These homemade keto protein bars taste just like your favorite holiday pie. You can’t go wrong with a healthy no-bake energy bar filled with healthy fats and protein. And they have less than 4 grams of carbs per serving!
I am a sucker for all things pecan pie. I’ve made countless goodies with that luscious caramel-scented pecan flavor and I am always dreaming up more. Everything from gooey Keto Pecan Pie Bars to easy Keto Pecan Pie Truffles.
Why not add some protein and turn that delicious flavor into easy and delicious protein bars too? These tasty treats have been on my website for many years. But I decided it was time to give them a little update and pack in a little more protein.
They will top your list of low carb high protein snacks!
Recipe Highlights
Easy to make: With a handful of basic keto ingredients and 20 minutes of your time, you can enjoy easy homemade protein bars.
Rich pecan flavor: Toasted pecans and a touch of caramel extract make them taste like dessert! The chocolate drizzle is optional (but so good!).
High protein snack: Almost 18 grams of protein and only 4 grams net carbs per bar.
Make ahead recipe: They don’t require anything that spoils easily, so they last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pecans: You can’t make pecan pie protein bars without the pecans!
- Oil: Use avocado oil or another neutral tasting oil to grind the pecans into butter.
- Sweetener: I recommend a powdered sweetener to avoid grittiness.
- Protein powder: I use whey protein, but egg white and plant based protein works as well.
- Almond flour: The bars do need a bit of flour to help firm them up. You can use other nut or seed flours but it may make them more fragile.
- Caramel extract: This helps give the bars a more pecan pie flavor, but you can also use vanilla.
- Dark chocolate (optional): A little chocolate drizzle makes them festive and appealing!
How to Make Pecan Pie Protein Bars
- Toast the pecans: Toast the pecans at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so that they don’t burn.
- Grind the pecans: Transfer to a high powered blender or food processor. Process until well ground. Add the oil and continue to process until they become butter.
- Add the other ingredients: Transfer the pecan butter to a bowl and stir in the protein powder, sweetener, vanilla extract, and salt. Work the almond flour into the mixture until fully incorporated. Add water a little at a time until it becomes like a stiff cookie dough.
- Press into a pan: Press firmly and evenly into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm.
- Cut into bars: Lift the bars out of the pan and cut evenly into squares.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Drizzle over the bars and let set.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and intensity of the nuts. If you can find pre-roasted, unsalted pecans, feel free to use those! But if you are doing it yourself, make sure to keep a close eye on them.
Adding oil to the pecans as you process them helps them smooth out and become creamy. It also means your blender or food processor doesn’t have to work as hard. I recommend grinding them up first until they resemble coarse crumbs. Then add the oil and continue to grinding.
Protein powder options: Whey and egg white protein work best, but plant-based should also work. Collagen and bone broth protein may make them overly soft and sticky. But feel free to try!
Press the bars in firmly. Don’t be afraid to use a little force here. You really want to press them in as firmly as you can, so that they stick together well.
More Delicious Keto Pecan Recipes
Keto Pecan Pie Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, divided
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/4 cups unflavored whey protein powder
- 1/4 cup powdered sweetener
- 1 tsp caramel extract, or vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- water as needed
- 2 ounces sugar free chocolate chips, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so that they don't burn. Let cool.
- Transfer 1 1/4 cup of the pecans to a food processor or high-speed blender and process until finely ground. Add the oil and continue to process until it becomes a smooth nut butter.
- Transfer to a large bowl. Add the protein powder, sweetener, caramel extract, and salt until well combined.
- Work the almond flour into the mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated. If the dough is very stiff and hard to work with, add water a little at a time until it becomes like a stiff cookie dough
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Lift the bars out by the edges of the parchment and cut evenly into 8 squares or bars.
Optional chocolate drizzle.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Alternatively, you can do this in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Transfer to a ziplock bag or piping bag with a small corner snipped off. Drizzle over the cooled bars and let set.
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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Made these today, so simple and delicious.
These are awesome! Taste like Mexican wedding cookies/Russian tea cakes with a caramel kick! I subbed boca sweet in for the sweetener. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I was wondering if you could use powdered monk fruit in place of the swerve, me and swerve do not get along!
If you mean Lakanto, then it should be fine.
Thank you for making breakfast on the go great with this recipe. I have just ordered your breakfast book now to add to your amazing ultimate baking book.
Thanks so much!
I love this recipe! I make them EVERY weekend for my weekday breakfasts. I didn’t have caramel extract at first, so I substituted CINNAMON, and I actually like it best so far! But I love the earlier comment about adding coconut because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE german choc. frosting. Would be excellent with a chocolate drizzle or choc. chips, although not so healthy as regular recipe. Carolyn, thanks for all the great recipes.
Sounds good!
Great recipe, thank you! I have made these several times using unflavored whey protein isolate and they were not crumbly at all. I did make sure they were well mixed and pressed tightly in the pan. Tonight I experimented and made them using fine peanut flour, walnuts and just a little more melted butter. They turned out great. Although about a carb more, they add a bit more variety when we need a change. Buying bars will probably become a thing of the past!
Sounds wonderful!
When I first tried these, I only had Bulletproofs Chocolate Collagen powder. They tasted great. The second time I made them I added a 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. Let’s just say that after 18 months of Keto, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They taste like a slice of German Choc. Cake. I seldom alter recipes and these are probably a few grams more of carbs.
But so, so good and a nice treat ONCE AND A WHILE.
That sounds fabulous!
I would love to make chewy, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with the Bake Believe chocolate chips. It’s nice to have other keto chocolate chips alternatives to try!
I had everything on hand but the collagen. I bit the very expensive bullet and bought it and am so glad I did. I am not a great planner and am very much NOT a morning person. I usually end up going dirty keto and eating a Quest or One bar because I am in a hurry. These are a much better tasting sub and you have made me want to go experiment so I can figure out more flavors.
I am so glad to hear it, Robin. While pre-packaged bars can be great in a pinch, I really feel they shouldn’t be an everyday item.
I wanted to try these out to eat while I was out for the day in 80 deg weather, so I replaced the butter with cocoa butter, which is solid at a much higher temperature. This resulted in a sturdy bar that stayed intact even when warm. So I recommend this as a variation that can take the heat, and maybe also a possible strategy for people trying to omit the collagen.
A few other remarks for people who commented. I personally toast pecans at 275 for 35 minutes with a full cookie sheet tightly packed with nuts. I stir once in the middle. Most sources will recommend a higher temperature, but I find the low temperature is more forgiving than toasting at high heat. Serious Eats suggests toasting small amounts of nuts in the microwave: mix them with a tiny bit of oil and microwave until toasted.
You can make fine pecan flour at home if you grate your nuts in a hand-held rotary grater. I do this for all nuts except almonds, because I can only buy good almond flour. The result is very fine, probably at least as fine as a commercial product. (In my experience commercial nut flours other than almond flour tend to be rather coarse, more nut meal than nut flour.) You might also be able to make pecan flour in a coffee grinder, though it might clump together. I ground other nuts in the coffee grinder but not pecans.
These are great – I am always looking for new snacks, and these are perfect!
These look like a delicious healthy treat!
Love having these for an afternoon snack, they’re so good!
I am excited to try this. Thanks for sharing.
I love how easy this is to make!! Taste amazing, too!
I NEVER comment on recipes. But Oh.My.Word. These are SO delicious. I ate two (!!) in one evening. Had to put them in the freezer to get them out of my regular sight. Thank you!
So happy and thanks for commenting!