These Sugar Free Candied Pecans are the perfect keto friendly snack for those of us with a sweet tooth but trying to cut down on the sugar!
Easy Low Carb Sweet Treats
I try to keep my net carb countandsugar levels below a certain amount each day. (My goal is net carbs of 45, fyi.) I eat lots of veggies and I do like my fruit/protein smoothies on occasion.
While these items are super healthy, they do have carbs and natural sugars, so that means I don’t have a lot of room for added sugars. (I do occasionally indulge, but I try to keep that to a minimum, lol.)
To stay on track when everyone else is enjoying their carb-loaded desserts and treats, I reach for my stash of sugar-free goodies or I might whip up a batch of sugar-free ice cream. (That ice cream <and this ice cream maker> is a lifesaver, lol. At some point, I’ll share my sugar-free ice cream version with you. The recipe needs to be fine-tuned just a bit. It’s made with eggs, lite coconut milk, almond milk, and a few other ingredients. Sometimes it turns out perfectly, other times it’s kind of icy- probably because I just eyeball my ingredients instead of precise measurements, lol).
Sugar-Free Candied Pecans
Today, I want to share one of my favorite treats with you. I love nuts and always have them on hand for snacking, but these candied pecans are amazing as a special sugar-free sweet treat.
I’ve been making them quite often and hubby and I just can’t get enough! (Tomorrow, I’m sharing a non-sugar-free version of these in a buttered pecan ice cream recipe. Be sure to check back for that recipe- it’s unbelievably good and your non-sugar-free family and friends will love it!!)
To make these candied pecans sugar free, I use Swerve. (Swerve is asugar substitutethat is a mix of erythritol and oligosaccharides. This combination works well in baking and will also caramelize.) I don’t know if other sugar substitutes will caramelize, as Swerveis the only one I’ve tried in this recipe.
Ingredients in this Sugar-Free Candied Pecans Recipe
Want to give these Sugar Free Candied Pecans a shot? Here are the ingredients needed:
(Scroll down to find the Printable recipe card at the bottom of the post)
Melt butter in large panover med-high heat.
Add swerve and a pinch of salt, stir with a spatula until completely dissolved.
Add pecans, reduce heat to medium and gently stir/toss pecans until toasted and butter/sugar mixture thickens just a bit. (about 5 minutes.)
If you like cinnamon, try adding a dash of cinnamon.
Watch pecans closely they go from being done to burned, very fast.
Transfer pecans to a plate or parchment paper and let cool.
Break up pecans and store in an airtight container in the fridge
Want a few more tried and true low carb recipes? See all the low carb recipes I have shared here: Low Carb Recipes
I know everyone has their own opinion on sugar substitutes, but what do you think- is this something you would try? (FYI, by reducing our sugar/carb intake- I lost 35 lbs and hubby lost 50+ 2 years ago and have managed to keep it off by staying on a mostly low carb way of eating.)
Add pecans, reduce heat to medium and gently stir/toss pecans until toasted. (about 5 minutes.)
Watch pecans closely they go from being done to burned, very fast.
Transfer pecans to a plate and let cool.
Break up pecans and store in an airtight container in the fridge
Enjoy!
Notes
For a yummy alternative, try adding 1/4 tspof cinnamon or a smidge of vanilla!
Nutrition
Serving Size:1/4th of recipe
Calories:266
Fat:29
Carbohydrates:4
Fiber:3
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About the AuthorJamie Sanders is a wife and mom of 2, located in the heart of Texas. She founded Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom in 2011 as a place to share creative ideas and family friendly recipes. Her work has been featured on Martha Stewart, Woman’s World, HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, CNET, Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, Oprah Daily, and Redbook, plus many other publications. To date, she had given away just under a million free pdf sewing patterns.
Since nuts are low on the glycemic index, pecans can slow the body's absorption of carbohydrates down, which ultimately leads to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels; just ensure you're using unsalted, dry-roasted pecans and not candied pecans that can be high in sugar and added fat.
Why are my candied pecans soft and sticky? If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.
When it comes to pecans, they're one of the best nuts that are good for a ketogenic diet. Pecan nuts are very low in carbs and high in fats. An ounce of pecans( about 19 halves) has approximately 1g of net carbs, 4g of total carbs, 20g fats with about 196 calories.
Pecans have a very low glycemic index, which means that eating them does not cause a spike in blood sugar, even in people with diabetes. Eating pecans can even offset the effects of higher glycemic index foods when eaten as part of the same meal.
A one-ounce serving of pecans (about 19 pecan halves) contains about 3g of fiber, which can help slow sugar absorption into your bloodstream. This can help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, which are common in people with diabetes.
If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.
How to Fix Sticky Candied Nuts. Transfer parchment-lined baking sheet to 325ºF oven (do not put wax paper in the oven) and bake for 5-15 minutes, or until they are less sticky.
Why are pecans bad for dogs? These nuts are toxic for dogs. Eating them can result in pets becoming sick and needing immediate veterinary care. “The reason pecans are considered toxic is that they contain a compound called juglone, also found in walnuts, that is harmful to dogs,” advises Dr.
Pecans by themselves, or when made into the tastiest pecan candy treats feeds our healthy skin, acts as a stress reducer, and is an anti-aging tool with all of its vitamins and minerals.
Both pecans and walnuts are energy-dense foods, and so they both contain quite a lot of calories - but which is more calorific? A one-ounce serving of walnuts contains 185 calories, whereas the same size serving of pecans contains 196. With just nine calories in it, pecans come out as the more calorific nut.
While nuts are overall great to include on a keto diet, it's important to limit your portions to a serving or two (1–2 oz.) per day. For reference, one ounce of nuts is about the size of a small handful.
The carb counts of different nuts vary quite a bit, though. The three lowest carb options are to the left – Brazil, macadamia and pecan nuts. These should be the first choices for nuts when following a low carb diet as they are low in carbs, high in fat, and most people find them delicious!
Brazil, macadamia, and pecan nuts are all good keto options. These varieties are low in carbs and high in fiber. Fiber passes through the digestive system relatively untouched, so your body doesn't use the glucose from those carbs. That's why many people on a keto diet go by net carbs.
Avoid nuts covered with sugar or chocolate. However, there are candied nuts you can make yourself using recipes on Diabetes Food Hub®. Or, you can buy pre-packaged snacks, like keto candied nuts, that are a sugar-free sweet treat—but you'll still need to keep track of portions.
This crunchy snack of glazed pecans is great for topping ice cream, garnishing a salad, or nibbling all on their own. They'd even make a great gift or game day appetizer. Nuts are high on the list of healthy snacks with great levels of fiber, protein and unsaturated fats.
The most important nuts for people with diabetes are probably the ones that improve cardiovascular health: almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, namely. If you only incorporate a few nuts into your diet, choose these ones. But be sure to avoid the salted varieties.
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