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These keto pecan pie bars feature a thick and buttery shortbread base with a gooey, crunchy pecan caramel topping. They’re pure decadence and only 2 grams of net carbs!
Ready for more keto dessert recipes? Try my keto ice cream bars, keto bark, and keto peanut butter bars next.
Come the holiday season, my family swarms the dessert table for keto pumpkin pie. Meanwhile, I patiently wait for my chance to snag some low carb pecan pie bars!
Inspired by my keto pecan pie, I wanted to make a more convenient bar version. The sweet caramel flavor, buttery shortbread crust, and crunchy pecans remain the same, as does the extremely low carb count.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect for sharing. Bars are smaller and easier to manage, meaning you can feed more hungry people with no added effort.
- Addictive texture. The gooey caramel, crunchy pecans, and flaky crust pair perfectly together.
- Easy to make in advance. These bars can be made up to three days in advance and still taste fresh!
- Diet-friendly. They’re naturally gluten free, egg free, and easy to make dairy free!
Ingredients needed
- Coconut flour. My preferred alternative flour for giving the crust a thick, crumbly, cakey texture. I tested this recipe with almond flour, and I strongly preferred the coconut version.
- Keto maple syrup. Provides sweetness and binds the shortbread base. I prefer to make my own, but store-bought also works.
- Coconut oil OR butter. This will bind the crust, give it a ‘buttery’ flavor, and be the base for the caramel sauce. Use refined coconut oil for zero coconut flavor.
- Pecans. I purchased whole pecans (which are cheaper) and roughly chop them myself.
- Granulated sweetener. I used Swerve brown sugar substitute, but you can also make my keto brown sugar or use a different brand.
- Vanilla extract. A must in baked goods!
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance the other ingredients.
How to make keto pecan pie bars
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the crust. Mix the flour, syrup, and coconut oil in a large bowl until crumbly but firm. Transfer to the lined baking pan and press into it. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
Step 3- Make the pecan topping. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the syrup, coconut oil, sweetener, vanilla, and salt. Stir until the sweetener dissolves. Once the mixture becomes bubbly, add the pecans and cook for one minute.
Step 4- Add the topping. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the caramel mixture on top. Spread into an even layer and bake for 5 minutes or until the topping bubbles.
Step 5- Cool, chill, and slice. Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for an hour, then slice into bars.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Try not to overbake the bars. If the pecan bars are overbaked, the caramel will become chewy, and the crust will be too crumbly. Only bake the bars for a few minutes until the caramel bubbles.
- Be patient. The bars will be pretty gooey when they come out of the oven, and they’ll need that hour in the fridge to firm up, so don’t skip that step!
- Use a sharp, slightly wet knife to cut the bars. I like to run my knife under hot water, quickly dry it, and then slice. You’ll have to repeat this between each slice, but you’ll get smooth, even cuts.
Storage instructions
To store: Place the leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Wrap the leftover bars in parchment paper, then place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to six months. Let the bars thaw in the fridge overnight.
More holiday keto desserts you’ll love
Keto Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 3 tablespoon keto maple syrup See post for substitutions
- 1/3 cup coconut oil can substitute it for butter
For the gooey pecan topping
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 5 tablespoon keto maple syrup
- 2/3 cup allulose
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your coconut flour, syrup and coconut oil (or butter) and mix well, until crumbly but firm. Transfer to the lined baking pan and press into it. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
- While the shortbread is baking, prepare your pecan topping.
- In a small saucepan, on medium heat, heat up the syrup, coconut oil, allulose, and salt. Once the granulated sweetener has become liquid and the mixture begins to bubble, add the pecans and continue cooking for one minute, before removing the from heat.
- Remove the shortbread from the oven and top with the pecan caramel mixture, and spread out to cover the entire shortbread. Bake for an extra 5 minutes, until the topping just begins to bubble- Do not overbake or it will dry out.
- Remove the pecan pie bars from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for an hour, to firm up. Slice into bars.
Great taste. VERY EASY to make. VERY QUICK to make also.
these were the best keto pecan pie bars recipe I’ve ever made!
Love to hear that!
These are great. A lot like pecan pie, but easier to eat.
My whole family loves them. I’ve even taken them to potluck dinners and they were a hit.
I see vanilla extract in the top list for the filling but not on the recipe itself.
1/2 teaspoon
Could you use Swerve brown sugar instead of regular Swerve?
I don’t see why not!
Wonderful! I am a diabetic and am so happy that I can eat something sweet. Thanks. A lot. Good job
Another fabulous recipe! My house smells like pecan pie! I love making your baked goods!
I am writing the recipe down and then I went and looked at the comments and saw that someone asked about how much vanilla and you gave an answer. I went back and checked there was no vanilla required for this recipe, am I missing something? Thanks
Yummy Yummy dude your awesome!! Love this recipe, so does my kids.. I have a horrible sweet tooth even on Keto and I love all your deserts.. Keep em comin!!
Amazing. Quite possibly my favorite keto dessert. I made it the third time in 8×10 pan and doubled everything. So good.
Can I use almond flour instead of coconut flour and if so, is it the same amount?
Nope! Won’t work.
These are OUTSTANDING. Thank you! Bought my keto maple syrup on Amazon just to make these. Loved by non keto people as well. THANK YOU.
I’m unable to get the ChocoZero brand where I live. Would you recommend Lakanto’s maple syrup for this recipe instead?
I don’t see why not 🙂
For the filling, as with the crust- can we substitute and use butter instead of coconut oil also?
I haven’t tried feel free to experiment and see!
Can you use sugar free syrup and splenda for the sweetener? And for clarity I can use butter, the same amount, instead of the coconut oil?
Butter is same amount. I haven’t tried sugar free syrup and splenda.
You ROCK!
How many servings in the recipe?
Updated in the recipe card!
I made these for a work pitch in, as I work with 3 on the Keto plan and 1 vegan. Even those of us that eat everything loved them!! They are now a requested item for our Christmas pitch in. Thanks for the great recipe. Oh and I’m also making them for my families Christmas eve celebration.
LOVE IT! Thanks so much for the feedback, Billie- Have a fantastic Christmas 🙂
Please provide amount of vanilla extract to use. Thank you
Hi it is 1/2 teaspoon 🙂
Hi Arman,
This page has not been updated with the new bake time of 5 minutes! So glad I saw the other comments and your replies about the baking time but your recipe above has not been corrected nor changed to show it as a recipe that has to be cooked.
They look delicious! I can’t wait to try!
Hi! Im so sorry it should be updated now!
Your recipe card says to bake the pecan mixture (after spread onto crust) for 5 mins., but earlier in the description you say 18-20 mins. Which is it? Can’t wait to try these on Thanksgiving! Thanks 🙂
Hi! It has been amended to show the correct time- 5 minutes, but do not overbake or it will dry out.
First the Black Border above picture of bars , says no bake. As you know you bake the crust then the complete recipe. I was leery when I saw that you only bake for 5 minutes. They turned out great. I love pecans. This was fairly easy to make and the taste is great.
Hi Pamela! So sorry about that, it has been edited, the automation included that for another recipe!
Not really “no bake”…. My bars turned out too dry. There wasn’t nearly enough moisture in the topping or it was all absorbed into the crust. Trying again this weekend.
Hi Ayo! Sorry that is a misprint, it will be amended. The pecan topping should only be baked in the oven with the shortbread for 5 minutes0 Othwerwise it will dry out 🙂
OMG, these pecan pie bars look wonderful! Everything looks so crisp, crumbly, and perfectly sweet and salty! Do you like Lakanto’s maple syrup for this recipe? You recommend ChocZero (haven’t tried it but it looks great!) for this one, so I’m not sure if Lakanto would work of if its properties aren’t suitable for the bars!
Can honey be substituted for granulated sweetener in the topping?
I haven’t tried it myself- Please let me know if you do try it with it 🙂
wow these look yummy!
these look amazing!