Keto Christmas Crack – Caramel Pecan Bark
Keto Caramel Pecan Bark is the ultimate indulgence. This tastes like the very best caramel pecan turtle from a chocolate shop, combined with classic cracker toffee, aka Keto Christmas Crack.
One of my favorite things around Christmas is the popular cracker toffee made with saltine crackers.
You lay the crackers on a baking sheet, microwave butter, and brown sugar (and vanilla, maybe?) and pour it on top of the crackers. Bake for a bit, sprinkle chocolate chips on top, spread the melted chocolate, cool, and eat the whole tray. Did I say that? Not the best option for any diet.
My Keto Christmas Crack is healthier and almost as easy to make at home. This keto bark recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
This Caramel Pecan Turtle Bark reminds me of that holiday treat. I’m thrilled to have a suitable alternative when the Christmas cookie and candy trays start appearing. It is one of my favorite keto Christmas desserts.
Ingredients
Just six ingredients for this amazing low carb candy!
- Sweetener – I use my sweetened blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia. This is twice as sweet as sugar and most other sweeteners so you need less. I offer suggestions for alternatives in the recipe card but candies are tricky and I do not test my recipes with other sweeteners so I cannot guarantee they will work.
- Heavy Cream – You need heavy whipping cream to make the caramel toffee base.
- Salted Butter – I only buy salted butter but unsalted will work in this recipe.
- Pecans – Toast your pecans for the best flavor. Just bake on a sheet pan for 5-7 minutes at 350. Watch them closely. Nuts can burn easily.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate – I use ChocZero chocolate because it melts easily.
- Coarse Salt – Coarse salt gives this a bit of a crunch and the perfect sweet-salty combination just like cracker toffee.
How to Make Keto Christmas Crack
Step One: Cook the sweetener, cream, and butter over medium heat. You want it to be deep brown, fragrant, and thickened. If you do not cook it long enough it won’t set.
Step Two: Put the pecans on a small rimmed baking sheet. Mine is 8 x 11. Drizzle the caramel over the pecans.
Step Three: Melt the chocolate over low heat. You can do this in the pan you used to cook the caramel.
Step Four: Spread the melted chocolate over the pecans. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Expert Tip: Make sure to use coarse salt. It gives these a bit of crunch!
Variations
Nuts – Go ahead and use whichever nuts you prefer. Walnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds, or even roasted salted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds will all taste great.
Chocolate – The same goes for chocolate. You can use any sugar-free chocolate or even sugar-free white chocolate.
Common Questions
What should the caramel look like?
This recipe is easy to make but you have to make sure you cook the caramel long enough. It should be a deep golden color, coat the back of the spoon, and smell fragrant. I let it go until it is close to burning. When I’m standing at the stove stirring like crazy and there are a few darkened bits forming at the bottom of the pan I know it’s done.
The caramel in the photo above in the saucepan still needs to cook a bit longer. It is done when it is deep brown and very fragrant. I’ve also noticed that when it’s done it will also stop bubbling up when stirred. Don’t rely on that to tell when it has cooked enough though. The color is much more reliable.
If you do not cook the caramel long enough the keto Christmas crack will not set in the fridge.
How to melt chocolate
I go ahead and melt the chocolate over VERY LOW heat in the same pan the caramel was in. As long as you stay there and stir and use the lowest heat possible your chocolate chips will melt nicely without burning.
My pieces are a bit big. They are fine if you just want one piece for dessert. Next time I’m going to cut them smaller so I can have several. I’m one of those people who prefers three little cookies to one huge cookie.
Make sure to these low carb candies next:
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Keto Christmas Crack aka Caramel Pecan Turtle Bark
Ingredients
- 1 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 3 cups pecans toasted
- 8 oz sugar-free chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Combine the sweetener, cream, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and thickened. Depending on the heat of your stovetop this can take 10-15 minutes. Watch it carefully.
- Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the caramel over the pecans.
- Put the chocolate chips in the saucepan. You do not need to wash it first. Put it back on the stove over very low heat. The lowest your stovetop goes. Stir until the chocolate chips have melted. Drizzle on top of the caramel and pecans. Spread gently.
- Sprinkle with the coarse salt. Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened.
- Cut the Caramel Pecan Turtle Bark into small squares. The caramel side will be gooey. Turn one upside down and with another square so the caramel is in the center. Serve immediately or store in the fridge. The caramel will firm up into more of a toffee consistency with refrigeration.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally Published October 25, 2017. Revised and Republished November 23, 2021.
Definitely a keeper recipe and hubby approved. I used the amounts as posted of everything but found the original caramel recipe wasn’t enough to cover the pecans. Doubles the caramel and the chocolate chips. Perfect!
This sounds good. I was wondering if I could use Allulose sweetener and if so, how much would u suggest?
Hi Terri, I haven’t tested allulose in this so I can’t promise it will work – sorry! Candies can be tricky. If you want to try anyway I’d suggest started with a half batch in case it doesn’t come out.
Looks yummy! When you say this recipe makes approximately 24 pieces is that before or after you put them together with caramel in middle?
You can see the process if you look at the photos. Once it is set you can break or cut it into pieces.
what is course salt?
It’s just bigger flakes of salt. You can find it in the grocery store near the table salt.
You don’t line the baking sheet first? Doesn’t the caramel get stuck on the baking sheet?
It doesn’t because this is a firmer caramel, similar to toffee. You can line with parchment paper for easier clean up though, if you prefer.
The one thing I can add is that some people are extremely sensitive to erythritol as it can cause cramping and diarrhea! I reveal it when using in a keto recipe. Don’t want my friends and family to have a surprise.
These turned out fantastic! For me it was exactly 10 minutes and the caramel browned. I used less chocolate drizzle (personal preference). These tasted like something rich and fancy from See’s candies. Thanks for another winning recipe.
Thanks, Mary! I love See’s. I still need to figure out how to make those butterscotch squares sugar-free!
What type of sweetener did you use?
You are my favorite keto cook. I will definitely make these. I love pecan turtles
Caramel Never thickened. Went brown then black.
Which sweetener did you use? Were you watching closely and stirring? It should go from brown to black if you use the sweetener listed.
I want to make this for a gift for neighbors who are not keto. if I made with real sugar should I use granulated or powdered and how much?
If you want to make it with real sugar I’d suggest just looking for a recipe that calls for sugar. This is based on ‘cracker toffee’ and there are plenty of recipes online. You can still use pecans in place of crackers.
Can I use allulose for this? If so, how much?
Thank you!
I haven’t tested allulose in this so I can’t promise it will work – sorry! Candies can be tricky. If you want to try anyway I’d suggest started with a half batch in case it doesn’t come out.
to make dairy free, would it work if substituted coconut cream for the whip cream?
Yes, coconut cream should work.
Delicious! You’d never know it’s sugar free. You must try this.
I’d love to know if anyone tried this with Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. I’d like to use what I have rather than buy something else, and I don’t want to waste expensive ingredients
Yes, there is a reader comment back a few pages (7/25/20) that she used it and it worked.
My husband often turns up his nose at my “health” dessert options. This year I went on a hunt for Christmas candy options that I could enjoy and came across this one. It was a hit, even with my picky husband! He keeps asking me to make it again, and I will for sure. The only problem I found was portion control! 🙂
I could give these more stars! It is soooo good! And easy!