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.
Edith Bauman says
Looks delicious!
Barb says
Can you substitute pb2? It is peanut flour something totally different?
Carolyn says
Well, they are similar but keep in mind that PB2 is made with sugar. They aren’t totally different because they are both fine, powdery, defatted ground peanuts.
hui lin says
Hi! I was googling for peanut butter low carbs related recipes and came across your blog. I am from Singapore and we do not have peanut flour here. I am a rookie in baking and cooking, can I know what can I use to replace peanut flour ?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
You can try almond flour but they won’t have as fine a texture.
Linda @ the Fitty says
Excited to try this out!
Rosalee says
I just made these and OMG! Amazeballs!! So tasty, just like Reese’s Peanutbutter Cups, but better! I will be making these for the rest of my life I know it LOL
Roxanne W says
These truffles were SOOOOO AWESOME !!! I brought them to Thanksgiving dinner for a dessert. I’d like to find a way to use that divine filling in another recipe, maybe some kind of a square? They’re best just taken out the fridge 5-10 minutes: a chilled treat that MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH – Thaaaaanks Carolyn !!!
Ana says
AWE-MAZING !! Made last night with all the same ingredients, used powdered erythritol and actually added a scoop of vanilla whey protein. Added a dash a almond milk to help with the whey and dipped them in the Lindt chocolate! Super easy, super delicious! So good actually that my husband left a note begging I make more before he gets home! Oh, and instead of the liquid stevia I used a dash of the nunaturals powdered pure stevia!! So good! Thanks for the great recipe!
Iris says
These look delicious! I’m adding a link to them to my Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup I’m posting tomorrow. Hope you can stop by. 🙂
Carolyn says
Thanks, I will try to do that!
Catherine H. says
You're welcome! One thing I can't stand on a cooking blog is comment after comment that says nothing more than "OMG! That looks great–can't wait to make it!" Everyone has a right to express his excitement, of course, but I'm personally looking for something more constructive. I love to hear others' experiences when they try a recipe, so I also try to share mine. And thank you for all the work you do on this blog–it's your recipes alone that are getting me through my current pregnancy without my usual 50+ lb. weight gain.
Carolyn says
Wow, Catherine, you went wild leaving comments. And you made some of my earliest recipes. Knowing what I know now, there are definitely things I'd change about a few of them, like the chocolate hazelnut cookies, that might make them better. Maybe someday I will go back and experiment. Thanks for all of your input!
Catherine H. says
These were yummy, yummy, yummy. A little time-consuming to roll the balls in the ganache, but ultimately worth it. And don't anybdy do what I did–dumping a bunch of the balls in the ganache at once to roll around simultaneously and save time. They were still very cold from the freezer and they ended up doing more clumping than rolling. Duh!
Carolyn says
Hi Gabriela,
I use Zsweet and other brands of erythritol almost interchangeably, and I always add some stevia. I don't think Zsweet has all that much stevia in it and I've always found that they really enhance each other's sweetness. So in this case, yes, still add the 16 drops of stevia extract.
The chocolate glaze from the BCP would set. It won't get fully hardened, it will be a touch on the soft side. You might try doing a little less butter when doing it for the truffles, or keep them in the fridge when not being served.
Have a great weekend!
Anonymous says
Thank you, Carolyn for your quick reply. I don't remember which brand of granular erythritol I bought. I know it was from Netrition and it was either Sensato (my powdered source) or NOW. Either way, I stock Zsweet as well, so I will certainly try that next time. Which brings up a question: If, instead of erythritol, I use Zsweet (which has stevia in it already), do I still add the 16 drops of stevia?
And one last question (I promise!), does the chocolate glaze from your amazing Boston Cream Pie actually set, or should I adjust your recipe to get it to solidify for the truffles?
Thank you so much for your help and suggestions, in addition to your wonderful blog!
Gabriela
Carolyn says
Hi Gabriela,
So glad you liked these truffles. Let me see if I can address the issues you mention…
First, I did not find any cooling sensation with these at all. When I use erythritol in lower amounts, like 1/4 cup, along with stevia, I don't generally get the cooling sensation. Someone else gave me the tip about xanthan gum, though, for concentrated erythritol. That's a good one!
Second of all, I didn't find a sugary crunch with the erythritol at all. I wonder if it's the brand? I usually use Zsweet, which is erythritol with a bit of stevia. A lot of people say that their erythritol crystallizes out of things like this and things like cheesecake, but I rarely, if ever, have that problem when I use Zsweet. But powdered erythritol would be fine here too.
I made these quite some time ago and since then, have come up with a pretty good chocolate ganache made from unsweetened chocolate and cocoa, so let carbs than using Lindt or some other chocolate. I used it here on this Boston Cream Pie, although probably much more than you need for these truffles. Feel free to try it if you make them again!
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/10/boston-cream-pie-low-carb-and-gluten.html
Anonymous says
Carolyn,
I recently discovered your blog and I am so happy that I did! I love your writing style (it’s like I’m reading a letter from a friend), your photographs always make me hungry and, certainly not least, your recipes -they are smart, simple and scrumptious. I appreciate so much that you use basic, easy-to-find, NATURAL ingredients. Erythritol, stevia, nut flours, whey protein powder, xanthan gum, almond milk, Greek yogurt -all staples in my kitchen. I never have to go shopping to make your recipes; I LOVE that! I also appreciate the back story in each of your recipes, and especially your invaluable “The Results” section, where you give us honest feedback on what to expect.
A few months ago I purchased peanut flour from Trader Joe’s on a whim. Unfortunately, once I had it at home I did not know what to do with it (although I did find a spicy peanut scallop recipe online that I must try next time I have some big scallops!) I put the vacuum packed bag in my fridge to keep it as fresh as possible. Then, this last Monday night I found your Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles recipe. Oh – my – goodness! I went to bed thinking about these! I made them last night and had one first thing this morning. These are soooo good! They are delicious, elegant peanut butter cups! The recipe is so quick and easy to make (fastest and easiest candy EVER!) And the ingredients are simple and natural, which I really appreciate.
I did add ¼ teaspoon salt because I used unsalted butter and unsalted peanut butter. I thought it would help bring out the flavors and balance out the sweet. It was the perfect amount – for my taste. My husband gets home tomorrow (the reason I made these), so I’ll get his feedback then. I am not sure if it did anything, but I also added ½ teaspoon of carob/guar/acacia/xanthan gum mix to it because I have confirmed that (in fudge) it helps conceal the cooling effect of erythritol. You did not mention anything about this cooling effect in this recipe, so I may have wasted my product in this application, but I wanted to play it safe. Lastly, since I still cannot afford the carbohydrates of real chocolate, I made my own, sweetened with stevia and erythritol. I have not perfected my recipe, but it comes out better every time. And as a thin coating on these lovely truffles it does not ruin your recipe at all. Actually, like I said, they were truly delicious.
I do have two questions:
1) Did you notice any cooling effect with the erythritol, or is there so little of it in this recipe that it does not come through? (I'm just wondering if I need to add my xanthan gum mix or not.)
2) Is there a reason as to why you specify “granulated” erythritol? The truffles are a perfect, not-too-sweet taste. The granulated erythritol adds a sugary crunch that I honestly cannot decide if I like or not. It’s kind of neat, since there is absolutely no cooling sensation, it really does feel like I am crunching through real sugar. But I wonder if powdered erythritol might not make a smoother/creamier (or duller?) truffle. I thought perhaps you went with granulated over powdered since more granules in the powdered might mean more surface area, which might lead to more of a cooling effect. (?) But I might be over-thinking it.
I know you are very busy -sorry I wrote so much. Thanks for taking the time to provide so many people with your wonderful ideas, photos and delicious recipes!
Gabriela
sky remote says
We could bake this truffle in different shape. I have made in square shape one week ago. I will surely bake peanut butter dough truffle tomorrow.
Erin says
OMG… did it! And OMFG, they are to die for!! For some reason the 85% bar chocolate did seem to be runnier…?! But I also tink I had the the heat too high last ime, and yes I did the bowl over simmering pot.
Carolyn says
Hi Erin. Hope you see this in time! If your chocolate isn't melty enough to coating, just add a touch of vegetable oil or butter (a tsp or so at a time until you get the right consistency for coating). I wonder why your Lindt isn't melting right? I don't know that the amount of cacao would make that much of a difference. Make sure your heat isn't too high, as that can thicken the chocolate too. Low only, or if you need to, a metal bowl set over simmering water.
Erin says
Got some shipped to me via a low carb place here in Canada. Made the truffles just now (best part was eating the dregs in the bowl!), they are in the freezer right now and I'm about to do the chocolate coating.
I also did your chocolate mint wafers (Girl Guide ones) but my chocolate wasn't drippy enough, I had to use the forks to kinda scrape (well, it was melty but not as much as I think it should have been!)… so I am fearing the same thing with this chocolate coating escapade. Last time I used 70% Cacao Lindt, this time I will go 'by your book' and do the 85% and see if it is better! Any tips if it isn't?!
Carolyn says
Hi Erin,
Almond flour definitely won't behave quite the same way. Peanut flour is very dense and soaks up a lot of moisture. I'd go ahead and try the almond flour, but you may need to add more of it to get the balls to hold together. And next time you're in the US, get some peanut flour and smuggle it home! I am from Canada originally, as it happens, and my family orders things sent to my house here in Boston and then picks it up when they come to visit!