Maple Pecan Cheese Cake Bars
This picture of the maple pecan bars went absolutely nuts on instagram. I’ve had more people ask me for this recipe than anything I’ve ever posted.
This made me a bit nervous because it’s not the typical super sweet pecan bar that resembles pecan bar, even though after making it three times in one week, I can tell you it’s very addicting.
The Keto Maple Pecan Bar is Keto Friendly, Grain Free and Sugar Free
It’s decadent and yet it’s a keto sweet, low-carb, and paleo friendly.
My inspiration comes from my favorite Christmas cookies, the Pecan Tassie, and I have a low -carb version. This isn’t that cookie because I don’t have a good substitute for brown sugar, but it led to this very easy cookie bar that works for any low carb or keto diet and is diabetic friendly.
I had a friend taste test, the first batch this who is strictly following keto and she said the texture was perfect, and suggested adding in maple.
Mr. Spinach Tiger concurred that maple woke this cookie bar up, and now I bring you this recipe that I have made three times and eaten way too much of.
This is not just for holidays, but is something you can easily make all year. I can have it all done in under an hour with ten minutes of active time.
How to Make the Almond Flour Crust
The only tricky part, although not difficult, is the almond flour crust. You have to press it in with your hands, (instead of rolling it). It doesn’t look like it’s going to work, but once you pre-bake it and you must pre-bake, it’s really good, not inferior in any way to other cookie bar bottoms.
As far as the cream cheese part, it’s so simple.
Cream cheese, an egg, Swerve (or sweetener of your choice), vanilla and maple extract and you’re just about done. Chop one cup of pecans, bake for about twenty minutes and then chill thoroughly. Cut into squares and take to your next party!
An Important Word about Maple Pecan Bars
Maple pecan bars aren’t a cheesecake, but have a cream cheese filing that is inspired by cheesecake. After three tries, we flavored the cream cheese mixture with maple extract, and liked this version best. I had tried flavoring with various liquors and that just did not work!
There is also an option on when to put the pecans in. In the first version, I put them first before the cream cheese mixture. Either way, it’s good. It’s a matter of how you want it to look.
A Word About that Almond Flour Crust
This year I made pumpkin cheesecake bars and didn’t do a side crust, only a bottom. I loved it. You can head over there for that recipe.
I used this rectangular tart pan, for both recipes, but a square tart pan or square baking dish would work, if you plan on cutting them into squares.
I’ve been eating keto for a few months now, and am thrilled that the low-carb desserts that I can make are a part of the Spinach Tiger Big Fat Healthy Lifestyle. We lost some weight in November, and maintained that loss all the way through 2017. We took only a few days to splurge a little, but got right back on track.
You will also love my new recipe for grain free pecan tassies.
Keto Friendly Pumpkin Spice Cake
My three most popular low carb, keto friendly recipes are grain free biscuits, grain free tortillas, and these amazing fluffy keto pancakes.
Keto Pancakes: Recipe here
- This recipes contains Amazon affiliate inks, which earn a small commission.
- Almond Tart Crust
- 2 cups almond flourOrder Here
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- ⅓ cup Swerve Confectioner's sugar (can use their granulated)
- 1 egg yolk
- Tart Filling
- 8 ounce full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup Swerve Confectioner's sugar Order Here
- 1 egg
- ½ to 1 teaspoon maple extract Order Here
- 1 cup pecans plus two tablespoons for garnish
- Almond Tart Crust Instructions
- Melt butter and mix with flour, vanilla and swerve.
- Mix in egg yolk.
- Put in tart pan, by pressing in with fingers.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Make Filling
- Mix cream cheese with vanilla, maple extract, egg. Start with ½ teaspoon extract and taste.
- Chop pecans .Mix with a little sea salt.
- Put pecans in first (although you can reverse this is you want)
- Pour cheesecake mixture.
- Top with two tablespoons chopped pecans for garnish.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until cream cheese mixture is set.
- Cool completely.
- Refrigerate at least six hour, preferably overnight.
- Cut into 16 squares.
You can use any kind of square pan and just put the crust on the bottom as an option.
Use parchment paper if you do that.
Maple Extract: If you can't get real maple extract, you can skip this part. They are stll good without it.
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My cream cheese mixture ended up looking like cottage cheese after I mixed it. I did leave the cream cheese out so that it was slightly softened, but the egg was right out of the fridge and I’m sure cooled down the cream cheese enough where it wouldn’t mix. It’s in the oven now and will probably be fine, but when I make it again I will definitely allow both the egg and the cream cheese to come to room temperature.
Yes. When my cream cheese is cold and I forget to take it out. I put it in microwave a few seconds. I will run cold eggs under water.
I will have to admit I flubbed this one – by accident. I overlooked putting an egg in the filling. I did mix in about a cup of heavy cream to thin the cream cheese. When I discovered my mistake, I thought about going ahead and adding the egg, but decided to leave it a chilled dessert instead. I tried to spread the mixture over the nuts and that didn’t work, so I mixed the nuts into the cream cheese. And finally, I didn’t have maple flavoring so I used rum flavoring. So, even though I took significant liberties, it’s still a keeper and I will try to follow the directions more carefully the next time!
Diane
That’s funny sort of. You know sometimes if you just keep going, you can salvage a recipe. I am going to remake this a few more times to be absolutely certain to the tiniest degree this recipe works, even though last Fall I made it about 6 times. I say that because its my number one dessert on Spinach Tiger out of HUNDREDS. I do have a new one coming that’s similar, made with heavy cream and nuts and much easier. Stay tuned.
Thanks for writing.
Happy Cooking
Angela
Like a few of these it doesn’t say how much vanilla. I’d like to make this but I don’t like to guess. Thank you Terrie
I added it in. It’s really an option. I used about 1/2 teaspoon.
I would love to try all of these recipes.It’s hard to decide which one to make first,they all sound good.
What is the nutrition content?
did you ever figure out the nutrients?
We want the nutrient info pleasee.
I’ll work on that.
Idek how there is no nutrition info on here but here’s what I got with the cupcakes I made from this recipe. For 12 servings: 269 calories, 24.9g fat, 50.8mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 5.3 total carb, 2g fiber (3.3 NET CARBS), 6g protein.
(My total carbs doesn’t account for alcohol sugars, because my tracker doesn’t have an option for it.)
As far as a review.. these were fine, they weren’t my favorite but they were relatively easy to make, though next time I might cut the crust down so there’s not as much.
You could cut down the crust by making bars with no sides I’m thinking that’s a good idea.
A few notes: in the instructions for both the filling and the crust it says to add vanilla, but in the ingredients list there is no mention of vanilla at all. Is it real vanilla, or pure extract and how much?
In the directions for the filling, it does not say to add the swerve in. I am assuming that I will add it in with everything else and mix, but if it is added in different, please let me know.
Does it have to be confectioners? I have Splenda that I use for most of my low carb desserts. Would this be a good substitute?
I took a guess on vanilla, and am getting ready to make these today. I will comment on how they turn out with my estimates.
Hi Lisa,
I was wondering if you made these bars, and if so, did you substitute Splenda for Swerve and did you use vanilla in the crust and filling or just the maple extract in the filling? The recipe is very unclear, and I was hoping you could tell me how they came out.
Thanks for your help!
These are AMAZING and so easy to make! We’ve made them twice, and they come out perfect every time!
Had these three times now. Easy to bake. So satisfying. Texture is wonderful.
So how much if any vanilla did you use for the crust and the mix?
What temperature do you bake the crust and bars?
Hello,
I do not have maple extract and don’t have time
to get it before the holiday.
Can i use maple syrup instead of the sugar?
I’m not sure what you mean