These easy keto peanut butter bars are the ultimate low carb treat! They are completely sugar free and grain free, and my kids swear they taste like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Trigger warning! If peanut butter is your kryptonite, you may just want to look away for a while. Because these keto peanut butter bars are bound to make you weak in the knees. They are no bake bars, and so easy to make, even your kids could do it on their own.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that peanut butter is my jam. I have so many delicious keto peanut butter recipes, and about a zillion ideas in my brain for more. I’m never ever going to stop making delicious sugar free treats with peanut butter. Never ever. Don’t even TRY to convince me otherwise.
Some of my most popular keto peanut butter desserts include: Keto Peanut Butter Brownies, Keto Peanut Butter Dirt Cake, and the brand new but insanely popular Keto Peanut Butter Pie.
My recipe for these no bake peanut butter bars has been around forever, almost from the moment I started blogging. It used to be part of a very old collaborative low carb cookbook, but I decided to share it on the blog back in January of 2016. And today, I decided to update it with a new new video.
So now I can show you just how insanely easy these are to make.
Is peanut butter keto?
This is a question I get from readers frequently. And it stems from a misunderstanding about what the keto diet really is.
The most basic definition is as follows: a keto diet is any diet that keeps you in ketosis. The food itself is not “keto” because anything in tiny quantities will not kick most people out of ketosis. This means that even a small bite of banana or potato could be part of a keto diet, if you really wanted to work it into your macros.
This is not something I really recommend, since tiny amounts of old high carb favorites are not very satisfying. They may also trigger cravings and you could easily find yourself overeating.
So why do some people say peanut butter is not keto? Because there are many specific keto “programs” and keto “coaches” that have approved and not approved food lists. And because peanuts are technically legumes similar to beans, some programs have put them on the naughty list.
There is nothing about the lowly peanut that makes it keto or not keto. It’s actually quite a low carb food choice. So if you are like me, and simply do keto your own way (which is whatever way that keeps you in ketosis), then peanuts and peanut butter can be part of your healthy diet.
I don’t recommend eating it by the spoonful or even eating it every day. But the occasional keto peanut butter treat is usually not a problem for most keto dieters.
How to make easy keto peanut butter bars
Did I mention how easy these no bake bars are to make? Yes? Well let me say it again: they are ridiculously easy. They take only 6 basic ingredients, and come to together in about 15 minutes.
My recipe for keto peanut butter bars takes peanut flour, and I get a number of questions about what that is and whether you can use other keto flours instead. Here’s what I can tell you:
- Peanut flour is a good choice for a number of reasons. Peanut flour is basically peanuts that have been roasted and ground to a fine powder, so it helps intensify the peanut butter flavor of the bars.
- The powdery consistency is what gives these bars their unique texture. The dough becomes like cookie dough and is soft enough to be pressed into a pan but firm enough that the bars are solid at room temperature.
- Peanut butter powder and PBFit are essentially the same thing and work just as well. Just make sure that whatever you choose, it does not contain any added sugars. The original PBFit has sugar, but there is also a sugar-free version made with monk fruit. This will make your bars sweeter so you may want to cut back on the powdered sweetener.
- You can use almond flour but it has a higher fat content than peanut flour, so you will need more of it to achieve the same dough-like texture. I actually recommend a combination of almond and coconut flour to get the right consistency: about 2 cups almond flour and ¼ cup coconut flour.
- You will know you have the right consistency, no matter what flour you use, when the dough holds together and really feels like cookie dough. Actually, the consistency is more like play dough. A big edible ball of low carb play dough!
How to store Keto Peanut Butter Bars
The great news is that because these bars have nothing in them that spoils easily, they can be made well in advance.
I recommend storing them in the fridge in a covered container, so that they don’t get overly soft. They do stay firm at room temperature for a few hours, if you don’t live in a hot climate. The chocolate topping could get mighty soft and melty in the summer!
They can last up to 3 weeks, if properly stored and refrigerated. To freeze, I would wrap up the bars tightly in plastic wrap, to avoid freezer burn. They can be frozen for several months.
Ready to make these delicious and easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars?
More keto recipes that use peanut flour
- Keto Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Keto Peanut Butter Cookies for Two
- Keto Peanut Butter Eggs
- Peanut Flour Cake
- Keto Peanut Butter Scones
Keto Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Bars:
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ¾ cup peanut butter melted
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener (more if you like it sweeter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups peanut flour the roasted, defatted variety
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Glaze:
- 3 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Peanut Butter Bars:
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with wax paper or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter, melted peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and salt. Stir in peanut flour until dough comes together (it will be like a dough, not like a batter).
- Press dough firmly and evenly into prepared baking pan. To really get it even, cover it with more wax paper or parchment paper and use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to press).
Chocolate Glaze:
- Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and add the chopped chocolate and butter. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Pour over bars and use a knife or offset spatula to spread to the edges. Refrigerate 1 hour until set.
Patricia says
I did not know what to expect when I saw the recipe for these bars and decided to make them. they are so ooy gooy good! It was like I was eating a Reece cup. The only thing my daughter and I did was double the recipe ???? these bars are so rich a small piece is all I need to knock my sweet tooth into the next millennium. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Linda says
These peanut butter bars are so good! I made them for Thanksgiving, but now I have to get them out of the house so that I can get back on track!!
Kathy Tilley says
Great recipe for a post dinner snack.
Kathy Tilley says
Made with almond and coconut flour.
Michele says
I was about to throw away my pb powder because it tastes horrible by itself…and then I found your recipe! Great tasting “Reese’s” pb bar!!
Tammy W says
I can’t wait to try these! I have a girlfriends weekend coming up and I want to make these for one of our desserts.
I don’t have the ability to get Peanut flour in time, is is possible to make it at home from Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts?
Jean Braten says
We just made some tonight!
They are our favorite treat!
Easy to make. Oh so delicious!
Petra says
I cannot get peanut butter flour in here (unless I grind roasted peanuts myself). Is there a chance to replace it with something else? Thank you, Petra
PJ says
It’s peanut butter flour/powered peanut butter. You should be about to buy it at your local grocery store. PB2 Fit is one brand I’ve seen the most often.
Petra says
Thank you, I will search specialized stores but not in local one.
Katie says
These bars are our go to recipe for a treat.
Tyra says
Absolutely love and have made many times.
Shelly Baker says
really hits the spot when you need a peanut butter cup, so easy too. I used a little more of the powdered swerve, but plan to increase it even more next time. I really like it sweet apparently <3
Barbara says
I love these! i cut the bars into 4’s for the perfect sweet bite!
Anthony says
Your first recipe for these bars recommended defatted peanut flour, the Protein Plus brand. I noticed you now recommend a different brand that doesn’t state it is defatted. I know the Protein Plus brand has been unavailable on Amazon for a while and that is probably why the switch. I was just wondering why a brand that is not defatted? Anthony’s brand has a defatted peanut flour, would that not be a better choice? I’ve made this recipe a few times and the bars are very good, especially for any peanut butter lover, like me.
Carolyn says
This brand may not specifically SAY defatted on it, but the fat count suggests that it is. And Anthony’s is, for some reason, much higher in carbs.
Elizabeth says
Yummy but then I drizzled some sugar-free caramel sauce (thickened) and some finely chopped peanuts on top of the chocolate. The serving pieces are smaller but it goes so well with an evening cup of tea.
Carolyn says
Sounds amazing!
Becky says
Super simple to make and are so good. I even took some to a friend that doesn’t eat low carb. She and her husband really liked them too.
SKB says
Im tired of recipes needing ingredients that aren’t normal and I have to go out and buy for this one recipe, then ending up not tasting good. Has the artificial after taste.
olivia says
you can’t expect a recipe with 5g of carbs, 150 calories, and 1g of sugar to taste the exact same as something with 24g of carbs, 210 calories, and 22g of sugar nor should you expect to have all the ingredients. actual reeses are artificial, not this recipe. the recipe is perfect, the taster is not.
Patricia says
MIC DROP!
Carolyn says
I take it that’s a good thing???
Patricia says
yes lol. that’s a good thing. you put her in her place. ????????????
Lorry Norton says
There is no artificial taste in this, because there’s nothing artificial in it. If it’s the peanut powder you’re referring to as something unusual, or hard to find, Carolyn says on her blog you can use a combination of almond and coconut flours. Those are readily available in most grocery stores.
Mariah says
Made these with half Bocha Sweet powdered & half Swerve Powdered to lower the sugar alcohol content and they were still fabulous! Simple and amazing recipe to have in your back pocket!
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Sean says
These were good. I used the wrong sweetener first but second try was great. Can you freeze these?
Monica says
Keep this in the fridge for my sweet tooth ????!!
R Schaefer says
Yummy! These bars were so easy to make even for a novice like me. Could not find peanut butter flour so used almond flour instead. My wife, my son and his girlfriend were all a bit skeptical as they took the first bite of their bar. To be honest so was I. What an amazing surprise. To say they taste exactly like peanut butter cups would be a stretch, but they are awfully close. We found them a little bit grainy or texture wise different. But once we got past the texture the taste wowed us. Would recommend these to anyone. My wife and I had just started a war 40 day sugar detox so these were to be a small reward for making it through our first week. So glad we gave it a try and you will be too.
Carolyn says
Grainy… hmmm, what sweetener did you use? The powdered version makes them not grainy so I am curious.
Barbra Shoffner says
PB2 is the peanut flour and not interchangeable with almond flour.
Mel says
Delicious!! I froze in individual bars.
Charlotte says
This recipe has become a staple in our house! I love to add 1-2 cups of chopped nuts, extra chocolate, and sprinkle sea salt and cocoa nibs on top, yum!
Carolyn says
Sounds delicious!