These no bake Keto Peanut Butter Balls are an easy and delicious low carb treat for peanut butter lovers. Dipped in sugar free chocolate, they can easily be made into keto buckeyes too! 2g net carbs per serving.
I am so excited to be re-introducing these keto peanut butter balls. Yes, full on, giddy excitement. Is that weird? Does that show me to be the foodie dork that I really am?
Well I’ve made my peace with that, because I am a total foodie dork. And I fully embrace my dorkiness.
Like many of you, I am a diehard peanut butter lover. And I love easy recipes like Keto Peanut Butter Mousse and Keto Peanut Butter Fudge. But these keto peanut butter balls have been one of my favorites for a long time.
They’ve been on my site for over 10 years now! You just know they’ve got to be good.
What’s in a name?
You may be finding the various names for these little treats a bit confusing. I don’t blame you.
I originally called them Keto Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles, because the center reminded me so much of cookie dough. But it’s a long and cumbersome name and not one that is familiar to many people. So I shortened it to peanut butter balls.
But they can also be made into keto buckeyes. What’s a buckeye you ask? Well, the folks in Ohio can tell you. It’s their state tree and it has little nuts that have a dark outer skin with a beige eye in the center.
The only real difference between buckeye candies and peanut butter balls is how far you dip them into chocolate. For this batch of keto peanut butter balls, I dipped some all the way in and left some with the classic eye in the center.
Two keto candies for the price of one!
How to make Keto Peanut Butter Balls
These are so easy to make and require no baking. They’re a popular holiday treat so grab your kids or a friend, and let’s get started!
- Melt the butter and peanut butter. You can do this in the microwave in a bowl, or you can do it in a pan over very low heat.
- Stir in the sweetener and vanilla. You do need a powdered sweetener for this recipe, to give them peanut butter balls the right consistency. Granular sweeteners will be gritty and liquid sweeteners won’t give them enough bulk.
- Stir in the peanut flour. Peanut flour gives these keto buckeyes the right flavor and consistency. You need to work it in until the dough resembles a stiff cookie dough. If it seems too sticky to roll into balls, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
See the FAQ section for more information about peanut flour. - Roll into balls and freeze. They are much easier to dip in chocolate when frozen.
- Melt the chocolate. I always recommend melting double boiler style with a bit of cocoa butter to thin it out a bit.
- Dip the peanut butter balls. You can drop them in and toss them around with a fork, to cover completely, or you can use a thin skewer to dip them only most of the way, for buckeyes.
- Let the chocolate set. Because these keto peanut butter balls are frozen, the chocolate will set quickly. If you plan to garnish with chopped peanuts, do it right away after dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for the most part it’s the same thing. However, some peanut butter powders have added sugars so make sure you read the labels carefully.
This is a little trickier. The advantage to using peanut flour is that it’s very dry and powdery and creates a thick dough, whereas almond flour is more coarse and contains more fat. So you may find that you need some coconut flour to create the right consistency.
Peanut flour also provides much of the peanut butter flavor, so you may find that more mild when using almond flour.
Absolutely! Just swap coconut oil for the butter and away you go.
You certainly can. I do find that sugar free milk chocolate and white chocolate are more finicky when melting so stay nearby, keep your heat very low, and stir constantly.
Storage information
Unless you live in a very hot climate, the peanut butter balls are fine on the counter in a covered container for up to 5 days. They will last in the fridge for 10 days.
You can also keep the un-dipped peanut butter balls in the freezer for several months and dip them whenever you are ready. The dipped balls can be stored in the freezer as well, but the chocolate may take on a bit of a greyish, dull appearance.
More delicious keto truffle recipes
- Lemon Cake Balls
- Keto Chocolate Truffles
- Sugar Free Keto Pecan Pie Truffles
- Samoa Truffles
- Keto German Chocolate Truffles
- The Best Keto Rum Balls
Keto Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough:
- 5 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup lightly roasted peanut flour
Chocolate Coating:
- 3 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- ½ ounce cocoa butter or ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped salted peanuts optional
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter together. Stir in the sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the peanut flour and stir until a stiff dough forms. Add more flour if your dough seems too sticky to roll into balls.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour
Chocolate Coating
- Place the chocolate and cocoa butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Drop the frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate and use a fork to roll around to coat. Lift out and tap the fork firmly against the side of the the bowl to remove excess chocolate.
- If making buckeyes, use a small skewer to dip the peanut butter balls most of the way into the chocolate, swirling to coat. Leave just the very top of the ball uncoated.
- Place back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired. The chocolate will set quickly if the dough balls are frozen so sprinkle each truffle right after dipping in chocolate.
Lauren says
I just made these and they were absolutely delicious. I’ve never made a keto style dessert, so I was concerned about how this would come out or taste with the use of the sugar free ingredients (i.e would it taste artificial or just strange?). I’m extremely impressed. It tasted just like a regular dessert. I’m saving this and will definitely be trying more recipes from you in the future!
Carolyn says
I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Tracey says
what if you don’t have peanut flour? can you use just almond flour?
Lorraine says
i had same question! There’s some explanation on that above this recipe in the FAQ area, hope it helps!
Paulette says
I like cooking in metric because I find the dry ingredient measures are more accurate. I’m even getting pretty good at remembering how many grams a cup of this or that ingredient weighs and can often convert on the fly. The wonders of being a Canadienne of a certain âge. I’m pretty sure the 5 tbsp of butter this recipe needs in the US measure is not 71 tbsp in metric.
I love ALL your recipes. I’m allergic to peanuts, though. Bummer! I continue to read your peanut recipes and dream about how they must taste anyway. I have used substitutes with some degree of success. Thank you for all that you do for the low carb community.
Lisa says
Soooooo good! Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes and tips! I just ordered your baking cookbook and can’t wait to get it! ❤️
Michelle Fleeman says
These are fantastic!! My entire family said you can’t tell they are any different from the sugar filled recipe. Love them!!
Wendy says
Amazing! If you like peanut butter cups, these are even better.
Alice says
Love love these Buckeyes, by the way, I’m from Ohio, lol
Love that I can make them Keto, thanks Carolyn
Carolyn says
Good stuff!
Jennifer says
These little peanut butter balls are the BEST treat when I’m craving something sweet but healthier!
Stephanie says
These are so amazing! I am going to add them to my Christmas goodie plates!
Kristyn says
You better believe I am making these asap!! I am constantly looking for healthier “treat” options!! And, I love peanut butter & chocolate!