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.
Angela Roberts says
Do you have to use the yacon syrup. Could I make a simple syrup with the swerve?
Carolyn says
No, that’s why it clearly states the the Yacon is optional. A simple syrup with Swerve won’t help replace it.
Katherine says
Hey Carolyn! Love the flavor of these but I’m having a bit of trouble. I did not use the yacon syrup but I don’t think that’s it. Or maybe it is. Anyway, I tried an 8×8 pan and mine are much thicker than yours in the picture. So I did a second batch and used an 8×11.5 pan and they’re still a lot thicker. And neither batch ever really set. They were more like brownies than bars. Any suggestions? As I said, the flavor was great and I really want these to work! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Does sound like the pan size is an issue, although the 8×11 should be closer. Possibly your oven runs on the colder side, so they need more time? I can’t account for the thickness, it really shouldn’t be that different from mine.
Jenna Vissell says
I’m not sure if someone mentioned this, but do you think there would be any substitite here for the heavy cream? I don’t tolerate cream or cheese well at all, but would love to make these for Thanksgiving –
Thank you!
Carolyn says
I can’t be sure but you might be able to do it with full fat coconut milk. Try just using the creamy stuff at the top of the can. It’s worth a try. At the very least, you will have delicious pecan goo. 😉
Kathy says
Carolyn, I have a question about two related recipes — the crust for this and your press-in pie crust. They are almost identical, which makes sense. The major difference is the temperature of the butter — the bar recipe calls for the butter to be chilled, and the pie crust recipe calls for the butter to be melted. I am SO curious about that! How does that difference change the result?
Carolyn says
Chilled butter is good for a more shortbread crust. Melted butter works for something that is more pliable, like a press in crust.
Judy says
Just made these. So good! Several members of my family are diabetic so I will take these to an upcoming family birthday celebration. I always follow your recipes exactly as you write them and I haven’t had a failure yet…nor do I expect to!!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Judy!
Judy says
BTW…I do have your new Cookbook—Beautiful! Have already made Cream Cheese Waffles & Wild Blueberry Syrup. I intend to purchase more books as Christmas presents for friends and family!
Carolyn says
Thank you, Judy!
Barbara says
Just made these and they are wonderful. Delicious and easy to make. Love all your recipes.
Megan Jenstair says
Call me a cheater but I substituted the sweetener with unprocessed sugar and it was great. Although eating it was a guilt pleasure, the pie bars came out really nice, Carolyn. Also, as mentioned by many here, even I couldn’t find a reliable listing for vegetable glycerine. I skipped it altogether. Do you think you can share an Amazon listing here? Thanks. And yes, up next, I;m going to try your Cranberry Cheesecake recipe. Wish me luck!
Carolyn says
The new updated recipe doesn’t use glycerin at all so no need for it!
Daylene Strickland says
Oh, these look awesome! I want to make them for my family for Thanksgiving. (They does not eat THM or Paleo.) I don’t have Yacon Syrup – had to look it up! Can I substitute Black Strap Molasses or a caramel sauce? Thank you!!
Carolyn says
Yes, molasses would be fine too.
Daylene Strickland says
Thank you!
Cleo Hill says
I made this delicious recipe and counted the carbs to verify since my son has T1D.
I came up with 14.7carbs per bar.
Almond flour-43c; Swerve Sweetner=144c; Yacon syrup=9c; Lilly’s dark chocolate=26carbs; pecans=13.7c
Total 235.7carbs ÷ 16 = 14.7
Please clarify how you cam up with 4.92 carbs per bar.
Thank you
Carolyn says
Hi Cleo. It’s because you are counting the erythritol in the Swerve and in the Lily’s. Since it has little to no impact on blood glucose, it shouldn’t really be counted as a carb – it’s very misleading if you do count it because then you may do too much insulin. That said, the occasional person does spike with it but most people, diabetics AND those with normal sugars, do not. As a type 2 myself, I barely see it move the needle on my glucometer.
Kathy says
They are delicious! As I mentioned above, I had to sub dark agave syrup for the yacon syrup due to lack of availability, and it worked just fine. Used the same measurement. I made a double batch, too. This is a terrific recipe. It was pretty easy, and the result is eye-appealing and yummy!
Carolyn says
Glad you like them!
Carolyn says
Yes, I do think it would change the consistency but it’s up to you.
Steve says
They look amazing! Can’t wait to try them out
Cynthia says
I have been making these wonderful pecan bars the last couple months, they are perfect for my sweet tooth! I have to freeze them as my husband Can’t eat nuts and I don’t dare eat the whole pan by myself in a couple days! I just pop them in the microwave for 25-30 seconds. I was shocked when I pulled up your link to see the recipe has been updated! It was much easier to make, now I am waiting for them to cool so I can try them! Awww the anticipation! Thank you for your recipes Carolyn, they are awesome!
Cynthia says
The new recipe is excellent!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Tina Kuhnline says
Did you use the yacon? I don’t have that ingredient and have been using the small amount of molasses instead. Did you use the molasses with the older recipe?
Cynthia says
I actually used coconut oil, I didn’t have yacon. ? Thought about molassas after I made them.
Kathy says
Yacon syrup isn’t available in my city’s stores, but dark agave syrup is, right by the sugar. After a little searching, I found a few good sources who said the dark agave syrup was pretty much the equal to yacon syrup. That’s what I’ll be using.
Carolyn says
That should be fine.
Chris Loechel says
If it weren’t so hot here right now, I would bake this instantly (for my birthday!). Can’t wait to try it! Love your recipes!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Michelle says
I made these for Thanksgiving this year and they didnt even last 24 hours in my house. The family ate them up!! They requested a second batch and that went fast too! I am super excited to make these again for Christmas!
I substituted some of the items in the recipe because i didnt have sthem readily available. It worked perfect!
Jessica says
This is INSANELY delicious!! If there are any leftovers, they get even better! The combination of sweeteners is perfect. No bitterness or off taste. No one suspected it was sugar free and low carb!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Robin says
Looks delish! Thank you!!
Cici says
I wanted to sub a different caramel sauce of yours in the recipe. The other recipe yields 1 cup. Based on the amt of liquid in this recipe, it seems like I should double the other recipe – but 2 cups of caramel sauce seems like it might be too much. Thoughts?
Carolyn says
To be honest, I think that the other caramel sauce will be just exactly the right amount.
Kathy Austin says
And I have tons of pecan trees right outside my door! Yay!
Carolyn says
Lucky you!
j molloy says
I’m making this now and everything is turning out as expected except the molasses part. I opened the jar and it smells like soy sauce. Is this right? I shook up the bottle, checked the expiration date, etc. It is unsulphured molasses (grandma brand). Will this taste like soy sauce when I add the filing to the sauce?
Carolyn says
It should be fine! Molasses does tend to have a sour taste. It won’t affect the outcome of the recipe.