Sometimes I’m absolutely astonished when I think about how long I’ve been creating low carb and keto-friendly recipes. I started this website as a hobby but it quickly became something more than I ever thought possible. And these Keto Peanut Butter Balls were one of the first desserts I ever made.
Long before store-bought keto treats were an option, I was busy experimenting to find ways to satisfy my sweet tooth. I often relied on that perennial favorite combo, chocolate and peanut butter. I practiced making things like Keto Peanut Butter Cups and Keto Peanut Butter Brownies. And of course, these delicious peanut butter truffles.
This recipe became an instant hit for both me and my readers. They are so easy to make, require no baking, and are perfect for everything from holiday cookie platters to keeping on hand for sudden cravings.
And I adapted this recipe to make other treats like Keto Peanut Butter Eggs. It’s a keeper!
Reader’s Thoughts
“These are fantastic!! My entire family said you can’t tell they are any different from the sugar filled recipe. Love them!!” — Michelle F.
Why You Will Adore This Recipe
- Easy no bake treat: These sweet treats take very little active time, and no oven required!
- Rich peanut butter flavor: The combination of peanut butter and peanut flour intensifies the flavor.
- Crisp chocolate coating: The balls are dipped in melted chocolate for the perfect crisp shell.
- Make ahead recipe: They freeze well, so you can make a big batch for parties and holidays.
- Naturally low-carb and gluten-free: They use peanut flour and keto sweeteners for a healthier sugar-free treat.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: You can use coconut oil for a dairy free option.
- Creamy natural peanut butter: I recommend a brand that isn’t too oily, that’s already thick and rich.
- Sweetener: You can use any powdered sweetener you like best.
- Peanut flour: This is a very fine, powdery substance made by removing much of the fat. Peanut butter powder is the same thing, but make sure you use one that doesn’t contain sugar.
- Sugar-free dark chocolate: Your favorite brand will work, as long as it melts welly.
- Cocoa butter: I add this to the melted chocolate help make the coating less melty at room temperature. You can also use coconut oil.
- Salted peanuts: This is optional, but like to add a little chopped peanuts for a garnish.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract
How to Make Keto Peanut Butter Balls
- Melt the peanut butter: Melt the peanut butter and butter together in the microwave or in a pan on the stove over low heat.
- Add the dry ingredients: Whisk in the powdered sweetener and vanilla until dissolved. Then use a rubber spatula to work the peanut flour in until you have a stiff dough.
- Roll into balls: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Freeze until firm.
- Prepare the coating: Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Dip the truffles: One at a time, add the frozen peanut butter balls to the melted chocolate and toss to coat.
- Garnish: If you plan to garnish with chopped peanuts, do it right away after dipping as the chocolate sets quickly.
Tips for Success
It’s important to use a powdered sweetener in this recipe, as it provide bulk and contributes to the consistency of the truffles. Granular sweeteners will make them gritty, and concentrated sweeteners won’t provide any bulk.
Make sure you choose a defatted peanut flour, rather than just using ground peanuts. Defatted flour is very fine and powdery, and important to the texture of the balls.
I always recommend melting the chocolate double-boiler style, where a heatproof bowl is set up over a pan of barely simmering water. This ensures gentle heat and reduces the chance that the chocolate will seize.
The chocolate coating will set very quickly on the frozen peanut butter balls, so be sure to add any garnish like chopped peanuts right after you dip each truffle.
You can easily turn these into classic Buckeye candy by dipping the truffles only part of the way into the chocolate. I like to spear them with a toothpick to do this.
More Keto Truffles You Will Love
Keto Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling
- 5 tbsp (71 tbsp) butter
- 1/4 cup (64.5 g) peanut butter
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) powdered sweetener
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (90 g) lightly roasted peanut flour
Chocolate Coating:
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) sugar-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 ounce (14.17 g) cocoa butter , or 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Unless you live in a very hot climate, the peanut butter balls are fine on the counter in a covered container for up to 10 days. They can also be kept in the fridge for several weeks. To freeze, store the un-dipped balls in a covered container and then dip before serving.
You can also freeze the completed balls but the chocolate can take on a dull look from the freezing and thawing process.
This keto peanut butter ball recipe has 6.3g of carbs and 2.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.6g net carbs for 2 truffles.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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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
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 !!!
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!
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. 🙂
Thanks, I will try to do that!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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?!
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!