Sugar Free Sweet Candied Bourbon Pecans
These Sweet and Crunchy Candied Pecans are low carb, sugar free and the perfect Holiday Party Snack or Homemade Gift!
When I think of the holidays and all the business that comes with it, I have to be honest, it makes me cringe. It’s not that I don’t like the holidays it’s the leading up and prepping work that needs to be done for them. Being the momma most of the load goes on me for Christmas shopping and the food we shall eat on Christmas day.
Now I love to cook and bake, but between having a blog and working with brands that need recipes on certain dates, I’m sort of on max overload at the moment. I haven’t even thought about wrapping yet!
Thankfully my hubby loves to wrap and has taken over that job for me since actually I was pregnant with our youngest 11 years ago. I gave birth to him 3 days after Christmas and could not even sit comfortably, let alone wrap presents. He’s continued to wrap every since, bless his heart! BUT I still need to wrap His gifts!
I’m really not a last minute shopper, I do a bunch of shopping online with Amazon Prime lol! That certainly helps, but planning the food for Christmas day, testing recipes I need for the new year ahead is what is on my mind.
I actually think I put the stress on myself to be honest. I get excited knowing we have a party to go to so I can honestly try out new recipes on everyone!
Saturday night we had a party with friends from church so I made 2 new recipes, one in the crock pot and another as an appetizer for New Years. Both scored big points with everyone so I will most certainly be sharing them soon!
I can’t help myself especially when I know there’s a crowd. It’s exciting. So even on Christmas Day I will be making a brand new never made before recipe, oh my, yes on Christmas day when my parents and brother and sister in law will be coming over for dinner. No wait a minute, scratch that, not one new recipe but two!!!
I pray they won’t fail. But being an Italian you can bet I have plenty other tried and true recipes to give them. At least the new recipes I’ve chosen to try on Christmas are not desserts, because that would be too risky since sugar free desserts take me many tests before perfection and sharing on the blog.
In Christmas’s Past, we’ve enjoyed these recipes: Zucchini Lasagna, Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, Brussel Sprout Salad, Asapargus Bundles, and of course plenty of desserts! Some of the favorites are my Grandmother’s Butterballs, Peppermint Brownie Bark, And my Favorite of all, Peppermint Cheesecake Pie!
My daughter and I have been baking for a couple for weeks and freezing everything to be ready to deliver goodie trays on Christmas Eve. We made Salted Caramel Cashew Fudge, White Chocolate Coconut fudge, Sugarless Sugar cookies and Gingerbread men. If I have time I’d like to make my Chocolate Cream pie and I also still need to make ahead my Grain Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins for Christmas morning,
WHEW!! I’m exhausted thinking about it all! But this recipe today is one I can make over and over again with no stress, no worries and honestly hassle free! It’s perfect for gift giving as well as a holiday party snack!
Brenda’s Notes:
- If you don’t have Sukrin fiber syrup, you can use another sugar-free honey or maple syrup of even molasses if you’re not sugar free.
- Bourbon is optional and can be eliminated if desired.
- The photos in this post are a double batch of the recipe below as I plan to give them as gifts in mason jars to family and friends for Christmas.
- I used Swerve Confectioners sweetener but you can use any granulated sugar free sweetener you like.
- This recipe was first published in December of 2014.
Sugar Free Keto Candied Pecans
Sugar Free Sweet Candied Bourbon Pecans
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon optional
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 1/2 cup Swerve confectioners sweetener or another sugar free sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2.5 cups pecans raw, unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk the butter and syrup until combined.
- Add the bourbon (optional) and maple extract and stir until incorporated.
- Stir in the Swerve and cinnamon.
- Place pecans in a bowl and toss together with coating.
- Spread them on a greased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.
- Once out of the oven while the juices on the pan are still hot, use a spatula to toss the pecans and then allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
this recipe but smoke them…you’ll thank me
If you are looking for something to take to all the holiday parties looming this is your go to recipe! No one ever questions if they are sugar free they just devour them. So easy, so delicious and they make awesome gifts😍
Thanks Karen!
I make these pecans about every 2 months. We keep them in the refrigerator and eat them as snacks during the day. They are absolutely divine. I would rather make these than have any of the commercial pecans that come in tin cans. They are fresh and light and super sweet. AND easy to make. Easy clean up.
These are fantastic!! I have made your SUGAR FREE SWEET CANDIED BOURBON PECANS twice and both times they turned out crispy, sweet, and delightful. Your recipes are amazing.
I appreciate that, thank you so much!
These are absolutely THE BOMB!!!!!! I made them for our Sunday School Christmas party this weekend! (Left out the bourbon, LOL)
Do the pecans have to be raw?
Yes that should be.
This recipe is AMAZING! I’ve made it twice and it’s incredible. I will always have it available to snack on. My husband loves it too. I love them alone, or on my plain Greek yogurt -what a treat! I was a Sugar Addict my whole life. I stumbled upon Brenda and her 30 day sugar elimination diet about 2 months ago. I am loving these recipes! Thank you! I am losing weight and feeling great! I will not Go back to sugar. It’s my enemy. You have helped me learn how to enjoy food without the sugar and I am truly grateful. ❤️
I am so happy to hear my recipes and book are helping you and you can now make this way of life sustainable!!
What recipe book is this from? Where do I get it?
This is only on my website.
Hi Brenda, do you think using 1/2 allulose and half swerve would use in this recipe? Thank you!
Can you use yuccon syrup instead of maple syrup?
These are amazing. Thank you.
WOW! Soooo yummy! I made them! I slightly modified by using rum extract and adding walnuts, cashews and almonds with the pecans. I shook them in Swerve brown sugar after too! Thank you thank you for sharing so many amazing recipes!
can you use rum instead of bourbon?
Sure!
Is butter necessary to make them ‘set’? Could oil be used, olive, canola, corn, etc.? I’ve found this to be THE best keto candied nut recipe. I use mapleine instead of bourbon, and they are to die for!
I’m not sure since I’ve not tested it with anything else but I think the butter could be swapped with coconut oil.
I made the spiced nuts for the second time. the second batch dd not harden. I used the surkin syrup the second batch. any suggestions
Sandi
The video shows maple extract and the recipe card doesn’t
How much maple extract ?
Sorry I used 1 tsp. Thanks for letting me know, all updated now.
Thank you for the recipe! Made them last night, and they were very yummy! I used Jack Daniels, since I didn’t have any bourbon, and also used Walden Farms syrup, since that’s what I had on hand. My hubby put them on his blue cheese wedge salad and declared it “tasty”! He’s super picky when it comes to non sugar sweeteners, so I’m glad he enjoyed these! I guess that means I’ll have to share them with him, LOL!