Jump to Recipe Sea Salt Caramel Pecan Cookies are full of pecan flavor in a tender chewy cookie coated with gooey caramel and flaky sea salt. (Free from Gluten, Dairy, Eggs & Sugar! Low-Carb/Keto, Vegan & Paleo)
Delicious Flavor!
So. Much. Flavor! I am obsessed with these cookies. Tender, slightly sweet, slightly salt, coated in caramel, FULL of buttery toasted pecan goodness. Melt in your mouth GOOD. And made at the press of a BUTTON. 7 ingredients. Simple, healthy, delicious! (NO SUGAR, FLOUR, BUTTER) Is this real life?? 
NUTS about NUTS
Who knew that NUTS made such crazy good cookies?! I'm still kinda shocked. Remember my Life Changing Lemon Cookies made with cashews?? I'm still in awe! Forever changed. And I said I'd never go back to making cookies with FLOUR because I love love LOVE cookies made with NUTS.
They're so chewy crisp and tender. Amazingly DE-licious. Not to mention so much healthier than traditional cookies. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, the list goes on. Desserts with benefits 😉
How to Make Healthy Caramel
It DOES exist! Healthy, dairy-free, sugar-free caramel! And it's so easy to make -- NO cooking. Just stir together a few simple ingredients and get to drizzlin'!!
This is the same formula I used for my Low-Carb Caramels and my Caramel Brownie Chunk Cheesecake (just in a smaller quantity) And it's so versatile! Freeze it into caramel candies, fat bombs, caramel bark, or melt and drizzle onto cheesecake, pies, cakes and of course these COOKIES.
Caramel so insanely delicious, you may want to go ahead and double the recipe. I totally want to make these again, but double dip the caramel! Dip once, then freeze to set and do it AGAIN. Oh yummm!
< ONE GRAM net carbs
I did a quick calculation on MyFitnessPal to check the macros for these cookies and I was totally SHOCKED at the results. I had NO IDEA pecans were so very low carb! YAY! That makes me so happy. One cookie is less than ONE gram of net carbs (total carb - fiber). So you can ENJOY without making it a "cheat" (I despise that word). Just carefree deliciousness 🙂
Here are the nutritional stats: 159 cal, 16g Fat, 3.1g carbs-2.2g fiber=.9 g net carbs, 2.2g protein (per 1 cookie & 15 cookies per recipe)
Made at the Press of a Button
To make these cookies, you literally throw in all the ingredients to a food processor and press a button. SO QUICK & EASY. The total blending time is probably less than one minute. Can you even believe it?!
7 Simple Ingredients
Cookies made with HEALTHY real food ingredients! YEAH! Pecans, coconut oil, stevia, vanilla, salt, and cashew butter. And instead of eggs, I used ground flaxseed + water to hold them together (+it also adds more fiber!) 🙂
Who's ready to savor that sweet + salty combo?!
You might as well make these BREAKFAST cookies because they're absolutely healthy enough to fit the bill. Imagine savoring a fresh-from-the-oven cookie with a piping hot cup of coffee. Oh my goodness! I can't WAIT to try that tomorrow 🙂
Follow me on Pinterest for more crazy good healthy treats
Sea Salt Caramel Pecan Cookies {Keto, Vegan & Paleo}
Ingredients
Pecan Cookies
- 2 cups pecans - + more for topping
- 2 Tbs coconut oil
- 2 Tbs ground flaxseed - + ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon pure stevia powder
- ⅛ teaspoon pink salt
Caramel Glaze
- 1 heaping Tbs cashew butter - *use roasted, not white
- 1 Tbs coconut oil
- 6 drops vanilla stevia
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- large flake/coarse sea salt
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a small bowl, mix together flaxseed and water and set aside 2 minutes to thicken.
- In a food processor, blend all ingredients including flax mixture, until finely ground.
- Use a cookie scoop to place dough on baking sheet. Flatten dough with a spatula (cookies will not spread)
- Bake for about 10 minutes until set in the center and crisp on the edges. Optional, broil on low for 1-2 min to brown.
- Leave cookies on the sheet for 5-10 min before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
To make the caramel:
- Stir together all ingredients except salt (melt gently first if oil is too hard)
- Taste and adjust for sweetness, if needed.
- Spoon about a half teaspoon of caramel on to each cookie.
- Place a pecan half on top. Wait several minutes for caramel to set/dry, then sprinkle with sea salt.
- ENJOY
Notes
More Gluten/Dairy/Sugar-Free Cookies
Marian
Can almond butter be used instead of cashew butter in the caramel?
Emily
Technically yes, but the cashew butter is what gives it a caramel flavor 🙂
Sue
I only have liquid stevia. How much, or what else, can I use for the powdered stevia?
Emily
I'm not sure of the exact amount, but I would try about 30 drops and taste it and see if it's sweet enough. You can always add more. Some of the sweetness will dissipate during baking, so make it a little on the sweet side. Hope that helps! If you try it, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Kristy Bernardo
The boyfriend and I started the Keto lifestyle just over two weeks ago and are loving it! I've made quite a few Keto recipes already and have stocked my pantry with Keto baking ingredients. These cookies are his absolute favorite! They're definitely not sweet (just enough) and have great flavor. Making a double batch for him today. Thanks for a great recipe!
Emily
You are so welcome! Happy to hear you liked them They're one of my favorite cookies too!
EvilVegan
Have you tried these using monk fruit? I don’t care for stevia. If so, what amount for the cookies and caramel? Thanks.
Emily
Not yet 🙂 (this recipe was before I discovered monkfruit)
If you have pure monkfruit extract and monkfruit liquid drops, those are an even swap.
For powdered monkfruit, I would start with 1/4 cup in the cookie dough. (Might need to add a little liquid so it’s not too dry.) And 1 or 2 tsp in the glaze.
Don’t forget you can always taste and add more if needed 🙂
If you make them, please report how it goes!
Nova Gress
These look amazing! Can I replace the flax seed with an egg since they aren't a problem for us? Or will that mess up the ratios of everything?
Emily
Thanks! Yes, if you leave out the water and flax and just use one large egg that should be fine. If the dough is too dry, add a little water until it’s not crumbly and holds together. Hope you enjoy!