This delicious keto bark features layers of dark chocolate with a gooey center of sugar free caramel and pecans. So supremely decadent and easy to make, too!
Raise your hand if the combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecans sends you into paroxysms of delight.
Yeah, friend, me too. I love the flavors of a classic turtle and I try to work them into as many recipes as I can think of. I’ve got copycat Keto Turtles, and keto turtle cupcakes. I’ve even got a turtle biscotti recipe.
And now I’ve got keto chocolate bark that has that same gooey caramel pecan goodness going on. It’s a must make for turtle lovers!
Chewy Keto Caramel
The inspiration for this recipe is a new keto caramel that I’ve been secretly working on for months. It uses allulose as part of the sweetener so has a stickier, chewier quality that’s missing from a lot of sugar-free caramel.
Now, don’t panic. If you love my Keto Caramel Sauce, I am not touching that recipe. I promise that one will stay as is. I would risk the ire of many a devoted fan if I messed with it!
But I love nothing more than experimenting with new techniques and ingredients, and allulose creates a stickier consistency more like real caramel. I played with the proportions and found that half allulose and half Swerve gave me a chewier quality.
I am still working on a way to turn it into caramel candies and I think I am close! So I am excited to introduce it in this keto bark recipe.
How to make keto pecan turtle bark
You are going to love this easy and delicious this keto dessert recipe!
The caramel pecan layer
- You want to prep this first so it has time to cool and thicken as you work on the chocolate. Besides the two sweeteners, the caramel takes just a few ingredients: butter, cream, vanilla, and salt.
- I highly recommend using a good stainless steel saucepan for making any kind of caramel. Good quality cookware keeps things from heating up too quickly, and the light color allows you to easily see the caramelization in process so you don’t overcook it.
- The caramel will bubble up quite spectacularly when you add the cream so make sure your pot is large enough. A 3 quart pan should be sufficient.
- An instant read thermometer helps determine when the caramel is done. It’s not required, however, as you can go simply based on the color and consistency.
- Let it cool, but not completely. You don’t want it to be hot, as it will melt the chocolate layers. But it does firm up as it cools and becomes more like chewy caramel candy. If it’s not liquid enough to spread over the chocolate layer, simply warm it very gently until it is.
- I purchase pre-toasted, chopped pecans to make recipes like this even easier. But if you can’t find them, simply toast the chopped nuts on a baking sheet at 350F for 5 to 7 minutes. Keep your eye on them, as they can burn quickly!
The chocolate layers
- Line the pan with parchment paper with enough overhang that you can life the bark out more easily.
- You could just do a single chocolate layer, top it with the caramel and pecans, and be done. But I love the look of the layered bark with the caramel and pecans in the middle.
- I always recommend melting keto chocolate with cocoa butter, to melt it more smoothly and to thin it out. This helps keep the carbs down and makes the chocolate less likely to seize.
- Freezing each of the layers before adding the next one helps keep each layer nice and defined, so they don’t mix together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please make sure you read this section, as I do my best to anticipate any questions that might arise for every recipe. It helps eliminate the need for me to respond individually to multiple readers with the same question.
For many people, a high concentration of allulose causes severe tummy upset. Additionally, I find there is a slight sourness to allulose on its own, whereas combining with Swerve minimizes that flavor.
You will be thrilled to know that with this combination of sweeteners, there is no recrystallization. The caramel does firm up as it sits and cools, but there is no grittiness. That’s why it’s perfect for the filling of this bark. It’s both chewy and firm enough not to goo out everywhere.
Indeed you can! I tried a version of the chewy caramel using coconut cream in place of the whipping cream. Just skip the butter altogether or use palm shortening (coconut oil tends to separate out). You may need to boil it a bit longer to thicken it.
These days, you have many options when it comes to sugar-free dark chocolate. I usually use ChocZero or Lily’s but I’ve discovered that Pascha now carries sugar-free chips that are totally dairy free.
Yes, but I recommend making it a little thicker. Don’t add any water at the end in Step 4 but do bring it back to a boil to help it thicken up a bit more.
Storage information
Store the keto bark in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, and in the fridge for up to 10 days.
You can also freeze it for several months, although the chocolate can change a bit in the freezing and thawing process.
More delicious keto caramel recipes
- Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
- Keto Caramel Cake
- Keto Coconut Flan (Creme Caramel)
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Keto Twix Bars
Keto Pecan Turtle Bark
Ingredients
Chewy Keto Caramel
- ⅓ cup allulose
- ⅓ cup Swerve Granular
- 3 tablespoon butter cut into 3 pieces
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Turtle Bark
- 7 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- ¾ ounce cocoa butter chopped
- ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
Chewy Keto Caramel
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the allulose and Swerve. Cook until the sweeteners have melted. Allow to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook until caramelized and amber, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously; this is normal.
- Return to medium low heat and cook until deep amber and thickened, another 2 minutes or so. The mixture should reach 250 to 265F on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove and stir in the vanilla and the salt. Let cool while preparing the chocolate.
Turtle Bark
- Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to overhang the sides for easy removal.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan over barely simmering water, combine the chocolate and cocoa butter. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Spread half of the chocolate mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking pan, spreading to the edges. Freeze until firm, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Pour the caramel layer over the chocolate (if the caramel has firmed up too much, warm gently until pourable). Sprinkle the caramel with the chopped pecans and freeze about 30 minutes to firm up.
- Re-warm the remaining chocolate and spread over the caramel layer. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Lift out by the edges of the parchment paper and cut into bars or triangles.
Liz says
I love your caramel sauce. I always add a tsp of blackstrap molasses for a bit deeper flavor. I hope that works here. I’m going to try this today.