Holiday-centered desserts have been dancing around my head more and more. Creamy cheesecakes, crumbly cookies, and flavorful pies may be at the forefront of one’s thinking when it comes to party desserts, but there are not many local stores you can visit during the holiday season and expect to find a low-carb, keto-friendly recipe for any of the above. So, knowing that but never letting “carbage” rule my life, I set out to make my own personal alternative that’s share-worthy.
Pecan pies always remind me of my mom’s sweet, southern cooking. Living some time in Alabama and loving to cook and bake, my mother always perfected the ratio of salty to sweet in her chocolate pecan pie. It was a must-have for holiday meals, and in the words of my grandmother, it “didn’t go a-beggin.”
I got lucky in that we had a destination holiday season this past year, and was able to avoid the temptation that is my mom’s chocolate pecan pie in lieu of a vacation trip. But, knowing that I can’t avoid this traditional decadence forever, I was on a mission to one day find a way to recreate the recipe without compromising my waistline. When I discovered the chocolate goodness of Tom & Jenny’s Chocolate Caramels, it all clicked!
I talk more about how great Tom & Jenny’s Soft Caramels are for those on a low-carb diet and keto diet in my Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes recipe, as they use Xylitol and Maltitol instead of sugar, keeping these treats healthier without losing flavor. They’re actually better for your teeth, too (which sounds delightful to my cavity-prone pearly whites), thanks to these no-carb sugar alcohols! From there, it was just a matter of experimenting with crusts before finding a combo that fit with my nostalgic dessert dreams.
So, here you have it! This chocolate pecan pie features a coconut flour crust and a mix of Tom & Jenny’s Original and Chocolate Soft Caramels for a unique, healthy twist on a classic favorite. As you can see, I made a couple mini pies, but you can multiply the recipe to create a large, 9-inch pie instead. Be aware, though, that you’ll need to cook for longer in order to better set the middle.
One more thing to be aware of: this pie is FILLING! I put 2 servings below, but it honestly took me 3 separate sit-downs and sharing some spoonfuls with the mister for me to polish this recipe off. You could section these off into muffin tins if you wanted a smaller portion with lower calorie and fat counts. Make this your own and share your variations with me in the comments! Enjoy!
Sugar-free, Low Carb Chocolate Pecan Mini Pies
Equipment
- Bake-safe ramekins
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Silicone stirring spoon
Ingredients
Crust (makes 2 mini pie crusts; triple the recipe for one 9-inch pie):
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1/8 tsp coarse salt
- 6 tbsp coconut flour*
- 1 packet Truvia** can substitute favorite sweetener packet
- 1/8-1/4 tsp vanilla extract more or less, depending how sweet you want it; I prefer mine with less
Pecan pie filling (makes for 1-2 mini pies; quadruple the recipe for one 9-inch pie):
- 5 Tom & Jenny's Sugar-free Original Caramels unwrapped
- 4 Tom & Jenny's Sugar-free Chocolate Caramels unwrapped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar-free sweetener of choice***
- 1 egg
- 1/8-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
Instructions
Making the Pie Crusts:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Grease your ramekins with a nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, eggs, salt, and vanilla extract with a fork until well blended.
- Add in the coconut flour little by little and mix well until there are no clumps.
- Combine the dough and gather into a ball in your hand. Separate into two equal-sized balls and place each in the two ramekins.
- Use your hand to pat down the dough into the bottom and sides of the ramekins to form a crust. Be sure to keep the crust thin and as even as possible around the edges to allow for even baking.
- Prick the crusts several times with a fork to prevent rising while baking.
- Bake for 9 minutes, then remove and let cool. Set aside.
Making the pecan pie filling:
- Turn oven down to 350F.
- Warm a saucepan over low heat.
- Add the unwrapped caramels, heavy cream and butter to the pan. Stir frequently until melted and blended together to form the caramel sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your sweetener of choice, egg, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Once combined, gradually mix in the caramel sauce mixture. (Note: you may need to warm up the sauce briefly if it's too stiff to blend well with the other ingredients. Test a small portion before continuing, then warm it up for a few seconds over low heat if necessary.)
- Stir in pecans before pouring into your pie crusts.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling "jiggles" as a whole unit. Remove from the oven and allow the filling to firm up before serving.
- Enjoy cold or hot with a dollop of fresh whipped cream! Bon appetit!
Notes
- You can get the Tom & Jenny’s Sugar-free Chocolate Caramels as well as the Original Caramels on Amazon!
** – Please note that this post may contain Amazon or other vendor affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from purchases made from links clicked, but this will in no way affect you as a consumer or cost you anything extra. It will, however, help support Bacon and Cream and enable me to continue creating content. Thanks so much for your support!