These Keto Pecan Pie Bars are so gooey and decadent, you won’t believe they’re sugar free! There’s a reason readers love them! And with less than 5g of carbs, you can afford to indulge.
Looking for a truly special dessert for the holidays that won’t give you a sugar high? Look no further than these amazing Keto Pecan Pie Bars. They are sweet gooey pecan perfection.
This really is one of my holiday favorites, and they give my Keto Pecan Pie some stiff competition. One bite and you will see why they’ve been so popular for years and years. Because no one should have to go without such deliciousness in their lives.
I’ve long said that the greatest joy for me is taking an old favorite and making it low carb and sugar-free. These Keto Pecan Pie Bars are the perfect example of such joy.
Why this recipe is so amazing
I created keto pecan pie bars early on in my blogging career, which is approximately a bajillion years ago. Or November 2013, which amounts to the same thing. Back then, however, low carb ingredients were more limited. The wide range of sweeteners we have now, as well as the brands of good quality sugar free chocolate simply didn’t exist.
But it was time to give them another update. Because once again, the keto universe is changing. And I’ve learned a lot working with different keto sweeteners and different techniques.
Some of you will notice that this recipe is a little different now. Trust me, this update makes them even better than ever. They’re easier to make and have even more rich pecan pie flavor.
I used my favorite Keto Pie Crust for the shortbread base, and a slightly modified version of my famous Keto Caramel Sauce in the filling. I also added more chopped pecans because you can never have enough pecans.
The chocolate chips are optional but I think it takes these bars over the top!
Reader Reviews
“Very delicious, love the caramelised filling. I live in England and thought it would be a struggle to achieve perfect taste due to difference in ingredients but it’s absolutely delicious. Thank you.” — Silvija
“These were absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Definitely will be making them again and again!!” — Karen L.
“So yummy! Probably own of my favorite treats to date! Thank you for making my life a little bit easier by having good treats to feed my family.” — Raechel
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: I used almond flour for the crust but you could also use pecan flour. It would go very well with these bars! I used it in my Keto Caramel Cheesecake Bars.
- Sweetener: You do need a mix of sweeteners for this recipe. The crust requires an erythritol sweetener, and the filling requires brown sugar substitute and allulose. Please see the Tips for Success section for more information.
- Butter: Butter is an essential ingredient in both the crust and the pecan filling.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps give the caramel sauce the right consistency.
- Eggs: You will need eggs to help set the filling and create a gooey pecan pie filling.
- Pecans: You can’t have pecan pie bars without pecans! I recommend chopping them up a little to make the bars easier to cut.
- Dark chocolate chips: I love the addition of chocolate chips in these bars. But if you prefer to omit them, I recommend adding another ⅓ cup of pecans to take their place.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step-By-Step Directions
1. Prepare the crust: Whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
2. Par-bake the crust: Press evenly into the bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch square pan and bake at 325ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. Remove and let cool in the pan.
3. Prepare the caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar replacement, and allulose. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and add the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
4. Whisk in the eggs: Once the caramel sauce is cool, whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.
5. Bake the bars: Scatter the pecans and chocolate chips over the crust and pour the filling overtop. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken.
6. Let cool: Remove and let cool for about 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Tips for Success
I highly recommend a metal baking pan for these bars to bake through properly and for the crust to firm up. Just know that if you use glass or ceramic, they may not turn out quite as well.
You can also use an 8×8-inch baking pan, but keep in mind that your bars will be thicker and thus will take longer to cook through. You may need to bake the crust a bit longer as well.
If you would prefer to skip the chocolate chips, I recommend adding another ⅓ cup of chopped pecans to help give the filling the right volume.
Sweetener Options
This recipe uses a combination of erythritol and allulose based sweeteners. Erythritol is required important the crust if you want it to firm up properly. The filling takes a combination of a keto brown sugar (made with erythritol) and allulose, to keep it gooier.
If you can’t get allulose, you can use xylitol instead. You can also use mostly allulose in the filling, but it may have a different consistency and not set for a long time. I also find that there is a slightly sour taste when I make my caramel sauce with just allulose, and I don’t enjoy it.
Read more about how keto sweeteners work.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like these keto pecan pie bars gooey and room temperature so I store them in a covered container on the counter. They are good for up to 4 days. They can also be kept in the fridge for a week.
Many readers have had good luck freezing these bars. I recommend storing them between layers of waxed paper so they don’t stick together. They will be good for 2 or 3 months.
This keto chocolate ricotta cake recipe has 4.9g of carbs and 2.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.7g net carbs per bar.
More delicious keto pecan recipes
Keto Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
Pecan Pie Filling
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar replacement
- ¼ cup allulose
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and lightly grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan.
- Whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake at 325ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. Remove and let cool in the pan.
Pecan Pie Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar replacement, and allulose. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so that it doesn't burn.
- Remove from heat and add the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- Once the caramel sauce is cool, whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Scatter the pecans and chocolate chips over the crust and pour the filling overtop. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken.
- Remove and let cool for about 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Midge says
You’ve done something awesome with my copy and pasting. I prefer to ‘copy and paste’. Somehow, when I highlight ONLY the recipe, the picture comes too. I love that, and thank you. 🙂
Sue says
Your generous spirit is as sweet as these look! This recipe looks like a keeper, like all your other recipes, and I’ll definitely be giving it a try.
becky says
Oh, dear. These look so good. I think I actually have all of the necessary ingredients, too!
Birdie says
Looks super good. Will make this year!
Carolyn says
Hi Lauren! I think Swerve is the best of all erythritol-based sweeteners and I did write a post about it. One of its selling points for me is that it doesn’t have as much of that funny cooling sensation (I don’t feel any of it with Swerve). https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/05/public-service-announcement-in-the-name-of-transparency.html
Nancy says
I just made this recipe and let me say I could not wait for them to cool to test them out. They filled my kitchen with such a delectable aroma! I removed them from the oven after 20 minutes but they were still quite liquid in the center, so I popped them back in for another 10 minutes. I am a HUGE dessert lover, and have had my doubts that I could stick to a low carb diet because of my need for sweets. This recipe has me convinced now! It is fabulous! Thank you so much Carolyn for sharing your talents!!
Carolyn says
Wonderful, I am glad they worked! Sorry they were liquid-y at first. Different oven temps can really throw things a bit. Mine were going on too firm at the 20 min mark.
Alesha says
I’m scouting out some recipes for Thanksgiving, and can’t wait to try these – and your cranberry bars!
Carolyn says
Possibly, but as I haven’t tested it, i really can’t say. Give a try!
Judy Taber says
Carolyn,
These remind me of a HC bar recipe from the old “Joy of Cooking” I used to make during the holidays. I wasn’t sure how to LC it because of the large amt of brown sugar in the filling. That one combined coconut with the pecans instead of chocolate. I will try to duplicate it with your filling recipe. I have tagatose and really like it combined with other sweeteners. It is supposed to caramelize well so I may use that with the swerve. I also have veg glycerine so thanks for that tip.
Thanks so much for the recipe and for donating to your food bank. We make regular donations to our local FB also and feel it is such a worthwhile charity.
Carolyn says
Sounds like a great way to make your fave holiday treat.
Lisa Sedtal says
great idea! i’ve been looking for a pecan pie replacement too. thanks for doing this.
amanda says
Making these for Christmas!
Tammy says
That looks incredible! What are your thoughts on using erythritol and stevia for the caramel sauce and the crust?
Carolyn says
As I noted in my post, I think it will work with just erythritol or Swerve but your caramel sauce will likely get gritty as it cools and so will your filling. it will taste great, though!
Carolyn says
xylitol combines well in solution and so doesn’t get as gritty, but it also doesn’t really caramelize so will be lighter in colour.
Robin Willson says
These look wonderful. I’ve yet to try Swerve – may have to now!
Liz McFletcher says
Great recipe…. we have so much pie already for Thanksgiving and my son wants pecan. This will be even better! Thanks for posting!
Bonnie says
These look wonderful. I’m still discerning which sweeteners I feel are acceptable for my family and me, but I will definitely keep these in mind. Happy Thanksgiving!
Carolyn says
Bonnie, I am very discerning too. It’s part of the reason I won’t use sucralose anymore. I try to stick with Swerve mostly, because I feel it’s safe and it’s healthy. But sometimes you really want pecan pie and if that means using a touch of something else to help keep the filling soft, so be it! 🙂
Leigh Ann Hofferth says
Fabulous recipe and great cause. Thanks for sharing and donating! Oh, and thanks for the giveaway offer. 😉
Tona Ogle says
This looks awesome! My husband loves pecan pie, so can’t wait to try this!
Alicia Henderson says
Looks great@ I will have to make this for Thanksgiving!
jennifer says
If these are half as amazing as your pecan pie muffins, I am in! Gonna give these a try for sure!
Sharon Looper says
I think it is awesome that you are going to donate money. Way to go!! The recipe looks AMAZING!!!