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Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns – Low Carb, Keto, THM S, GF

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These caramel pecan sticky buns are low carb, gluten free, grain free, & sugar-free but no one will ever believe that. They are finger licking good.

3 sticky buns on a white plate with a fork

Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns – Low Carb, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, THM S, Keto, Sugar-Free

Every time I walk into a Panera I stare at the pecan sticky buns.  I contemplate buying one. And then I think about how far I’ve come (45 pounds lost and counting) and shake my head.  Not worth it.  Besides the fact that if I bought one of those and ate all the 740 calories and 89 grams of carbs I bet I would feel sick for days.

A glass platter with sticky buns. A hand pouring caramel sauce on top.

This morning, with thoughts of Panera dancing in my head, I searched around online for a low carb version but couldn’t find what I was looking for.  Never fear.  I broke out the food processor, turned on the oven, and here I am with a new recipe to share.

A large rectangle of dough on waxed paper

This dough tastes like a traditional flour yeast dough without the flour or the yeast.  These are lightly sweetened and go perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Dough topped with pecans, sweetener, and cinnamon

Trust me, I just ate two with my coffee.  If you prefer very sweet baked goods add gentle sweet or my sweetener to the dough.

Dough for the sticky buns rolled up

There are several parts to this recipe but it is worth it.  It shouldn’t take you longer than 20 min of active work in the kitchen to have a batch of delicious sticky buns.

Unbaked sticky buns in a glass pie plate

If you’ve made fathead pizza dough before you can make these. It’s only slightly harder than that type of pizza.

unbaked sticky buns with caramel sauce

Make sure to take a peek at my other brunch sweets & savories: Healthy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls, Glazed Crumb Donuts, Blackberry Coffee Cake, and more!

baked sticky buns in a glass pie plate

 

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4.67 from 3 votes
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Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

These caramel pecan sticky buns are low carb, gluten free, grain free, & sugar-free but no one will ever believe that. They are finger licking good.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 248 kcal
Author: Taryn
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
Dough Ingredients:
Instructions
  1. Caramel Sauce Directions: 

  2. Combine first three ingredients and cook over medium-low heat until bubbly, slightly thickened, and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and add the salt and extract. Set aside.

  3. Dough Instructions:
  4. Preheat oven to 350. Spread 1 tbsp butter in a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup pecan halves on top. Set aside.

  5. Put cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave one minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir. At this point, all the cheese should be melted. Microwave 30 more seconds (it should look like cheese fondue at this point). 

  6. Add the melted cheese, egg, flours, and baking powder to a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Alternatively, you can mix this by hand by you will need to dump it onto wax paper and knead it to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients.

  7. Press it out into a 9×12 ish rectangle on waxed paper. Spread with 1 tbsp butter, sprinkle with 1 tbsp sweetener, chopped pecans, and cinnamon. Roll up along the long side. Slice into 1 inch thick slices. Put them in the pie plate. Drizzle half of prepared caramel sauce over the top.

  8. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. until the dough is golden brown. Let cool for 5 min and quickly invert onto a serving platter. Scoop out any leftover pecans and caramel sauce and drizzle over the top. Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the sticky buns. Serve warm. Store in the fridge. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

If you caramel sauce hardens or separates before pouring it over the sticky buns just warm it again in the saucepan and whisk until it comes back together. 

Nutrition Facts
Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
Amount Per Serving
Calories 248 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 297mg 12%
Potassium 194mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 1g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin A 9.2%
Calcium 17.4%
Iron 4.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
These caramel pecan sticky buns are low carb, gluten free, grain free, & sugar free but no one will ever believe that. They are finger licking good.

Comments

  1. Thank you for saving my Thanksgiving! I needed something miraculously good AND keto, and this is definitely it! I baked these for a brunch and also am serving to my family on Thanksgiving. I substituted monk fruit and stevia for the sweetener, but otherwise followed the directions to the letter. AMAZING results. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  2. Thanks for this recipe. I made this with thm baking blend and it was very dry I couldn't get it to stick together..I used egg white to help.. do you think this may be due to not have my cheese melty enough? Thank you P.s. still tastes good just crumbly

    Reply

    • Baking blend is just drier. You need to use less than the amount called for. And it is possible your cheese wasn't melted enough. It should be smooth like fondue. Using room temperature eggs can also help.
      Reply

  4. I tried making and my caramel sauce separated and became grainy while waiting for me to prep the dough. Any ideas what I did wrong?
    Reply

    • You can buy Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet on their website or on Amazon. My sweetener and links to the ingredients are at: www.joyfilledeats.com/sweetener
      Reply

    • That should work. I would use less than 1/3 part of the oat fiber though, it tends to be drier than almond flour.
      Reply

    • I use Watkins but I don't love it. I think it has an aftertaste. I've heard the Olive Nations extracts are good.
      Reply

  8. Hi! We loved these and want to make them again for sure! I was wondering how I could premake and freeze. Would you recommend making the dough and freezing it before cooking (and add the caramel and extra pecans while baking)? Or baking and just reheating? Thanks!
    Reply

    • These freeze ok but not great. I've baked them and frozen them before. I'm not sure freezing the raw dough would work.
      Reply

  9. These sound so yummy. I want to make them using your baking blend but was wondering what is the difference between ground golden flax seeds and just ground flax seeds? I thought I bought the right ones and after I opened it I realized it didn't say golden. Can I still use them?
    Reply

    • Golden flax has a slightly more mild flavor and the golden color looks nicer in baked goods. But, yes, you can just use the regular flax.
      Reply

  11. Has anyone tried freezing these yet? I'm going to an event (flying) and really want to bring these, but don't want to waste all that yumminess if they won't keep well ?
    Reply

  12. This is going to happen next time I go to a family event, because my Aunt Barbara makes the most wonderful cinammon rolls and I cannot eat them (gluten intolerant, plus want to be THM compliant). THANK YOU!!
    Reply

  13. Taryn, these are amazing! I made them for my husband's birthday yesterday and even he loved them! (He hasn't been the biggest fan of THM desserts that I've tried making...neither have I). Last weekend, I won him over with your One bowl chocolate fudge cake...and now these salted caramel pecan sticky buns! FINALLY, yummy desserts and baked goods! Question: would you consider making a recipe for an optional cream cheese frosting for these sticky buns? :) Thanks again for giving me hope (and convincing hubby) that you can have on-plan delicious desserts! We'll be following your page from now on! :)

    Reply

    • I'm so glad you liked them. I do have a cream cheese icing on my cinnamon rolls post. The one bowl chocolate fudge is from Chrissy Benoit though. I'll pass on your praise :-)
      Reply

      • Oops, sorry Taryn! Got that mixed up! But what has been a success is your Local Baking Blend and Gentle Sweet mix - I think the other ones I tried mixing up from other websites were partly why recipes weren't working out well. So good to know that your blends worked not only for one of your recipes, but for another website (Chrissy Benoit's) as well!
        Reply

  14. These were barely ok...was so looking forward to amazing sticky buns like the comments suggested. We did enjoy the caramel sauce, but the sticky buns themselves were not what we were expecting. :(
    Reply

    • Hi Mallory, I'm sorry you didn't like them more. The mozzarella doughs aren't as light and fluffy as a wheat and yeast dough. There are a few recipes using sprouted flours for those if you are doing THM. They aren't low carb though and most are crossovers. One trick with a mozzarella dough to make sure the cheese is super melted. One time I made these there were ribbons of cheese and they tasted cheesy. Not good. If the cheese is thoroughly incorporated I think they are delicious. But everyone has a different palate.
      Reply

      • About the super melted cheese part - people should note that since each microwave is different, you may have to keep warming the cheeses in 30 second intervals until it is fully melted/integrated. I know it took probably 2.5 minutes total for mine and I have had just stopped after the first minute, I probably wouldn't have had a great result. I just kept thinking "She said it should look like fondue - this does not look like fondue!" Granted, it might be because I used pre-shredded cheese and it takes longer to melt. :) Also, I'm an amateur baker so if anyone is having trouble getting your caramel sauce to 'brown', just turn up the heat - I had mine on what I thought was moderate and was afraid of scorching it, but it wasn't turning brown/thickening. Once I turned up the heat to what is 'high' on my stove, it browned right up!
        Reply

  16. these look SO good! question though, are you shredding the mozz. or is pre-shred ok to use? I have noticed in other dishes that if I shred the cheese myself it melts easier b/c it doesn't have that weird coating- but for now, I need convenience and have been using the pre-shred. What did you use in this recipe? I have seen several cheese-doughs lately but haven't tried them b/c of this variable and I don't want to waste a failed attempt! thanks!
    Reply

    • I have used both successfully. It is a bit harder to mix in the pre shredded kind. Just make sure you are using a mild flavored mozzarella.
      Reply

  18. I wanted to make this today but only have about 4oz left of an 8oz bag of mozza. Can anything be subbed or should I wait until I have a full bag of mozza? Either way. Can't wait!!
    Reply

  19. I have attempted to make the caramel sauce twice. It just turns into wet butter with globs of extremely hard gooey globs. What am I doing wrong? Followed the instructions exactly!
    Reply

    • Hi Erin, I'm not exactly sure why it's separating. I've made it 5 or 6 times and that has never happened. Are you using gentle sweet? I start on very low heat and gradually increase the heat. The butter melts, and then the sweetener melts, and it's normally a uniform white color at that point. After simmering for a bit it turns golden. I whisk it off and on.
      Reply

  20. Is your caramel extract pure or imitation? How long does the caramel sauce keep? Do you think I could freeze it? Sorry! I have so many questions! I love the idea of having some for coffee on my S breakfast mornings :-) thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it.
    Reply

    • I use Watkins Imitation Caramel Extract but I don't love it. I want to find a more natural one. I don't like it at all in beverages (it has an aftertaste) but in this it is fine. The caramel sauce should keep about a week in the fridge but it will solidify. You would have to reheat and whisk it to get it back to the original consistency. I don't know how it would freeze, sorry!
      Reply

  21. Going to make these today. Oh I've been missing sticky caramely rolls! Was going to make a few batches and either freeze or keep in the fridge for quick breakfasts or snacks. How long do you think they'd last in the fridge and would they freeze well?
    Reply

    • They keep in the fridge for up to a week. Warm them up before enjoying. They are much better warm. I have not tried freezing them yet but if you try it let me know how it goes :)
      Reply

  23. The recipe above says 1/3 of each, but when I click on it says 2/3 cup each almond flour, coconut flour, and ground golden flax Which one should I use...
    Reply

    • Hi Amanda, the 2/3 of each in the link is make baking mix to keep on hand. Many of my recipes use it. For this recipe you need 1/3 of each totaling one cup.
      Reply

    • The stove would work. Just use low heat. If it's not melting try medium. I wouldn't go any hotter than that.
      Reply

    • I have no idea how they came up with 801 calories. My guess is that is the calories for all the ingredients in the recipe that are in the database (cheese, egg, butter, vanilla) but they didn't include the calories for the baking mix. The xylitol in the sweetener has a few calories too. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I haven't tried to enter the nutrition myself.
      Reply

  28. I am trying to make these rolls today. I am so excited because pecan caramel rolls used to be one of my very favorite pastries. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I don't know if it's my screen or what but i am have a very difficult time reading the words that are in light blue. Has anyone else mentioned this issue with the grayish background of the site?
    Reply

    • I actually just switched it to a darker green after a friend said the same thing. How do you like the green?
      Reply

  29. These look great! But I have a quick question, could I use THM Baking Blend instead of the local blend? And do you know how many you could have to keep it in S territory? Thanks!
    Reply

    • Yes on the baking blend. You might use a bit less since it has gluccomannan as a thickener. Not sure on serving. I wouldn't eat more than two at once. That would be about 1/6 of the recipe.
      Reply

      • So I used the baking blend, and they turned out AMAZING!!!!! Best thing I have tasted in a while. :) I made them three days in a row now cuz they tend to be gobbled rather quickly. ;) Very happy with this recipe and I give it 5 stars!! :D
        Reply

  30. Is there a key to mixing it into a dough? I've tried this dough recipe before but can never get it uniform, the baking blend stays in clumps.
    Reply

    • Hi Jen, I mix it in the food processor. You have to make sure the mozzarella is pretty hot too. It should look almost liquidy. If you don't have a food processor try using an electric mixer. It helps if the egg is room temperature as well.
      Reply

  31. Are these still good the next day or two? I know they are best warm out of the oven but I don't have time in the morning....
    Reply

    • They are good the next day. I pop them in the microwave to rewarm them. I made a batch yesterday and ate two for breakfast this morning :)
      Reply

    • Not 'fresh mozzarella' because that is much moister than regular mozzarella. I've used both the pre-grated bags or grated my own (the kind that comes in a rectangle block like Sorrento). I normally grate my own by cutting a 1 lb block in half and grating it in the food processor. I grate the second half and use it later in the week for pizza. mozzarella
      Reply

      • I used Barilla fresh mozzarella because that is what I had on hand. I melted it in the microwave and then added the other ingredients. I also use THM baking blend, equal amounts. The dough came out beautifully and the sticky buns are amazing. I love the caramel sauce it can be used for so much more.
        Reply

        • I'm so glad to see this! I just bought 8 pounds of fresh mozzarella today for $1 a pound. They were reduced at my local grocery store. I froze some but I also see sticky buns in my future.... :)
          Reply

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