Keto No Bake Cookies
Published February 2, 2023 • Updated March 1, 2026
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I make these keto no bake cookies almost every week. Five minutes, no oven, and the oat fiber gives them that real oat flavor and crunch without a single carb from oatmeal.
If you’ve tried my Almond Flour Cookies or Small Batch Sugar Cookies, you know I think cookies belong on a keto diet. But creating a no bake version without all the carbs from oatmeal took me more rounds of testing than I expected.
Traditional recipes rely on oats as the star ingredient, and one cup of old fashioned oats has 50 grams of carbohydrates. That puts them off limits for any serious carb-conscious diet. I started experimenting with oat fiber as a replacement, and it works. Oat fiber is made from the insoluble fiber of the oat husk, so it has the same toasty flavor with zero net carbs. Combined with unsweetened coconut, chopped almonds, and peanut butter, you get a cookie that’s fudgy in the center and crunchy all the way through.
The technique is simple but the details matter. I bring the butter, cream, cocoa, and sweetener to a full rolling boil for one minute. That step is non-negotiable. I skipped it on my second batch ever and the cookies never held together. Once you pull the pot off the heat, stir everything else right in. No mixer, no separate bowls, no oven.
Here’s the part most people get wrong: the freeze time. I pull mine at 25 minutes, not the full 30. At 25, the center stays fudgy while the edges firm up solid. Thirty overshoots it and you lose that texture contrast. If your freezer is too small for a full sheet pan, spread the mixture into a small parchment-lined pan and cut into bars once it’s cold. Cuts way cleaner than scooping individual cookies and stores easier too.
I keep a batch in the freezer at all times. When I need a low carb dessert that takes zero effort, I grab two straight from the freezer and they’re ready to eat. If you love the peanut butter and chocolate combination as much as I do, my Keto Peanut Butter Mousse and Keto Peanut Butter Pie hit that same craving. For pure chocolate, try my Keto Chocolate Mousse.
Key ingredients and swaps I've tested
The ingredient list looks simple, but I’ve tested enough swaps to know what matters and what doesn’t.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Sweetener – I use allulose because it doesn’t recrystallize when frozen. Erythritol and monkfruit sweeteners like Lakanto or Swerve work too, but they can form a cloudy layer on the surface after freezing. Purely cosmetic, not a taste issue.
- Cocoa powder – I bump mine to 1/3 cup from the start. The original 1/4 cup is fine, but if you want the chocolate flavor louder (and I always do), that extra cocoa makes a real difference.
- Unsweetened coconut – Shredded works best. Avoid large flaked coconut because it won’t hold the cookies together. Double check the label for added sugar.
- Chopped almonds – Any nut works here. Pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all solid swaps. If you love coconut and almonds together, try my Keto Coconut Joys for a similar flavor combination.
- Peanut butter – Creamy, unsweetened, peanuts-only on the label. I wouldn’t swap another nut butter here because the flavor changes too much, but unsweetened almond butter works if you need it.
- Oat fiber – Not oatmeal, not oat bran. Oat fiber is the insoluble fiber from oat husks, which is why it’s zero carbs. It’s the ingredient that makes this whole recipe possible on keto.
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Ingredients
1 cup sugar-free sweetener -
½ cup heavy cream
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½ cup unsalted butter
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¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
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1 cup chopped almonds
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1 cup no-sugar added peanut butter
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¼ cup oat fiber
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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pinch of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Heat ingredients
Add sweetener, cream, butter and cocoa powder to a large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- 1 cup sugar-free sweetener
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Add remaining ingredients
Stir in coconut, almonds, peanut butter, oat fiber, vanilla and salt.
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup oat fiber
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What can I substitute for coconut in these cookies?
I get this question constantly. The best swap I've found is adding more chopped nuts. Use an extra cup of almonds, pecans, or walnuts in place of the coconut. The texture is a little different (you lose some of that chewy shred), but the cookies still hold together and taste great. I've also had readers try unsweetened coconut flour as a swap, but I haven't tested that ratio myself.
Why won't my no bake cookies set up?
Nine times out of ten, this comes down to the boil. I need a full rolling boil for one minute, not a gentle simmer. That boil is what lets the butter, cocoa, and sweetener emulsify into a base that actually firms up when cold. If you pulled it off the heat too early, the mixture stays soft no matter how long you freeze it. The other possibility is freeze time. I give mine 25 minutes and they're solid. If yours are still soft after 30 minutes, try moving them to a colder spot in the freezer.
Can I make these dairy-free?
I haven't tested a fully dairy-free version myself, but one of my readers, Kimberly, swapped the heavy cream for Califia Farms dairy-free heavy cream alternative (zero carbs) and said it worked perfectly. I'd use coconut oil in place of the butter if you're going fully dairy-free. The flavor shifts slightly toward coconut, which works well with the shredded coconut already in the recipe.
What is oat fiber and where do I buy it?
Oat fiber is the insoluble fiber from oat husks, ground into a fine powder. It's not oatmeal and it's not oat bran. It has zero carbs and zero calories, which is why I use it in this recipe instead of rolled oats. I buy mine on Amazon (I use the NuNaturals brand), but some health food stores carry it too. It's the one ingredient you probably don't already have, but it's worth ordering because I use it in several keto recipes.
Is peanut butter keto?
Yes, and I use it constantly. The key is checking the label for peanuts-only ingredients. A lot of brands sneak in sugar, honey, or palm oil. I stick with the natural kind where you can see the oil separation at the top. That tells me there's nothing added.
What's the difference between haystack and no bake cookies?
Haystacks use crunchy chow mein noodles as the base, while the traditional version uses oatmeal (or in my case, oat fiber). Both are stovetop cookies you don't bake in an oven. I prefer the texture of this version because the oat fiber and peanut butter create a fudgier bite than the crispy haystack approach.
Can coconut oil be substituted for the butter?
Yes, I've tested this and it works fine. The texture is almost identical once the cookies set up in the freezer. You lose a tiny bit of that buttery richness, but the cocoa and peanut butter carry most of the flavor anyway. I use the same amount, melted.
How long do these last in the freezer?
Mine last 1-2 months in the freezer with no change in taste or texture. I store them in a single layer in a freezer bag with parchment between layers so they don't stick together. I've eaten ones that were in there for close to 8 weeks and they tasted the same as day one.
No-bake cookies were the first thing I learned to make in my mom's kitchen, so when I started keto two years ago I crossed them off the list without much hope. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't to feel like I was standing at her stove again. The oat fiber does something I can't fully explain. It's not identical, but the texture and that chocolate-peanut butter combination gets close enough that it actually matters to me. The shredded coconut really comes through if you're not expecting it. That's what's keeping me at four stars for now, though it'd be easy enough to pull back on. I've made these twice since March started and they go straight into the freezer, which somehow makes the texture even better. That's the version I'll keep making.
That oat fiber nostalgia is real. And if the coconut's too forward, extra almonds work as a direct swap, same cup measurement, same texture.
I've made probably four different keto no-bake cookie recipes over the past year and every single one had that flat, wrong texture where you know right away it's not the real thing. I was so skeptical about oat fiber because every time I'd used it before it just tasted like cardboard with a vaguely oaty suggestion. Made these anyway out of desperation. The texture coming out of the freezer has this actual bite, that little resistance before it gives. And the cocoa-to-peanut butter ratio is balanced in a way the others weren't even close to getting right. I ate three before I even thought about the macros. Not a mistake I'm sorry about. Double batch this Sunday, that's already decided.
The cocoa ratio is where all the other recipes lose it. Double batch Sunday is correct.
Eight batches in and the oat fiber crunch is still the best thing in my freezer.
Eight batches and still in the freezer is the goal. Mine never make it past two weeks.
Lost count of the batches at this point, which says something. Last time I finally nailed my freeze time, twenty-five minutes instead of the full thirty, and the center stays fudgy while the edges firm up solid. That texture with the coconut and almond crunch in there is what keeps pulling me back. Only reason it's four stars and not five is I always end up adding more cocoa powder because I want the chocolate flavor louder.
Twenty-five is the spot. Thirty overshoots it. And more cocoa is the right call, I'd just bump it to 1/3 cup from the start honestly.
My kids ate three each and asked if we could skip the oven forever. The oat fiber really does the trick.
Ha! Mine say the same thing. The oat fiber texture is pretty close to the real thing once everything sets up in the fridge.
Oh my word! I am so excited to find this recipe! My daughter is on modified keto for seizure disorder and let's just say she is a connoisseur of keto recipes. She gave two thumbs up, so 5 stars for taste, texture, and ease to make ♥️
Modified keto for seizure disorder is a whole different level of specific. Her two thumbs up means something. Keep a batch in the freezer - they hold up for weeks.
These were amazing! I subbed the heavy cream for the Califia Farms Heavy Cream no dairy alternative. It has no carbs and I wanted to give it a low stakes try since these are all for me. AND I was not disappointed. The one note for others is check your freezer size BEFORE putting these on the pan. My freezer is way to small to fit my 1/2 trays so that batch went into the fridge. Then I spread the rest of the dough out onto a tiny toaster oven sized pan and cut into bars after set.
Thank you so much for this easy and delicious recipe!
The Califia swap is good to know, haven't tested that one myself. And the bar format is actually underrated, cuts way cleaner than individual cookies once it's cold.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I used a cup each of flaked coconut, almonds, and pecans then chopped them in the food processor until they looked similar to oatmeal, they resulted in wonderful cookies that crush the sugar cravings, but don't trigger me to want more sweets, fabulous!
Smart move with the food processor. Pecans and peanut butter together just work.
Gosh these look good.however, I don’t like coconut ☹️. Is there another substitute for coconut?
Thank you!
You can use more nuts!
Wow you knocked it out of the ballpark. There's only a couple things I miss on keto and no bake cookies are one of them. I've tried a couple other recipes and they didn't even come close. These are almost exactly like the real deal. Good job and thank you so much thank you Mommy
'Thank you Mommy' made me smile. The oat fiber is what gets you there on no bakes - most recipes skip it and that's why they miss.
These are amazing! I also ate some while still warm. Delicious!! I used chopped pecans instead of almonds for a little bit less carbs. If you are thinking of making these….Do It!!
Pecans cut the carbs down nicely. I like them warm too, right out of the pan before they set.
Oh my goodness, I made those today and I must say that is the best Keto treat ever. So easy to make and so delicious. I licked my finger before dropping them onto the tray and (not sure how it happened) I ate 2 spoonfuls warm. Thank you so much for all your recipes. You are amazing!!
The warm batter is the dangerous part. Two spoonfuls is basically self-control.