Keto Pecan Pie
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My keto pecan pie recipe has it all: A flaky, buttery crust topped with a gooey filling and crunchy pecans. It’s easy and only 3 grams of net carbs!
Holiday season means pie season in my house, and as much as I love the classic, I’m not about to let keto stop me and my keto friends from enjoying them. That’s how this sugar-free pecan pie was born.
I tested it multiple times with different sweeteners, thickeners, and crust variations until I landed on a version that does the original justice: one that is buttery, gooey, and tastes like the real thing.
Having learned custard pies in culinary school, I leaned on those techniques to prevent broken crusts and a perfectly set filling every time. At home, I’ve served this to both keto and non-keto family, and no one ever guessed it wasn’t the traditional pie!
Table of Contents
Why you should make my keto pecan pie
- Easy to make. Whether you’ve made hundreds of pies or never touched a pie pan in your LIFE, I guarantee you’ll have no trouble with this recipe.
- Perfect texture and flavor. The crust is buttery and tender, and the filling is thick yet soft. The pie is sweet, rich, and loaded with pecans!
- Make it in advance. Because of the combination of ingredients, I like to prep this pie up to two weeks in advance and simply reheat it before serving.
- NO corn syrup. Too many pecan pies call for corn syrup to replicate the gooey filling. Not only is corn syrup not keto-friendly, but it’s not necessary.
What readers are saying
★★★★★ – “This was fantastic, family, and I heavily enjoyed it!” – Kronoszz
★★★★★ – “I made this for Thanksgiving and no one could tell that it was low in carbs.” – Miranda
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Low-carb pie crust. I made my keto pie crust because I’m not a fan of the low-carb crusts on the market, but if you have a crust you like, go ahead and use it. Blind bake if needed.
- Granulated sweetener. My crust has no sweetness, so I added some keto brown sugar to it. Allulose will also work.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
For the keto pecan pie filling:
- Pecans. Use raw and unsalted pecans. While whole pecans may look more aesthetically pleasing, pecan halves are best for the filling as they will be more evenly distributed in the pie.
- Unsalted butter. Softened to room temperature.
- Sweetener. Again, I prefer allulose or my brown sugar substitute.
- Arrowroot flour. To thicken the filling. You can also use almond flour.
- Eggs. Use room temperature eggs so the filling is smooth.
- Sugar-free maple syrup. I like to use my keto maple syrup, but any keto maple syrup will do.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good pie filling.
How to make low carb pecan pie
Step 1- Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Prepare the pie crust, adding the brown sugar sweetener and vanilla.
Step 2- Blind bake. Freeze the crust for 20 minutes, then cover it with parchment paper. Fill with dry beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans and paper.
Step 3- Add the filling. Spread the pecans over the warm crust. Whisk together the butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs, and maple syrup. Pour the mixture evenly over the pecans.
Step 4- Bake. Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes. After 20 minutes, add aluminum foil to cover the pie.
Step 5- Cool, slice, serve. Remove the pie from the oven. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make sure to cover the crust with foil. Even if the crust doesn’t look like it’s browning, you’ll want to cover it anyway. Since it was blind-baked beforehand, you’ll risk it burning. I tested uncovered pies and the crust started to burn around the 35 minute mark.
- Don’t overbake the pie. Since it’ll continue to cook as it cools, pull it from the oven when the filling is slightly firm, with a slight jiggle in the center. In my kitchen, 42 minutes was the sweet spot. Longer, and the filling cracked.
- Let it cool completely before slicing. Otherwise, the center won’t set, and you’ll have a gooey mess on your hands.
- Serve it with a scoop of keto ice cream and a drizzle of keto caramel sauce or keto whipped cream for a more decadent treat.
Storage and make ahead tips
To store: Store the pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying it.
To freeze: Wrap leftover pie slices in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to six months.
To make ahead: Prepare the pie crust and blind-bake it. Let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Add the filling to the pie crust three hours before serving and bake as directed. Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Runny filling usually means it wasn’t baked long enough or cooled fully. In one of my tests, using cold eggs or skipping arrowroot also caused the custard not to set. Always bake until the center moves a little, then cool completely.
I tested allulose, keto brown sugar, and monk fruit sweetener. Allulose and keto brown sugar gave the creamiest, gooey filling without graininess. Monk fruit worked, but was slightly more crystallized after chilling.
Yes! I tested coconut oil instead of butter and coconut cream (full-fat) instead of heavy cream. The texture was slightly softer, but still delicious and rich.
Yes. I did a few trial runs without this step, and the crust went soggy under the filling (and won’t cut clean slices). A 15-minute blind bake keeps the bottom crisp and buttery.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Since this pecan pie has been developed to be low carb and includes dietary information, the nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
BEST Keto Pecan Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 1 recipe keto pie crust
- 1/4 cup brown sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling
- 2 1/2 cups pecans halved
- 5 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup brown sugar substitute packed
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour or almond flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup keto maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Prepare the pie crust as directed, with the addition of the brown sugar substitute and vanilla extract.
- Freeze the crust for 20 minutes, before covering it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with dry beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans and aluminum foil.
- Spread the pecans over the warm crust. Whisk the melted butter, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, eggs, and maple syrup until combined. Pour evenly over the pecans.
- Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes. After 20 minutes, add some aluminium tin foil to cover the pie to ensure it does not burn.
- Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle sea salt on top. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice and serve.
Notes
- Pie crust: You can also use a pre-bought keto pie crust. Whole Foods and Erewhon both sell them.
- Sugar substitute: Allulose or keto brown sugar for the best results.
- Leftovers: Keep in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for 6 months.
Nutrition
More festive keto desserts
- Keto pecan pie bars
- Keto Boston cream pie
- Keto German chocolate cake
- Keto pumpkin pie
- Keto apple pie
- Keto cherry pie
Originally published November 2021
I still canot find brown sugar substitute. Can I use agava syrup?
I just need fo find brown sugar substitute. I want to make this for keto friend.
Swerve brown sugar is at Walmart
You can count on me to ruin a healthy diet!
I’ll have to try the liqueur. Hubby loves pecan pie but only managed to choke down half a slice and the rest went in the trash.
This was the first pie I’ve ever made. Pretty good, but kinda dry compared to the Karo syrup pecan pies I grew up with.
I’m going to try it again, but add some cinnamon & shorten the baking time a little bit to see what that does. Have you tried it with cinnamon?
Probably not Keto friendly, but I poured a small amount of Praline Pecan flavored liqueur on it and gave it a flavor boost and helped with the dryness.
I love to make chocolate pecan pie. Would this recipe work if you added a cup of Lily’s Dark Chocolate chips to it?
I haven’t tried but you can try and see!
This was fantastic, family and i heavily enjoyed it!
It does look like we bake the crust twice before filling it. But I’m guessing that it just wasn’t worded well. I think the instructions following blind bake are telling us how to blind bake the crust. But hopefully Arman will answer.
Hi Kim- Apologies for the confusion it has been amended 🙂
So we bake the crust two times before adding the filling?
To clarify-yiunoir the filling OVER the pecans? The photo shows the pecans on top.
The syrup brings them up to the top once they back.
don’t know what happened to my comment above…the W somehow appeared in between rise.
The beans are used just to weigh down the pastry,so it doesn’t riWse.Use whatever raw beans you have. I use ceramic pie weights
In the recipe it says that we use beans is that correct or a typo? If it’s true what kind of beans do we use?
Thanks