These easy Keto Candied Pecans are the perfect crunchy, salty-sweet snack. They take only 5 ingredients and you can make them in your slow cooker or on the stovetop. They make a great last minute gift too!
Chances are that you have all of your holiday menu planned and you don’t need any more ideas to add to the mix. But I just can’t help myself, I have to throw another great recipe your way.
Trust me, though, these Keto Candied Pecans are unbelievably easy to make. They also happen to be unbelievably tasty. Possibly even a little bit addictive. I should know, as I ate nearly the full 3 cups all by myself.
It was over a period of about 2 weeks but still! I love these crunchy, cinnamon-coated pecans so much, I just didn’t want to share. They top my list of delicious and easy keto snacks.
You will love this keto snack
If you do choose to work these into your holiday plans, be prepared. You may find, as I did, that it’s hard to share. Or if you put them out at a holiday party, you may find that one or two guests gobble them all up. They really are hard to resist.
They have everything you want in a snack. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of salt, and plenty of satisfying crunch. And you can add a little spiciness to them as well, if you like.
Best of all, you can make them in your crockpot so that they don’t take up any precious oven real estate. Alternatively, you can make them very quickly on the stovetop.
And they have only 1.3g of net carbs per serving. Now that’s my kind of snacking!
Ingredients you need
- Pecan halves: Use raw pecans, as they will become toasted during the cooking process.
- Swerve Brown: Let me be clear that only erythritol based sweeteners will work for keto candied pecans. Any amount of allulose, BochaSweet, will keep the coating from becoming hard and crunchy. I like brown sugar replacements like Swerve Brown best for this recipe.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted, as you see fit. I like to use salted, because it goes so well with the pecans.
- Cinnamon: You can adjust the cinnamon to your liking but 1 teaspoon seems about right.
- Chipotle powder: A little spice plays off the sweet and cinnamon really well, but this is entirely optional. Chipotle adds a lovely smoky quality as well, but you can use cayenne instead.
- Salt: Kosher sea salt works well.
Step by Step Directions
Slow Cooker:
1. Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. Stir a few times during cooking.
2. Spread the pecans out on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool completely.
Stovetop:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the sweetener, butter, cinnamon, and chipotle over medium heat. Cook until the sweetener dissolves.
2. Stir in the pecans and continue to cook another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Spread the pecans out on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool completely.
Expert Tips
It is really important to use the right sweetener in these keto candied pecans, as only erythritol-based sweeteners will create a crunchy, hard coating. This includes Swerve, Lakanto, and monk fruit sweeteners that contain just erythritol and monk fruit.
Feel free to double this recipe if you plan on gifting the pecans. It will take the same amount of time in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Just make sure to use a very large pan if you are cooking them on the stove.
Store the cooled pecans in an airtight container on the counter for up to two weeks. You can also refrigerate them for up to a month or freeze them for 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe for keto candied pecans makes 12 servings of 1/4 cup each. They have 4g of carbohydrate and 2.7g of fiber. This means that each serving has only 1.3g net carbs.
If your pecans are sticky or chewy, it means you didn’t use the right sweetener. Any amount of allulose, xylitol, or BochaSweet will prevent the candy coating from hardening properly. You really need to use an erythritol sweetener for this recipe.
Pecans are an excellent choice for keto diets, as they have only 4g of carbs per serving. They also contain a variety of important nutrients, such as magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and folates.
More recipes for pecan lovers
Are you a nut for anything with pecans? Me too! I have so many delicious recipes that include these buttery, rich nuts. Make sure you check out the best keto pecan pie, as it’s one of my most popular recipes. And Keto Pecan Pie Muffins are a delicious breakfast treat any time of year.
Readers also love the shortbread texture of my Keto Butter Pecan Cookies. And I promise that my Keto Maple Pecan Scones are better than Starbucks.
Pecans go so well with caramel too. Check out both Keto Pecan Turtles and my ultra-gooey Slow Cooker Brownies.
Keto Candied Pecans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1/2 cup brown sugar substitute
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, optional
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Grease a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- Place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and set to low for 3 hours. Stir a few times during cooking to coat the pecans.
- Spread the mixture out on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool. Break apart any clumps once the nuts are cool.
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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These candied pecans are so delicious! Will make these again and again.
I cooked these in a slow cooker on low for 3 hours and about half of them turned black! They still tasted fine but I saved those for myself. Next time I’ll do the stove top version and I’ll add more cinnamon.
Carolyn- I made a trial batch of these using the crock pot method. Mine started to appear overdone about 45 minutes early although I had it on low and stirred as suggested and do have the hint of a burnt aftertaste. Also I use swerve brown so was excited to try these and not need to run to the store. When I was trying to think why mine were done so quickly, I looked at my swerve package and ingredients said erythritol followed by allulose?
They were good and could be a 5 star. Any ideas on why mine cooked quick and is the swerve supposed to have allulose?
Yes, it’s the Swerve… they changed the formula after this recipe was written and it affects how quickly they cook and whether or not they get crisp.
I’m allergic to tree nuts so I couldn’t have them, but I made them for my husband’s birthday, and he was raving about them. I made them on the stove – super quick and simple, and smelled amazing.
These are absolutely, amazingly delicious!!! And sooo easy to make! I gave a jar to my friend last holiday season and she recently said to me, “ ya know, if you make those pecans again this year I sure wouldn’t mind taking any you don’t need” 🤣🤣 (I didn’t mention to her how often I make them, but keep for just us in the house 😉) I will be giving her more though, she’s usually very picky about what she eats. Anyway, thank you yet again Carolyn!
I’ve pinned this recipe to make later, but I just wanted to let you know you’ve been in my thoughts and prayers. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose one’s best friend.
Thank you.
I don’t have a slow cooker; what replacement cooking method can I use?
Please read the blog post as I have already provided stovetop instructions.
I’ve been making these with great success but unfortunately erythritol burns my tongue. Is there any way another sweetener will work? I love these in my salads but the burning is really intollerable. Great recipe though, very easy!
What do you suggest now that swerve brown has allulose in it?
I used truvia it turned out really good.
Thank you ! This recipe is so easy and delicious! I have made them in the slow cooker and on the stovetop. soo good, although can be addictive!
Very good and easy recipe. I used Sukrin Gold.
So glad I re-found this recipe. I made it once a long time ago and couldn’t find it again. It is soooo good and different than any of the others out there. The smoky chipotle and cinnamon go so perfectly on the toasty pecans.
So, I made these – living in Malaysia now and with the local manufactured monkfruit+erythritol (no allulose at all) but minus any brown. As if the family snackers would care. Ludicrous how tasty they are (albeit my feeble attempts to make them less attractive) – had the right crunch, and too delish. Skipping many ingredients too and throwing in what was not packed yet – sweetener, cinnamon and ginger..
Was a mere try out and before moving to our true blue home. Note to self – make and hide them.
I felt the same way… way too tasty, you want a few every time you walk by the jar!
Will this recipe Work For. Almonds
It should!
Perfect recipe for holiday giving – everyone at work and all my friends love it.
the recipe is great! how can we avoid the cooling effect of the erythritol ? I preferred to try the stove top method as it is quicker and was worried with the burning potential