If you are a lover of salted chocolate treats, you'll fall in love with my salted keto peanut butter cups for sure.
Made with 5 simple ingredients and only 2.8g net carbs per keto chocolate.
Having quick and easy sugar-free chocolate recipes on hand is an easy way to give up sugar cravings and chocolate cravings.
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Are peanut butter cups keto?
No, peanut butter cups are not keto and are filled with added sugar and are high in carbs.
If you love Reece's peanut butter cups, you may want to give them up once you discover the nutrition labels show each Reece's cup contains 11g sugar and 12g carbs.
This recipe for keto salted peanut butter cups, however, only has 1.6g sugar and 2.8g net carbs. And the best bit? The salt gives them that extra punch of chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
This easy recipe for salted peanut butter cups is only made with 5 simple ingredients, that you may already have in your cupboard already.
Sweetener - use your favorite powdered sweetener to replace sugar that is normally found in regular chocolate peanut butter cups. Sweeteners such as erythritol, monk fruit, stevia, or allulose all work well in this keto chocolate recipe.
Butter - use salted butter or unsalted butter, the choice is yours. Adjust the amount of salt you add to the sugar-free peanut butter mixture before pouring it into your mini cupcake cases.
Peanut butter - always read the nutrition label to ensure there is no added sugar in the peanut butter or added sweetener such as maltitol (which will raise your blood sugar).
Sugar-free chocolate chips - always read the ingredients label to make sure approved sweeteners have been used and avoid all maltitol (which is not keto).
Vanilla extract - or vanilla essence makes the peanut butter taste like Reece's peanut butter cups.
All quantities, ingredients, and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Variations
Chocolate - you may either use 90% chocolate or sugar-free chocolate chips. The calculations in this recipe for the nutritional panel were made using Lindt 90%.
Peanut butter - instead of peanut butter, you can use your favorite nut butter such as almond butter.
Butter - to make dairy-free peanut butter cups, you can use coconut oil instead of butter, however, the creamy buttery flavor will be missing so you may need to add extra sweetener and vanilla extract.
How to make homemade peanut butter cups
STEP 1: Make the sugar-free chocolate layer.
Gently melt the chocolate, powdered sweetener, and butter together in a saucepan or in the microwave. Mix.
Pour half the melted sugar-free chocolate mixture into lined mini muffin/cupcake cases. Place in the fridge to set.
STEP 2: Make the sugar-free peanut butter layer.
Mix the melted butter and peanut butter together until it is smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sweetener and vanilla.
Place a spoon of the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate-lined cupcake cases.
STEP 3: Pour the final sugar-free chocolate layer.
Top each peanut butter cup with the remaining melted chocolate layer.
Top tip: You don't want the peanut butter layer to be too hot when pouring as it will melt the chocolate layer below and the chocolate that is about to be poured from above.
STEP 4: Cool to set.
Place the sugar-free keto peanut butter cups in the fridge to set then garnish with peanuts and salt.
You may omit adding the melted butter and sweetener to the chocolate layer and simply use 90% chocolate instead.
However, after experimenting many times, I found by adding some butter, allowed the chocolate layer to be a little softer than 90% chocolate so when you bite into it, the chocolate doesn't snap and the peanut butter filling ooze out all over your hands.
The added sweetener is optional, but it gives it that extra sweet taste so these taste exactly like regular Reece's peanut butter cups.
📖 Recipe
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Salted Keto Peanut Butter Cups Recipe
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Chocolate Layer
- 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar-free chocolate chips see notes *
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter
- 2 teaspoon powdered sweetener or more to taste
Peanut Butter Layer
- 35 g (⅓ cup) peanut butter or nut butter of choice
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) butter melted
- 1 tablespoon powdered sweetener or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- salt
- peanuts
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate, sweetener and butter together. Mix.
- Pour half the mixture into lined mini muffin/cupcake cases. Place in the fridge to set.
- Mix the melted butter and peanut butter. Add the powdered sweetener and vanilla (you don't want this layer to be too hot when pouring as it will melt the chocolate below and the chocolate that is about to be poured from above).
- Place a spoon of the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate-lined cupcake cases. Top each peanut butter cup with the remaining chocolate layer.
- Place in the fridge to set then garnish with peanuts and salt.
Notes
- Chocolate - you may either use 90% chocolate or sugar free chocolate. The calculations in this recipe for the nutritional panel were made using Lindt 90%.
- Please check labels for sugar free chocolate. Many contain maltitol which can raise blood sugars as much as sugar.
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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.
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Margie
I love your recipes! But printing one is not what I expect… the picture NEVER will print out on the recipe! Is there something you can tweet to make this happen? And yes I check the box to print picture. I don’t have this happen with other sites. Thank you
Libby Jenkinson
It should be working now, Margie. There was an incorrect setting (from my side) that has been rectified 🙂
Te
Libby, have you ever tried these with Baker's Chocolate? It's the only sugar free chocolate i have in the house besides cocoa powder.
These look fabulous! Thank you for your generous sharing!
Libby Jenkinson
I've never tried it with baking chocolate because here it is still full of sugar. I would suggest making only a few keto peanut butter cups, to begin with (you can dial up how many servings the recipe makes using the slider in the recipe card), and add sweetener as you need to. Then if it works, then you can make an entire batch using your baking chocolate. Please come back and let me know how it works out.
S
This looks great but definitely suggest that people search for Jungle peanut butter (and peanuts) that don't have the aflatoxins in them like regular PB does.
Johnny
This recipe for keto peanut butter cups is amazing, it tastes like real Reece peanut butter cups. Smooth, creamy and that salty vanilla flavour is amazing.
Doris
Recipe doesn’t match picture. It shows five layers
Libby Jenkinson
There are definitely only 3 layers Doris. I can see a faint line where the chocolate has melted when I bit into it for the shot, but I promise, there are only 3 layers to the salted keto peanut butter cups (and they're all delicious).
Jacky
My chocolate seized up. What did I do wrong? I make this recipe all the time. I love it! But this never happened before!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
What did you do differently this time then we can figure out what changed and how to avoid it.
Tonya
Fabulously yummy! Just one comment. The peanut butter bit says to use granulated sweetener before it says use powdered sweetener in the methods section. Mine's a bit crunchy because I used granulated but it's still fine
Marsha
YUMMMM!!!! Over the past couple years I've decided I no longer like Reese's pb cups. Not sure why as they were always a favorite. And I've only been low carb since February!! But good that I pretty much stopped eating them.
But these are SO MUCH BETTER!!.. I didn't have any mini cupcake liners so I made them in a larger silicone mold and then just cut them in quarters when it was time to serve. Since they were bigger I made a batch w an Aldi's brand chocolate and one w Lily's mini chips. I liked the Aldi's brand much better. Much smoother and tasted really good. These were really easy to make too. Because my molds were thicker I did add a little extra peanut butter this time. But when using the smaller molds I will make them as directed. I'm going to make these next month and take them on my camping trip in place of smore's around the campfire. These will be a regular item in my house but kept in the freezer. Because if not, well they might not last very long
Gill Oldridge
Love your recipes! Can you freeze these?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes that would be a great way to portion control them too. Fab idea.
Denise Burton
I made this recipe yesterday. I stretched it out and made 16. The recipe was quick and easy to make. My problem now is stopping at just 1..
Thank you for sharing this great recipe
Rebecca
Hey Libby. I was wanting to make this over the weekend however I’m just wondering... doesn’t the chocolate you used have sugar in it? Refind sugars? I use cacao nibs for most things. I find that cacao buttons don’t melt like chocolate so I have avoided all recipes with chocolate. Is this participle ok to have on a keto diet?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
It's up to you which chocolate you wish to use. In the recipe notes above I mention "Chocolate - you may either use 90% chocolate or sugar-free chocolate. The calculations in this recipe for the nutritional panel were made using Lindt 90%. Please check labels for sugar-free chocolate. Many contain maltitol which can raise blood sugars as much as sugar".
djnikkik
I love recipes with peanuts in them like these, but I try to be as compliant as possible and there are always people saying that because peanuts are technically legumes and not nuts, that means they are inflammatory and non compliant, even though there a multitude of lchf recipes that use them. As a result I've been very restrictive with them (had them only 3 times this year), but I would love to hear your take on what you think about their compliancy?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Great question. You are correct. Peanuts are non-compliant if you are 100% strict. I rarely use peanut butter in any of my recipes, in fact, I think this is the only one in over 250 recipes. You can easily swap the peanut butter for almond butter, but this was a recipe I had been wanting to develop for so long for my 10 yr old who loves peanut butter. He still eats it, but in limited quantities. As with everything LCHF, it's about sustainability - by allowing my children the odd concession, means this way of life is sustainable for the long term. Do what works for you, what fits within your daily allowance and if it curbs or triggers your cravings. Everyone is so different.
Julie
I made these last week and they were absolutely amazing! I put the peanut butter filling in a ziploc bag and snipped off the corner then piped them into the cups. This made it VERY easy but I ended up with about half of the peanut butter filling remaining....so my solution for the next time is to double the chocolate recipe and keep the filling recipe the same and I'll make 20 peanut butter cups!!!! 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
What a super fabulous tip - thank you.
Diane
I used swerve and mine came out good but the sweetener was grainy 🙁 It wouldn’t dissolve. Any suggestions? Thanks! Diane
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sometimes that can happen with granulated sweeteners. They don't dissolve very easily. Try to use powdered sweetener, or you can make the granulated sweetener finer by grinding it in a food processor, coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle.
Sharon Young
Are you using salted butter?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes. I pretty much use salted butter in everything. But as always, use what you prefer and you could always add salt to your liking during the recipe.
Jennifer T
I am wondering what peanut butter you used for this recipe, if not the brand then what was the c/f/c facts. I used the only brand I could find with peanuts only and my nutrition facts according to MFP did not come out like yours... and I liked yours better! Haha
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Never trust MFP. I had to change over 200 recipes when I discovered how inaccurate all their "user added" entries were. I use cronometer.com
Becky
Can't wait to try these. 4 months on LCHF but I always "want" a dessert. Thanks for sharing.
K
Hi Libby
I live in Wales and I'm used to enjoying Ovaltine in the evenings. Now I'm trying low carb, does Ovaltine fit in? Diolch/thank you.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I wouldn't think so. Take a look at the nutrition panel and I'm guessing Ovaltine will be heavy in sugar, and if you are making it with milk, there will be the milks sugars in there too. I understand your love of Ovaltine, so why not try to cut back how much you add at the beginning, make the serving cup smaller, and with added cream. You will feel full so quickly, you may not even be able to finish the cup. Eventually you may find yourself having a tiny espresso size cup of it then possibly cut it out altogether if that is your aim, or just enjoying a "taster".