Keto Peanut Butter Cups

Keto Peanut Butter Cups, what more can you ask for on a low carb diet?? These are one of our absolute favorite desserts, and honestly, is there a better combo than peanut butter and chocolate?! They are so easy to make and wow do we love eating them!

These keto peanut butter cups are so quick to make, you will be surprised how easy it is. I have made them countless times and once they are all done you can put them in the freezer and pull them out one at a time when you feel like having a sweet treat. 

This time the sweet treat is a perfect low carb portion instead of store-bought peanut butter cups, but you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference!

If you like our peanut butter cups you should definitely try our keto peanut butter cookies and our chocolate peanut butter fat bombs! They are just as yummy and give you more low carb dessert options.

What are Peanut Butter Cups?

We are so familiar with the all-time favorite Reese’s peanut butter cups….after all, who doesn’t love the combo of creamy chocolate and peanut butter! Whoever first came up with the idea is a true genius.

Just because you can’t eat a Reese’s on a low carb diet, don’t worry. Now your perfect keto candy treat is here, the same creamy chocolate and peanut butter as before. But instead of all the sugar to make it a “low carb no-no”, we will show you how to use a zero net carb sweetener you can eat instead.

Are Peanut Butter Cups Keto-Friendly?

As you know, if you are on a keto diet, most of our favorite foods do not fit into the plan because primarily the carbs are too high. Sadly, this is the same with Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Let’s compare them with our recipe:

• Just 1 average-sized cup has about 12 Net Carbs.
• Happily, our peanut butter cups are a keto success with only 2 Net Carbs each.

What Ingredients are in Low Carb Peanut Butter Cups?

Chocolate Layer

• Chocolate – A no sugar type, we use Lilly’s brand.
• Coconut Oil – Refined, melted.
• Vanilla – An essential flavor for your unsweetened chocolate.

Peanut Butter Layer

• Peanut Butter – Use one with no added sugar in it. Salted to give the best flavor.
• Sweetener – Instead of sugar, use a zero net carb, powdered version, preferably Swerve.
• Salt – Any type of your choice will work well.
• Vanilla – This is a common flavor in most desserts and baked goods, one that is essential.

Is Peanut Butter Low Carb?

Peanut butter that we have grown up on like Skippy, Jiff, etc is not sugar-free, which in turn is not low carb. But we are happy to tell you that there are other options.

Best Peanut Butter for This Recipe

The best peanut butter to use for this recipe is any one that has no added sugar in it. 

You are looking for one that is creamy and not chunky, made from just peanuts with some added salt, and usually has a layer of oil on the top which will require you to mix it thoroughly with the peanut butter on the bottom. 

I think of it as an old-fashioned way to make peanut butter and tastes really great like you are eating fresh peanuts.

We buy 2 brands of peanut butter that we love working with and eating:

• Stop and Shop has their brand which is nature’s promise that is very good and has the oil floating on the top and requires mixing it up well.
• Costco has their Kirkland brand of sugar-free peanut butter that is delicious and does not need pre-mixing.

In order to mix the peanut butter properly, make sure it is at room texture. If it is cold it will take you forever to blend it properly, if at all possible. 

The best tip that we can share with you is to empty the peanut butter jar into a bowl, which makes it easier to blend properly, and then measure out your needed portion and return any excess into its jar and store it in the refrigerator to retain freshness.

Chocolate Options

With more and more people eating low carb diets, there are several sugar-free chocolates on the market now, which happens to be great for all of us with a sweet tooth or who just can’t live without chocolate!!

We prefer to use a brand of chocolate chips called Lilly’s, which gives choices of Dark, Semi, Milk, and White.

Best Sweetener to Use

In our opinion, the best tasting sweetener to use in the peanut butter cups is the powdered version of Swerve. You do not want to use a granular type if you are looking for a creamy texture.

Different Variations & Substitutions

• By using coconut oil instead of butter you have created peanut butter cups that are dairy-free, such as our recipe. If you like the taste of butter better, then feel free to use it instead of the coconut oil, with the same measure.
• You can buy various types of sugar-free chocolate from dark, semi-sweet, milk, and white, and will each work just as well to give you a variety. Buying them in chips is the easiest way to melt them.

Peanut Free Options

If peanuts are not your favorite nut or you are allergic to them, don’t worry because there are other options to use instead.

• Any nut butter, such as cashew, almond, or hazelnut. Just make sure they are sugar-free too.
• Sunbutter is another option if you are looking to make these as a nut-free treat. Once again look at the label to make sure it is sugar-free.

How to Make Keto Peanut Butter Cups

These little chocolate treats are so easy to make and we will give you step-by-step instructions.

STEP 1: Prepare the Peanut Butter Filling

The first step is to get a small bowl and mix the peanut butter with the powdered Swerve, salt, and vanilla. Blend it well until smooth. Set it aside for a few minutes.

STEP 2: Prepare the chocolate

Get another small bowl and add your chocolate chips, melted coconut oil, and vanilla.

Mix that until well blended, smooth and creamy.

STEP 3: Layer your Peanut Butter Cups

Line your mini muffin pan with cupcake papers.

Add just enough chocolate mixture to fill the bottom of the muffin papers, about 1 Tbsp. Shake the pan from side to side to even out the layer of chocolate. Place the muffin pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes, just long enough to firm up the layer a bit.

When you take the pan out of the freezer take a small spoon and add about 1 – 2 tsp of the peanut butter mixture. Shake the pan again to even out the cups.

Now add your top layer of chocolate, about 1 Tbsp, and shake the pan one more time.

Refrigerate or freeze the finished product until ready to eat, and enjoy.

FAQs and Best Tips

Since this may be a new concept to you we will try to answer some of the questions that may be running through your head right now and at the same time pass along any helpful tips that we have discovered.

• When the peanut butter cups are ready to eat, I like to put them in a plastic container and refrigerate or freeze them. That way I take them out one at a time as needed.
• If your low carb desserts have a slight aftertaste from the sweetener, just add a little more vanilla.
• You can also use candy molds to make your peanut butter cups in. Ice trays also make a good size for small candy like these.
• No-Sugar Peanut Butter is too hard to mix thoroughly in the jar. Make sure that you empty out the complete jar of peanut butter into a bowl, stir the oil up really well and then put the unused portion back in the jar and refrigerate. 
• Use only creamy peanut butter, not chunky.

Do They Taste Like Real Peanut Butter Cups?

You may be wondering if these taste like real peanut butter cups and we are happy to say that yes they most certainly do. As a matter of fact, in our family, my husband prefers these to the store-bought, sugary ones, and puts them in the freezer, and pulls them out one at a time (if he can only eat one!).

Why is there an Aftertaste?

Sometimes you get an aftertaste when using zero-carb sweeteners instead of sugar, especially if this is a new way of eating. You may have noticed this experience when drinking diet soda, or eating diet cookies, jello…etc. Some are better or worse than others. 

One tip that we have learned to lower the aftertaste in low carb desserts is to use a little extra vanilla than the recipe calls for because it will cover over that aftertaste to some degree.

How to Make Them Less Bitter?

If you do not add enough powdered sweetener the cups may be bitter because there is no sugar in the peanut butter or the chocolate. If you notice that to be the case, add a little extra sweetener.

How to Make the Texture Smoother?

The goal with these treats is to make them super smooth and here are some tips to do so:

• Start with creamy peanut butter. Chunky peanut butter is good but not for this recipe. 
• Use a powdered sweetener, like Swerve Confection, instead of a granular one which will give your peanut butter cups a smooth texture.
• Be sure to stir your peanut butter very well to achieve the smoothness needed.

How Many Peanut Butter Cups Can I Eat on a Keto Diet?

Depending on how many macros you have for the day and what you have already eaten will determine how many peanut butter cups you can have for dessert. If you don’t have too many other carbs throughout the day, you might be able to have 2 or 3 for dessert.

Can I Use Muffin Cups or Candy Molds?

Yes for sure you can use muffin cups, and that’s exactly what we do here. We use a mini muffin tin with paper liners. This makes for a perfect size and also an easy clean-up.

You can also use candy molds or even ice cube trays. Anything that is small like that will work well.

What to Serve with This Recipe?

These peanut butter cups are perfectly delicious on their own, but if you want to mix it up we recommend eating them with these other recipes:

• Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
• Keto Hot Cocoa

Make-Ahead Options & How to Store 

This is one of those recipes that does not have to be eaten right after making it. Make the keto peanut butter cups whenever you have a few minutes so that they are ready to eat whenever you want.

After they are made they can be kept in an air-tight container in either the refrigerator or the freezer. That way you can have them whenever that sweet tooth calls for a treat.

Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Cups?

Freezing these peanut butter cups is a must. In fact, my husband says that they are the best when frozen.

They freeze well in an air-tight plastic container and you can pull them out one at a time. They can be eaten frozen or at room temperature, the same as you would with any other chocolate treats.

Tools to Use

• Bowls – Small ones to melt the chocolate in and another one to blend the peanut butter in.
• Spoons – To mix the ingredients with. Also, a small spoon to add the layers into the mini muffin liners.
• Mini Muffin Pan – To use it as a mold for the peanut butter cups.
• Paper liners – to line the muffin pan with which gives them the lines along the edges.

Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Keto/Low Carb – This is a real winner for a keto or low carb diet. It fits perfectly into the plan and will satisfy your craving for sweets.
• Gluten-Free – There is no gluten in the keto peanut butter cups.
• Dairy-Free – It’s nice to have a keto dessert that does not focus on dairy ingredients.
• Vegetarian – Also a good treat for vegetarians.
• Sugar-Free – A nice sweet treat without sugar.

Other Similar Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other peanut buttery or chocolate Keto-friendly Desserts, check out our:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Buckeyes
• Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Fudge
• Keto Fudgy Chocolate Cookies
• Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
• Best Keto Chocolate Cake
• Keto Chocolate Mousse

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

Print