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.)
Print
Sugar Free Candied Pecans
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 19 reviews
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.
The pecans only take a few minutes to cook. If you walk away or don't stir constantly they could burn. The nuts will be sticky at first before they cool. If the glazed pecans remain sticky after cooling, transfer the baking sheet to a 325ºF oven for 5-15 minutes, or until they harden.
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.
Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.
Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.
Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together.Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.
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.
Those with a tree nut allergy should not consume pecans or other tree nuts. Pecans are also high in calories and could contribute to weight gain if consumed in high amounts.
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.
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.
What is the difference between candied pecans and pralines? Candied pecans are pecans coated in egg whites, sugar, and spices, then baked until crispy.Pralines are a drop-candy with a caramel-like base and crunchy pecans mixed in.
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.
Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.
Drain, Rinse, and Roast - After soaking your pecan nuts for about 8 hours, it's time to drain and rinse them. Once you're done with that, spread them over a baking sheet or dehydrator evenly to get them ready for roasting.
Why are my caramelized nuts sticky? Candied nuts made with sugar remain sticky if you haven't cooked them long enough. If you are using a sugar-free sweetener, you may need to leave the nuts out to dry for a few hours until they fully harden.
If your candied pecans are sticky, it is likely because the sugar syrup coating has not completely hardened. The syrup may still be wet, or it may have started to crystalize. If the syrup is still wet, you can try putting the nuts in the oven for a few minutes to help the syrup harden.
If the filling is flowing in a wavy movement from the center to the edge, your pie isn't set quite yet. Wait for the moment when the center of your pecan pie gives you just a little jiggle, like the stable but slightly wiggly movement of Jell-O when you give it a gentle shake.
Scab infections of the shucks may also produce “stick tights,” a condition in which the shuck does not separate from the nut during harvest. Symptoms of powdery mildew are most obvious when the nuts become covered with a white, fuzzy growth on the surface (Figure 3).
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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