Peanut Butter Blossoms have been keto-fied! Soft low carb peanut butter cookies with a “kiss” of sugar free chocolate in the center. These easy Keto Christmas cookies will help you make it through the holidays.
My low carb peanut butter blossom cookies get a shiny new update with a brand new video! They were first published back in December 2013, but since then I have found ways to make them easier, softer, and even more delicious.
You have no idea how much it pains me to say this but I might be getting a little tired of low carb Christmas cookies.
And if you know ANYTHING about me, you know that this is akin to heresy in my books. Every year, I look forward to the Christmas baking season with all the eagerness of a child awaiting the arrival of St. Nick. I start writing down ideas for all the goodies I will make months in advance, envisioning the pretty boxes of homemade baked goods for friends and family.
I always have to hold myself back from starting too early, lest this very thing should occur…that I should get sick of Christmas cookies before Christmas is actually here.
Fret not, dear readers. I shall recover. By the time Christmas actually rolls around, I will be back in top form, enjoying all the keto Christmas cookies I have made and frozen in advance.
I have tackled a lot of the classic holiday cookies that everybody loves and misses when on a low carb or gluten-free diet. The cookies of our childhoods, the ones we made with our parents and that bring out that nostalgia for Christmas Past.
Of course, we don’t all share the same past and we all have different ideas of what constitutes a classic Christmas cookie. But I have tried to hit the ones that everyone knows. To that end, I created low carb, gluten-free versions of Gingerbread Men, Spritz Cookies, Snowballs and Shortbread.
And one of my all time favourites, which was a huge coup for me, low carb Mincemeat Tarts. That one fell a little flat with my American audience, since mincemeat isn’t as common here as it is in other realms. But I hardly care, I’ve got 20 little tartlets in my freezer waiting to be devoured on Christmas Eve.
How To Make Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms were not something I grew up making and eating at Christmas. But once I moved to the US, they seemed to be on everyone’s holiday cooke tray. And seriously, what’s not to love about a big soft peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss in the center?
But for a keto version, both the cookie and the kiss needed a little work. Or rather a lot of work.
A combination of low carb flours: For the keto peanut butter cookies, I originally had a recipe that was made mostly with peanut flour. I loved the flavor but the cookies were a bit on the dry side and were stiffer than I’d like.
So I re-worked them last year and found that less peanut flour and more almond flour produced a more tender cookie but still with plenty of peanut flavor. Yes, this recipe takes THREE different flours but it works best. If you want to skip the coconut flour, that’s fine but you need to make it up with a bit more peanut flour.
Low carb sweetener options: I always use granular Swerve Sweetener. But the new Swerve Brown would make for some delectable peanut butter blossoms, and you could try Bocha Sweet as well (although I worry it would make the cookies a bit too soft).
Use your hands: You want to roll these into balls and then press down with the heel of your hand. Or use a glass coved in plastic wrap to press them down. Then use your thumb to create an indentation in the center of the cookie. As they bake, the cookies will puff up a bit so you need indent them again when they come out of the oven. They will be very soft at that point.
If you want to get that same “rolled in sugar” look, I suggest sprinkling the cookies with a little granulated sweetener when they are hot out of the oven.
Easy sugar free chocolate kisses: Once the cookies are cool, you simply make a thick chocolate ganache to put in the center. All you have to do is melt some sugar free dark chocolate, such as Lily’s, with some butter. I do this in a pan over low heat but you could also do it in the microwave. Let it cool for a bit so it thickens before you add it to the cookies. It makes a better chocolate kiss that way.
Big batch baking: Let me just say that this recipe make a LOT of cookies. About 60 of them. It is designed for sharing and gift giving, but feel free to cut it in half if that works best for you.
And the result? These low carb Peanut Butter Blossoms are absolutely delicious and worthy of your keto holiday dessert tray
Although the process is very different than the conventional version, the flavour is spot on. And dare I say that using good sugar free chocolate instead of a Hershey’s kiss results in even better flavor?
Peanut Blossoms - Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 ½ cups peanut flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup Swerve or granulated erythritol or xylitol for sprinkling optional.
Chocolate "Kisses":
- 6 oz sugar free dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut flour, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and butter until creamy. Beat in sweetener, and then beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- Beat in peanut flour mixture until dough comes together.
- Form dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Wrap the bottom of a glass in plastic wrap and press each ball into a flat round, about ⅓ inch thick.
- Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each cookie.
- Bake about 15 minutes, until puffed and just barely beginning to brown (if you put more than one cookie sheet in the oven at a time, keep an eye on the one on the lower rack to make sure it doesn't brown too quickly).
- Remove from oven. If needed, re-form the well in the center by gently pressing with the end of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with granulated erythritol or xylitol of desired.
- Let cool on pan 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
- For the chocolate kisses, melt butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over low heat. Let cool until thickened enough to "dollop" into the well in each cookie.
- Let set 1 hour.
Nicole says
Can these be made with regular peanut butter? I am having a dinner party on Saturday and would love to make these but only have almond and coconut flour in the house. I know I can use those but would still like them to have that PB flavor!
Carolyn says
Sure!
Alice says
Peanut butter, you don’t have to tell me twice!!
I’m right there with you Carolyn!!
I made these, so good, will make the again & again.
Linda says
I’ve been looking at this recipe, on my kitchen counter, for weeks & finally just made them. Prepared 4 cookie sheets & was rotating them in & out of the oven. The timer went off on 1 of the pans, I opened the oven door & then I saw it! Am I the only one who forgot to smash the cookie ball down? I quickly smashed them down & returned them back to the oven for a few minutes. They’re not as perfect looking as the others so I guess those ones will just have to stay home with me … oh darn! Delish!
Carolyn says
Oh darn! No, I am pretty sure you’re not the only one… I’ve turned around after getting cake in the oven, only to discover that I never put baking powder in! It happens.
Joy says
Hello, can these be made with chickpea flour?
Carolyn says
I have never worked with it so I am really not able to say.
josh says
Another recipe to add to the repertoire. Growing up, these were called “Thumbprint Cookies.” I am absolutely loving these healthy peanut butter recipes you are posting. They are a big hit with the family.
Dianna says
Made this delicious peanut & chocolate recipe over the weekend! YUMMY!!! Thank you for a great recipe that is so easy & successful!!
Cathy Moore says
Drink the cookies with a glass of milk ??? How stupid are you ???
Carolyn says
Wow. You come to my blog, you abuse another commenter, and you leave a 1 star rating on the recipe for no apparent reason. What’s up with that? I’d recommend re-considering your approach.
sharon George says
That seems a bit harsh. Never made a grammatical error when typing or dictating?
MikeB says
is PB2 the same as peanut flour?
Carolyn says
It’s not exactly but it can be used. Just be sure to not use the one with added sugar.
Mel says
How would you make these if you did thwve peanut flour? I live in Australia and I’ve never seen it here.
Mel says
Ugh. That should say “don’t have peanut flour”
Carolyn says
You can do all almond but you will have to add quite a bit more (not sure how much… add until it’s like regular cookie dough). It will be somewhat higher in carbs.
Mel says
Thanks! That’s what I was going to try.
Micheal Bolton says
I can’t tell you how happy I am to be able to make my husband his favorite Christmas cookie in Keto fashion! This is a delightful little cookie !
Teresa says
So yummy!! I love to bake and you make it easy!
Denise says
Can you freeze these? And if they were made a week in advance, would it be best to freeze them or just leave them on the counter in a Tupperware? This batch is delicious! Especially with the chocolate in the middle. I got fancy and piped it in. 🙂
Carolyn says
You can freeze the cookie without the chocolate centre, that’s the best way to make them ahead so your chocolate doesn’t “bloom” in the freezer. A week in advance, I’d probably store in a covered container in the fridge.
Denise says
I enjoyed these, but they were quite dry and not as peanutty as I would like. I followed the recipe to a t, except reducing the bake time per someone earlier comments. I know the recipe was reworked to make it less dry, to I think it still needs work. I’m going to try a second batch with some added oil and see if that helps. I don’t want to use gelatin because I have a lot of vegetarians in my life. I will say, they softened and seemed less dry as they aged. They were in a Tupperware on the counter in FL for about a week and got better every day!
Carolyn says
Hi Denise… tell me what brands of flour you used, because that’s the most likely culprit. These definitely should not be dry but keto flours are hard to control…
Denise says
I’m not sure as I was visiting my folks in Florida at the time and left the packages there’s. However, I have since made a second batch with some modification from the comments. I added a bit of peanut oil. I replaced one egg with two yolks. And I cooked them a bit less. They came out a bit softer. I think my peanut flour is better this time, too, as they also taste more peanut butter ish. Thanks for a great recipe. I especially love that it makes so many, so they are great for holiday cookie plates, which is what I usually give as gifts.