Keto Pecan Pie Bars
These keto pecan pie bars pair a tender, press-in almond flour shortbread crust with a gooey, egg-free maple pecan caramel topping. Ready in 55 minutes, they cool into neat, sliceable dessert squares.
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons Swerve confectioners (or sweetener of choice)
- 10 tablespoons cold butter (cut into cubes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar substitute (such as Surkin Gold or Swerve)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup substitute (such as Choc Zero or Rx Sugar)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups pecans (roughly chopped)
Instructions
Crust
- Set the oven to 350 °F and fit parchment into an 8 x 8-inch pan, leaving the edges above the sides. The overhang should remain accessible for lifting the finished bars.
- Distribute the confectioners sweetener through the almond flour in a stand mixer, then beat in the cold butter cubes and vanilla extract for about 3 or 4 minutes. The loose mixture should gather into a cohesive dough rather than remain dry and sandy.
- Compact the dough evenly across the lined pan and bake for 15 minutes. The surface should look set and lightly golden, giving the filling a firm foundation.
Filling
- During the crust bake, heat the filling butter, brown sugar substitute, and maple syrup substitute together in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Look for fully melted butter and a thick mixture with active, glossy bubbles.
- Incorporate the heavy cream, vanilla, and chopped pecans, cover the baked crust with the filling, and return the pan to the oven for 25 minutes. The caramel should coat the nuts throughout, and the topping will look bubbly as it bakes.
- Leave the baked slab in the pan until completely cool before cutting. The warm center will feel soft, but the caramel becomes more cohesive as it cools.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Use finely ground blanched almond flour rather than coarse almond meal for a tender shortbread crust, and choose baking-compatible brown sweetener and syrup substitutes so the caramel sets smoothly. Doneness: Do not overbake if the hot center still feels soft. Because the filling is egg-free, it gains its cohesive, sliceable structure as it cools completely rather than setting like a custard in the oven. Serving tip: Wait until the entire slab is completely cool before lifting it out by the parchment overhang, and wipe a sharp knife between cuts for clean edges. Storage: Once completely cooled, store the bars in a sealed container with parchment paper between layers and keep leftovers chilled. Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.