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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You ARE an evil mastermind! These are criminally delicious. I made them as minis for portion control and ended up eating three. Thanks for that! 🙂
I think they’d be good topped with the cream cheese frosting from your crockpot carrot cake, but I don’t know that they’ll last long enough to find out.
I used chopped Lily’s milk chocolate and replaced the molasses with VitaFiber and I found the sweetness level just perfect, but I like things sweet.
I gave half away. I had better freeze them next time. Oh yes indeed…there WILL be a next time. Hubs just week and a half into low carb….thought they weren’t legal and I was joking…. I’m not generally much for sweets…but I can’t trust myself around these. Thank you so much for recipes that never fail to make their mark…and make myself and my clients smile at the thought of cheating…and then look up the next great recipe on your site.
Thanks, Pam!
I made these and they were delicious. I used Lily’s chocolate chips and I use Yacon syrup in place of the molasses. Mine were not gooey in the center as some other people described- perhaps I overcooked them a little bit? I had more of a classic muffin crumb, so I didn’t get the “pecan pie” feeling- more of a light chocolate chip blondie. As some other folks said, they are quite sweet. Next time I will reduce sweetener just a tad. They do harden after sitting out for a day- nothing 15 seconds in the microwave doesn’t correct. Nevertheless, really yummy. Thanks, Carolyn.
I’ve never used Yacon syrup so I don’t know if that would have made the difference at all.
I know this is an older post… hoping you still check it. I have lots of questions?!?!?!?! Do you think this recipe would half well… I know the math works, I am just wondering about the end result? Or, do these freeze well? Do you think it would work with raw almonds or does it have to be blanched? Thanks! 🙂
Yes, you can halve the recipe. And yes, they freeze well. The almond flour is the finer stuff from Honeyville, but it would be okay with raw ground almonds too, as long as you can grind them finely enough.
Hey there — these muffins are a staple at our house and they keep beautifully in the freezer! I reheat them in the toaster oven with a square of 70-+% chocolate on top and they are delish. The only tweak I make to this recipe is add a little more salt; mine always seem to need just a scoche more.
Awesome! Can I ask at what temp and for how long you reheat them? I know if I make a full batch they will eat them all, so it is good to know that I can freeze them before they get a chance! 🙂
Usually around 300 – 350 degrees; I set it for 10 minutes but check after five. The chocolate on top is actually helpful for this — by the time it melts, the muffin is usually thawed and warmed 😉 I make a double batch, keep a few out and freeze the rest.
I made these tonight and they are delicious, I use 1/2 cup of Just Like Sugar and 1/4 of Swerve.
Carolyn,
Made these muffins and they are delicious! However they stick to the paper muffin cup. How do you get yours to come out so perfect?
You need the parchment paper liners. They make a world of difference…muffins practically fall right now of them.
Thanks for getting back so quickly! I will definitely buy those. I hate it when they stick to the sides. PS…… I love all your recipes! I am so happy I can make delicious desserts low carb.
Thanks, Sandy. I can’t recommend the parchment paper cups enough. Nothing sticks to them, even cupcakes made with coconut flour (and those stick a lot!).
I’ve also had good luck with the silicone cupcake cups.
I made these this afternoon being in a hurry I accidentally put in 1 cup of swerve! I had to leave for the evening so I ate one while still super warm and I must say YUMMY!! When I got home they were a little on the hard side,the texture crumbly but still good. In wondering if 1. I cooked them too long(they didn’t seem done so they were probably in an extra 8 min.) 2. The extra 1/4 c. of swerve? Or maybe that is just the texture they are supposed to be. I was thinking they should have a softer,gooey inside. Regardless they are wonderful! Any thoughts?
I think it’s the Swerve. It hardens up after being cooked and extra would just make it harder. They won’t be “gooey” but they should be softish. You may have cooked them a bit long too, but I really think it’s probably the extra sweetener re-crystallizing.
Carolyn, Thank you so much for the quick reply. It was my 1st bag of swerve and its like liquid gold to me since no one carries it around here and I waited a week for it to get here! (I was kicking myself) should they seem under done when I take them out of the oven? That’s how I do oatmeal cookies so they are chewy.
Made these last night, I had to use an alternative sweetner, but they still were terrific. Have you frozen them, or refrigerated the leftovers. How long will they keep?
Refrigerate for up to 5 days. I kept them on the counter for about 3.
Living in Florida, we have to put our baked goods in the fridge or freezer after about 2 days because of the high humidity. I put these in the freezer and just re-heated in the toaster oven with a sprinkle of sea salt and a teensy square of dark chocolate on top; I bet the last ones were in there a month and they tasted just as fabulous as the first!
Good to know! I’ve never frozen these ones, they don’t last long enough in my house 😉
Thanks much for the feedback.
I tried them today and they came out perfect! Absolutely delicious…. Thank you!
Guests from Norway left this morning after four wonderful, action-packed days with us and I’m now relaxing with a well deserved Chocolate Pecan Pie Muffin and thinking about our next week of meals. Of course, Bacon Guacamole Cups have been on my mind, but I haven’t had time to make them… and then it hits like a bolt of lightening, Chocolate Pecan Pie Muffins- Bacon… ding, ding, ding! Oh yeah baby, time to get off the couch– and did I mention we have a freezer full of the most delicious bacon thanks to a little farming adventure we’re currently researching? Yeah, life is good!
Oh yum, bacon in pecan pie muffins? Love that idea. We don’t have a freezer full, but we joined a meat CSA (all grassfed) and we have a couple of packages. Goody!
I have made a lot of your recipes and they are always delicious but these….can I say “cracktastic”?!?! OMG!!!
They’re good, aren’t they! I hate to toot my own horn but yeah…
Thanks to you both. I used Honeyville erythritol, but have also used NOW brand in the past, I think I may like that one better. I will try maybe using a little less and powdering it because I really want to try this recipe again. Thanks!
Do you ever have a problem with your granulated erythritol crystalizing? I made this recipe a few months back and the taste was AMAZING straight out of the oven. It tasted like a chocolate chip cookie in muffin form. But once they sat (and I chilled them) they were inedible, hard like a rock, and even once I let them sit out again, they were gritty. I know it was from the erythritol. I wonder if I should just try powdering it or using less. I am wondering too because I know a lot of your recipes just call for the erythritol (not Swerve) and wondering if you have a problem with any of them? Muffins, cakes, etc? Thanks!
Hi Felicia…almost all of my recipes use Swerve, although I also give the option for other erythritol because not everyone can get their hands on Swerve. I do not find I have the re-crystallization problem with Swerve, but depending on the manufacturer of the erythritol, you might have issues. Do you know what brand you used? Also, these are not great muffins for freezing or chilling because of their high butter/low flour content. I froze some because I had too many and I think the best way to get them back is to microwave them for 40 seconds or so.
Felicia — I freeze these immediately the day after baking. When I’m ready for another one, I let it defrost on the counter for 5 minutes or so, then warm in the toaster oven on about 200 degrees with a square of 70% chocolate on top. The muffin gets all warm and nice, the chocolate melts, and it is just as good as a fresh one. I use Swerve and never have crystallization problems.
My hubby and I are new-ish to low carb and definitely new to low carb baking! I made these with Truvia, as that is what i had, (if you I were to use Truvia again I would cut it to half a cup as they were quite sweet) and they are insanely delicious! Gooey, sweet little nuggets of happiness! Thank you for all your work making these recipes!
Finally got around to making these this morning, on a rare raw, gray day in N. Florida! They behaved a little oddly for me — the batter was more like scones than muffins — and the butter didn’t completely incorporate (I whisked instead of getting out the mixer), but they are madly delicious. Can’t wait to have another one!
Hmmm, the batter should not be at all like scones. But hey, as long as they taste good!
I printed this out back in October and just made these today because of “snow day.” I had it all mixed up and ready to go in the pan when I realized there was no baking powder or soda for leavening…so I ran back to the computer and had to check if I made a mistake – nope…they are very tasty, although mine do no look as good as yours.
Thanks for another great recipe.