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.
sfmitch says
Wow – these are fantastic!!
I omitted the Yacon syrup but otherwise followed the recipe.
What a treat!
SJ says
I made these tonight. I used Lakanto monkfruit golden sweetener and cut back how much I used. I would definitely cut back on the sweetener even more when I make them again (though I tend to like my stuff less sweet now) but otherwise these bars really killed my craving and I was only able to eat half of one! Such a contrast to my “old ways” of eating an entire pan’s worth of treats 😉
Lisa says
Hi Carolyn! I made these recently, and wow, they totally take care of my pecan pie craving! Thought I’d let you know that I’m a THMer and just recently started a new blog that talks about THM, among other things. I linked to this recipe and your recipe of the Snickerdoodle Skillet Cookie in a recent post about healthy NYE foods to make. I don’t create recipes, but am so thankful to all of you bloggers that do, so that those of us on low-glycemic diets have so many yummy options! I have two of your cookbooks, and haven’t found a recipe yet that my family doesn’t like. Thank you!
Dale says
I love your recipes so much! Do you thing Swerve Brown would be ok in these pecan bars? I crave old-fashioned pecan pie flavor like my granny made with dark karo. Molasses doesn’t hit the mark for me. I don’t have yacon yet. Also wondering if a little bocha sweet would lend that gooey texture I’m dreaming about. Thanks so much if you have time to reply!
I made your bagels for the umpteenth time last night. SO PERFECT!!!
Carolyn says
Swerve would be great!
Kim says
Do you grease or butter the pan or use parchment paper before pressing the crust in the pan?
Carolyn says
Not necessary in this recipe, although you can if you like.
Brittany says
These chocolate pecan pies were simple to make and absolutely delicious! I pair them with coffee and it was perfect! Can’t wait until I make these again. They were a hit with my fiance too! He happens to be my personal food tester!
Aniela Meyer says
Hi, these look amazing.
I tried them out today and found that the topping was gooey although I did make and bake it exactly as directed.
They tasted amazing but were much higher that yours. Any suggestions ?
Carolyn says
If they are higher… did you by chance use an 8×8 pan instead of 9×9? And was it all the same sweetener?
Kristi says
I put my granulated sugar substitute in my Cusinart or Bullet blender and it turns it to powdered. Perfect.
Emma says
For the sauce could I use the new brown sugar swerve instead of the powdered swerve or does it have to be powdered?
Carolyn says
You can certainly try!
Linda says
Hi Carolyn,
I know you might ask ‘why!?’ but can I make these exactly as is with the exception of the chocolate? I’d like to leave that out.
Thanks,
Linda
Carolyn says
Totally can! But why??? Kidding…
Linda says
🙂 hehe
thanks and happy holidays!
Michelle says
Did this today! LOVED it making more tomorrow! I used a different crust that was 1 cup coconut flour 1 cup almond flour 1/2 cup melted butter and 2 eggs. On the filling the only thing I added was stevia to make a little sweeter and 3 tsp Maple exstrat. This was AMAZING!! Thank YOU for sharing!!!
Joy Tomlinson says
Linda Vandever did you use the same amount of the molasses that it called for the Yukon Syrup? I wanted to use this substitution too.
Carolyn says
Some people perceive erythritol as more sweet than sugar, although most of us perceive it as less sweet. So in your case, I would be cutting it back in EVERY recipe you make, to your taste. But for most people, I would definitely not recommend doing less.
Diane says
I’ve made it with regular Splenda…it’s delicious!
Lisamarie says
Made these last night and I absolutely LOVE them! They totally satisfied my craving for pecan pie and the pieces of Lily’s dark chocolate just push it right over the top. They’re really easy to toss together — you can even toast the pecans at the same time you’re baking the crust. (I just threw the nuts on a cookie sheet on a lower shelf while I baked the crust. By the time the crust was baked, the nuts were nicely toasted, too. Easy peasy!) This is a definite “keeper” recipe. Of course, I haven’t found any recipes from Carolyn that aren’t keepers!
Leslie Gawthrop says
How would you store any leftovers?
Carolyn says
On the counter for a day or two, in the fridge after that.
Heather says
Oh so good cold with a cold glass of unsweetened almond milk!! I will make this again!
Megan says
I made these and they are lovely!
Mine don’t look like the pictures either, thicker but still taste great! I think if I were to do anything different I would chop up my pecans and maybe add some salt to the top of these. I’ll be making them again for sure!!
Since I started Keto your recipies have been a favourite!
Thank you!
Stephanie Niksa says
Is it possible to make this recipe dairy free? I have been drooling over it for a while now and I would LOVE to make it but I can’t have dairy
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I think it wouldn’t work very well. You could try with coconut oil and coconut milk but I think it would affect the consistency.
Tara says
Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts and one that I have missed for the last two holiday seasons since going keto. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Jan says
Made these yesterday for Christmas dinner. I never liked pecan pie because I always thought it was too sicky sweet, but these bars were AMAZING! I did add a couple of handfuls of shredded coconut, which I think was really good. Even my guests liked them!