The original Keto Pecan Pie Muffins – accept no substutites! Deliciously low carb, grain-free muffins that taste like pecan pie. They’re an easy and delicious keto breakfast or snack.
Let’s be very clear about one thing: This is the original recipe for keto pecan pie muffins.
There are a few copycats floating about now, and some of them are almost identical to my recipe. Hmmm, funny how that works.
But I originally published this recipe on October 5th, 2012 and at that time, it was the only recipe of its kind. No one else had ever thought to make low carb, sugar free pecan pie muffins.
This is the one and only, the original, and, in my humble opinion, still the best. Accept no substitutes!
If you love pecan pie as much as I do, be sure to check out my classic Keto Pecan Pie. It’s pure heaven.
Inspiration for sugar free pecan pie muffins
I frequently find recipe inspiration from blogger friends who aren’t low carb or keto. In this case, I spotted some pecan pie muffins on She Wears Many Hats and it was like a little bell went off in my brain. Ding ding ding!
Dense, gooey muffins that taste like pecan pie? Absolutely brilliant!
And so easy to make over to keto, too. They consist mostly of butter, brown sugar, eggs, and pecans, with minimal flour and no leavening agent.
All I had to do was swap the sugar for Swerve Brown and the flour for some almond flour, and then I threw in some sugar free chocolate chips, because yum!
Needless to say, these have been some of my favorite keto muffins for over 9 years.
How to make keto pecan pie muffins
This recipe is so easy, you’re going to want to make them every week. I do warn you, they are addictive and it can be hard to resist eating the whole batch.
Thankfully, they are freezer friendly so you can store them and dole them out one day at a time! Here are my best tips for getting it right.
- Softened butter. In this case, you want the butter to be very soft, but not melted, as it helps the sweetener mix in better.
- Brown sugar replacement. Swerve Brown is far and away the best choice, as it has the color and flavor of real brown sugar.
- A little allulose helps. For maximum gooeyness, a tablespoon of liquid allulose really helps. But it is optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any.
- Room temperature eggs. This is critical. Cold eggs will make your nicely creamed butter clump up and will create little holes in the muffins during baking.
- No baking powder! These muffins aren’t supposed to rise. They are meant to be dense and gooey like the middle of a pecan pie. Baking powder will make them cake-y.
- Plenty of chopped pecans. They wouldn’t be pecan pie muffins without them!
- Chocolate chips… or not? It’s up to you whether you want to add the sugar free chocolate chips. It does make them extra decadent.
- Don’t over-bake. The muffins should be just barely set, for that pecan pie consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a granular sweetener and 2 teaspoons of molasses or yacon syrup. This adds less than 1g of carbs to each muffin and will improve the color and flavor.
I haven’t tried it myself, but you should be able to do so. Fair warning that baked goods made entirely with allulose tend to darken on the exterior a lot more so it may be more difficult to tell when the muffins are done.
Please read the section on How to Make Keto Pecan Pie Muffins.
Sure, if you want to. They are delicious with and without.
I haven’t tried this myself but I imagine another solid fat like ghee or coconut oil would work. If using coconut oil, I suggest using the refined version so that the coconut flavor doesn’t overpower the muffins.
Storage information
These keto pecan pie muffins are pretty sturdy and great for meal planning and traveling. I’ve been known to stick them in a tupperware container in my suitcase and take them cross country!
They are fine on the counter in a container for up to 5 days, and in the fridge for up to 10 days. They can also be frozen for several months.
More delicious keto pecan recipes
- Pecan Lace Cookies
- Keto Pecan Turtles
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Keto Maple Pecan Scones
- Pecan Crescent Cookies
- Gooey Keto Praline Sauce
Chocolate Pecan Pie Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter, well softened
- ¾ cup (136.5 g) Swerve Brown
- 1 tbsp liquid allulose
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) caramel extract, or vanilla extract
- 1 cup (105 g) almond flour
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (99 g) pecans, coursely chopped
- ⅓ cup (60 g) sugar free chocolate chips, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line 12 muffins cups with silicone or parchment paper liners.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sweetener together until light and fluffy. Beat in the liquid allulose, if using.
- Add the eggs and caramel extract and beat until well combined, then beat in the almond flour and salt.
- Add the pecans and chocolate chips and fold in by hand.
- Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until just barely set. Let cool in the pan at least 20 minutes.
Video
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.
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Hubby and I are leaving on a week long road trip tomorrow. I’m trying several of your recipes from the “keto travel snacks” blog. First up, these pecan muffins. I had to use what I had on hand so I used Monkfruit brown with allulose and 1 tsp. Stevia extract in place of the liquid allulose. Had to try one as soon as they cooled down. Very tasty. I put the rest in the fridge. I have a feeling they will taste even better cold!
5 Stars for SURE! Thanks for a great recipe! I made a few substitutions – instead of Swerve, I used Wholesome brand Allulose. Instead of Liquid allulose, I used 1 Tablespoon Molasses (I know this added sugar grams though). I didn’t use caramel extract, but used vanilla. For the sugar free chocolate chips, I used the Lilly brand dark chocolate chips.
I used real pastured dairy butter with salt (no other oils or additives in it).
The only other note is that they seemed to cook faster than the recipe direction so I only baked them 15 minutes. I made 10 regular size muffins and removed them from the oven at 15 minutes and 6 mini-muffins and removed them from the oven at 10 minutes. The muffins are delicious and they seem very decadent!
I used allulose as my sweetener. These are the first low carb muffins I have made that I can say I will make over & over. For me the use of allulose makes all the difference as any other sugar subs just taste off to me. The muffins didn’t brown to much & I love the caramel flavor. Truly tasty!
I forgot to give these the stars they deserve! 5 stars all around!
Oh MG. These are incredible. The hest recipe I have come across in my low carb journy. I made it exactly as read and will continue to make it if I stay keto or not. Serious Rave!
Thank you!
Seriously, where do you get all of your utterly spectacular recipe ideas that just keep on coming?? There’s just something about these muffins that makes it feel like taking a bite of happiness every time I have one!! And they’re even better warmed up a little in the microwave too! Even my non-keto father (who has VERY specific taste preferences) has declared these muffins to be one of the best things he’s ever tasted!! I hope you never run out of awesome recipes because each and every one is so unique and totally genius!! Keep up your amazing work!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Pinterest is my favorite place for “recipe research”. I.e. making over high carb recipes to low carb ones. But some just pop into my head.
So no baking powder in these?
Just made these for the first time, and all I can say is, “Where have these been all my life “!!!
Thank you again for a fabulous breakfast or snack!
I am so happy to be on keto again, and to follow you and your journey. You are a lot of what taught me about keto originally. Then life got in the way. I’m so excited about this recipe, sounds fabulous. I’ll be making these as soon as the butter warms up.
Hi,
Love your recipes! For the pecan pie muffins can I use granulated allulose instead of liquid? And if so how much? Or just leave it out….thanks
Yes, use the same amount.
just made these and couldn’t quite wait till they were completely cooled to try one. What a fantastic flavor!
Truly outstanding results! Simple to follow instructions. I did have to drive across the border to pick up some of the needed sweeteners, as Allulose is still not available in Canada. Of course, as a good Canadian, I did make your butter tarts too! Oh my, those could be addictive. So happy that I have discovered your channel. Thank you for all of the time and effort you have put in to create these low carb masterpieces.
Your chocolate protein muffins have been my favorite. Now these pecan pie muffins are. They are fabulous!!
Love these muffins! I freeze them & use them when we travel. Can I cut back the brown sugar to 1/2 cup without effecting the consistency of the finished product? Thanks
So incredibly good! Non Keto eaters love them too!
excellent 🤩
Wow, these are going to become a baking mainstay in our home.They are exceptionally good. I didn’t have Swerve Brown but using granular and molasses worked well. I also used Choczero Butterscotch chips and maple extract. (Again, adapted and used what was on hand.) I know you provided storage instructions but I need a bit of help with that. Counter and fridge are not feasible. They would be gone by morning…lol. Hubby has already gone in for two and eyeing a third …he likes them that much. So, maybe in the car?🤔…lol