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    Home » Recipes » Low-Carb Keto Desserts, Cookies And Cake Recipes

    Quick Nut-Free "Peanut Butter" Cookies (Sugar-Free)

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    5-INGREDIENTS COOKBOOK STARTER PACK JUMP TO RECIPE
    cookies on bakig parchment drizzled with sugar-free chocolate
    Peanut butter cookies drizzled with dark sugar-free chocolate on a white plate
    Faux peanut butter cookies
    Step-by-step nut-free faux peanut butter cookies.
    nut free faux peanut butter cookie recipe
    nut free faux peanut butter cookie recipe

    Why create a nut free "peanut butter" cookie? Because I have so many readers with nut allergies who are always asking for more nut-free recipes, cakes, and biscuits. So this is a great lunchbox recipe for you to keep on hand.

    But if you want real peanut butter cookies, I have those for you below too.

    cookies on bakig parchment drizzled with sugar-free chocolate
    DELICIOUS low-carb gluten-free and sugar-free nut free "peanut butter" cookies
    Jump to:
    • Is peanut butter keto?
    • How many carbs are in peanut butter?
    • Allergy friendly peanut butter cookies
    • Which seed butters to choose?
    • Variations
    • Method
    • Keto cookies
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    For this special cookie, there is no peanut butter in the homemade recipe for those who cannot tolerate peanut butter. There are easy and clever ways to still get that peanut butter flavor, but without actual peanuts.

    Is peanut butter keto?

    Yes, peanut butter is keto, depending on how much you eat. Peanut butter is higher in carbs than most nut butters but as long as you eat it in small quantities you can still stay within your daily carb limit.

    There is no strict list of keto foods. To be on a keto diet your goal is to be in nutritional ketosis which is achieved by lowering your carbs so your body begins to burn fat.

    How many carbs are in peanut butter?

    Peanut butter is low-carb, high fat, and moderate protein.

    1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter (salted) contains: 2 g net carbs, 7.9 g fat, 3.9 g protein, and 94 calories.

    Nutritional values from cronometer.com

    Allergy friendly peanut butter cookies

    Faux peanut butter cookies
    Easy homemade seed butter cookies

    Why did I develop my nut-free peanut butter cookies? And what are they?

    With so many of my readers having peanut allergies, and so many schools have a nut free policy. Trying to find low-carb baking that low carb kids can take to school is pretty tricky. And even though peanuts aren't actually nuts (they're legumes) peanuts are generally included in most schools nut-free policies.

    Many wheat-free or low carb recipes call for ground almonds (which also aren't permitted) or use a large amount of coconut flour which has quite a strong flavor and strange texture if you are new to low-carb baking.

    These peanut free peanut butter cookies solve both these problems. The easy recipe only requires a small amount of coconut flour and the recipe uses your favorite seed butter instead as an easy and healthy alternative.

    Note On Nuts: "The FDA lists coconut as a tree nut but in fact, coconut is a seed of a drupaceous fruit. Most people allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut. Coconut allergy is reasonably rare. If you are allergic to tree nuts, talk to your allergist before adding coconut to or eliminating coconut from your diet."

    Get your FREE 1-month lunch box planner

    Which seed butters to choose?

    Nut free (or un-peanut butter cookies) uses different seed butters instead of regular peanut butter. I have created the recipe using tahini (sesame seed paste) but please choose a seed butter that is tolerated by the person who will be eating them.

    Once they are drizzled with chocolate, they look perfect for a special occasion and the perfect healthy kid-friendly recipe.

    Peanut butter substitutions - ALWAYS check food allergies and food intolerances BEFORE serving someone. Make sure that the seed butter you have chosen can be tolerated by them.

    • Tahini (sesame seed paste)
    • Sunflower butter
    • Pumpkin seed butter
    • Poppyseed butter
    • Chocolate seed butter
    • Hemp seed butter

    Variations

    cookies on a white plate
    But free peanut butter cookies drizzled with sugar-free chocolate

    If you want to take your delicious homemade cookies to the next level, try these variations. You'll be sure to find something that will please all the family. And even the picky eaters will come back for seconds.

    • For a crunchy cookie, use the crunchy version of your seed butter instead of smooth
    • Add sugar-free chocolate chips
    • Add cacao nibs
    • Drizzle or dunk in melted sugar-free chocolate
    • Add sugar-free chia jam and make a healthy sugar-free PBJ cookie sandwich
    • Add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to make the cookies chewy
    • 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
    • 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (try it, you'll love it)

    Method

    Now your kiddos can enjoy a sweet treat in their lunch box! With only 7 ingredients and 20 minutes, this is definitely a quick and easy cookie recipe that is school and kid-approved.

    Step-by-step collage of how to make nut-free faux peanut butter cookies.
    Step by step - how to make sugar-free and gluten-free cookies

    Keto cookies

    My favorite keto cookies have to be my coconut flour chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, or my chewy chocolate coconut cookies.

    TOP TIP: Keep some keto cookies in the freezer so you're not tempted to eat them regularly, only when a sugar craving strikes and you want to stay on track with your keto diet.

    📖 Recipe

    Faux peanut butter cookies

    Please rate this recipe.

    4 from 24 votes

    Nut Free 'Peanut Butter' Cookies Recipe

    Nut free 'peanut butter' cookies are such a simple idea. Use sesame seed paste (tahini) instead for that nutty flavour. In fact, you can use any seed butter you like and can tolerate.
    Servings: 12
    NET carbs: 2g
    Author: Libby Jenkinson
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Category: Cakes and desserts. Coconut Flour Recipes. Lunch boxes. Sweet treats
    Diet: Diabetic. Gluten Free
    Gluten Free. Grain free. LCHF. Low Carb. No Sugars. Wheat Free
    Review Recipe Print Pin Email

    Calculate ingredients

    Adjust servings: 12
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    Ingredients

    • 110 g (1 stick) butter softened
    • 70 g (⅓ cup) tahini sesame seed paste
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice or more to your taste
    • 1 eggs - medium
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 25 g (¼ cup) coconut flour
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

    Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Baking sheets - non stick
    • Silicone baking sheets

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, add the softened butter, tahini and sweetener. Cream together for a few minutes until light and smooth.
    • Add the egg, vanilla and mix again until smooth.
    • Add the coconut flour and baking soda. Mix then leave to thicken while you line a baking tray with baking paper.
    • Mix again then place large teaspoons of the mixture on the baking paper. Smooth the top of each biscuit.
    • Bake at 180C/350F for 10 minutes or until golden.
    • Once cooled, drizzle with some melted chocolate.
    • Eat and enjoy!!! xxx
    © Copyright Ditch The Carbs

    5-INGREDIENTS COOKBOOK

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    Nutrition Facts
    Nut Free 'Peanut Butter' Cookies Recipe
    Serving Size
     
    1 cookie
    Amount per Serving
    NET carbs
     
    2
    g
    Total Carbohydrates
     
    3
    g
    1
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    2
    g
    4
    %
    Fat
     
    11
    g
    17
    %
    Sodium
     
    103
    mg
    4
    %
    Potassium
     
    32
    mg
    1
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    249
    IU
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    12
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    % Daily Value*
    -
    Calories
    116
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Approximate nutrition information is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. For the most accurate nutritional data, use the actual ingredients and brands you used in your preferred nutrition calculator.

    If you are looking to make recipes WITH peanut butter. You might like these recipes:

    • Salted peanut butter cups
    • Keto peanut butter fudge
    • Peanut butter cookies
    • Peanut butter cheesecake (no bake version)
    • Peanut butter chocolate cups on a blue board sprinkled with peanuts
    • Collage of peanut butter fudge and how to make it
    • A close up of keto peanut butter cookies sitting on wrinkled baking parchment
    • peanut butter cheesecake lifted from a plate with a silver cake slices
    collage of nut free faux peanut butter cookie method
    How to make nut free faux "peanut butter" cookies

    More ... The Best Low-Carb Keto Cakes, Cookies, and Dessert Recipes

    • Sugar-Free Keto Caramel Sauce (Only 4 Ingredients)
    • The Best Keto Cheesecake Recipe (4 Topping Flavors)
    • Best Chocolate No-Bake Cookies (Without Peanut Butter) Sugar-Free
    • 47 Delicious Sugar-Free Cakes For Diabetics (You Must Try)
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    Libby Jenkinson in her garden

    I'm Libby Jenkinson MPS. A registered pharmacist, Health Coach, Cert.Adv Nutrition, mother of 3 and founder of Ditch The Carbs and Low-Carb Practitioners.

    Learn more about me →

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Karen

      November 03, 2021 at 10:06 pm

      4 stars
      Loved them! Love tahini so nice to find a recipe that uses lots of it and low carbohydrate too what more can you ask for.

      Reply
    2. Alicia

      October 16, 2019 at 10:49 pm

      Thank you so much for the recipe. I'm allergic to nuts. So, this one's perfect for me. Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    3. Alicia

      October 16, 2019 at 10:47 pm

      Thank you so much for the recipe. I'm allergic to nuts as well, can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    4. Janey

      September 08, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      Do you have any recipes that are allergy friendly or can be easily subbed? My toddler son is allergic to dairy, egg and peanuts. It is so hard to find recipes that work and still taste good.

      Reply
    5. Grandi

      July 02, 2018 at 2:19 pm

      Perhaps you didn’t know, or didn’t notice, but you took pains to mention that coconut is not a tree nut, while lumping the peanut in with tree nuts, when it is actually a legume.

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        July 02, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        Very true. I've added that caveat too 🙂

        Reply
    6. Caitlyn

      August 07, 2017 at 12:58 pm

      What type of tahini would work better? Hulled or unhulled?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        August 08, 2017 at 11:13 am

        Both work well. I like the unhulled but my children find it a little bitter.

        Reply
        • Susanne

          May 26, 2021 at 2:42 pm

          I found the biscuits very dry in the mouth. Any suggestions on how to moisten them up? Im guessing the dryness is probably from the coconut flour?? Thx:)

          Reply
    7. Karen Gregg

      March 13, 2017 at 8:39 am

      I've just made these but they are very floppy, my son said they are more like pancakes! Should I use more flour next time? (I used 1/3 of a cup and I have to admit the mixture was quite gooey.) Would it work if I added a bit of cacao?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        March 13, 2017 at 10:45 am

        Yes, it sounds like an extra tablespoon or two coconut of flour might have helped. The amount of flour in any recipe may need adjusting according to the size of eggs and humidity (i.e.: moisture that needs to be absorbed). I hope you liked them anyway 🙂

        Reply
        • Nancy

          July 17, 2017 at 8:19 am

          Try weighing the ingredients she lists in grams:
          Butter
          Tahini
          Coconut flour
          I did that and they came out really lovely...?❤️??

          Reply
          • Nancy

            July 17, 2017 at 8:21 am

            P.S. Be sure the butter is just soft, not melted, and the egg is room temperature...?

            Reply
            • Nancy

              July 17, 2017 at 8:55 am

              P.S.S. Now that they have cooled, I see that they are soft cookies, not crispy... but they still taste soooo yummy...❤️??

    8. Sean

      February 11, 2017 at 10:54 pm

      Hi!
      Can I confirm something. In this recipe you state 1/4 cup coconut flour and in the Natvia eBook 1/3 cup. Is there a better option or a simple mistake?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        February 13, 2017 at 1:15 pm

        Great spotting. The quantity is actually 30g in my notes, which varies from 1/3 to 1/4 cup depending on the source I must have used to convert it (can you see why I hate cups, it is so inaccurate). Coconut flour behaviour varies considerably anyway according to the humidity of your kitchen and how long the bag has been opened. Then there is the size of the eggs you use etc. So add 1/3 to begin with, then add a tablespoon at a time until it is a cookie consistency.

        Reply
        • Sean

          March 09, 2017 at 8:46 pm

          Yep, I used 30g which was 1/3 cup and they turned out really well 🙂

          Reply
    9. jjflamingo

      December 01, 2016 at 12:34 am

      Does tahini have salt or any other ingredients besides ground sunflower seeds? Also, are the seeds roasted or raw? I have raw sunflower seeds and want to make my own tahini for these.

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        December 01, 2016 at 10:11 am

        Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds not sunflower seeds. You can buy them hulled or unhulled. Some brands add salt but most are 100% sesame seeds. You can see them here.

        Reply
    10. Rachel Carruthers

      August 04, 2016 at 9:01 pm

      I made these today and they were sooooo dry! I have no idea where or even if I did go wrong! They smelled amazing, looked amazing, just the taste didn't follow through! Any suggestions, I'm so sad!

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        August 05, 2016 at 11:41 am

        Where they overcooked? I have never had this problem. Maybe add more tahini or butter next time.

        Reply
        • Michelle paris

          August 11, 2016 at 1:32 am

          Can u use almond flour instead of coconut

          Reply
          • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

            August 11, 2016 at 11:27 am

            You could but you would have to 1: Use much more as coconut flour is so incredibly absorbent 2: They will no longer be nut free.

            Reply
    11. Cona

      July 13, 2016 at 7:01 am

      These are so easy to make and very tasteful. The texture could be described as, like we call it in the Netherlands, sand cookies. Yum! I was looking for something low carb to munch in the plane and at the airport tomorrow and saw you're quick and easy recipe. I had everything I needed in stock, so it was a quick fix. Thank you, I'm going to make them for a high tea party next weekend as well!

      Reply
    12. Brandy

      June 30, 2016 at 6:06 am

      This is genius! I cannot wait to try these! Thanks for making my LCHF life easier to maintain!

      Reply
    13. Anni

      December 23, 2015 at 10:01 pm

      my son is highly allergic to sesame ... what else can I use instead of Tahini?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        December 24, 2015 at 9:48 am

        Are there any other nuts or seeds he is not allergic to? Any nut or seed butter that he can tolerate would also work well in this recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    14. allisonelisehicks

      November 21, 2015 at 11:34 am

      So does each cookie only have .3 net carbs?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        November 23, 2015 at 11:15 am

        No 1.3g net carbs. Thanks for highlighting that, I am slowly going back all my old posts and updating them using chronometer.com rather than MyFitnessPal which I have discovered has far too many 'user added' values which are simply incorrect. This recipe has now been updated 🙂

        Reply
    15. Alyson

      February 25, 2015 at 7:53 am

      I made these cookies today as a first ever attempt at low carb baking. They came out great and there aren't many cookies left!!! I have 3 young boys aged 8, 6 and almost 4. My 6 year old is type 1 diabetic since age 3 and I'm gradually trying to cut carbs as much as possible to help stabilise the horrible swinging highs and lows. Your recipes are by far the most child friendly and achievable I have come across. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        February 25, 2015 at 9:13 am

        Thanks Alyson, that is really kind. That was part of the reason for starting my website because all of the experts seem to be child free! If you eat LCHF, the entire family has to come along otherwise it won't work, and why would you give them food you wouldn't eat? There are so many diabetics choosing to go LCHF and their blood glucose control is outstanding. Take a look at Dr Bernstein's Diabetic University. He is the lovely gentleman who helped invent the blood glucose meter because he was T1 and decades ago you could only get tested at your doctors office! He started experimenting with food and BG and achieved amazing control against medical advice. No one took him seriously because he was an engineer so went to med school. A phenomenal man.

        Reply
    16. Wendy

      February 16, 2015 at 7:59 am

      Hello Libby, I made the Peanut Butter cookies last night but they are very soft. Is there a way to make them crispy?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        February 16, 2015 at 10:48 am

        Cook them at a slightly lower temperature for longer so they will dry out. They don't crisp as much as traditional cookies. Try using fan bake also, that dries them out too.

        Reply
    17. Carolyn

      May 18, 2014 at 11:57 pm

      Hi, just discovered your blog because of the comment you left on mine. Nice to find another low carber! Looks like you have some great stuff here!

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        May 19, 2014 at 11:23 am

        Thanks Carolyn, such an honour coming from you. How kind. x

        Reply

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