Keto/Low Carb
Most traditional approaches to losing weight follow a simple formula: eat less, exercise more. But in my case, the more I exercise, the hungrier I get!
Sigh . . .
So, it’s crucial for me to find snacks that satisfy my urges and stay within my dietary goals. That’s what I love about keto – I get to eat what I love! That includes yummy sweet treats like these Keto Pecan Clusters, found at heyketomama.com. It's one of the few keto bombs I have found that are not based on cream cheese (like chocolate or strawberry).
What goes in these keto pecan clusters?
Just think: crunchy pecans, held together with a caramel-like filling, topped off with sugar-free chocolate. It’s a trick of the tongue that’ll fool your palette and satisfy your craving.
I know. You’re thinking: “There is no way sugar-free chocolate will replace the real thing. Well, I’m here to tell you these new sugar substitutes are amazing! To the point where it is VERY hard to tell these tasty clusters are completely sugar free!
For the sugar taste I’ve used ZenSweet, which is a monkfruit-based sweetener, or Swerve, an Erythritol (sugar alcohol) sweetener. For myself, I fully expected to prefer one over the other, but to be honest I can’t taste any difference between the two. Go ahead, try ‘em! I think you’ll like the results.
How to make the pecan clusters
To start, melt butter in a small pan on medium heat and brown until golden colored. Stir frequently to ensure the butter doesn’t burn. Then, add the heavy cream and whisk together.
Turn down the heat and add sweetener and vanilla. Whisk it all together to break up any lumps.
Allow the mix to thicken for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. It will darken slightly and come to resemble caramel.
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Note: For one of my batches, I had trouble with this part. The mix did not look like caramel. I concluded that I had turned down the heat too much when adding the sweetener. So I turned the heat up again, just enough to get things bubbling, and soon I was rewarded with a nice caramel-like appearance.
When the mixture has thickened and darkened, remove from heat and stir in chopped pecans. Now comes the cluster part: Spoon onto parchment paper and . . . - that’s it, LOL!
Now, place the clusters in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Making keto bombs in molds
I have silicone molds, which I prefer for cluster-making. I have a tendency to make clusters bigger than practicable, so having a mold forces me to be consistent in size. The link shows a set of three sizes, I use the middle size which hold a tablespoon each.
When using the mold, I freeze longer, like 30 minutes, to ensure the mixture is firm enough to unmold cleanly.
Drizzle with sugar-free chocolate
The last step is to drizzle some inviting chocolate lace on top. I use Lily’s stevia-sweetened dark chocolate baking bars and am always happy with how nicely they melt - and taste. The drizzle quantity is about 2 ounces, or ½ a bar. Just melt in the microwave, stir, and drizzle over the clusters with a spoon.
Delightful! Enjoy the satisfaction of eating sweets without the guilt or the sugar spike five minutes after a sweet tooth attack.
📖 Recipe
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Keto Pecan Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 TB butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 TB sweetener ZenSweet or Swerve-granular
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 oz dark or sugar-free chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Over medium heat, brown butter until golden. Stir frequently being careful not to burn.
- Once golden, add heavy cream to butter and whisk together. Turn down heat to a simmer.
- Whisking quickly, add sweetener and vanilla, being sure to break up any lumps.
- Continue whisking occasionally for the next 5 minutes as mixture begins to thicken.
- Mixture should look similar to caramel and be slightly darkened. Remove from heat.
- Mix in chopped pecans, then spoon clusters onto parchment-lined tray or plate, or in silicone molds.
- Place in freezer for 5 minutes (30 minutes for molds)
- Remove clusters from molds, if using. Microwave dark chocolate for 20-40 seconds until they appear melted and smooth. Drizzle over clusters.
- Tip: These keep well in the refrigerator. Freezing is recommended for long-term storage.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
These Keto Pecan Clusters definitely don't feel like diet food!
For an even simpler approach, try some keto nut clusters - just chocolate and nuts!
Lauren
Holy CATS, these are good. I used Lakanto Golden Allulose/Monk Fruit blend for the sweetener. For the topping, I used Good Sam brand allulose mini chocolate chips w/ coconut oil aka "magic shell". These are UNREAL delicious.
Sula
Thank you Lauren for your kind review - They are definitely a favorite of mine!
Chris
These are amazing. I used Swerve Brown sugar . They taste like a See’s Candie’s Bordeaux. Thank you for sharing this.
Sula
They are my favorite sugar free snack! I have some Swerve brown sugar, I think I'll make my next batch with that!
Will
Hi.
I ran out of Swerve granular, (there’s never enough in those bags), can I use the powdered version?
This recipe seems the easiest as there aren’t a ton of ingredients.
Thanks!
Sula
Yes the powdered should work just fine!
Marylou
Could I use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream in this recipe?
They look delicious!
Sula
I've never tried it but I think it would work! Let me know if you try it!
Bless my food by payal
With just handful of ingredients, what an exotic dessert.
Sula
Yes, so easy and so good!
Alexandra
Love how gorgeous these are! The perfect sweet treat - so delicious!
Sula
They are for sure!
Erika
These pecan clusters are so good! So hard to stop eating them! 🙂
Sula
Definitely! They are very snackable!!
Katie
This looks like something I’d love to make with friends or family!
Sula
Yes it would be a fun group project. Might need extra batches LOL
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain
LOVE LOVE LOVE that these are refined sugar-free! Saved for Thanksgiving
Sula
Oh yes and extremely delicious!
Big Trouble
Sula, A. I didn't expect these babies to have chocolate on them! That makes them all the more appealing! And B. May I suggest renaming them "Pecan Cluster-F$@!s"? It is a lot catchier if you ask me...
Sula
Catchy for sure! Let me think on that one.....LOL
🤓