Salted Caramel Pecan Bars with Jaca

By Jaca Kitchen · · Updated

These sugar-free salted caramel pecan bars swap every bit of sugar for Jaca allulose, layering a buttery shortbread crust, gooey golden caramel, and toasted pecans into one irresistible bar — with about 1 gram of sugar per square. They taste like pecan pie in an easy, sliceable form, minus the refined sugar.

This is a Jaca-adjusted, healthier version: every bit of granulated sugar — and the honey or corn syrup normally used in the caramel — is replaced with Jaca allulose. Allulose caramelizes to a deep amber and stays soft and chewy on its own, so you get real salted-caramel flavor with zero refined sugar.

Ingredients:

Shortbread crust

  • 9 tbsp (125 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup Jaca allulose (2× the original sugar)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp (166 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Pecan topping

  • 1 1/2 cups (155 g) chopped pecans
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Salted caramel

  • 1 1/4 cups Jaca allulose (2× the original sugar; also replaces the honey)
  • 2/3 cup (140 g) heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions:

  1. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. Cream the softened butter, Jaca allulose, and vanilla for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the flour and salt; mix on low until the dough forms pea-sized crumbs. Press evenly into the pan and bake 18–20 minutes, until the edges are golden. Set aside.
  4. In a bowl, toss the chopped pecans with the flour, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.
  5. Make the caramel: combine the Jaca allulose, cream, butter, and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it turns an even golden amber. Note: allulose caramelizes faster and at a lower temperature than sugar (around 220–230°F), usually in 6–10 minutes — watch it closely and pull it the moment it is golden so it doesn't scorch.
  6. Immediately fold the hot caramel into the pecans, then spread the mixture evenly over the shortbread base.
  7. Bake 10–13 minutes, until the top is covered in tiny bubbles and the edges are golden. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  8. Cool completely on a wire rack (a few hours) before lifting out and cutting into 16 bars. For clean cuts, use a hot, dry knife.

Prep time: 25 minutes · Cook time: 40 minutes · Yield: 16 bars

Because Jaca allulose browns and stays chewy like caramelized sugar, these bars deliver the full salted-caramel-pecan experience — buttery, gooey, and just 1 gram of sugar each.