Home » Low-Carb Desserts » Keto Peanut Butter Bars
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These deeply dark and flavorful peanut butter bars are keto and low carb. An easy no-bake recipe, these gluten-free bars are made without graham crackers.
While they require a few steps and take some time to be ready, they are actually quite easy to make, and they last for several days in the fridge.
If you like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, you're in for a very special treat!
These keto peanut butter bars are amazing (and so are these keto fat bombs, by the way). They are so chocolatey and decadent.
They combine two of my favorite foods: creamy peanut butter and extra-dark chocolate. And as impressive as they look, they are actually quite easy to make.
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- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Expert tip
- Frequently asked questions
- Variations
- Serving suggestions
- Storing leftovers
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these tasty bars. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground almond flour in this recipe. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, and I prefer creamy European butter. But any butter will be great.
- Peanut butter: I use natural creamy peanut butter. The only ingredients are peanuts and salt, and it's the kind of peanut butter you need to stir well before using.
- Sweetener: I use stevia. You can probably use a sugar-free granulated sweetener instead (powdered would be best), but I haven't tested that.
- Dark chocolate chips: As dark as you can go and still enjoy them! You can also use a dark chocolate bar (Lindt is good) and chop it with a sharp knife.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making these keto peanut butter bars:
Your first step is to line the pan with some wax paper, ensuring that you have a wax paper overhang. You will later use the overhang as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan.
Now, go ahead and melt some butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Allow it to slightly cool, then mix in the stevia, peanut butter, and almond flour.
Start mixing these ingredients with a rubber spatula, then use a whisk to mix them thoroughly until completely smooth and no almond flour lumps remain, as shown in the video below.
Spread this mixture in the wax-paper-lined pan, then freeze it for 15 minutes.
Your next step is to gently spread a melted chocolate mixture on top of the hardened peanut butter layer.
The last step is to cover the pan and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours until the mixture is fully set. Then you can cut it into 16 bars.
Expert tip
It's best to use a freshly opened jar of peanut butter, since the bottom of these jars is often a bit too dry, even if you stir the peanut butter well when you open them.
Frequently asked questions
Should I add graham crackers?
No! In this keto version, there's no need for Graham crackers. Almond flour works just as well.
Why do you add butter to the melted chocolate?
I add a bit of butter to the melted chocolate to keep it from hardening too much and becoming brittle after it sets. The butter keeps it just a bit softer.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
These flours are very different than each other and are not interchangeable. I only tested this recipe with almond flour.
Variations
Instead of peanut butter, you can make this recipe with natural almond butter. If you do, you might want to add half a teaspoon of almond extract to enhance the almond flavor.
Serving suggestions
If you like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, it's fun to make a platter of several types of desserts for your guests. You can include these bars, keto peanut butter cups, keto peanut butter cookies, and keto fudge.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container, separated by layers of wax paper, for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to three months.
- Keto Peanut Butter Cups
- Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Keto Fat Bombs
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
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Recipe Card
4.99 from 158 votes
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Keto Peanut Butter Bars
Deeply dark and flavorful peanut butter bars are keto and low carb. An easy no-bake recipe, these gluten-free bars are made without graham crackers.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Rest time4 hours hrs
Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 182kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (4 oz)
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (heaping, to equal ¼ cup sugar)
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter unsweetened, room temperature
- 1 cup almond flour blanched finely ground (4 oz)
Topping:
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips (3.5 oz)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Line a square 8-inch baking dish with wax paper so that you have a wax paper overhanging on both sides. This will allow for easy removal later on.
Make the bottom layer:
Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Allow it to slightly cool.
Mix in the stevia, peanut butter, and almond flour. Start mixing with a rubber spatula, then use a hand whisk to mix thoroughly until completely smooth and no almond flour lumps remain.
Use the spatula to transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and to spread the mixture evenly. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Make the top layer:
Place the chocolate chips and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each microwave session, until almost fully melted. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until fully melted.
Pour the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer, using the spatula to scrape it off the bowl and to spread it evenly. Work gently, so that the chocolate layer stays on top of the peanut butter layer.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set and firm, about 4 hours.
Carefully lift the wax paper and place it on top of a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into 16 squares.
Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container, separated by layers of wax paper.
Video
Notes
It's best to use a freshly opened jar of peanut butter, since the bottom of these jars is often a bit too dry, even if you stir the peanut butter well when you open them.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 37mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g
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Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
More Low-Carb Desserts
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Briana
This recipe is very handy, one of the best things about this recipe is it doesn’t require too much product so you get plenty of batches out of your ingredients, and we all know keto ingredients aren’t cheap. I personally use dehydrated peanut butter which you just throw in, you don’t have to rehydrate the peanut butter with water , the butter takes care of that for you. I now use the keto milk chocolate chips from choczero, but even with the low carb dark chocolate they’re very good. We prefer the milk chocolate as it adds sweetness. For my recipe I do Not add any sweetener to it as I don’t feel it’s necessary. My husband and daughter love this recipe as well, so it’s definitely family friendly as they don’t like most keto dessert recipes.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Briana,
Many thanks for the detailed review! I appreciate it. I'm so glad you and your family like these bars.Reply
JM
Thank you for a simple, easy to make recipe without a lot of uneccessary ingredients--I could see it being the foundation for other variations. However, I just made it, and there seems to be a volume issue with the peanut butter base. It barely spread into an 8x8 dish, so I brought in the edges. Even bringing it to about 7x7, the base was about a 1/4" thick, not the thickness shown in the photos. Still tasty, but next time I may double the base (although then it changes the nutritional value quite a bit).
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you for the feedback! I've made these bars multiple times, and the recipe works for me. It may depend on the peanut butter brand used.
Reply
