Keto candied pecans make for a great low carb snack and they can be used in all kinds of recipes. These sugar free nuts can also be packaged in a cute container and make a nice gift for those watching their sugar or carbs this holiday season. Best of all they only take 15 minutes to make and have only 2g net carbs per serving.
You might also like this low carb maple bacon roasted nuts recipe.
My father loved nuts. He would keep them in the refrigerator and grab a handful while walking out the door. Back then I didn’t particularly like them but as an adult I love them.
Nuts are good for you in moderation and perfect for those on a low carb diet. So for the holidays I decided to make a big batch of these keto candied pecans. They are great to snack on but you can also use them in many dishes like salads or anything pumpkin and I have listed a few ideas below.
And if you are looking for an easy holiday gift you can add to a decorative jar or bowl and make it into a nice hostess gift. I love to serve them at holiday parties with drinks.
This Candied Pecan Recipe Uses Only 3 Ingredients, Takes 15 Minutes And Has 2g Net Carbs Per Serving.
Why I love pecans on a low carb diet.
Over the years I have come to love pecans for keto or low carb dieting. They are high in antioxidants, low in carbs and taste great in recipes. Here is a great article on the 10 health benefits of pecans if you are interested. Just 1 cup of raw pecans have 190 calories and 1g net carbs. When toasted or roasted they make a great substitute for pretzels.
I’ve used pecans for the pretzel crust in my strawberry jello dessert and even made honey mustard roasted pecans that taste a lot like pretzels. So when you are craving pretzels, play around with pecans as a low carb substitute.
You only need 3 simple ingredients to make these keto candied pecans!
The 3 low carb ingredients are fresh pecans, butter and brown sugar sweetener. I also used a dash salt to bring out the sweetness a bit more.
Raw Whole Pecans
Make sure to use raw whole pecans not roasted ones or just pecan pieces. Actually they are pecan halves but you know what I mean. You can also try this recipe with other nuts like raw walnuts, almonds, macadamias, cashews, hazelnuts or a combination of them all.
Swerve Brown Sugar Sweetener
I think the brown sugar flavor of this sweetener really is better than plain granulated sugar sweetener. I love the Swerve brand but Lakanto Golden is another I like. If you don’t have any brown sweetener you can use regular low carb sweetener but it’s better with the brown.
If you don’t care about carbs you can use regular brown sugar or even white sugar.
Butter
I also buy salted butter but you can use unsalted butter as well. I add a bit more salt to the dish so it doesn’t really matter. You can also try coconut oil but watch the timing of the roasting. Coconut will get hotter than butter and you don’t want your nuts to burn.
Other things to try with this recipe are spices like ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or even hot pepper flakes, black pepper or cayenne pepper for a spicy snack.
How to make these sugar free candied nuts in 15 minutes.
I made these roasted pecans in a skillet instead of baking in the oven. I feel like it was much quicker and easier on the stove than in the oven. If you decide to make a double batch, they freeze well.
Step 1: Cover a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. Heat up a large non stick skillet to medium heat. Add butter and Swerve brown sugar and whisk until it’s well mixed like the photo below.
Step 2: Add in the raw pecans to the brown sugar mixture and mix to coat the nuts as best you can. Turn the heat down to medium low heat. The nuts will look nice and glossy. Sprinkle some salt over the nuts.
Step 3: Keep cooking them over a medium low temperature and continue to mix until they start to brown and you can smell them roasting. All in all this whole process should only take 15 minutes.
Step 4: When they are done, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet to dry. Let the pecans cool completely dry before eating.
Store in an air-tight container. I like to store them in a baggie in the freezer to have on hand but they will last for about 2 weeks if you leave them in a sealed container.
Note you can easily make these with walnut halves instead. They would just the same. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
They make a delicious low carb or keto gift for the holidays.
These sugar free candied nuts would make an easy gift to give this holiday season. Just place them in a decorative bag or mason jar. You can also buy a small holiday bowl and add the nuts for a hostess gift. These are great for people on a low carb diet or those who watch their sugar intake.
Other ways you can eat this candied pecans.
I’ve been eating these candied pecans for a snack to satisfy my sweet tooth or even for dessert but along the way I’ve found other uses.
Use them in a salad. I have a Christmas salad that used these nuts as salad toppings. The nutty flavor goes great with fruit such as sliced pears, apples or even blueberries. Also this combination goes great with cheeses like blue cheese, goat cheese, Asiago cheese etc.
Use them to top a keto dessert. My keto slow cooker pumpkin dessert is just a plain cake but you add whipped cream and these candied nuts and it takes it to the next level. They would also be great on pumpkin pie or on top of ice cream.
Use them on your charcuterie or cheese board. These always go great with cheeses, meats, olives, pickled veggies, etc.
Other ideas are to use them in quick breads, in rice pilafs, trail mix, pancakes, waffles, etc. You can even use them with winter vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc.
Other low carb nut recipes to try.
All of the below are delicious recipes that are also low carb.
- maple bacon nut mix
- Thai curry nut mix in the slow cooker
- honey mustard roasted pecans
- chocolate covered peanut butter filled pecans
Well I hope you give these keto candied pecans a try next time you want a low carb sweet treat or if you need a holiday gift to give. I love that you can make them in a skillet and not the oven and that they only take 15 minutes. Enjoy!
The nutritional information for 1 serving is: 236 cals / 24g fat / 4g carbs / 2g fiber / 3g protein = 2g net carbs
Sugar Free Keto Candied Pecans in 15 minutes
Keto candied pecans make for a great low carb snack and they can be used in all kinds of recipes. These sugar free nuts can also be packaged in a cute container and make a nice gift for those watching their sugar or carbs this holiday season. Best of all they only take 15 minutes to make and have only 2g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pecans halves
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup Swerve brown sugar
- salt to season
Instructions
- Heat up a large nonstick skillet to medium heat. Add the butter, brown sugar sweetener and mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Once the sauce comes together turn down the heat to medium low and add the pecans. Mix to coat all of the nuts then sprinkle some salt on top.
- Continue to cook until the nuts start to brown and you can smell the nuts roasting. You should continue to mix them every few minutes to make sure they don't burn. The whole process should only take 15 minutes.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and spread out the nuts in an single layer to air dry.
- When nuts are fully dried, store in an airtight container or jar.
Notes
The nutrtional information for 1 serving is:
236 cals / 24g fat / 4g carbs / 2g fiber / 3g protein = 2g net carbs
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 236 Serving Size: ¼ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 24ggCarbohydrates: 4ggNet Carbohydrates: 2ggFiber: 2ggProtein: 3gg
Nancy M says
Perfect! and just as easy as you said. I think it would be easy to add more nuts and still have sinfully sweet and crunchy pecans. I have about 8 pounds of pandemic pecans in my freezer, which are, now, not going to last as long as expected.
Thank you, Denise. I love your website.
P.S. Your Mini Cheesy Scalloped Turnips are the best thing to ever happen to a turnip, and the low carb community. Who needs potatoes?!
Denise says
Hi Nancy,
So glad you liked the pecans! I have lots of pecan recipes you might like if you have so many to play around with.
https://mylifecookbook.com/?s=pecans
To me they tasty like pretzels when you roast them so I often use them as a substitute like for strawberry pretzel salad for example.
As for the turnips my husband just finally tried this spaghetti casserole dish (with turnip noodles) and he could not say enough about turnips too!
I know I was pleasantly surprised to learn about them as well.
Thank you for all the kind comments. I really appreciate it!
Candice says
Be careful if you make these because you will devour them all in one sitting… they’re that good! I couldn’t stop snacking on them, and will absolutely be making these again.
Veronika Sykorova says
I love candied nuts, these look so delicious! Erythritol is one of my favorite finds, I love using it
Jo says
Candied pecans are must have snacks in our home. Gotta love this keto version, I can’t give it a try for my next batch. It looks so tempting.
Aline says
These were so tasty I’m adding them to my holiday treats box this year!! Thank you!
Debbie says
I made these keto candied pecans today for my salads for next week. One problem, I may not have any left for my salads!! I could not stop eating these simple yet delicious pecans . Great Low car/low sugar pecans !!
Heidy says
These Keto candied pecans made an excellent gift for some of my co-workers following a keto plan. They requested that I make a few batches for their friends. The recipe was outstanding, and I will make them a few batches to give to their friends.
Jenny says
The most amazing snack! I love these pecans now and I can’t stop making them. So easy, quick and delicious. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Melanie Cagle says
Delicious recipe, I was skeptical because I have a sweet tooth. I am a believer now though, these pecans are a huge hit in my home!!
Chef Dennis says
Sweet! This Keto candied pecans looks really yummy and flavorful. My wife will surely love this.
Colleen says
These candied pecans are so simple but so delicious! Perfect for gift giving and I love them in my salads.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Thank you so much for sharing this! I make candied pecans all the time but needed a keto version for friends. This was such a HUGE hit! Thank you so much for sharing!
Jo says
I made candies walnuts recently and totally loved it. Pecans are great alternative and I need to try your keto version very soon. Looks perfect
Amy Dong says
Whenever I make cinna-sugared pecans, they’re gone quickly! You’re right…they’re super easy and perfect for gifts. Even great chopped up into salads, desserts, etc. So good!
Jamie says
This is such a great gift idea for the holiday season for anyone watching their carbs! I love how quickly these come together too!
Amanda says
These turned out so well! Love this recipe!
Kathryn says
I love candied pecans but have never tried making them with a sugar replacement. Pinning this one for later!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch says
It is so difficult to stick to keto over the holidays with so many temptations! These pecans are just perfect to fill my cravings, yum!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Candied pecans are a holiday must! We can’t keep them on hand long as they are quickly gobbled up! Loving that you made these keto friendly too!
Nicole says
I love Swerve! It is such a great sugar replacement
Shelley says
These look so good – crunchy and sweet – just perfect for the holidays! And I love that you offered great suggestions for recipes that use these. I can totally see how they’d be terrific with anything pumpkin – wonderful suggestion, especially this time of year!
Kushigalu says
One of my favorite way to eat pecans. Love them. Simple and delicious.