Can You Eat Peanut Butter on the Keto Diet?

Peanut butter is delicious, there are no arguments there. That lovely sweet and salt taste never fails to satisfy. More importantly, can you eat peanut butter on the Keto Diet? Yes, you can! Read on to find out more including some of our favorite peanut butter recipes. If peanut butter is not got you, we’ve got alternatives for you.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning that we may earn a small commission if you click through using our link and make a purchase.  Please be assured that this will not cost you any extra money. Also, please be assured that we either use the products we recommend personally, or have been recommended by trusted friends who currently use them.

The main focus of a keto lifestyle is to keep your macros to approximately, 70% Fat, 25% Protein, and 5% Carbohydrates (Carbs).

This 5% of carbs should not exceed 20 grams for a traditional keto diet.

Depending on whether you are doing lazy, dirty, or strict keto, will depend on how you track these macros; but it is important for you to hit your macro goals.

In order to keep your daily carb intake under 20 grams, you need to be conscious of what you are eating and stick to low-carb content foods. Low-carb foods are low on the glycaemic index.

Foods that are low on the glycaemic index do not spike your blood sugar levels and knock you out of ketosis.

If keto is new to you, why not check out our Keto Starters Guide.

However, if you’re asking the question as to whether you can eat peanut butter on a keto diet, it’s likely that you are already eating a keto lifestyle.

So let’s get into the detail of the nutritional value of peanut butter to decide whether it is appropriate for a keto lifestyle.

What is the nutritional value of Peanut Butter?

This is a really difficult question to answer as there are that many brands of peanut butter out there, all of which vary dramatically in quality.

Some will have added sugar, others will contain palm oil, all of which we will discuss further below.

The peanut butter nutrition values below are based on an average of 100% natural peanut butter, i.e. no additives.  

Net Carbs In Peanut Butter [Per 100 Grams]

Net carbs are calculated by deducting the amount of fiber from the total number of carbs.

There are 14 grams of net carbs in peanut butter; (20 grams of carbs – 6 grams of fiber = 14 grams of net carbs).

As discussed above, if you are eating a traditional keto diet, your aim is to stay below 20 grams of carbs in a day.

A tablespoon serving of peanut butter will be around 15 grams of peanut butter. Even if you are liberal and have 2 tablespoons of peanut butter you will only be eating around 4.2 grams of carbs.

Is Peanut Butter Keto Friendly?

This is a question that causes much debate in the keto community.

Purists will argue that peanuts are not a nut and are technically a legume, and therefore they should not be eaten on a keto lifestyle.

Therefore, if you are eating a strict keto diet, you will not want to eat peanut butter.

However, if you are eating a lazy or dirty keto diet, you can eat peanut butter in moderation and stick to your carb allowance.

Furthermore, peanut butter has a high-fat content, making it perfect for keto-ers, especially if you want some healthy, low-carb snacks.

When Is Peanut Butter NOT Keto-Friendly?

Peanut butter should only contain two ingredients;

• Roasted Peanuts
• Pinch of Salt

However, a lot of commercial brand peanut butter will have any number of other ingredients added, the most common of which are;

• Palm Oil
• Sugars

The sugars included are not likely to be keto-friendly and will take you over your daily carb count, and palm oil should be avoided for ethical reasons.

To learn which sugars are keto friendly, check out our article on keto sugars.

Ideally, where possible, we all should be eating 100% organic peanut butter.

Benefits Of Eating Peanut Butter On Keto

For something that tastes so amazing, peanut butter actually has a whole host of health benefits including vitamins B3, B6, and E as well as containing folate, iron, and potassium.

Negatives To Eating Peanut Butter

Some people eating a ketogenic diet are concerned about peanut butter as it can have inflammatory ingredients in it, such as hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

As we have discussed above, you should only be eating peanut butter that has roasted peanuts and salt as its ingredients, so this should not be an issue.

Keto Friendly Peanut Butter Recipes

There are so many amazing keto-friendly peanut butter recipes available on the internet. Peanut butter can make the perfect keto-friendly healthy snack. Here’s a round-up of some of our favorite recipes, especially if you have a sweet tooth;

• Peanut Butter Balls
• Peanut Butter Cup
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Smoothies
• Peanut Butter Muffins
• Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Keto Alternatives To Peanut Butter?

If you have peanut allergies and are not allergic to other nuts, or you are on a strict keto diet, almond butter is an alternative to peanut butter.

Almond butter is still high in fat, with 55.8 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein, and 5.9 grams of carbs per 100 grams.

It has all the health benefits and is even lower in carbs than peanut butter, which will keep you on your keto and weight loss journey.

All of the recipes that we have provided for you above, can be made with almond butter too.

Conclusion: Is Peanut Butter Keto Freindly

In conclusion, yes, peanut butter is ok to eat on a keto diet, as long as it is eaten in moderation. The biggest decision you will have to make is whether you want crunchy or creamy peanut butter!

Do you use peanut butter? Or do you have another favorite nut butter? Let us know in the comments below.