Published: Jan 19, 2021 · Modified: May 5, 2023 by Carolyn

Keto Baklava Bars

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All the great flavor of keto baklava in an easy to make cookie bar. They have a tender shortbread crust with a delicious walnut filling and a sweet “honey” syrup.

Titled image: Two keto baklava bars sitting on a white plate over a red patterned napkin.

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.

But that kind of flaky, multi-layered dough simply isn’t possible with keto ingredients. Sorry to disappoint.

However, these Keto Baklava Bars are anything but disappointing, believe me. They are sweet and tender, and have that distinct nutty sweet baklava favor. With only a fraction of the carbs!

Love cookie bars like this? Be sure to also check out my Keto Tagalong Bars and my Keto S’Mores Bars. Yum!

Top down photo of keto baklava bars, cut up on a piece of parchment paper.

Keto Baklava Recipe Inspiration

I haven’t had real baklava in about 10 years, as it’s not exactly a low carb dessert. Real baklava 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 didn’t have a baklava recipe on my radar at all, for both of those reasons. And then I spotted these delicious Baklava Cookie Bars on Tutti Dolci. A quick perusal of the ingredients made me realize that I could easily ketofy the recipe and enjoy all that nutty baklava flavor again.

Drizzling syrup over a pan of keto baklava bars.

How to make Keto Baklava Bars

These delicious keto cookie bars are a far sight easier than making real baklava. Here are my best tips for getting it right:

Line the pan properly

If you want to cut the bars into nice triangles, as I did, 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.

The crust

This is a classic shortbread-style crust with no eggs. Pulsing the almond flour and sweetener with chilled butter in a food processor helps distribute the ingredients more evenly, but you can also cut them in with a pastry cutter or two sharp knives.

The xanthan gum helps make the crust less crumbly so I do recommend using it.

My best tip for a very even shortbread crust is to take a flat-bottomed glass and really press the mixture in as firmly as possible.

The nut filling

Baklava is often made with walnuts but you are by no means limited to that. I’ve seen it made with pistachios, almonds, and even pecans. You can also do a mix of nuts.

You do want to 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.

The syrup

One of the hallmarks of authentic baklava is the honey syrup drizzle that makes it both extra sweet and a bit sticky. But honey is just not a great choice for a keto baklava recipe.

Instead I created my own sugar free drizzle with water and BochaSweet. I also added a touch of ChocZero’s keto caramel syrup for that “sticky” quality and a more honey-like flavor.

You do have to use the right sweeteners to get a drizzle that doesn’t recrystallize as it cools. You can use allulose in place of the BochaSweet but erythritol sweeteners won’t work.

There is actually an allulose based “honey” but I didn’t want to purchase a new product for this one recipe. Although, knowing me, I could find some pretty great uses for it!

Keto baklava bars on a white cake stand.

How to store

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.

More delicious keto walnut recipes

Keto Baklava Bars

All the great flavor of keto baklava in an easy to make cookie bar. They have a tender shortbread crust with a delicious walnut filling and a sweet "honey" syrup.

4.92 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: baklava bars, keto baklava

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 55

Servings: bars

Calories: 185kcal

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup powdered Swerve
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan optional
5 tablespoon butter in small pieces (chilled)

Nut Topping

1 ½ cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans, almonds, pistachios, or a mix)
⅓ cup Swerve Brown
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoon butter melted

“Honey” Syrup

3 tablespoon water
3 tablespoon BochaSweet or allulose
1 tablespoon Keto Caramel Syrup See tips section for more details
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 325F and line an 8×8 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 325F oven to ake another 20 minutes. Remove and let the bars cool in the pan.

"Honey" Syrup

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, BochaSweet, 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.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Baklava Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 bar)

Calories 185 Calories from Fat 157

% Daily Value*

Fat 17.4g27%

Carbohydrates 3.8g1%

Fiber 1.9g8%

Protein 4g8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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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Keto Baklava Bars

Keto Baklava Recipe Inspiration