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These Keto Pecan Brittles Recipe are a Sweet, salty, and buttery treat that’s very easy to make with very few ingredients. They are so yummy and very addicting. You won’t be able to stop at only one serving.

pecan brittles squares on a wire wrack
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What a perfect treat to make around the holidays. These Pecan Brittles are a great hit and are made healthier and keto-friendly. Made with raw pecans that also be toasted, Granulated Erythritol, salted butter, and butter extract.

It will make it much nuttier and the flavor will be much more intense. They are delicious either way you go but you will find that you might like one over the other. These pecan brittles are low in carbs and perfect for everyone.

Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy to make: all you need is 3 ingredients to make this simple keto treat.
  • Healthier option: For those who are on a keto diet and get a sweet tooth, then this pecan brittle recipe is a great alternative.
  • Delicious: What a tasty treat to enjoy without the quilt. You will enjoy a nutty and sweet crunchy brittle with each bite.

Ingredients you will need

  • Raw Pecans: or you may use toasted pecans, other nuts like roasted peanuts will also work
  • Granulated Erythritol: may use swerve, allulose, or a blend of both * see notes
  • Butter Salted, about 2 ounce
  • Vanilla Extract

How to make pecan brittle

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, gradually stir in the granulated Erythritol. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. We recommend using a candy thermometer to check the temperature until it reaches 310F to prevent it from burning.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the mixture in an even layer
  • Let cool at room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting into pieces and serving.
square bars of keto pecan brittle on a wire wrack

Best sweetener for keto brittle

  • Even though Erythritol works great for making keto brittle and is used to make hard and crunchy candy, it may leave an aftertaste to the pecan brittle and cause a gritty texture. Keep this in mind when making this recipe.
  • We also like using Allulose because we feel like it has no aftertaste and gives it a smooth texture, but makes the pecan brittle a bit chewy, which makes swerve our first choice. You could also use a mix of both.

recipe notes and tip

  • Watch your nuts intake. Pecans are the best nuts to use on a keto diet compared to peanuts. one ounce of raw pecans contains just 1.1 grams of net carbs whereas one ounce of peanuts has 4g of net carbs.
  • We highly recommend that you use a candy thermometer! Unless you are pretty good at judging when the cooking sugar is ready if you aren’t using a thermometer you run a high risk of burning the mixture and you will either have to start over or end up with a bitter aftertaste to your pecan brittle.
  • Do not just leave it alone to boil. Continue to stir frequently as it cooks and then remove from heat as soon as the thermometer reads 310 degrees or it starts to brown or have a caramel color.
  • Do not worry when you start to cook the sugar in butter. It will look greasy and separated at first. Continue to mix until it all dissolves. The color will start to change.
  • You need to allow the brittle to cool completely before you try to break it apart to serve or store.
  • Swap pecans with other nuts. you may use other nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, or hazelnuts. You may also use a combination of your favorite nuts. Just make sure you check their net carb content and is ok for a keto diet.
  • For a Vegan option: swap the butter with a vegan-friendly butter option.
Keto Pecan Brittle square bars on a wire wrack cooling off

Frequently asked questions

Why is my pecan brittle chewy

You may end up with a chewy pecan brittle if the sugar mixture didn’t cook properly or got hot enough. This is why we highly recommend using a candy thermometer and checking it until it reaches 310 degrees before removing it from heat. If you use allulose as your sweetener, it also tends to make the brittle more on the chewy side. Also, if your pecan brittle was frozen before, they tend to end up chewy after they are frozen.

What does baking soda do to brittle?

Not all recipes for brittle will call for the use of baking soda. Baking soda is sometimes used to make peanut or pecan brittles to create small air bubbles in the brittle thus giving it that extra crunchy texture.

Why is my pecan brittle bitter

There is a very high chance that you may have overcooked and burned the sugar mixture if your pecan brittle is bitter. The best way to avoid this is to use a candy thermometer and check until it reaches 310F. Do not go over! 305F is also great.

close up of pecan brittle bars on a wrack to cool

Storage recommendations

  • If you have any leftover pecan brittle that you would like to store, place them in a container at room temperature on your kitchen counter for up to one week.
  • You may store them in a container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
  • Freezing is an option, but they don’t fare too well after they are frozen. They may stick together and also end up chewy. But they can be frozen for up to 6 months.

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close up of pecan brittle on a wire wrack cooling

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4.67 from 24 votes

Keto Pecan Brittles

By: Rena
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
1 hour
Total: 20 minutes
close up of pecan brittle on a wire wrack cooling
Easy to make pecan brittle recipe made with 4 simple ingredients. Sweet, salty, and buttery treat that's very simple and keto-friendly

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 Cup Raw Pecans, or toasted
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Erythritol, swerve
  • 1/4 Cup Butter , Salted
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, gradually stir in the granulated erythritol. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. We recommend using a candy thermometer to check the temperature until it reaches 310F to prevent it from burning.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the mixture in an even layer
  • Let cool at room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting into pieces and serving.

Notes

    • If you have any leftover pecan brittle that you would like to store, place them in a container at room temperature on your kitchen counter for up to one week.
    • You may store them in a container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
    • Freezing is an option, but they don’t fare too well after they are frozen. They may stick together and also end up chewy. But they can be frozen for up to 6 months.
    • This recipe is retested and re-written from the original post 1/2/2024

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 33mgPotassium: 42mgVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Recipe Rating




26 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have used erythritol brown sugar and also lakanto monk fruit as it has a ‘mapely’ flavor and sometimes a combo of both & both turned out well. I also toast my pecans first. Be sure you let the sweetener and sugar cook long enough to thicken a bit and become frothy before you add pecans. I don’t usually have to refrigerate it.

      1. 4 stars
        Mine too was all pecans and not much butter. It was still great and I ended up getting all the yummy butter mixture with my spoon and fingers… Butter was my regular kind at the store. Unsalted so I added a pinch of Himalayan salt.

      2. 4 stars
        Tried it and it was great while it wasn’t completely cooled – then the erythritol started to crystalize. Any tips to prevent that from happening?

  2. 4 stars
    I don’t think I let the butter and sugar cook long enough. My first attempt came out gritty. O well i’ll try again till I get it right!

    1. 5 stars
      Omg, this is so yummy!
      If for some reason this doesn’t get eaten in the first day haha, how long does it last in the fridge? Also, can it be frozen?