Keto Candy
For all those times you crave sweets on a keto diet, this homemade keto candy is a winner! Made with just 3 ingredients, we’ve also included a handy guide to the 25 BEST keto approved candy available- gummies, hard candy, chocolate and more. 2 grams net carbs per serving.
Candy should be something anyone on any kind of diet be able to enjoy occasionally.
As most of us know, candy is made up of sugar (and a little bit of fat) and is NOT keto friendly. However, making your own is SO easy to do, and tastes just as good as any candy out there.
Why you’ll love this keto candy recipe
- 3 ingredients. Butter, heavy cream, and a keto approved sweetener and Voila- instant candy!
- Ready in 5 minutes. This is the ultimate sweet tooth hack that takes no time at all. In fact, you can make a batch before dinner and have dessert sorted for afterwards!
- Just 1 gram net carbs per serving. You can literally go to town on this candy and not be worried about kicking yourself out of ketosis!
No sugar and no grains are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is hard on the outside but slowly melts in your mouth, like any good hard candy. It’s sweet and buttery, and easy to customize with your favorite nuts or a layer of chocolate.
How to make keto candy
The Ingredients.
- Butter- Use salted butter, but if you don’t, add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Heavy cream- Bring your cream to room temperature, so it doesn’t scorch the pan.
- Granulated sweetener of choice- I used allulose, but a brown sugar substitute works.
- Vanilla extract- Optional, but gives a light vanilla flavor.
The Instructions.
Start by adding your butter into a small saucepan and melt it on medium heat. Once melted, add the heavy cream and sweetener.
Next, bring to a gentle boil and stir continuously, until it bubbles and turns golden brown. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature and once it reaches 290F, remove the pan from the heat.
Now, transfer the candy into an 8 x 8-inch pan lined with foil. Refrigerate until firm, before breaking apart into pieces.
Tips for success
- I recommend investing in a candy thermometer, as it is the best judge of when your candy is ready.
- Allulose is my preferred keto sweetener, as it dissolves just like sugar does, without crystallizing. The other keto sweeteners will work fine, although may be prone to being a little grainy once set.
- Fold through your favorite chopped nuts into it, before letting it set.
Storage instructions
- To store: Candy should be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. It will keep fresh for up to 1 month. If you prefer a softer candy, keep it at room temperature in an airtight container.
- To freeze: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What kind of candy can you have on keto?
For anyone with a sweet tooth, knowing which candy is suitable for a low carb diet is imperative.
Unfortunately, the market is saturated with tons of candy options that boast being sugar free. However, the number of hidden carbs is atrocious. Most times, these candies have just as much carbs as traditional, full-sugar candy.
While homemade candy is easy, cost-effective, and delicious, here are 6 of the BEST keto friendly candy brands with over 25 options that you can find online and in grocery stores.
Project 7 sour candy
Coming in classic childhood flavors such a sour apple rings, sour fruit gummies, and sour worms, Project 7’s gummies are also plant based and low calorie, with just 60 calories per bag.
Net carbs per serving: 6 grams.
Project 7 sweet candy
If you aren’t a fan of sour candy, Project 7 also has a sweet range. These include gummy bears, licorice twists, gummy guppies, and lollipops. Their net carbs are slightly lower, and you can trial out each one in their popular variety packs.
Net carbs per serving: 4-5 grams (depending on which one).
Kiss my keto gummies
You may have heard of the guys from Kiss My Keto through their popular snack bar range. They’ve recently come out with some gummy candy. They come in four flavors- watermelon slices, fish friends, gummy bears, and tropical rings. Each bag is also super low in calories, at 40 calories a pop.
Net carbs per serving: 2 grams.
Stevita hard candy
With flavors such as grape, orange, cherry, and strawberry, Stevita’s keto candy range is perfect for those who love fruit-flavored hard candy (where are my jolly rancher fans?!). Each candy is naturally sweetened, yet contain NO added sugar.
Net carbs per serving: Less than 1 gram.
GO BETTER chocolate peanut butter cups
Who doesn’t love a good Reese’s peanut butter cup? If you don’t want to make a homemade version, the next best thing are these GO BETTER chocolate peanut butter cups.
Net carbs per serving: 2 grams.
Smart Sweets
Higher in carbs than other keto candy out there, Smart Sweets have a handful of keto friendly options. These include Swedish fish and gummy worms.
Net carbs per serving: 9- 12 grams.
More keto candy recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
Not all sugar free candy is low in carbs. Twizzlers, Werther’s Original, and Jelly Belly all have a sugar free range. However, their carbs are almost on par with their full-sugar counterpart. Unless the net carbs are listed (and they are low), assume that sugar free candy is full of carbs.
Either Kiss My Keto gummies or Kevita hard candy are the lowest carb candy. They both have fewer than 3 grams net carbs per serving.
None of the Hershey’s ‘Zero Sugar’ range is suitable for a keto diet. This includes their peppermint patties, candy bars, and jolly ranchers.
Keto Candy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice I used allulose * See notes
- 2/3 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Line and grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with tin foil and set aside.
- In a deep pot or saucepan, add your butter and melt it over low heat. Once it has melted, add the sweetener, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, if using it, and bring it to a simmer. Once it begins to simmer, stir it regularly until it begins to bubble. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature and once it hits 145C/290F, remove it from the heat.
- Transfer the candy into the lined pan and refrigerate until firm. Once firm, break apart into pieces.
I want to make this for tomorrow, but can’t find allulose anywhere locally. Do you think using Truvia Cane Sugar Blend or Truvia Brown Sugar Blend would work and would it still be grainy? I’m thinking the brown sugar blend would add a richness to the candy? Hmmm…such a dilemma. LOL
Hahaha I love keto brown sugar! Unfortunately, it does have a risk to be a little grainy, but it’s still doable.
Hi,
Thank you! I’m going to try it today! I have Splenda (i know!) will it work and is it the same amount?
I’ve never tried it with splenda, feel free to experiment and see!
This looks amazing and so easy! Does it taste like caramel? Can you use margarine? Thank you for these superb recipes, they’re ingenious!
Yes it does! I haven’t tried margarine, I’d stick to butter.
What’s Keto about this? Butter and heavy cream? Not Keto my frien, unless dairy falls from the sky!
Well okay then…. someone needs to learn what a keto diet is.
How to judge if you have no candy thermometer?
I don’t recommend not using one, it can go from undercooked to burned very fast.
Keto is low carb… Typically higher fat and protein… Vegan is no animal products… Butter and heavy cream are keto friendly.
Hi, I did it today I used sucralose, bu when it was becoming golden brown, the butter separeted from The candy. But it was very tastefull.
Hi Maria, try whisking it very well just before transferring it into the loaf pan.
Arman…I ended up finding allulose brown sugar and made a batch last night. OMGoodness…it is awesome. Although…I stopped the temp at 260 because it was taking forever to reach 290 and I was getting impatient LOL. The texture is smooth, creamy and the taste is uber dreamy. Thank you for a great idea for a sweet Valentine treat. Have an awesome day!
Happy Valentine’s day 🙂
Butter and double cream are like standard staples of a keto diet…..ever heard of bulletproof coffee?
Looks amazing going to try soon! Is it hard and crunchy or soft like fudge?
It is pretty hard, but if you undercook it, it will be fudgy 🙂
Thank you for this recipe!❤️
Mine turned out to have all the butter on top— does that mean I didn’t get to boil it long enough? I just ordered my candy thermometer so hopefully I’ll get it right the 2nd time around 😅
Yes please order the candy thermometer- It makes a huge difference!
Does any one here have a issues with these sugar substitutes causing digestive disturbance ? I can’t tolerate them and i know im not the only one…
Hi Richard- Try erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, and allulose and see which one doesn’t cause disturbances.
Hi! I did it! 2x. Lol. 1st time -I didnt have a candy thermometer and but it in freezer overnight. Didn’t freeze. So i put it back in pan and used the candy thermometer my husband pulled out of nowhere. It worked. This is incredible and if I can do it anyone can!!! Its the best! Thank you again!
This is delicious. So glad I found your recipe! Question for next time: do you put it directly in the fridge or do you let it cool a bit first? I had the same issue as someone above where my butter separated from the rest, still tastes great, but I’ll be sure to whisk it more next time.
Hi! You can- My fridge is so slow and I don’t bother until it has set slightly!
Yes, please continue to whisk well, to ensure it doesn’t separate.
Arman
This sounds great but what about using Ghee instead of butter?
Sorry, Tim- I haven’t tried!
More like toffee? Could you coat the bottom of the square pan with finely chopped pecans/nuts, pour in the candy & spread to edges, and then put maybe Lily’s chocolate chips on top to melt and spread over candy, before freezing? I’m dying for a Heath bar.