I used to be such a Starbucks aficionado. It’s funny but I don’t go at all anymore unless I am traveling somewhere and in desperate need of a cuppa joe. I much prefer to make my own coffee and specialty drinks at home. Or maybe I have just become THAT anti-social.
I do have fond memories of their old baked goods, back when quality mattered to them. And I have created any number of low carb copycat recipes, like Keto Maple Pecan Scones and Keto Frappuccinos.
To be honest, my healthier versions are just as good as, or possibly even better than, the originals. And these Keto Fudge Crumb Bars are no exception.
What readers are saying
“These were absolutely AMAZING!! I can’t believe they are low carb. No one would ever suspect. The only thing I did differently was add extra sweetener because the chocolate was pretty bitter and I’m not a fan of extra bitter chocolate. Thank you once again, Carolyn, for a marvelous dessert!” — Nancy
Why this recipe rocks!
I really used to love the oatmeal fudge bars, with a delicious crumbly crust and rich chocolate filling. So how does one replicate that same crumbly, buttery crust in a low carb way?
You will be happy to hear that it’s not that hard. Done correctly, almond flour makes a great crumb crust for keto baked goods. It really comes down to the right ratio of almond flour, sweetener, and butter. I always like to add in a bit of coconut flour too, to dry out the mixture. I’ve used similar crusts in recipes like Keto Caramel Butter Bars and Keto Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
The filling is a simple keto chocolate ganache with a little added thickener. It’s like chocolate sauce when you pour it over but it becomes a thick, delicious fudgy layer as it bakes. The end result is spectacularly delicious!
Ingredients You Need
- Almond flour: You really do need to use a good finely ground almond flour for this recipe.
- Sweetener: Erythritol based sweeteners will give you the best results for the crust. But you can use other sweeteners in the filling. See the Tips for Success for more information.
- Coconut flour: A little coconut flour gives the cake a lighter, fluffier consistency. It also helps cut down in fat and calories!
- Butter: For a dairy free option you can swap it out for coconut oil or palm shortening.
- Heavy whipping cream: A good chocolate ganache always starts with heavy cream!
- Unsweetened chocolate: Do note that this is completely unsweetened chocolate, meaning it doesn’t contain any sweeteners at all. I recommend getting a good brand like Guittard or Ghirardelli, as they are less likely to seize.
- Glucomannan: This helps the fudge filling thicken. You can also use xanthan gum.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Make the crumb crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, and salt. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract and toss until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Bake the bottom crust: Press 2/3 of the mixture firmly into bottom a greased 8×8 baking pan. Bake at 325ºF for 8 minutes, until just golden on the edges and then remove (it will not be baked through).
3. Prepare the fudge filling: In a large saucepan, heat the whipping cream and powdered sweetener over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to barely a simmer and remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and let sit 5 minutes to melt.
4. Pour over the crust: Whisk filling until smooth, then add the vanilla. Sprinkle with glucomannan and whisk to combine. Pour the filling over the crust and spread to the edges.
5. Bake the bars: Sprinkle the surface with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.
Tips for Success
You want the crust mixture to resemble coarse crumbs, so if it’s too soft, add a little more almond or coconut flour to help thicken it.
Unsweetened chocolate makes a better fudge filling because it thickens up better than sugar-free brands like Lily’s or ChocZero. You can use these if you like but your filling may be a little too soft.
Sweetener Options
An erythritol based sweetener is your best bet for the crust in this recipe. Allulose sweeteners will make it too soft and hard to pick up. If you want to cut back on the erythritol, try using only 1/3 cup and adding a little stevia extract to make it sweeter.
The filling should work with both erythritol and allulose, although it may take longer to firm up properly with allulose. Make sure you use a powdered sweetener. I don’t recommend stevia extract here, as it can be very bitter when directly combined with chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make a wonderful crumb crust with almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener and butter. It’s great on everything from keto coffee cake muffins to Keto Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars.
These crumb bars will be good on the counter for up to 5 days, as long as you are not in a hot area. Otherwise, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze these bars. Wrap them up tightly and store in a freezer safe container for several months.
This keto fudge crumb bar recipe has 5.4g of carbs and 2.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.7g net carbs per bar.
Keto Fudge Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (85.21 g) butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling:
- 3/4 cup (178.5 g) whipping cream
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp glucomannan, (or xanthan gum)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease an 8×8 inch metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, and salt. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract and toss until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press 2/3 of the mixture firmly into bottom prepared baking pan. Bake 8 minutes, until just golden on the edges and then remove (it will not be baked through).
- In a large saucepan, heat the whipping cream and powdered sweetener over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to barely a simmer and remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and let sit 5 minutes to melt.
- Whisk filling until smooth, then add the vanilla. Sprinkle with glucomannan and whisk to combine. Pour the filling over the crust and spread to the edges.
- Sprinkle the surface with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.
Video
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 came out so good! Firmed up perfectly and was so tasty! A huge hit!
These look so amazing and keto as well. Sign me up! haha
Would this ganache filling firm up even if it wasn’t baked, like perhaps by setting in the fridge for awhile? I am thinking of modifying the recipe with a chocolate toping instead but I don’t want the filling to be gooey.
Hi sorry, just saw this. It’s a bit thinner than my other ganache recipes but yes, it should. Or you can search ganache on my blog and find some other variations.
This looks really good! Going to pick up the ingredients today!
Hi!
I didnt have any of the thickening agents you required so I added an egg and it turned out amazing. Wow !! By far the best keto cake recipe I’ve tried. It also hot got better in the fridge. Thanks so much.
Shoshi (hi from Israel ❤)
Excellent!
These turned out perfectly. Admittedly, I did not have heavy cream (thought I did) so I used part half and half/part almond milk and added an oz of cream cheese. The end result was amazing. I loved that they weren’t as sweet as I was expecting and one small square was quite satisfying.
Can’t wait to have with my morning coffee.
Hi Carolyn,
I’ve got these in the oven now…is the chocolate sauce supposed to be on the runnier side? I used 90% Lindt chocolate and added an extra few drops of liquid stevia. Not sure if I did anything wrong. I can’t wait to try it. Anyway to get the sauce to thicken up? Thanks!
This recipe very specifically uses unsweetened chocolate and powdered Swerve, because both of those things have fibre which helps thicken the chocolate. I am afraid yours may not thicken.
Thanks Carolyn for your response., I did use the powdered swerve but added a few liquid drops of stevia. I got the chocolate to firm up after putting it in the fridge overnight. My husband wanted these for breakfast when he saw them! They are soooo good!!! Thanks for all your efforts!
Glad it worked out!
These bars were a huge hit! So delicious!
My kids really loved it!! Such a perfect treat for everyone!
Oh, these would be so dangerous for me!! I’d eat them all! Love fudgy bars & love the options! Thanks!
My mouth is watering, and low carb? love it!
That fudge layer in the middle is perfect!
Sprinkled these with crunchy Icelandic sea salt. Amazing <3
Carolyn,
What type of chocolate do you recommend using? I have a couple of Lindt 85% bars and also 99% on hand but worry the 99% will be too bitter. Unfortunately they do not sell Ghirardelli in my region. Can I add some extra swerve or liquid stevia drops? I like it a little on the sweeter side but not too sweet. Thanks!
Don’t add extra Swerve, it will be too thick. But some stevia drops should be fine. I think you need the 99% because the fiber in the chocolate helps it set properly.
Thanks again Carolyn!
Can I use cocoa powder?
That won’t work in this recipe. It won’t thicken enough and will be quite gritty.
Do you use sweve granulars or powdered?
If it just says Swerve, that’s granular.