A classic treat with a holiday twist! These Keto Cranberry Pecan Magic Bars are chockfull of chocolate, pecans, dried cranberries and my famous sugar-free condensed milk. This post is sponsored by ChocZero.
Keto Magic Cookie Bars are one of my most popular keto desserts, and with good reason. They’re the low carb, sugar-free version of a childhood classic that everyone loves. So gooey and sweet, just like the real thing but with a fraction of the carbs.
And now I’ve given them a fun holiday twist! I added some sugar free dried cranberries and some pecans, along with white chocolate and dark chocolate chips.
But this time, the crust is made entirely from pecans too. So many people loved the pecan flour crust from my Keto Blueberry Jamboree, I decided to reprise it here as well.
So, so, so good! Gooey perfection.
Pecan flour crust
I will be the first to admit that using pecan flour makes these Holiday Magic Bars look dark and perhaps a little odd.
Trust me, friends, when you taste them, you really won’t care about appearances. It’s nutty perfection and goes so well with gooey condensed toppings.
Now you may be wondering if you can make your own pecan flour in a food processor. It is possible but it won’t be quite as fine as the commercially ground varieties. Just be sure to stop processing when it resembles coarse crumbs. Too much grinding and it quickly becomes pecan butter!
Magic Bar Toppings
Magic cookie bars can have any number of toppings but the standard variety usually includes:
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped walnuts
- Chocolate chips
- Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
- Sweetened condensed milk
For this holiday version, I kept the shredded coconut (unsweetened, of course), used pecans instead of walnuts, and added dried cranberries.
And then I added plenty of ChocZero dark and white chocolate chips. The end result was so festive and sweet, I plan on making them again for my Christmas cookie platter.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t have to. You can easily use almond flour instead, in the same amount.
I make my own. It’s linked in the recipe and it’s really easy, I promise. There are a few brands selling completely unsweetened dried cranberries and those work too. But they aren’t widely available.
Allulose is the next best option, and xylitol works too. You can use more Swerve or another erythritol sweetener but it will recrystallize as it cools.
Absolutely! My sugar-free condensed milk works well with coconut cream (the thick white part at the top of a can of coconut milk). And you can use melted coconut oil in the crust.
White chocolate chips do have dairy in them so just use all dark chocolate.
Because of the gooey texture of the filling, you should make these bars no more than 2 days in advance. Store them in the fridge until ready to serve. They will be gooier at room temperature so you can let them stand out for 15 to 20 minutes.
More delicious keto cranberry recipes
- The Best Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
- Easy Keto Cranberry Cobbler
- Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Cranberry Orange Muffins in the Air Fryer
- Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Carolyn recommends:
- I always use my favorite 9×9 USA Pan baking pan for these bars.
- To avoid scratching the finish when cutting, I recommend a bench knife, so you can cut straight down.
Keto Cranberry Pecan Magic Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups pecan flour
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Filling
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sugar-free dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
- ¼ cup sugar-free white chocolate chips
- 1 full recipe Low Carb Sweetened Condensed Milk
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pecan flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to clump together. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9×9 inch metal baking pan.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove and let cool.
Filling
- Increase the oven temperature to 350F.
- Sprinkle the cooled crust with the coconut, cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips. Drizzle the sugar-free condensed milk over everything, making sure to get it into all the corners.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Paula says
Just another great recipe… as always! Thank you🦋
Paula Crum says
Taste, and texture are amazing! Great with coffee or tea on a cold winter day or night!
Cathy Baumfeld says
Carolyn, I haven’t made these yet as I just can’t get past the coconut. Can these be made without the coconut and just add more nuts? I read thru the blog and that question I don’t believe has been addresed.
Carolyn says
Yes! Try adding sliced almonds.
Debbie B says
Another great recipe! I used almond flour instead of pecan flour but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Who needs sugar and carbs when we have recipes like this!! Thank you so much.
Michelle Pisoni says
I debated about making these (because I often worry about messing up multiple recipes within one recipe i.e. the dried cranberry recipe & condensed milk) but let me tell you, this was so worth it! I had to quickly freeze them afterwards or I would have eaten the whole pan! Phenomenal. I’ve now printed off other cranberry, white chocolate recipes from your site to try….yummo! Carolyn, your recipes help me to remain low-carb and keto. Thanks for all that you do!
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed them!
dianna says
is unsweetened condensed milk the same as evapourated milk
Carolyn says
No, not at all. If you click the link for the sugar-free condensed milk, you will see my recipe for it.
Lorine says
What cook book are these recipes from?
Sue says
I made a double batch of these & froze them, worked perfectly. I do think I didn’t simmer down the sweetened condensed milk enough but it was my first time making it – now I know. Another great recipe, these are delicious, thank you.
Melissa says
Great Keto dessert – I’ve made it twice now and it was a hit both times.
Jennifer says
These bars are soo delicious and absolutely addicting! Can’t wait to make them again!
Lily says
These were so ooey and gooey, perfect for every day! I have made these a few times and always enjoy them at work as snack!!
Debbie says
Hi Carolyn, thank you for all you do, this recipe looks delicious I can not wait to try it.
I have a question though, I do not have pecan flour but I do have hazelnut would that work? Also what do you think chopped roasted hazelnuts would be like added to the top?
Thanks again
Ashley G says
So good!! I made these last week and they’re so delicious. The sugar free sweetened condensed milk was so sugar sweet I wanted to just lick the pan lol. No way anybody would know this wasn’t dripping with sugar. The cranberries are the best! I love them! So easy to make and the perfect mix of tart and sweet for this recipe. You cannot go wrong with this recipe…go….make it now!
Carolyn says
Thank you so much!
Angie says
Is there a way to scroll through too see all of your recent recipes? The home page just shows the last 4. Thank you! Love the new layout!
Carolyn says
There is! Hit the search button and when the screen comes up, don’t type anything into the box. Scroll down a bit and you will see “Latest”… that will give you my last 9 recipes or so…
Kim Thomas says
Carolyn You have done it again. Magic cookie bars are one of my favorite treats. These might be even better. I love the cranberry and mix of white and dark chips. Heavenly! Thank you for all you create.
Heidu says
First Love your site/recipes
how do you think fresh cranberries would work
Carolyn says
They might be good too. They do release a lot of juice so I would worry about sogginess.
Tina says
Carolyn
Any other places to purchase Choc Zero.?You did a great job. Sold Out. Thanks
Carolyn says
Amazon often carries it too!