These tender keto shortbread bars have a luscious jam filling and a sweet sugar-free glaze. The perfect treat for those pop tart cravings! This post is sponsored by ChocZero.
Hi, my name is Carolyn and I am not sure I’ve ever eaten a Pop Tart. No really, it’s true! I certainly knew of them and saw them on grocery store shelves. But I honestly cannot recall any time in my life that I actually tasted one.
They were simply not part of my childhood. And now that I have to be so mindful of my blood sugar, I am happy about that. Why would I want to eat a sugary pop tart when I can make delicious keto shortbread bars that taste just as good or better?
And these Keto Pop Tart Bars are seriously delicious. Do they taste like pop tarts? Clearly you are asking the wrong person. But they have a wonderful tender crust filled with sweet keto jam. And the glaze and sprinkles makes them appealing to all ages!
Why you need to try this recipe
Ever since I received my first jar of ChocZero jam, I’ve been dreaming up recipes like this. I’ve already created Keto Jam Tarts and some easy Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies.
These pop tart bars were inspired by a high carb version I saw on an Instagram reel one day. The idea of sandwiching some sugar-free jam between layers of shortbread really appealed to me, so I had to give it a go.
So delicious and quite easy to make too! They are so tender and buttery, and the frosted tops with a few keto sprinkles gives them plenty of visual appeal.
And each bar has only 2.5g net carbs per serving. Tasty stuff!
Do be sure to read the Expert Tips for suggestions if you don’t have access to ChocZero products. I always offer alternatives!
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: You really do need to use a good finely ground almond flour for this recipe. No other nut meal or flour will give you the same shortbread like consistency.
- Sweetener: I recommend an erythritol-based sweetener for the crust, to allow it to firm up properly. For the frosting, you want a powdered sweetener. See the Expert Tips for more details.
- Coconut flour: A little coconut flour helps firm up the shortbread without adding too many carbs.
- Butter: This recipe will turn out best with real butter. But you could use some butter alternatives if you need to be dairy-free.
- Sugar free jam: I used the ChocZero raspberry jam as I much prefer it over strawberry. But you are free to use any flavor. You can also use the filling from my Keto Thumbprint Cookies if you prefer to make your own.
- Whipping cream: You can sub coconut milk or even almond milk if you need to be dairy free.
- Keto sprinkles: I used Good Dee’s sugar free sprinkles for the recipe.
- Pantry staples: Salt and vanilla extract
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until the dough begins to clump together.
2. Bake the bottom crust: Press a little over half of the dough into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
3. Add the jam: Spread the jam over the cooled crust, then take the remaining crust mixture and sprinkle it over to cover all of the jam. Press lightly with your hands to even out the top crust.
4. Bake the bars: Bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely, then refrigerate 1 hour to firm up.
5. Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sweetener with 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Add more cream or water as needed to thin out the glaze
6. Frost and decorate: Spread over the chilled bars and sprinkle with the keto sprinkles. Return to the fridge for 30 minutes or so to set the glaze. Remove by the edges of the parchment and cut into 16 bars.
Expert Tips
For the shortbread, I really can’t recommend anything but the almond flour with a touch of coconut flour. It give these bars just the right consistency, and I use the same ratio in my Keto Salted Caramel Butter Bars.
Any other nut flours or meals will be too coarse and not have quite the right flavor. You are, of course, welcome to experiment!
You do need to refrigerate these bars to allow the crust to firm up properly.
Jam Options: I know not everyone can get ChocZero Jam so you do have a few other options to make these tarts. There are other decent keto-friendly jams such as Chia Smash and Good Good. But you can also make Chia Seed Jam really easily and it works just as well! And the filling from my raspberry keto thumbprints is another great option.
Sweetener Options: You really need an erythritol based sweetener for the shortbread crust. That means that the new formula of Swerve, which contains some allulose, is not the best option here. You can use the new Swerve Monk Fruit, or another sweetener like Lakanto.
The glaze needs a powdered sweetener to set properly and not be gritty. I used Swerve Confectioners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pop Tarts pastries are very high in carbs and sugar and are not considered keto-friendly. I do not recommend them for any sort of keto or low carb diet. However, these Keto Pop Tart Bars have very few carbs and are a delicious alternative.
Classic Pop-Tarts have about 68g of carbs per serving! But these Pop Tart Bars have 7.7g of carbs and 6.2g of fiber. So they have only 2.5g net carbs per bar.
To keep them firm, I recommend storing the bars in a covered container in the fridge. They are tasty both chilled and at room temperature. They can also be frozen for several months.
Keto Pop Tart Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup erythritol sweetener (see expert tips for more options)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar free raspberry jam (can swap other flavors)
- ⅔ cup Swerve Confectioners
- 2 to 3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon keto sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper with overhanging edges.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until the dough begins to clump together.
- Press a little over half of the dough into the prepared baking pan and bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
- Spread the jam over the cooled crust, then take the remaining crust mixture and sprinkle it over to cover all of the jam. Press lightly with your hands to even out the top crust.
- Bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely, then refrigerate 1 hour to firm up.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sweetener with 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Add more cream or water as needed to thin out the glaze.
- Spread over the chilled bars and sprinkle with the keto sprinkles. Return to the fridge for 30 minutes or so to set the glaze. Remove by the edges of the parchment and cut into 16 bars.
Kathy Pawlik says
these were so delicious thank you for sharing