These keto pecan pie bars are so gooey and decadent, you won’t believe they’re sugar free! There’s a reason these bars are one of my most popular keto dessert recipes. And at less than 5g of carbs, you can afford to indulge.
Looking for a truly special dessert for the holidays that won’t give you a sugar high? Look no further than these amazing keto pecan pie bars. They are over the top good and they give my sugar free pecan pie some stiff competition.
You really can’t go wrong with either version, but the bars feature the added attraction of chocolate. They’re also a little easier to serve to a crowd.
One bite and you will see why they’ve been so popular for years and years. Because no one should have to go without pecan pie in their lives. No one!
Updated recipe
I created keto pecan pie bars early on in my blogging career, which is approximately a bajillion years ago. Or November 2013, which amounts to the same thing.
Back then, however, keto friendly ingredients were more limited. The wide range of sweeteners we have now, as well as the brands of good quality sugar free chocolate simply didn’t exist.
So I had to use some work arounds to give the bars the correct gooey consistency, and I had to use Lindt 90% chocolate. They were good but I knew I could do better.
I simplified the crust by adapting my Easy Keto Pie Crust. And then I borrowed the caramel glaze from my Keto Pumpkin Caramel Bundt Cake for the filling. I swapped in some ChocZero chips and voila! Easier pecan pie bars that had 3g fewer carbs per serving!
The right sweeteners for maximum gooeyness
If you take a look at the recipe, you will see that I use mostly powdered Swerve with a little bit of Yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is a low glycemic sweetener that is similar to molasses in color and flavor, and it helps improve the filling. You can use blackstrap molasses if you prefer.
However, you do have some options. I wrote this recipe before Swerve Brown, allulose, and BochaSweet were widely available. If you prefer to use those, I suggest following my recipe for keto caramel sauce.
Once you have that made, you can simply let it cool for about 10 minutes and proceed by whisking the eggs in.
What I don’t suggest is using only erythritol based sweeteners like Swerve or Lakanto. Without the addition of some Yacon or some allulose/BochaSweet, your bars will tend to re-crystallize as they cool.
Read more about how these keto sweeteners work.
How to make keto pecan pie bars
- Prepare the crust. I like to blend the crust ingredients in a food processor to give the crust a shortbread like consistency. You can also use a pastry cutter to blend them in together.
- Par-bake the crust. You don’t want to bake it all the way through yet. It should be just turning golden around the edges.
- Make the “syrup”. By melting butter and sweetener together, you create a caramel-like mixture that replaces corn syrup. It’s easy and works really well!
- Whisk in the cream and eggs. Be sure to add these off heat so your eggs don’t curdle.
- Add the pecans and chocolate chips. I like to sprinkle these over the cooled crust so I can make sure to get good distribution.
- Pour the filling overtop.
- Bake until barely set. Jiggle the pan a bit to see if it still wobbles in the center. A tiny bit of wobble means they will be gooey!
- Let cool. They need to cool for at least 30 minutes before you can dig in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unless your pan is not non-stick, you shouldn’t need to grease it at all. The butter and almond flour have enough fats in them to keep the crust from sticking. However, I do not recommend using glass or ceramic pans here, as they don’t conduct heat very well and the bars won’t cook through properly.
Yes, just keep in mind that your bars will be thicker and thus will take longer to cook through. You may need to bake the crust a bit longer as well.
Please see the section entitled “The right sweeteners” to understand what will work best for this recipe and what substitutes you can use.
Sure thing! I recommend adding another ½ cup of pecans to take their place.
No, I am afraid not. This recipe is tested and works with almond flour and the two are not interchangeable.
Storage information
I like these keto pecan pie bars gooey and room temperature so I store them in a covered container on the counter They are good for up to 4 days.
They can also be kept in the fridge for a week. Several readers indicate that they’ve had success freezing them as well. I would suggest layering them with waxed paper if you do, so that they don’t stick together. Also let them come to room temperature before serving.
More delicious keto pecan recipes
- Low Carb Butter Pecan Cookies
- Keto Pecan Turtles
- Keto Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Easy Keto Pecan Pie Truffles
- Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
- Pecan Lace Cookies
Keto Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter chilled, cut into small pieces
Pecan Pie Filling
- ½ cup butter
- ⅔ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 teaspoon Yacon syrup (optional, helps color and flavor)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans lightly toasted
- 2 ounces dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press into the bottom of a 9×9 inch pan and bake 12 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden.
Pecan Pie Filling:
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the powdered sweetener and Yacon syrup and whisk until well combined. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract and cream. Add the eggs and salt and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Scatter the pecans and chocolate chips over the crust and pour the filling overtop. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is mostly set (if you want them gooey, make sure the middle still has a little jiggle to it when the pan is shaken).
- Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Floryy says
There is no way I van fing swerve un my country and buying at Amazon is expensive after tariff and such.
What else can I use?
I have Eritritol and Monk
Carolyn says
You can use those but they will recrystallize as they cool.
S says
I just made these for Derby weekend. Another winner of a recipe!!
Cheryl says
Perfection! Gooey deliciousness! Made these using 1/2 Bocha Sweet and 1/2 Swerve Brown Sweetener. Also added in the Yacon Syrup. They did not disappoint. The perfect amount of sweetness and ALL the gooey! Am making another batch this weekend!
Adrienne says
Good! I made this for a friend on a keto diet. I had to snitch a little and it is scrummy!
Jessica says
Hello Carolyn! Wondering how these should be stored? In the fridge or just closed container on counter ok? Thank you!
Carolyn says
The counter should be fine for a few days, in the fridge if it will be longer than that.
Kathy Cooke says
Delicious! Easy! The crust was nice and golden at 12 minutes, and I baked the bars for 21 minutes, so they would be gooey. I used coconut cream instead of whipping cream. You could probably sub coconut oil for the butter to go dairy free. I had a 9×9” pan, and the crust ended up quite thin when I spread it out. So next time I’d make maybe 1/4 more crust. I would line the pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides next time for easier removal and cutting.
Marla says
I made this tonight and I really like it. Of course one serving wasn’t enough! I added home made whipped cream on top. I also put in two teaspoons of brown Swerve instead of the syrup and next time I may make those Tablespoons instead. Maybe replace some of the powdered sweetener. Thank you for these great recipes Carolyn!
joy says
Ok, so I followed the recioe to a T but it came out more of a puffy meringue. I substituted the Yukon syrup for golden swerve. I dont know what I did wrong but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I was soooo looking forward to these.
Thanks for the recipe!
Joy
Carolyn says
They got over-baked.
Tanya Stuart says
I just made these and they were delicious! My whole family enjoyed them.
Maria Bakkers says
These were delicious and so easy to make although I have changed the recipe a little bit, My husband and children liked it, I will make this again.
Thank You.
Debbie says
Question- I have just found this recipe!
I’ve been baking the whole thing (crust with nuts/chips/filling) at 325 – but after 25 min it is not baked at all. Did you raise your temp- 350?
Carolyn says
There shouldn’t be any need to raise the temp but your oven may run cool. Did you pre-bake the crust as instructed?
Lucretia Goodwin says
Oh my Goodness!!!!! I made these last night and when I took my first bite I thought I had died and gone to Heaven!!!! Pecan Pie heaven anyway!!! These were absolutely amazing!!! I think I will either not add any chocolate chips or only a few next time for a more traditional pecan pie taste, but these are tops!!!
Terri says
These were delicious and sooo easy to make. I plan to make more this weekend, but need to know what I did wrong to not get the gooeyness. The filling was more of a custard consistency and taste. It was still amazing, but would love to get to that gooey consistency. I didn’t have yukon syrup, so skipped that step all together. Could this have been the problem or do you think I over beat the eggs when I incorporated them or the mixture was too hot when I added the eggs and it tempered them?
Carolyn says
Just a tiny bit over-baked, I would think, and yes, the lack of Yacon would contribute to that. But I now use a combo of Swerve Brown and BochaSweet and that helps with gooeyness too.
Shirley says
Do you need the Yakon setup or can it be skipped?
Carolyn says
If you want to skip it be sure to use Swerve Brown instead.
Lisa says
Would the swerve brown be in place of just the yakon syrup or would all of the sweetener need to be replaced with brown serve?
Carolyn says
Skip the Yacon, and do half Swerve Brown and half Bocha Sweet or allulose and you will have a nice gooey consistency.
Melissa says
These are out of this world amazing even without the optional Yakon as I didn’t have it. I just love your recipes and am so thankful you make the effort to create these recipes. Now we need to know your workout tips cuz you look amazing ????
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Markita says
I followed the recipe exactly!! Even ordered the Yacon syrup from amazon first. There bars were AMAZING!! I got several comments about how good they were at the Family Christmas that I took them to. They do not taste sugar free and low carb! This is definitely a keeper!
Carolyn says
Delighted to hear it!
Kelly says
Hi Carolyn! Could I sub bocha sweet for the swerve?
Carolyn says
Sure!
Katie says
Hi Carolyn! Could you make these ahead and freeze them? I’m making myself (and for others to try at our dinner) KETO friendly Thanksgiving sides to put in the freezer this week and would love to be able to have a dessert that day, too! Thank you so much for your advice! 🙂
Carolyn says
You can but I think they are going to lose some gooeyness if you do.
April says
Can I use blackstrap molasses in place of the tacón syrup?
Jennifer says
Carolyn, I do not have Yacon syrup and was wondering if I could sub your new caramel sauce for the filling? Or, would that be a bad idea on my part? Thanks.
Carolyn says
If you have brown Swerve, use that.