Annie Lampella Recipe Developer

Keto Peanut Butter Recipes That Hit the Spot

Reach for the natural jar with two ingredients on the label, peanuts and salt. The grocery-store classics like Jif and Skippy hide sugar you do not need.

Keto-Friendly 4gNet Carbs 190Calories 7gProtein 16gFat

Nutrition per 2 tbsp

14 keto peanut butter recipes

Slice of keto peanut butter cheesecake with a chocolate crust, chocolate drizzle, and chopped peanuts served on a white plate.

Stack of keto peanut butter cups with a thick peanut butter center and chocolate coating on a wooden board.

Two serving spoons scooping up helpings of thai chicken salad filled with chicken, cabbage, shelled edamame and carrot.

A stack of four no bake chocolate cookies next to slices almonds.

peanut butter dripping down a glass with a chocolate smoothie inside that is covered with chopped nuts

Is peanut butter keto?

Yes, natural peanut butter is keto in moderation. About 3 to 4g net carbs per 2 tablespoons. The catch is added sugar.

Peanut butter is one of those ingredients I had to learn to read the label on before I trusted it. A scoop of the right jar is a near-perfect keto snack: fat, a little protein, and enough flavor to stop a craving cold. A scoop of the wrong jar is sugar with a peanut accent. The gap between the two is bigger than most people think.

The added-sugar trap

This is the one that gets people. The big shelf-stable brands (Jif, Skippy, the store knockoffs) add sugar, and usually hydrogenated oil too. Read the ingredient list. It should say peanuts and salt, and nothing else. If you see sugar, cane syrup, molasses, or "fully hydrogenated vegetable oil" anywhere on the label, put it back. Natural peanut butter separates and the oil pools on top, which annoys people, but that oil layer is exactly what you want. Stir it back in.

Net carbs and the portion reality

Two tablespoons run about 3 to 4g net carbs, which fits fine. The thing nobody warns you about is the calories. Peanut butter is dense, around 190 to 200 calories per 2 tablespoons, and a "spoonful" off the jar is rarely two tablespoons. It is genuinely easy to eat a third of your day’s fat standing at the counter. I measure it when it matters and eyeball it when it does not, but I never pretend the jar is bottomless.

Powdered peanut butter has a place

The PB2-style powdered stuff (defatted peanut flour) is not a swap for the real thing, but it earns a spot in my pantry. It has most of the fat pressed out, so it is much lower in calories and carbs per serving, and it dissolves into liquids. I use it in protein shakes and smoothies where I want peanut flavor without 200 calories of oil. For baking and fat bombs I want the full-fat jar. For a shake, the powder wins.

What I actually make with it

Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are my back-pocket dessert: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 egg, sweetener, bake. It barely counts as a recipe. Beyond that I lean on it for fat bombs when I need fat fast, and for a quick keto satay-style sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce or coconut aminos, a little sweetener, water to thin) that turns plain chicken into dinner. Always stir the jar well first so the oil is folded back in evenly, or your baking comes out greasy in spots and dry in others.

Written by Annie Lampella, Pharm.D., a pharmacist and recipe developer who has followed keto for 14 years.
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Common Questions About Keto Peanut Butter

Is peanut butter keto?

Yes, natural peanut butter is keto in moderation. A 2 tablespoon serving has about 3 to 4g net carbs, which fits a ketogenic diet. The catch is added sugar: the big shelf-stable brands like Jif and Skippy add sugar and hydrogenated oil. Buy a jar whose ingredient list reads just peanuts and salt, and you are fine.

How many carbs are in peanut butter?

Natural peanut butter has about 3 to 4g net carbs per 2 tablespoons (6 to 7g total carbs minus 2 to 3g fiber). Sweetened brands can run 5 to 7g net carbs for the same serving because of the added sugar. The number on the label is what counts, so check it: two jars that look identical can differ by several grams once sugar is in the mix.

What is the best keto peanut butter brand?

The best keto peanut butter is any jar with only two ingredients: peanuts and salt. Crazy Richard's is literally just peanuts (no salt, no oil). Teddie All Natural, 365 Organic Unsweetened, and Smucker's Natural are all clean options you can find in most grocery stores. Avoid anything with sugar, cane syrup, or hydrogenated oil on the label, regardless of how the front of the jar is marketed.

Is powdered peanut butter keto?

Yes, powdered peanut butter (PB2 and similar) is keto-friendly and lower in both calories and carbs than the regular jar because most of the fat is pressed out. Check the label for added sugar, since some flavored versions sweeten the powder. It works best stirred into shakes, smoothies, and sauces. For fat bombs and baking, full-fat natural peanut butter is the better choice.

Can you eat peanut butter on keto every day?

You can, as long as you stay aware of the portion. The carbs are low, but peanut butter is calorie dense at roughly 190 to 200 calories per 2 tablespoons, and it is easy to eat far more than that off a spoon. If you are tracking and it fits your fat and calorie targets, daily peanut butter is fine. Just measure it on the days it matters rather than eating straight from the jar.