These keto and gluten-free chocolate peanut butter bars are such a treat and will satisfy any cravings you may have for a peanut butter cup!
Warning: these sugar-free, gluten-free chocolate peanut butter bars are addicting! But, they will satisfy any cravings you may have for a peanut butter cup! They're sweet and salty, crunchy yet creamy, and full of peanut butter and chocolaty goodness. These bars are easily one of our favorite treats!
What makes these bars extra special is the crunchy pecan crust that's made of ground pecan, butter, erythritol sweetener and salt. Of course, the peanut butter and chocolate layers, made with peanut butter, almond flour, sweetener, and sugar-free chocolate chips, are quite decadent as well.
These bars are simple to make and only require 15 more minutes of time than the typical no-bake peanut butter bars. They can be stored in the fridge fridge for 2 to 3 weeks and can even be frozen. We hope you love them as much as we do!
Key Ingredients
All ingredients are gluten-free, sugar-free and keto-friendly. Just a few notes on key ingredient:
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- Pecans: The crunchy bottom layer is made with raw, halved pecans. We haven't tried the crust with another type of nut since this is our absolute favorite!
- Swerve Granular (Erythritol): We sweeten the bars with Swerve erythritol sweetener (granular). However, you can sweeten with another sweetener of preference. Just be sure to check a sweetener conversion chart.
- Sugar-free peanut butter: We use Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter since it has no added sugar. It's a natural peanut butter that we buy as creamy (instead of crunchy).
- Almond flour: We use blanched, super-fine almond flour in peanut butter layer to create the right consistency. This cannot be substituted with coconut flour.
- Sugar-free semi-sweet chocolate chips: We use Lily's no-sugar, semi-sweet baking chips for the top chocolate layer, but you can use another brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips or even dark chocolate.
- Sea salt flakes: Sea salt flakes are optional, but they sure are a nice touch!
How to Make
STEP 1: Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
STEP 2: In a food processor, pulse pecans, softened butter, Swerve sweetener, and salt until well combined. Press pecan mixture onto bottom of pan until evenly spread. Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes or more. Remove from oven and let crust cool to room temperature.
STEP 3: In a pot, heat 4 tablespoons of butter along with peanut butter and stir until until melted. Turn off heat and add Swerve sweetener, almond flour and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly combined.
STEP 4: Spread peanut butter mixture evenly across cooled pecan crust.
STEP 5: In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon butter in 30-second increments. After each 30-second increment, take out and stir. Stop this process as soon as chocolate chips stir to a smooth consistency.
STEP 6: Spread melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like. Refrigerate for one hour to set. Then, slice and serve!
Related Recipes
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Recipe
Keto & Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of pecans
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Granular for the pecan crust
- ⅓ cup Swerve Granular for the peanut butter layer
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 4 tablespoons softened butter for the pecan crust
- 4 tablespoons melted butter for the peanut butter layer
- ½ tablespoon butter for the chocolate layer
- 1 cup Santa Cruz Organic Light Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter or other no sugar added peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond flour
- 6 ounces Lily's semi-sweet baking chips or other sugar-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
- A few pinches of flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Make pecan crust: Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse pecans, softened butter, Swerve sweetener, and salt until well combined. Press pecan mixture onto bottom of pan until evenly spread. Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes or more. Remove from oven and let crust cool to room temperature.
- Make peanut butter layer: In a pot, heat butter (4 tablespoons) and peanut butter and stir until until melted. Turn off heat and add Swerve sweetener, almond flour and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture evenly across pecan crust.
- Add chocolate layer and finish: In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon butter in 30-second increments. After each 30-second increment, take out and stir. Stop this process as soon as chocolate chips stir to a smooth consistency. Spread melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like. Refrigerate for one hour to set. Store in refrigerator after cutting.
Loved this recipe. However, I had to turn up the oven to 350 and bake the crust another 10 minutes for it to set and get browned. And 6oz of chips didn’t cover the whole pan so I’d increase it to 8oz and use 2T of butter instead of one.
Thanks for the feedback and results! I do think my oven runs hot, but will try again at 350 to see how it turns out. Will try your changes - thank you!