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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Wow! I just made these and they really do taste like Pecan Pie, they even have a slight Pecan Pie texture to them. Thank you!
Has anyone tried coconut flour in place of the almond? I am allergic to almonds. I know there are plenty of sub lists but I was hoping for an experienced baker to answer.
It would not work in this recipe. Can you get a hold of some pecan meal/flour instead?
Would rice flour work
Nope! I don’t use it and it’s very different from almond flour so no. Won’t work in this recipe.
These are fabulous!! What a rich treat! With the ingredients I used I got these down to 2g net carbs. I used Blue Diamond flour, Nature’s Eats pecan pieces and also I used Lyle’s Black Treacle instead of molasses which technically you don’t need as much of, but I went ahead and used the full 1T which only adds 9g carbs, but next time I think I’ll reduce it just a bit, could probably get by with half (or maybe not, because these were perfection!). I found in the last several minutes it’s best to keep an eye on them because they can go from not quite set to perfect very quickly… I took them out when a toothpick came out wet with just a tiny amount of crumb, and after completely cooling, the texture is insane, and even has that nice thin “crust” on the top like pecan pie does. I’m just mad I didn’t try this one sooner! They come together in no time. Thank you so much for all you do to help us stay the course with healthy and satisfying treats!!!
Made these over the weekend (from your Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen cookbook), and kicking myself for not doubling–or tripling–the batch!! These may be the best keto muffin I’ve ever had–bar none. Simple ingredients, great flavor. My husband, who is only partially keto, loved them, too, so that’s a huge plus. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Everything we’ve made from your book and your website has turned out great. You’ve turned into my go-to for keto/LC dishes. 🙂
So glad to hear it!
Any way to lower the fat content??
I am sure there is but fat is good and important on keto.
These are fantastic. I used to make a wickedly unhealthy chocolate pecan pie. This reminds me of it without the guilt. I can’t believe I can eat food like this! Thank you, Carolyn!
I was looking for something I could make and use while i travel for a quick meal or snack! I made these muffins earlier today, I had all the ingredients too!! I loved them so much! I made 8 instead of the 12 so mine are a little bigger! Perfect for snacks and a meal too.
They really are great for traveling. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to make these muffins!
Love this! Chocolate and pecan is a great combination. Can’t wait to make this.
These were so good! My kids devoured them in no time!
So good and the molasses adds a nice touch!
BEST muffins ever! So easy and turn out perfect every time.
I just made these and they are delicious. I used Splenda sin e it is what I had. I may have over baked them a bit since they were no longer tacky when I touched them, but I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. They were moist and delicious. Tasted like a regular muffin with a good texture which is a win in my book. I will definitely be making them again. My husband tastes one and his response was “I’ll take three more please”.
I subbed the granular swerve and molasses with brown swerve (not available when you originally posted this). Turned out DIVINE!
Ooh, what a great idea. How much brown Swerve did you use? I’ve never tried them with molasses, which I don’t have, but I do have brown Swerve!
I love these muffins, they always turn out great, and they don’t spike my blood sugar. I usually have them as a night-time snack that’s quick and ready to go without fussing around in the kitchen when others are sleeping. I accidentally overheated one in the microwave, but wanted to eat right then, so I broke it up in a bowl and poured heavy cream over the top to cool it down. That turned out pretty tasty, so I’ve repeated it a few times for variety.
I’ll be making a double batch tomorrow to take on my vacation (and freeze as soon as we arrive at the condo) so I’ve got 12 days of breakfast taken care of and snacks if I don’t need to eat two for breakfast before going scuba diving.
why are the carbs showing more on the front nutrional value than on the square page on page 2 ? is it 3.7 or 3.4 net carbs per muffin .
I have made them and they are fantastic so either way I am still making again but was just wondering .
I ran more recent numbers. I have removed the older info.
These look relish! Any possibilities you could suggest to replace the butter to make the dairy-free? Another fat? Almond butter? Thanks,
Another semi-solid fat. Preferably ghee if you can use that but coconut oil if not.