In case you didn’t know it already, I am utterly obsessed with pecan pie. I have loved it for as long as I can remember. For all I know, I came out of the womb with a slice of pecan pie in my hand! But I think it’s possible that I love Keto Pecan Pie even more than I ever loved the sugary version. When I nailed that recipe, I was utterly joyous!
I also love to make other fun keto treats with the same deep, caramel pecan flavors. Like my Keto Pecan Pie Truffles, and Keto Pecan Pie Cheesecake.
These decadent keto cookies are my latest creation. Inspired by the famous Crumbl Cookies, they are big and beautiful. And beyond delicious! My fellow pecan lovers, you simply must try them.
Why you will love this recipe
You might even consider these like little hand held pecan pies. They have all the right flavors, with a tender crust and a rich, gooey filling.
The base is a tender keto shortbread cookie with a nice deep well in the center. The dough is very easy to make and uses basic keto ingredients. The filling is similar to keto caramel sauce, but is chockfull to toasted pecans.
I made 12 large cookies, so that they resembled the Crumbl cookie style. Each serving is a single cookie, but trust me, you won’t need more than that. You could also make 24 smaller cookies if you chose.
They look wonderful too, and store well in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days. You could even freeze them for a few months.
And with only 2.6g net carbs per serving, these cookies are the perfect holiday treat!
Ingredients you need
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Almond flour: Finely ground blanched almond flour works best for any kind of keto cookies.
- Confectioners Sweetener: A finely powdered sweetener helps give the cookies the right shortbread-like consistency. It should be an erythritol-based sweetener, as allulose will make the cookies softer and they will brown more.
- Butter: Make sure it is properly softened but not melted before creaming it.
- Egg yolk: A single egg yolk adds tenderness to the cookie dough.
- Brown sugar replacement: Using a brown sugar substitute adds flavor and color to the pecan filling.
- Allulose: For a gooier filling that doesn’t recrystallize, use some allulose or BochaSweet.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps give the filling a wonderful consistency. You could also use coconut cream but it may be a little thinner.
- Chopped pecans: Can’t have pecan pie cookies without some pecans! Make sure they are chopped relatively finely so the filling sits in the cookies properly.
Step by Step Directions
1. Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in the sweetener. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. All at once, add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until the dough comes together.
2. Form the cookies: Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls several inches apart on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone. Press down to about 1/2 inch thick with the palm of your hand. Take a rounded tablespoon or other rounded implement and press a large indent into each cookie.
3. Bake: Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges. They will still be very soft and puffed. Remove and gently reform the wells while the cookies are still hot. Let cool completely on the pan (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
4. Prepare the caramel: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Stir until the sweeteners dissolve, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the whipping cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously.
5. Add the pecans: Stir in the chopped pecans and return to heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens a little.
6. Fill the cookies: Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Spoon the mixture into the wells of the cookies and let cool.
Expert Tips
During baking, the cookies will puff up a little and the indents you created won’t be as deep. Make sure to re-form the wells right after the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm.
Use toasted pecans that are relatively finely chopped. You don’t want them ground, but you want small enough pieces that they sit nicely in the cookies. If you don’t purchase them already toasted, place them on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
I made my cookies large to be more like a Crumbl cookie. But you can easily make 24 smaller thumbprints and have 2 per serving. They will bake faster to keep your eye on them in the oven. They will probably take about 12 minutes.
Sweetener Options
You are free to use other sweeteners, but I want to point out how they might affect your results.
This keto cookie recipe does take several different sweeteners for the best results. In the cookie itself, I recommend a powdered erythritol sweetener for a crisper cookie. You can use allulose or xylitol based sweeteners, but keep in mind that the cookies will be softer and may brown more quickly.
For the filling, a mix of sweeteners like Brown Swerve and allulose work best. This gives a deeper pecan pie color and gooier consistency. Erythritol alone will make the filling harden and recrystallize as it cools. They will still be good, but a little more like toffee, rather than pecan pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pecans are a perfect food for low carb and keto diets. They are quite low in carbs and high in healthy fats. A 1/4 cup serving of pecans has only 4g of carbs and 3g of fiber. They are also a good source of unsaturated fats and vital nutrients such as Vitamin A and magnesium.
Most pecan pie cookies made with flour and sugar have about 25g of carbs per cookies. But these keto cookies have only 5.5g of carbs and 2.9g of fiber. Thus, they have 2.6g net carbs per serving.
Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze the cookies for several months.
More holiday keto cookies
Keto Pecan Pie Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- ½ cup (62.5 g) Swerve Confectioners
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp Swerve Brown
- 3 tbsp allulose
- 3 tbsp whipping cream
- 1 cup (99 g) chopped, toasted pecans
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in the sweetener. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- All at once, add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and press down to about 1/2 inch thick with the palm of your hand.
- Take a rounded tablespoon or other rounded implement and press a large indent into each cookie.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges. They will still be very soft and puffed. Remove and gently reform the wells while the cookies are still hot. Let cool completely on the pan (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Stir until the sweeteners dissolve, then bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the whipping cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir in the chopped pecans and return to heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens a little, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Spoon the mixture into the wells of the cookies and let cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Love them!! Easy to make. 😋
Turned out great! I needed to let the pecan filling cool a bit so it didn’t run off the cookies, but otherwise, directions were fine. This one I will make again!
Great to hear!
so good
Fantastic taste! Very clear instructions and came out beautiful!
I brought a double-batch of these to a party today and what a reaction! My dear, they are simply delicious. Thank you for this recipe and all the rest you do!
—Marv
These cookies will be a great addition to my Keto Christmas Cookies! Thank you!
why US Customary and Metric Ingredients amounts are different? for example in Us Customary is written 2 cups Almond Flour which is about 470 grams, but in metric is written 224 g. Which one is correct ?
Thank you
2 cups of almond flour do NOT weigh 470g. Not even close – try actually weighing it out sometime. The 224g is accurate.
These are so far my husband’s favorite. For me I preferred the cookie to be a bit thicker so the well would better hold the pecan goodie. I have even made balls and baked in small muffin pan then when warm made indentation for the pecan goodies. They are delicious. My grandchildren love them even though their mother thinks keto cooking is yucky. Wrong!
Omg. Game changer. You are amazing.
These were so great! I will definitely make them again!