For those following a ketogenic lifestyle, finding satisfying desserts can sometimes feel like a challenge. However, with the right ingredients and recipes, it's entirely possible to indulge in sweet treats without derailing your dietary goals. This article brings together several keto-friendly salted caramel bar recipes, offering a range of options from millionaire's shortbread variations to magic cookie bars and even ice cream bars. These recipes utilize low-carb sweeteners and alternative flours to deliver the rich, comforting flavors of caramel while keeping carb counts in check.
Keto Caramel Slice Millionaire’s Shortbread
This recipe transforms the classic Millionaire’s Shortbread into a guilt-free keto dessert. The traditional layers of crunchy shortbread, luscious caramel, and heavenly chocolate are recreated using keto-friendly ingredients.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: Essential for the shortbread layer, providing that irresistible buttery flavor and texture.
- Wholesome Granulated Allulose: Used in both the shortbread and caramel layers, allulose browns beautifully and is crucial for achieving the right caramel texture. It has no calories or net carbs and doesn't spike blood sugar.
- Almond Flour: Forms the base of the shortbread layer, adding a subtle almond flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Creates a deep, rich, and creamy caramel.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate: Any sugar-free chocolate can be used for the topping.
Instructions
- Shortbread Layer: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine shortbread ingredients in a bowl, press into a parchment-lined pan, and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Caramel Layer: Whisk heavy cream and allulose in a saucepan over high heat until the mixture thickens and turns brown, reducing by half. This may take 10-20 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour over the baked shortbread.
- Chocolate Layer: Melt sugar-free chocolate with butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour over the caramel layer and gently shake the pan to spread evenly.
- Chill: Sprinkle with sea salt (optional) and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm. Slice into 16 pieces.
Keto Cheesecake Bars with Salted Caramel Drizzle
If you love cheesecake, these bars offer a convenient and equally delicious alternative. They're easy to make in under an hour and are perfect for those who prefer not to bake a full cheesecake in a water bath.
Key Ingredients
- Almond Flour: Used for the gluten-free crust, keeping the carb count minimal.
- Swerve Confectioners: A keto-friendly sweetener used in both the crust and the filling.
- Cream Cheese: The foundation of the cheesecake filling.
- Salted Caramel Sauce: Adds a rich, sweet, and salty flavor.
Instructions
- Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine almond flour, butter, egg, Swerve Confectioners, and vanilla extract in a food processor until a dough forms. Press the dough into a parchment-lined baking dish.
- Filling: Mix cream cheese, eggs, Swerve, vanilla, salted caramel sauce, and sour cream until well combined. Pour the batter over the crust and smooth the top.
- Bake: Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the center has just set. Chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before cutting.
- Drizzle: Reheat leftover salted caramel sauce and drizzle over the bars before serving.
Keto Salted Caramel Butter Bars
These bars feature a tender, buttery crust and a rich layer of sugar-free caramel, creating a truly decadent low-carb treat.
Key Ingredients
- Almond Flour & Coconut Flour: Combines to create a crumbly, buttery crust with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Swerve, Allulose or Bocha Sweet: A mix of sweeteners is needed to create sugar-free caramel sauce.
- Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce: The heart of these bars, providing that classic caramel flavor without the sugar.
Instructions
- Make the Caramel: Prepare the sugar-free caramel sauce first and let it cool to room temperature.
- Make the Crumb Crust: Combine almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in melted butter and vanilla. Press a little over half of the dough into the prepared baking pan and bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the caramel sauce over the crust and spread to the edges. Sprinkle with salt. Then take the remaining crust and crumble it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Cool and Cut: Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Keto Salted Caramel Magic Cookie Bars
This recipe puts a low-carb spin on classic magic cookie bars, incorporating keto-friendly butterscotch chips and a luscious sugar-free caramel sauce.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Ingredients
- Almond Flour: Forms the base of the crust.
- Swerve Confectioners: Used for the crust, providing sweetness without the carbs.
- Shredded Coconut: A traditional ingredient in magic cookie bars.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips & Butterscotch Chips: Adds layers of chocolate and butterscotch flavor.
- Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce: Drizzled over the toppings for a gooey, caramel finish.
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in melted butter and press into a baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the Toppings: Sprinkle the cooled crust with shredded coconut, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
- Drizzle with Caramel: Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the toppings.
- Bake: Increase oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until bubbly and browning around the edges. Cool completely before cutting.
Keto Salted Caramel Ice Cream Bars
For a frozen treat, these keto ice cream bars deliver a creamy, caramel-infused experience with only 2g net carbs per serving.
Key Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: The base for a rich and creamy ice cream.
- Xylitol or Allulose: Recommended sweeteners for keto ice cream, as they don't recrystallize.
- Vanilla Protein Powder: Adds creaminess and flavor.
- Atkins Caramel Chocolate Nut Rolls: Used to create a caramel sauce.
- Chocolate: Adds a fudgy element.
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Whisk together ice cream ingredients in a heat-safe bowl.
- Cook Custard: Heat the mixture over a simmering pot of water, whisking until the sweetener is no longer grainy and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Blend: Cut the ice cream into small chunks and pulse in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Make Caramel Sauce: While blending the ice cream, make the caramel sauce using the caramel nut bars, chocolate, and cream.
- Assemble: Spoon the ice cream into popsicle molds, swirl in some caramel sauce, and freeze.
- Coat: Dip the bars in extra warm caramel sauce and melted chocolate (optional).
Sweetener Considerations
Achieving the right sweetness and texture in keto caramel requires careful selection of sweeteners.
- Allulose: Is excellent for caramel making because it browns well and doesn't recrystallize.
- Xylitol: Another good option for ice cream and caramel, also helping to prevent recrystallization. Note that xylitol is toxic to dogs.
- Erythritol: While commonly used in keto baking, erythritol can recrystallize, leading to a grainy texture in caramel. Combining it with allulose or xylitol can help to mitigate this issue.
- Monk Fruit: Some may find success with monk fruit extract or chicory root fiber syrup, but these haven't been as widely tested.
Tips for Success
- Use Parchment Paper: Lining your baking pan with parchment paper makes cleanup easier and allows you to easily lift the bars out of the pan.
- Wet Hands When Pressing Crust: When pressing the dough into the baking dish, wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Cool Completely: Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to ensure they hold their shape and the caramel sets properly.
- Reheat Caramel Gently: When reheating caramel for drizzling, do so on very low heat, whisking constantly to prevent separation.
Storage
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the bars in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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