Do I wish I was bringing you real keto baklava today, with a flaky phyllo dough crust that I somehow had magically been able to strip of carbs? Of course I do. Because that would be downright miraculous.
Sadly, that kind of flaky, multi-layered dough simply isn’t possible with keto ingredients. However, these Keto Baklava Bars are anything but disappointing! They are sweet and tender, and have that distinct nutty sweet baklava favor. With only a fraction of the carbs!
If you love cookie bars, you will also love Keto Tagalong Bars and the ever-popular Keto Magic Cookie Bars. Yum!
I haven’t had real baklava in about 10 years, as it’s not exactly a low carb dessert. This classic Middle Eastern dessert has multiple layers of flaky phyllo dough and sugary chopped nuts, with copious amounts of honey syrup drizzled over.
It’s also quite a time-consuming process, layering the phyllo sheets and brushing with butter, over and over again. I applaud anyone who has made the real thing! But when I spotted some cookie bars made with the same flavors, I thought it was perfect for a low carb makeover.
What readers are saying
“Just made these, they are insanely good and will definitely be making again. Thank you so much for the recipe!!” — Danielle
Why You Will Love Them
- Nutty, sweet flavor: Just like traditional baklava, these bars have toasted nuts and a slightly sticky “honey” syrup.
- Easy to make: They take less than an hour to make!
- Tender shortbread: That tasty almond flour crust holds up to the toppings!
- Keto-friendly: Made with naturally low-carb, gluten-free ingredients, each bar has only 3.8 grams of carbs!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Almond flour works best for this crust, for both texture and flavor. Other nut and seed flours will work but may be a bit more crumbly. You cannot use coconut flour for this recipe.
- Sweetener: You will need several different sweeteners to get the right consistency for this recipe. Please see the Tips for Success for a more detailed discussion.
- Xanthan gum: This helps make the crust less crumbly so I recommend using it. You can also use glucomannan.
- Nuts: You can use just one variety or a mixture of walnuts, pecans, almonds and/or pistachios.
- Orange zest: This adds a touch of unique flavor to the bars.
- Allulose honey: A keto syrup like this adds a touch of stickiness as well as flavor. But I know that not everyone has access to this so I’ve given you options in the Tips section!
- Kitchen staples: Butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.
How to Make Keto Baklava Bars
- Prepare the crust. Pulse the almond flour, sweetener, salt, and xanthan gum in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Bake the crust: Press into the bottom of a square baking pan. Bake until the edges are golden brown.
- Make the nut topping: Whisk together the nuts, sweetener, cinnamon, and orange zest. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- Bake again: Spread the nut topping over the cooled crust. Bake for another 20 minutes, then let the bars cool in the pan.
- Make the “honey” syrup: Heat the water, BochaSweet, and keto friendly syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Finish the bars. Drizzle the syrup over the cooled bars. Lift the bars out and cut into squares or triangles using a sharp knife.
Tips for Success
Line the pan properly. If you want to cut the bars into nice squares or triangles, I recommend lining your pan with parchment. Allow an extra inch or two on the sides so you can remove the baklava bars in one large pieces.
If you don’t have a food processor for the crust, you can cut them in with a pastry cutter or two sharp knives. Make sure to get it nice and fine, so it resembles coarse crumbs.
Make sure the nuts are finely chopped but not ground, so that you get plenty of texture but the filling isn’t too crumbly. And really press that filling down onto the crust before baking.
One of the hallmarks of authentic baklava is the honey syrup that makes it both extra sweet and a bit sticky. I created my own sugar free drizzle with water and allulose. I also added a touch of allulose “honey” for more authentic flavor.
Sweetener Options
As you may be aware, I am a stickler for getting the right consistency with my keto desserts. So this recipe includes a number of different sweeteners to achieve that. However, I know not everyone has access to all of them so I will do my best to offer alternatives.
For the crust, it is imperative to use an erythritol based sweetener for it to crisp up properly. Any amount of allulose will make it soft. If you don’t have a powdered version, granular is fine.
I like to use my homemade brown sugar substitute for the filling, for a richer flavor. I recommend that the filling be mostly erythritol as well, as allulose will soak into the crust and soften it.
The syrup should be sticky and not harden as it cools, which means not using erythritol sweeteners. In this case, your best choices are allulose or xylitol. If you can’t find the allulose honey, you can simply add an additional tablespoon of the granular to your mixture.
More Delicious Walnut Recipes
Keto Baklava Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (168 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) powdered erythritol sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan, optional
- 5 tbsp (71.01 g) butter, in small pieces (chilled)
Nut Topping
- 1 1/2 cup (175.5 g) finely chopped walnuts, (or pecans, almonds, pistachios, or a mix)
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) brown sugar replacement
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 3 tbsp (42.61 g) butter, melted
“Honey” Syrup
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp (40 g) allulose, (or xylitol)
- 1 tbsp allulose honey, or liquid allulose
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line an 8×8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, with overhanging sides for easy removal.
- In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sweetener, salt, and xanthan gum. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and press firmly into the bottom with a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.
Nut Topping
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the nuts, brown sugar substitute, cinnamon, and orange zest. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- Spread the nut topping over the cooled crust, pressing to adhere. Return to the 325ºF oven to bake another 20 minutes. Remove and let the bars cool in the pan.
"Honey" Syrup
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sweetener, and keto friendly syrup. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Drizzle over the cooled bars. Lift the bars out by the overhanging parchment and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into 16 squares or triangles.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional baklava uses either pistachios or walnuts. You can use one or the other, or a mix of both. You can also use other nuts like almonds or hazelnuts. It’s rare to see pecans in baklava but it would be tasty!
This keto baklava bar recipe has 3.8g of carbs and 1.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.9g net carbs per bar.
Because these keto bars don’t have any eggs or cream, they will be fine on the counter in a covered container for up to 5 or 6 days. Store in the fridge if you think they will be around longer than that.
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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I’ve made these a few times and I love them! I add a Persian spin to them by using pistachios, using cardamom instead of cinnamon, and adding a tiny bit of rose extract. So good!
I do not like the feeling that Erythritol leaves in my mouth. is there a substitute I can use?
I’ve already provided all the best subs in the Sweetener Options section.
You might try just using Carolyn’s press in pie crust without sweetener. My guess is the bars are probably sweet enough that you could live without the 1/3 cup erythritol. Perhaps add a little more of your favorite sweetener to the nuts or syrup. I’m also trying to avoid erythritol, but I really wanted to make heart-shaped sugar cookies for Valentine’s. So I used Carolyn’s recipe. And since I haven’t been cooking with erythritol I could really notice it. So I made another batch using allulose and they were really good. Not crispy but still super delicious. actually I didn’t find that the ones I made with erythritol work crispy like a true shortbread but they were close. I definitely had to chill the dough before and after rolling out. I made one batch cut out and then I put dough in the bottom of a Ziploc bag and made a roll and put in the freezer. My intention is to slice the next batch. Of course I’ll be round but who cares!
LOOOOVE it. Another great recipe. Thank you! So happy that I can trust your recipes: they’re always sooo good.
Just a request: would you please, please, please add metric grams to the recipes? It prevents mistakes…
Oh Carolyn you have knocked it out of the park with this recipe!!! It was delicious! My husband said that this is the best thing I have ever made! We’ve been eating this wait for 7 years. I have all of your cookbooks and have made so many of your recipes so this is quite the compliment!!💕
Great to hear!
this is so much like the original! Great job,Carolyn!
Super delicious! Thank you!