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These Keto Pecan Pie Cookies are a delicious Crumbl Cookies copycat recipe. With tender almond flour shortbread and a gooey caramel pecan filling, they are a dream come true!
In case you didn’t know it already, I am utterly obsessed with pecan pie. I have loved it for as long as I can remember. For all I know, I came out of the womb with a slice of pecan pie in my hand!
But I think it’s possible that I love Keto Pecan Pie even more than I ever loved the sugary version. When I nailed that recipe, I was utterly joyous!
I also love to make other fun keto treats with the same deep, caramel pecan flavors. Like my Keto Pecan Pie Truffles, and Keto Pecan Pie Cheesecake.
These decadent keto cookies are my latest creation. Inspired by the famous Crumbl Cookies, they are big and beautiful. And beyond delicious! My fellow pecan lovers, you simply must try them.
Why you will love this recipe
You might even consider these like little hand held pecan pies. They have all the right flavors, with a tender crust and a rich, gooey filling.
The base is a tender keto shortbread cookie with a nice deep well in the center. The dough is very easy to make and uses basic keto ingredients. The filling is similar to keto caramel sauce, but is chockfull to toasted pecans.
I made 12 large cookies, so that they resembled the Crumbl cookie style. Each serving is a single cookie, but trust me, you won’t need more than that. You could also make 24 smaller cookies if you chose.
They look wonderful too, and store well in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days. You could even freeze them for a few months.
And with only 2.6g net carbs per serving, these cookies are the perfect holiday treat!
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: Finely ground blanched almond flour works best for any kind of keto cookies.
- Confectioners Sweetener: A finely powdered sweetener helps give the cookies the right shortbread-like consistency. It should be an erythritol-based sweetener, as allulose will make the cookies softer and they will brown more.
- Butter: Make sure it is properly softened but not melted before creaming it.
- Egg yolk: A single egg yolk adds tenderness to the cookie dough.
- Brown sugar replacement: Using a brown sugar substitute adds flavor and color to the pecan filling.
- Allulose: For a gooier filling that doesn’t recrystallize, use some allulose or BochaSweet.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps give the filling a wonderful consistency. You could also use coconut cream but it may be a little thinner.
- Chopped pecans: Can’t have pecan pie cookies without some pecans! Make sure they are chopped relatively finely so the filling sits in the cookies properly.
Step by Step Directions
1. Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in the sweetener. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. All at once, add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until the dough comes together.
2. Form the cookies: Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls several inches apart on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone. Press down to about ½ inch thick with the palm of your hand. Take a rounded tablespoon or other rounded implement and press a large indent into each cookie.
3. Bake: Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges. They will still be very soft and puffed. Remove and gently reform the wells while the cookies are still hot. Let cool completely on the pan (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
4. Prepare the caramel: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Stir until the sweeteners dissolve, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the whipping cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously.
5. Add the pecans: Stir in the chopped pecans and return to heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens a little.
6. Fill the cookies: Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Spoon the mixture into the wells of the cookies and let cool.
Expert Tips
During baking, the cookies will puff up a little and the indents you created won’t be as deep. Make sure to re-form the wells right after the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm.
Use toasted pecans that are relatively finely chopped. You don’t want them ground, but you want small enough pieces that they sit nicely in the cookies. If you don’t purchase them already toasted, place them on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
I made my cookies large to be more like a Crumbl cookie. But you can easily make 24 smaller thumbprints and have 2 per serving. They will bake faster to keep your eye on them in the oven. They will probably take about 12 minutes.
Sweetener Options
You are free to use other sweeteners, but I want to point out how they might affect your results.
This keto cookie recipe does take several different sweeteners for the best results. In the cookie itself, I recommend a powdered erythritol sweetener for a crisper cookie. You can use allulose or xylitol based sweeteners, but keep in mind that the cookies will be softer and may brown more quickly.
For the filling, a mix of sweeteners like Brown Swerve and allulose work best. This gives a deeper pecan pie color and gooier consistency. Erythritol alone will make the filling harden and recrystallize as it cools. They will still be good, but a little more like toffee, rather than pecan pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pecans are a perfect food for low carb and keto diets. They are quite low in carbs and high in healthy fats. A ¼ cup serving of pecans has only 4g of carbs and 3g of fiber. They are also a good source of unsaturated fats and vital nutrients such as Vitamin A and magnesium.
Most pecan pie cookies made with flour and sugar have about 25g of carbs per cookies. But these keto cookies have only 5.5g of carbs and 2.9g of fiber. Thus, they have 2.6g net carbs per serving.
Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze the cookies for several months.
More holiday keto cookies
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Keto Pecan Pie Cookies
These Keto Pecan Pie Cookies are a delicious Crumbl Cookies copycat recipe. With tender almond flour shortbread and a gooey caramel pecan filling, they are a dream come true!
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Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 284kcal
Instructions
Cookies
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in the sweetener. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
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All at once, add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until the dough comes together.
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Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and press down to about ½ inch thick with the palm of your hand.
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Take a rounded tablespoon or other rounded implement and press a large indent into each cookie.
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Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges. They will still be very soft and puffed. Remove and gently reform the wells while the cookies are still hot. Let cool completely on the pan (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
Filling
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Stir until the sweeteners dissolve, then bring to a boil.
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Remove from heat and add the whipping cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir in the chopped pecans and return to heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens a little, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Spoon the mixture into the wells of the cookies and let cool.
Notes
Please see the post for a discussion of keto sweetener alternatives.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Pecan Pie Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 284
Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Carbohydrates 5.5g2%
Fiber 2.9g12%
Protein 5.3g11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
