Keto Salted Caramel Almond Crunch: A Symphony of Sweet, Salty, and Crunchy

For those navigating the keto lifestyle, the desire for sweet treats doesn't simply vanish. This recipe for Keto Salted Caramel Almond Crunch offers a delightful solution, delivering a symphony of sweet, salty, and crunchy textures while staying true to low-carb principles. This isn't just one recipe, but a collection of ideas, offering versatility for keto enthusiasts.

The Magic of Sugar-Free Caramel

Traditional caramel relies on the Maillard reaction, a browning process involving sugars. Since traditional sugar is off-limits in keto, the challenge lies in replicating that rich, caramelized flavor without the carbs. The sugar-free caramel sauce is truly unbelievable! It is shockingly close to the original in both taste and texture. Sugar free cooking and baking never ceases to amaze!

Replicating Caramel Without Sugar

Because neither sugar alcohols nor allulose burn the same way as sugar, I took the dulce the leche route to bring you this sugar free caramel. Now, while dulce de leche requires roughly a 2 hours simmer to reduce and brown the sugar, neither sugar alcohols nor allulose are reducing sugars so that wouldn’t quite do it either.

Sweetener Options and Considerations

You’ve got a couple options here, and know that the recipe was thoroughly tested with allulose(my favorite sweetener by a mile really), xylitol (try and use non-corn to avoid tummy problems), and erythritol.

• Allulose and Xylitol: Allulose and xylitol work equally well. The resulting keto caramel is luscious and sticky, with no thickener required. As allulose is 30% less sweet than sugar (and xylitol), I did 1/2 cup (but you can probably do with just 1/3 cup for a lightly sweetened caramel). With xylitol I tried with 1/4 and 1/3 cup and they both worked great (just depends how sweet you like it, and what you’re using it for).
• Erythritol: Now, erythritol is a bit tricker guys as it tends to crystalize once cool (you can always reheat it?). So if you’re not into the blackstrap molasses, try using of the brown erythritol sweeteners (say Lakanto Golden or Swerve Brown).

The Base Keto Caramel Recipe

This sugar-free and keto caramel sauce is truly unbelievable! In just 15 minutes, you'll end up with a luscious sauce that's shockingly close to the original in both taste and texture.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Sweetener (Allulose, Xylitol, or Erythritol blend)
• Heavy Cream
• Salt (or salted butter)
• Molasses (optional, for depth of flavor)

Instructions:

1. Add butter to a small saucepan over medium/low heat and simmer, stirring every so often, until fully browned (about 5 minutes).
2. Add in the sweetener, heavy cream and salt (lower amount, see notes), stirring until fully combined.
3. Add in the molasses (optional), and stir briefly until just combined.
4. Simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes (don't stir at all!), taste for seasoning and pour into a glass container of choice.
5. Your caramel should be sticky and thick, but still totally pourable.

Notes:

• Use warm or allow to cool completely and refrigerate for roughly a week.
• The caramel will thicken up in the fridge (as does regular dulce de leche), so either bring it back to room temperature or heat it up with a little more heavy cream (or say almond milk!) to thin it out a bit.
• If your caramel splits (too high temperature is usually the culprit!), you might still be able to save it. Remove it from the heat, allow the mixture to cool down for about 5 minutes, bring it back on the stovetop over low heat, and gently whisk in a tablespoon of water until it comes back together (should happen almost instantly).
• I looove salted caramel, and using salted butter adds an incredible depth that you simply don't get by just adding salt.

Keto Salted Caramel Almond Crunch Recipe Ideas

With a base of sugar-free caramel, you can create a variety of almond-centric keto treats.

1. Low Carb Salted Caramel Almond Brittle

This recipe for Low Carb Salted Caramel Almond Brittle is quick and easy to make. Just 5 ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup Swerve sweetener
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛-1/4 tsp.

Instructions:

1. Line a 9″ x 9″ cake pan or 9″ pie pan with baking parchment.
2. Pour swerve, butter, vanilla and ¼ tsp. salt into a small 8″ non-stick skillet.
3. Heat over medium heat till all ingredients are dissolved.
4. Add the almonds to the candy mixture.
5. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.
6. Allow to boil 2-3 minutes till it becomes a light golden brown. Remove from heat.
7. Carefully pour it into prepared pan. (It is very hot!)
8. With back of spoon, spread almonds evenly through hot candy.
9. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if using.
10. Allow to set 1 hour or until completely cooled.

2. Caramel Candied Almonds

My love for caramel and sweet almonds were bound to be combined one of these days. Making my own caramel using a 0 carb sweetener was a must, which is where Swerve came in.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sweetener
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup almonds
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Stir sweetener, butter, vanilla and almonds constantly in medium skillet on medium-high heat until light caramel color.
2. Spread on greased or lined cookie sheet to crisp and cool.
3. Break caramel candied almonds as desired.

These will keep indefinitely in an airtight container.

3. Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Making an entire cheesecake can feel a bit like hard work and takes some time in the kitchen. Cheesecake bites to the rescue! Perfectly portioned in bite sizes and they can frozen too.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Ingredients:

• Cream cheese (or mascarpone)
• Vanilla extract
• Almond flour
• Low carb sweetener (Allulose)
• Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
• Coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Mix the cream cheese (or mascarpone), caramel and vanilla extract together using an electric whisk until smooth and just combined. Don’t over whisk.
2. Add the almond flour and whisk to combine.
3. Don’t over whisk.
4. Taste and option to add a little more powdered sweetener to taste if required.
5. Freeze for about 40 minutes until the mixture is just hard enough to roll into balls.
6. Roll into individual small balls.
7. Place the chocolate chips or chocolate pieces and coconut oil in a heat proof glass bowl. Place over a pan filled with a little water and allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
8. Pierce each cheese bite with a toothpick and holding over the bowl of chocolate, spoon over the chocolate until fully coated.
9. Place each cheesecake bite on a parchment lined tray, or to prevent getting a rim on the chocolate, pierce the cocktail stick into half an apple or turnip.
10. Place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to harden then remove the toothpicks ready to eat.

4. Keto Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Gooey and delicious keto salted caramel butter bars, with a tender, buttery crust and a rich layer of sugar free caramel. So rich and delicious, you won’t believe it’s low carb.

Ingredients:

• Almond flour
• Sweetener
• Coconut flour
• Salt
• Melted butter
• Vanilla
• Sugar-free caramel

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch baking pan well.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, and salt.
3. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until the dough begins to clump together.
4. Press a little over half of the dough into the prepared baking pan and bake 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
6. Pour the caramel sauce over the crust and spread to the edges.
7. Sprinkle with the salt (add more if you like).
8. Then take the remaining crust and crumble it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere.
9. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
10. Remove and let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Tips for Keto Baking Success

• Sweetener Blends: Experiment with different sweetener combinations to find your preferred sweetness and texture.
• Flour Combinations: For the best texture in baked goods, use a combination of almond and coconut flour.
• Cooling is Key: Many keto desserts benefit from thorough cooling, allowing the flavors to meld and the texture to set.
• Salt is Your Friend: Don't be afraid to use salt to enhance the sweetness and create a balanced flavor profile.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #salted #caramel #almond #crunch #recipe