Warm and soft with the edges just set, one peanut butter cookie from one bowl in two minutes. I created this because I needed a cookie I could make fast without a dozen extras sitting on the counter testing my willpower, so it is six ingredients, no egg, and a true single serving. What I learned is that microwave wattage changes the time, so start with less and add a few seconds if the center is still wet. 4g net carbs and 7.7g protein.
I created this recipe because I needed a cookie I could make in two minutes without ending up with a dozen extras calling my name from the counter. Six ingredients, one bowl, and you're done. No batch temptation, no willpower test.
The texture surprised me the first time. At 50% power, the microwave heats the dough slowly enough that the coconut flour absorbs moisture and sets up properly. Full power cooks the outside too fast and leaves the center raw. I made that mistake twice before figuring it out. When it comes out, the edges look barely done, almost too soft. That's exactly right. Give it a full two minutes to cool and you'll see the center firm up to this slightly chewy middle with edges that actually snap. One of my readers described it as "the center gets slightly chewy with edges that snap," and that's exactly the texture you're going for.
The coconut flour is doing more than you'd think in this recipe. It's the reason the cookie holds together instead of crumbling into a pile. I tested swapping it for an extra tablespoon of almond flour, and the result was noticeably softer with no crispy edge at all. Still edible, but a completely different cookie. If you have coconut flour on hand, use it. Two teaspoons is all it takes, and it's what gives you a proper cookie instead of warm dough.
For a chocolate twist, press a few sugar-free chocolate chips (I use Lily's) into the top before microwaving. They melt just enough to get gooey without going completely flat. If you want more keto dessert ideas, try my white chocolate macadamia cookie or my chocolate chip cookies for a full oven batch.
One thing I wish I'd known earlier: microwave wattage matters. Mine is 1100 watts, and two minutes at 50% power is perfect. If yours is closer to 700 watts, start with two minutes and add 15-20 seconds if the center still looks wet. The first time is a test run. After that, you'll know your exact timing and it becomes automatic.
If you like the two-minute approach, my PB mousse handles the craving without any cooking at all. Or for something baked, the chocolate chip cookie recipe is my go-to full batch.
Two-Minute Low Carb Cookie
This cookie is soft with a rich, nutty flavor that fills your kitchen in two minutes. Six ingredients: almond flour, peanut butter, coconut flour, monk fruit sweetener, softened butter, and salt. No egg, which makes it egg-free and vegan-friendly if you swap in coconut oil.
I’ve tried lots of microwave cookie recipes, and most are just mug cakes in disguise. I wanted something with actual cookie texture, not steamed cake. Since this one skips the egg, you don’t need a mug. Just parchment paper and a plate.
Why Single-Serve Keto Desserts Work
I used to make full batches of cookies and tell myself I’d freeze the extras. I never did. They’d sit on the counter, and I’d eat three by the end of the day. That’s why I started building single-serve recipes into my rotation. You get the craving handled without the leftover problem.
If you like this approach, I have a few more built the same way. My small batch keto sugar cookies make just 4-5 at a time, and my no-bake cookies are great when you don’t want to touch the microwave or the oven.
Is Peanut Butter Low Carb
Two tablespoons of the natural stuff have 7g total carbs and 3g net carbs, which is higher than almond or macadamia nut butter. But in a single-serving recipe like this, the total stays around 4g net carbs for the whole cookie. I don’t stress about it.
Other Nut Butter Swaps
I’ve tested this with almond butter and macadamia nut butter, and both work. Almond butter gives you a nuttier, drier cookie. Macadamia makes it richer and softer. Since the recipe makes one at a time, you can try a different nut butter each day and compare.
A fun twist: press a sugar-free chocolate chip or two into the top before microwaving. The outside sets around them while they melt. My daughter requests that version now.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
If you liked this one, here are a few more from my rotation. My almond flour cookies use a similar base but bake in the oven for a crispier edge. The s’mores bars take more effort but they’re worth it for weekends. And my cookie bars a la mode are what I make when I want something that actually looks like a dessert.
How to Make This Cookie
Mix all six ingredients in a small bowl with a fork, roll into a ball, and press down with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Microwave at 50% power for two minutes. I wait a full two minutes after it comes out before touching it. The cookie looks underdone at first, but the coconut flour keeps setting as it cools.
Combine almond flour, peanut butter, butter, coconut flour, sweetener, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork to cut everything together until mixed.
2
Crisscross
Roll the dough into a ball and place on parchment paper. Press down with a fork in a crisscross pattern (the classic peanut butter cookie look).
3
Microwave instructions
Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes. Let cool completely before handling. The cookie is delicate while warm and firms up as it cools.
4
Oven instructions
To bake in the oven, bake at 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes or until the edges start to get golden brown. Let cookie cool completely before handling.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 cookie
Calories
245
Fat
21.2g
Protein
7.7g
Total carbs
9.2g
Net carbs
4g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swap coconut flour for more almond flour?
I've tested this exact swap. An extra tablespoon of almond flour works, but the cookie comes out softer with less defined edges. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour, so it's doing the structural work here. I still prefer it with both flours, but the almond-only version holds together if that's what you have on hand.
Does microwave wattage affect cook time?
Yes. My microwave is 1100 watts, and two minutes at 50% power is my sweet spot. If yours is closer to 700 watts, add 15-20 seconds. Watch for the edges to appear just barely set when the timer goes off. The cookie keeps cooking as it cools, so pull it out before it looks done.
Can I add chocolate chips before microwaving?
I use Lily's sugar-free chips and press a few into the top before microwaving. They melt just enough to get gooey without going completely flat. The timing at 50% power is gentle enough that the chips hold their shape. This is my favorite version.
Can I use powdered peanut butter?
I haven't tested the powdered version in this recipe, but the concept is sound. You'll need to add more liquid since it's drier than the natural spread. Start with an extra half tablespoon of softened butter and adjust from there. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
What sweetener works best?
I use a monk fruit blend that measures 1:1 like sugar, and it's what I'd recommend for this keto recipe. Erythritol works too, though some people notice a cooling aftertaste. Allulose makes the cookie softer and more fragile. Any granular sugar-free sweetener will get you there.
How do I store extra dough?
I keep extra dough balls in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. When I want one, I pull it out, let it sit for a minute, then microwave as usual. The texture is just as good from the fridge. I wouldn't freeze the dough, though, because the coconut flour gets grainy after thawing.
Why microwave at 50% power instead of full?
Full power cooks the outside before the inside has time to set. I learned that the hard way, twice. At 50%, the dough heats slowly enough for the coconut flour to absorb moisture and hold everything together. It's the difference between a cookie and warm crumbles.
Can you bake peanut butter cookies in a microwave?
Yes. I microwave this peanut butter cookie at 50% power for 2 minutes and it sets into a real cookie as it cools. It looks underdone when it comes out. Let it cool completely and the center turns slightly chewy with edges that snap.
Can I make three-ingredient peanut butter cookies in the microwave?
The classic three ingredient dough relies on an egg, so it is built for the oven. I skip the egg and use six ingredients instead, which is what lets this cookie cook at 50% power for 2 minutes and still hold together as one true single serving.
I had it cooling on the parchment and got a little choked up over a cookie, which I know sounds silly. Two years in, I figured dessert was gone for good. Four carbs and I have it back.
Soften the butter, don’t melt it, I did melt mine the first time and the dough was wet and wouldn’t hold the fork pattern at all. Once I figured that out the second batch came together in like two minutes and I finally got why people are making this on repeat. I kept defaulting to full oven batches because I didn’t think a microwave cookie was going to land anywhere close, but this hits the craving without me staring down twelve cookies I have to make disappear, and at four net carbs I can just have the one and feel fine about it.
That tip should probably be in bold at the top of the recipe. Brittany, glad you gave it a second shot – wet dough and there’s no fork pattern to save.
Warm peanut butter smell from the microwave and I was in my mom’s kitchen again, like it was 1998. She made these little peanut butter cookies every holiday season, pressed with a fork, and I genuinely thought that version was just done for me when I went keto two years ago. This is different, obviously, the texture’s softer than a baked cookie, but there’s something about just peanut butter and a little sweetener that still gets you there. I’m pretty new to baking with almond flour and coconut flour, so I was nervous about the two-minute microwave thing, whether it would actually cook through or just be soup. It wasn’t soup. I let it cool all the way before touching (learned that the hard way on the first attempt) and it held together like a real cookie. Four stars because my mom’s oven version had this crispy edge I haven’t quite figured out, but not heating up the whole kitchen in June is honestly reason enough.
The mom’s-kitchen smell is a real thing with peanut butter. For crispier edges, I finish the last 20 seconds at 70% power instead of 50 – the outside firms up a little while the center stays soft. Not quite a fork-pressed holiday cookie but closer than straight 50%.
Natural peanut butter tip if your jar’s been sitting: scoop from the top without stirring and the dough gets too oily, spreads flat instead of holding shape. Mix it all the way down first, then measure. Big difference.
The oil that floats to the top is fat with no protein to bind anything. Ruined two batches before I figured out that refrigerating the jar after stirring keeps it blended for weeks.
Made a big batch of these for book club last week and my friend who refuses anything almond flour ate three of them without batting an eye. The two-minute microwave thing sounds sketchy but the texture is actually cookie, not sad microwave brick. These are going in my spring hosting rotation.
Three cookies from an almond flour skeptic and they didn’t say a word. That’s a pass. Making them to order for a group is kind of fun, two minutes at a time.
The toasted bits thing makes total sense at 50% power. I use Smucker’s natural chunky sometimes and those little pieces get almost crackly at the edges. Different cookie entirely.
Six or seven batches in and I finally tried a drop of vanilla extract. Rounds out the peanut butter flavor, makes it less sharp. Wish I’d done it from the start.
Eight batches in and I finally got it. Pull at exactly 2 minutes, leave it on the parchment to cool completely. Don’t touch it early. Firms up into an actual cookie texture that way, not a soft crumble.
First time trying a microwave cookie and I was fully prepared for it to be a rubbery disaster. That 50% power step made me nervous but the texture after it cooled was freaking unbelievable. Two minutes. A cookie. This is dangerous.
About my eighth time making these, and by batch four I figured out that ‘let it cool completely’ isn’t decorative. Tried one warm and it just fell apart. Wait it out and the center gets slightly chewy with edges that snap. That contrast keeps me coming back.
These were very tasty. I made a couple substitutions as I didn’t have butter or coconut flour.
So, for 2 cookies I made the following changes / notes …
Notes: (double batch)
– Subbed 2 tsp phylum husk, 3 tsp water for coconut flour
– Subbed coconut oil for butter
– Added 1 tsp vanilla
– 2 min soft, 2:30 a bit of crunch
– Fridge to chill
I now have this recipe on a note on my iPhone and will make it when ever I have that need.
I just made these and they are so yummy and so easy. But they really do need to cool completely before eating. I couldn’t wait for them to cool and my first attempt end up being cookie crumbles 😃 but they were still delicious so I didn’t mind. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe, however, I’ve sadly concluded that I really need to avoid dairy. Can I sub coconut oil for the butter? Or is there enough oil in the pnb so as to not need to add extra? Thanks!
I have actually made 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies in microwave a few weeks ago … 1 cup peanut butter, 1 large egg and 1/2 to 1 cup sugar. I’ve placed 12 balls (which I’ve then lightly pressed down with a fork) on a greased dinner plate. A bit brittle, but quick and yum. (My microwave is really ‘weak’ (700 watts), so use the above recipe’s microwave directions and see.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I made one change. I added 2 Tsp Sukrin gold. This took care of my cookie craving. I’ve also tried your individual chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks a bunch!?
Jackie Kriley
