These keto candied pecans have the crispiest sugar free glaze! They are crunchy, crispy, buttery, sweet and salty at the same time. This easy recipe requires only 4 simple ingredients. It is a delicious snack and also great as an edible gift during the holiday season.
Glazed pecans and I go way back. I always used to get a bag when we went to the Christmas markets in Germany. Everything about them was wonderful: The crisp sugar shell, the warm, soft nut, the smell of browned sugar and the little paper cone they came in.
Last week, I published this keto peanut brittle, which was a great success. This made me think - how lovely would it be to make sugar free candied pecans!
The tricky bit was this: Sugar-free sweeteners do not behave the same way sugar does.
You see, the only sweetener that sets hard like sugar is erythritol. However, it recrystallises as it cools. This means you'll end up with a slightly gritty texture - not a smooth, crystal-clear glaze.
You can get around this by simply using a different sweetener such as allulose, which stays smooth even when cold. And then store your dessert in the freezer.
But this time I wanted to have my cake and eat it, so to speak.
I was determined to find a way to make smooth keto glazed pecans that can be stored at room temperature.
And guess what - I did it!
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy - only 4 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes
- Crispy and crunchy - a smooth "no sugar" glaze that sets hard just like the original
- Store at room temperature
- Nutritious and filling high fat snack
- Sugar free and keto friendly - Only 0.3g net carbs per portion
Ingredients
Let's take a look at the ingredients you'll need:
- Pecans - Make sure that they are fresh. They should be soft and taste buttery.
- Sweetener - I used a golden granulated erythritol monkfruit sweetener blend called Lakanto Gold. White erythritol or erythritol blends such as Swerve work too.
- Butter - Use salted butter, or add a pinch of salt into the melted "sugar" mixture.
- Brandy - my secret ingredient! It is essential to keep the erythritol from re-crystallising. Another spirit such as vodka would work as well.
Instructions
This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step 1: Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the sweetener and turn up to a medium heat.
Step 2: Stir until the sweetener has melted fully, the mix is bubbling and has turned a golden brown.
Step 3: Take the pot off the heat. Add the Brandy and stir. Then, add the pecans and fold through with a spoon or spatula until they are covered evenly.
Step 4: Spread the pecans out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure you line it with parchment paper first. Let cool until firm.
Top tips
This is a very simple recipe. However, here are a few helpful tips so your candied pecans turn out perfect, with a smooth crisp glaze.
Tip 1: Add the brandy after you take the pot off the heat. The alcohol is not supposed to cook off.
Tip 2: Use a saucepan with a light interior - silver or white. This way, you can see when the butter has browned enough. You don't want it to burn.
FAQ
The brandy keeps the erythritol from re-crystallising. It helps create that crispy and smooth "sugar" crust. If you omit it, the sweetener mixture becomes crumbly as it cools. The recipe will still work, but the glaze won't be smooth and glossy.
You cannot taste it as it is a small amount.
I don't recommend it. Erythritol is the only keto sweetener that sets hard. If you use allulose, xylitol or Bocha Sweet, the "sugar" coating will stay soft and sticky at room temperature. For a crispy coating would have to store the candied pecans in the freezer.
No, you don't need one. Low carb sweeteners do not have a hard crack stage like sugar does. Also, erythritol has a lower melting point than sugar. All you need to do is check the mix is fully melted and golden brown. Then, take it off the heat.
Yes, pecans are very low in carbs and suitable for a keto diet. One ounce (28 grams) of pecans contain just over 1g net carbs. They are also high in nutrients and rich in fiber.
Variations
Below are some ideas how you can jazz up the flavor:
Holiday flavor. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixture.
Most sugar free vanilla extracts are suspended in alcohol. I wonder if you could leave out the brandy, provided you add the extract at the end of cooking. It's worth an experiment.
Roast the pecans first. Either roast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 200C or 400F. Or, dry-roast them in a frying pan over a low heat.
Use different nuts. I suggest either walnuts or almonds. I actually made a batch of keto candied walnuts as well. See the image below:
Don't use cashews, they are much higher in carbs.
Recipe note
I originally used 1 cup or 100 grams of pecans. This is the amount you can see in step 4 of the instructions section. Since I still had plenty of glaze left over, I also coated 1 cup or 100 grams of walnuts.
When you compare the images, you'll notice that there is a little re-crystallization underneath the pecans, but none at all on the walnuts.
Here is the reason: I reheated the sweetener mixture for the walnuts and added additional brandy, making sure the pot was off the heat properly this time.
If you use 2 cups of pecans as described in the recipe and follow all my steps, your pecans will look even better than mine!
How to serve
Here are ideas how you can enjoy this pecan recipe:
- Solo, as a snack or pack as an edible gift
- Chop into winter salads
- As a topper for sugar free ice cream or almond milk ice cream
- Add to keto granola or sprinkle over yoghurt.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge, if you prefer. Stays fresh, crispy and crunchy for several weeks.
I have not tried this myself, but you could store the candied nuts in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Candied Pecans
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecan halves 200g, room temperature
- ½ cup golden erythritol 100g, or any erythritol based 1:1 sugar alternative
- 2 tablespoon butter salted, 30g
- ½ tablespoon Brandy or vodka ***
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the sweetener and turn up to a medium heat.
- Stir until the sweetener has melted fully. The mix should be bubbling and has turned a golden brown.
- Take the pot off the heat. Add the Brandy and stir. Then, add the pecans and fold through with a spoon or spatula until they are covered evenly.
- Spread the pecans out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool until firm. This only takes a few minutes.
Lyndi
do you think I could use SHERRY instead of Brandy because I have SHERRY on hand thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
I am not sure that would work as sherry has a lower alcohol content than brandy.
Alison
I love this pecan coating so much I decided to use it on popcorn too. It was really nice but I shouldn’t have poured all the glaze on as some of the popcorn hardened too much (teeth breaking) though I think the corn was not a great quality next time I will get better quality kernels.
I also made a few different truffle flavors & coated some with toasted hazelnuts soaked in the glaze & this too was superb the glaze is so versatile it could be used in many different ways FANTASTIC KIRSTEN WELL DONE
Melissa
Hello Katrin, I loved this recipe! Made one batch with vanilla and one with vanilla and a half-tsp of Cinnamon. Both were lovely! I didn’t have brandy or vodka, so used a 20-yr old Tawny Port called ‘Grandfather’. It worked like a charm!
My pots are dark interior (hard anodized), but to me even more than the color change of the butter-erythritol combination, what was striking was the texture change going from gritty to smooth. I’m hoping that’s normal, b/c they’re beautiful and yummy!
Many thanks and Fröhliche Weihnachten!!
PS I remember eating these at the Weihnachtsmarkt too, years ago! Frankfurt.
Julicia
So trying these tomorrow!! Im wondering if the pure brand will work WELL WE SHALL SEE
Thanks for the great work
Carol
There are yummy. I will have to watch how many I eat. Very moreish.
Dewey
Added the cinnamon because it's December and gives the pecans a holiday spice. Pecans tasted wonderful and were glossy as promised. Thanks!
gjeanieg
Vanilla works great! What does not work is using pecans straight out of the refrigerator. The cold solidifies the mixture immediately. I made a note for next time. Thank you, Katrin!
Sue
Wow. I just made these and they turned out so well. Just like real candied pecans! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s perfect!