
You can whip up these keto cookies in less than half an hour. And they have only 4.3g net carbs per serving. It’s up to you whether you want to dip them in chocolate!
Reader Reviews
“These are the best keto peanut butter cookies I have made. The taste and texture are what I expect in a peanut butter cookie. I made them with chunky peanut butter, because I just don’t get creamy-style. The few remaining have been in my counter-top cookie jar for three days, and seem to get better each day. Thanks, Carolyn, for another excellent recipe.” — Patricia
“Made these exactly as you said and they were great! Did not do the chocolate because I love a classic peanut butter cookie. Thanks for giving the oven tips about them being softer when pulled from the oven but not to worry….I let them cool and were perfect! Excited to try some of your other cookies soon….just saw one pop up for a ginger snap! Yay! Thanks for all of your hard work to bring us amazing recipes 😁” –Melissa
“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.” — Janice
Ingredients you need
- Creamy natural peanut butter: I recommend a brand that isn’t too oily that’s already thick and rich. I am a huge fan of Santa Cruz organic peanut butter.
- 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.
- Brown sugar replacement: I still like to use Swerve Brown because it is the most like real brown sugar. You can use any granulated sweetener here but do be forewarned that using mostly allulose may cause them to darken a lot during baking.
- Large egg: The egg helps hold everything together. Make sure it’s room temperature before adding it in.
- 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.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, baking soda and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Combine the wet ingredients: 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.
2. Add the dry ingredients: All at once, add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until the dough is cohesive.
3. Form the cookies: Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place on a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 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.
4. Bake the cookies: Bake at 350ºF for 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.
5. Melt the chocolate (optional step): In a heatproof bowl set over a bowl of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together until smooth.
6. Dip the cookies (optional step): 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.
Expert tips
Do be aware that dipping the cookies in 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.
Sweetener options: You could probably use just about any sweetener you like, including pure stevia or monk fruit. How much you need of these concentrated sweeteners depends on the brand, so check the label or the website.
Do keep in mind that using just allulose will likely cause the cookies to darken considerably more. Keep your eye on the bottom of the cookies too!
Got a peanut allergy? Some of my readers made these cookies using almond butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try to choose an all-natural peanut butter without any added sugars. As long as it’s made with just peanuts and salt, and possibly oil, it’s a decent choice. My favorites include Santa Cruz Peanut Butter and Wild Friends Peanut Butter.
This keto peanut butter cookie recipe has 6.1g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.3g net carbs for 2 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 like this. In the refrigerator, 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.
Related recipes
Keto Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup Swerve Brown
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Optional Chocolate Dip
- 4 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 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 1/2 inch balls, and press down with the palm of your hand to about 1/2 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
Nutrition
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I made these cookies and my diabetic husband loved them. Yesterday I used a thin layer of the dough to make a pre-baked pie shell for a keto lemon chiffon pie – and loved it. A tasty, tender crust. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you think you could use peanut flour instead of almond flour?
No, unfortunately. Peanut flour has much of the fat removed, making it very powdery and dry. So it requires a completely different treatment than almond flour. These would be tough and crumbly with peanut flour.
Really good. I did add 1-2 T of coconut flour to hold the mixture together. I also added sugar-free chocolate chips instead of dipping in chocolate. They turned out great! These freeze well, too. Thank you!
This simple recipe saved me. Am at our cabin, without my usual tools and ingredients, but requested to bring dessert to a casual evening of dinner and games. Even our rural stores had these ingredients, and happily I had a couple of silicone mats I could use on baking pans. I too used crunch peanut butter and threw in some SF chocolate chips, as cocoa butter was nowhere to be found for dipping. I was lacking vanilla extract, but the maple flavoring in the cabinet worked quite well. These are SO GOOD!
I am so glad!
I love this recipe! I added some nuts to it this time. Had to make a double batch this time. so good!
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.
So glad you like it!
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.
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.
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.
I normally add 1/4 cup of coconut flour at the end as it makes it easier to handle, and they turn out perfect! ????
These were ok, not very sweet. I used granular monkfruit. If I made them again I would definitely add the dipping chocolate
Can you make ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator? How long will they keep in int refrigerator or freezer?
They should be fine in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for sevearl months.
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!
These were fantastic! Loved the flavor and texture of these keto cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
These were DELICIOUS! So tender with an amazing peanut butter flavor. Will definitely make again and double the batch to have extras!
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!
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.
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?
Nope… these aren’t crispy at all, nor are they meant to be.
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
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.
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.
thanks!
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,.