Keto Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (Healthy, Vegan & Gluten-Free) with Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie Recipe Variation

This detoxed peanut butter cookie recipe creates the perfect dense and chewy cookie loaded with rich peanut butter flavor. The only thing these cookies are missing is the prerequisite guilt one would normally have after indulging in traditional, carb-loaded peanut butter cookies. These healthy peanut butter cookies are easy to make, don’t require any fancy equipment and taste so much better than packaged cookies. Shape these cookies into cute little peanuts, then stuff them with peanut butter frosting for a healthy replica of the classic Nabisco ‘Nutter Butter’ cookie we all grew up eating.

Unfortunately, Nutter Butters are made with ingredients I won't eat like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil and artificial flavors. Both Nutter Butters and traditional peanut butter cookies are a classic American favorite, so I made sure to craft a winning recipe that would excite both the health conscious and picky eaters in the family. I recently made these for my niece and nephew (8 & 12 y/o) who both said they were the best peanut butter cookies they’d ever had. Their mom ended up packing these cookies instead of a sandwich in their school lunchbox because she knew they wouldn’t trade their friends:). I’m confident your household will agree, this is the very best recipe for sugar free peanut butter cookies and these nutritious cookies will be requested over and over again.

Unadulterated peanut butter is a very nutritious ingredient and makes a delicious addition to sweets. Like olive oil, one of the main fats in peanut butter is oleic acid. When substituted for unhealthy fats in your diet, oleic acid is shown to help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Oleic acid has also been shown to reduce insulin resistance, the common condition that raises blood sugar, causes weight gain and leads to diabetes. Peanuts are also a great source of vitamins and antioxidants like manganese, vitamin E, and B vitamins. One of peanut butter’s most powerful antioxidants is coumaric acid. Research found that its activity is boosted by 22% when peanuts are roasted before whipping them into butter. Commercial peanut butter brands often have added sugars and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Make sure you use all-natural roasted peanut butter without added ingredients for this healthy peanut butter cookie recipe.

The Detox Desserts Flour Swap promotes healthy digestion and makes it easy to turn these peanut butter cookies gluten-free. The psyllium husk contained in the Flour Swap and inulin contained in the Egg and Sugar Swaps both help to feed and increase healthy gut bacteria. Plenty of good flora in your intestines can promote a strong immune system along with the added digestive benefits we all love from a hefty dose of fiber. Whole psyllium husk also binds waste and toxins in the intestines and helps clear them from the body. This easy recipe for keto peanut butter cookies is not only free from all the unhealthy ingredients found in traditional desserts but it’s actually gently detoxifying to the body…double win!

The plant soluble fiber from the psyllium husk and the digestive resistant fiber in the inulin work together to slow down digestion of this healthy cookie. The slowed digestion helps provide more blood sugar stability throughout your day which can keep you feeling full and satisfied. This also keeps energy levels constant without the normal sugar crashes one would experience with a traditional, carb-loaded cookie.

I’ve tested this sugar free peanut butter cookie recipe with Whole-Grain and Grain-Free Flour Swap countless times. The Whole-Grain Swap cookies will have a few extra slowly digesting healthy carbs, a more hearty and earthy flavor, and bake up perfectly yielding a dense and chewy texture. The Grain-Free Flour will provide the lowest carb (keto/paleo) version of this cookie and has a slightly sweeter, more nutty flavor, with an equally perfect texture. I LOVE this recipe using both flours in equal parts (¾ cup Whole-Grain plus ¾ cup Grain-Free Flour to equal the full 1½ cups of Flour Swap the recipe calls for) because it creates a flavor and texture profile that is most similar to a traditional peanut butter cookie. Plus, mixing the flours is a great way to create a lower carb version of a gluten-free cookie and still allows for a small dose of healthy grains.

For most of my patients, I’m a big advocate for balanced macronutrient meals breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here is an easy way to know what type of Flour Swap to choose to create a balanced macro meal. We’ll use dinner as an example. If your dinner consists of just protein and veggies, I recommend eating a Whole-Grain Swap cookie for dessert to serve as your healthy carb for that meal. Conversely, if you already had a healthy carb with dinner (quinoa, sweet potato, beans, etc), I would recommend the Grain-Free Swap cookie for dessert so you don’t overeat carbs at that meal. Easy, right?! Balanced macro meals are the best thing you can do to keep your metabolism firing optimally, create blood sugar stability and keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout your day (or night). If you’re a diabetic or need to stay in ketosis, always bake using the Grain-Free Flour Swap.

4. Use a small cookie scoop to make equal sized cookie balls, roll and press each cookie onto your parchment lined baking tray. Use a fork to create the criss cross pattern on the top of each cookie. 

5. Bake for 7-9 minutes (both Grain-Free and Whole-Grain were perfect at 8 minutes in my oven) until slightly golden in color and the top of the cookies start to crack. Do not overbake.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the warm cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool. The cookies will hold together perfectly when completely cooled. 

7. Make the peanut butter frosting by mixing all ingredients while adding hot water slowly until smooth, spreadable consistency is reached. Smear the frosting on your cooled cookies and top with another cookie.

8. Store covered in the fridge for up to 7 days or wrap tightly and freeze for long-term storage. 

*For best taste, texture and health benefits, refrigerate all Detox Desserts overnight before indulging. The overnight chill also slows down carbohydrate absorption making them tastier and healthier. Weird, but it works!