A low carb turtle recipe using sugar free caramel sauce, almonds & sugar free chocolate to make delicious chewy candies suitable for any keto diet.
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These sugar free caramel candies are simply delicious. My daughter loved them so much that she bragged about them to all of her friends at school. And the mere mention of “no candies for dessert if you don’t eat your vegetables” had my kids cleaning their dinner plates of any stray morsel. I think you’ll enjoy this recipe, too.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make caramel sauce, you’re in luck because if you google “how to make caramel sauce” you’ll get 9 million hits of recipes and related content. The recipe for caramel is very simple, consisting of three main ingredients: water, sugar and heavy cream - any other ingredients (sea salt, butter, vanilla, brandy) are used simply to enhance the flavor of the caramel.
And, the procedure for making caramel is this:
- boil the water and sugar together until the sugar browns
- add the heavy cream and stir like crazy.
Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
Making a sugar free and low carb caramel sauce is easy to make, too. The ingredients are similarly few: heavy cream, butter, and erythritol. I also add the Sukrin Fiber Syrup which I feel helps give a superior texture and mouth-feel to the caramel. And, I like to add salt, vanilla, and a little brandy to make it extra special.
What I like about this easy low carb caramel recipe is that it can be made without condensed milk, made without corn syrup, and it can be made without a candy thermometer. A big WIN for me!
How to Make A Low Carb Turtle Recipe
Recently a reader asked if my homemade low carb caramel sauce could be used to make sugar free caramel candies or low carb pecan turtles. I love caramel candies - especially the combination of caramel, nuts and chocolate so I tweaked the recipe until I hit upon something that worked. For this low carb turtle recipe it “boiled down” to ingredient proportion and cooking time - literally!
The procedure for this sugar free erythritol caramel differs from a traditional caramel recipe but couldn’t be easier. Brown the butter, add the heavy cream, erythritol, and Sukrin fiber syrup and simmer/boil for 20 minutes for a softer stickier caramel candy, and 30 minutes for a firmer caramel candy.
Don’t skip the fiber syrup. I believe it helps discourage the erythritol from re-crystallizing. If you’ve ever made a dessert with erythritol before only to have it become “crunchy” a few days later, that was the erythritol pulling itself back into crystalline form. To prevent that from happening in my low carb dessert recipes I use less erythritol and augment sweetness with stevia.
This low carb caramel candy recipe uses stevia (stevia glycerite) to give it a bump in sweetness - and it needs the extra sweetness to achieve the proper flavor. In anticipation of being asked, I do not think an all Splenda caramel sauce is possible. But, if one is allergic to stevia or particularly sensitive to the taste, a few drops of something like EZ-Sweetz would do the trick to sweeten it nicely.
Before I turn you over to the recipe. I want to say something about the sugar free turtle candies you can get in the diabetic section in the grocery store, more specifically the Russel Stover Sugar Free Pecan Delights candies. They taste very good but beware! They contain an ingredient called maltitol to sweeten them. Not only does maltitol raise blood sugar, it also causes gastric distress, as anyone who has had more than two or three of the sugar free candies will most assuredly attest. My recipe is a sugar free candy that does not contain maltitol - your tummy will thank you!
Each Low Carb Caramel Turtle is 2 net carbs.
Low Carb Turtle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole almonds toasted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Sukrin Gold (or Swerve)
- ¼ cup Sukrin Fiber Syrup Gold (or Vitafiber Syrup)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Stevia Glycerite
- 1 tablespoon Brandy
- ½ cup sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
To Toast the Almonds:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds evenly on a sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once half way through. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
To Make the Low Carb Caramel:
- Put the butter into a medium pot oven medium heat. Cook the butter until it just begins to brown. Add the heavy cream, Sukrin Gold, Sukrin Fiber Syrup and salt. Stir to combine and bring up to a boil. If the mixture produces large explosive bubbles, stir to break the big bubbles into little bubbles. This phenomenon will quickly subside.
- Continue to simmer the caramel mixture over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. The mixture should be simmering hard, but not crawling up the sides of the pot. Check periodically to make sure it's not burning - all burners are different! Then, remove the caramel from the heat and add the stevia glycerite, vanilla and brandy, stirring to combine. Let the low carb caramel cool for 5 minutes then add the almonds and stir.
To Make the Caramel Turtles:
- Line a large sheet pan with a piece of parchment. Using a small dinner spoon, scoop up a spoonful of the caramel and almonds and drop it onto the parchment. Two sheet pans may be needed. Place the sheet pans with the low carb turtles in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Place the sugar free chocolate chips in a ceramic bowl over barely simmering water. When melted, drizzle the chocolate over the cold candies. If the chocolate gets cold, return it to the stove to warm again. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 40 low carb turtles at 2 g net carbs each.
beck
Just made these with pecans...TO...DIE...FOR! Perfect for my sweet tooth that is desperately missing sugar! I didn't have any brandy but great just the same!
Jimmy
Do I let these boil for 20 then simmer for 20 or bring to a boil then turn down the med low heat and simmer for 20?
Kim Hardesty
Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 20. -Kim
Jimmy Black
I did that and it’s super runny. Not sure where I went wrong
Kim Hardesty
Did you use the same ingredients, Jimmy? All I can say is to keep the caramel simmering at a good clip instead of a lazy simmer. It should not be climbing up the sides of the pot, but holding steady. I suggest to cook it a little longer - it wont hurt anything. Then, test it by taking a small amount and placing it on a plate to put in the freezer for a minute or two to see if it hardens. It should be firm, but still soft enough that you don't bread a tooth. I'm sorry I can't be more clear. Sometimes low carb and keto baking is a little unpredictable. -Kim
Jimmy
I got it worked out. I had already added the brandy and stuff but went ahead and let it boil for another 5 minutes while stirring. It ended up a little harder than I wanted but The wife didn’t complain. It’s her favorite candy and she can no longer have sugar.
Kim Hardesty
I'm glad it worked out, Jimmy. It's a good candy and you will have the right time and temp for your next batch. Have a nice day. -Kim
LT Lovil
Your recipe instructions state there are 2 carbs per turtle but your nutrition information states there are 5 carbs per turtle. Please clarify and thank you!
Kim
Hi Lisa. The total carbs per candy is 5, but the net carbs (total carbs minus fiber and/or sugar alcohols) is 2. I hope this helps. -Kim
Monica
Can I make it with pecans?
Kim
Sure! I made them with almonds and pecans and I liked the almonds better, but my husband preferred the pecans. -Kim
Nancy Finley
Mine were too liquid. Froze and happily eat them that way. I used Lankato Gold Monkfruit 1/2 cup instead of Surkin Gold. Any suggestions for next attempt because there will be one.
Kim
Hi Nancy. I admit that it is a fiddly recipe. I have never used Lakanto in this recipe so I don't know if that was the reason or not. The texture may be due to two things.... One, it may not have cooked long enough. Two, it may have cooked at too high a temperature. Unfortunately, because people use different diameter pans and everyone's stoves are different, I can't nail down an exact temp and time for you. I'm sorry about that. -Kim
Patti
Hi Kim,
I just realized I'm about an inch short of having the full 1/3 cup of Surkin fiber. Do you think it will still work. It could be 1/2 in. But I'm short either way. I am ordering some but it will not be here in time for what I need these for.
Thanks
Kim
Patti, I think it will still work but may be a little more solid when it cools. -Kim
Patti
Great thanks Kim,
I tried to order from your site on Amazon but they were out so I had to order from another company.
I wanted you to get the credit. I tried. I'm so happy this will work yay excited to get started.
Thank you for all the great recipes.
Patti
Patti
Hi Kim,
I do not have the stevia glycerite. Is there something else I can use..?
Thanks so much I love,your recipes.
Kim
Hi Patti. The stevia glycerite just adds extra sweetness with out too much bitterness. You can use more sweetener to taste. -Kim
Patti
HI,
I love your recipes excellent. My question is about the stevia glycerite. Is there something else I can use. I have everything else.
I can't wait o make these.
Thank you so much
Kim
Hi Patti. You can use more of the sweetener to taste. -Kim
KC Texan
Sukrin and similar fiber syrups are well known to spike blood glucose and are unsuitable for me as a diabetic. I noticed you use stevia glycerite, so I was wondering if pour food grade glycerine could be substituted for the Sukrin. I tested 1 tablespoon glycerine on myself after a fast and received no BG spike from it.
Kim
No KC, you can't use glycerine to make this recipe because they are two completely different things. I came up with this recipe before it was know that the Sukrin Fiber Syrup caused spikes in diabetics. I have seen other turtle recipes that use Swerve. Try Joy Filled Eats or All Day I Dream About Food - they may have a recipe you are looking for. -Kim
Deb
Could this be used as an ice cream topping?
Thin it a little with more water?
Kim
Hi Deb! Here is my caramel recipe: https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/homemade-low-carb-caramel-sauce/ Enjoy. -Kim
beck
Do not thin with water...just don't boil as long...get a candy thermometer...you will see different temps for different firmness...soft, firm, hard, etc. Less boil time will make it less firm.
Paula Cleary
Your caramel sauce is totally freakin AWESOME! It was easy to make by following your instructions and it turned out perfect! I used chopped pecans in place of almonds since I'm a southern gal. Thank you so much for this recipe. Since going Keto, I've missed my holiday sweets.
Kim
I'm glad you like the recipe, Paula. I made a batch with pecans for my husband, who is a southern guy. I hope you have a great weekend! -Kim
ira
do you think inulin fiber or isomalt sugar would stop the erythritol from crystalising?
Kim
That's a great question. Isomalt may help prevent it from crystallizing, but I haven't tried... Funny story, I made an Asian soy sauce dressing a week ago. It sat in my fridge all week. When I went to use it, I had clumps of clear crystals the size of sesame seeds to small marbles at the bottom of the jar. It was the erythritol. I strained it and sweetened with stevia glycerite! -Kim
LMS
I'm gonna have to try these but leave out the lousy erythritol as it all the erythritol based products seems to make me ill plus I'm one of those who can't do stevia either. So hopefully I can do this with Splenda which doesn't bother me.
Kim
Hi LMS. You can't sub the Splenda for the erythritol in this recipe. It just won't work. Sorry. -Kim
Jillian
I made these last night. I basically followed the recipe and had them in the fridge and then even put them in the freezer overnight and the caramel has still not set. It tastes delicious but the caramel is still runny and it doesn't make a candy... just caramel coated almonds that you have to put in a bowl. The only thing I changed in the recipe is that I used 1/2 cup of the monkfruit syrup and 1/4 cup of Swerve instead of the other way around... just because I'm not a fan of the aftertaste of erythritol. Would it make that much of a difference and cause the candies not to set? Maybe I stirred it too much during the 20 minutes it was simmering... I was paranoid that it was going to burn.
Kim
Hi Jillian, I have not used the monkfruit syrup before for this recipe. Do you mean like the Lakanto Monkfruit syrup? That wont work in this recipe because it is mainly water where the Sukrin syrup is Isomalt. The swerve should probably work but I don't suggest using anything other than the Sukrin Fiber Syrup or Fiberfit syrup. -Kim
Gillian
I made these with pecans. OMG! Game changer! I'll have to hide these from myself, they are that good!
Kim
I'm so glad you liked the recipe, Gillian. Pecans sound amazing! -Kim
Dee
Not sure if the calories per serving is for just one 🐢. Please clarify.
Kim
Yes, Dee. The info is for just 1 candy. -Kim
Angela
Do you think you could substitute the heavy cream for something coconut? I have a dairy restriction.
Kim
Absolutely, Angela. -Kim
Taylor
What is the serving size? Just checking for the carb amount per candy.
Kim
Hi Taylor, it's 2 net carbs per 1 candy. -Kim
Danyel
Is there a substitute you could use for the brandy and still have them turn out?
Kim
You don't have to add the brandy, Danyel - it just adds a nice flavor -Kim
Mona Smith
Am I the only one who doesn't see erithritol in this recipe?!? I made these and they were great but I had to guess at how much erythritol to use. I think I ended up with a little under 1/2 cup of swerve by adding and tasting.
Kim
Hi Mona. The Sukrin Gold is brown sugar flavored erythritol and it is measured at 1/2 cup, just like the erythritol you added. -Kim
Mona Smith
Oh ok. I had never heard of Sukrin before this recipe and I ordered and used sukrin fiber syrup clear and sukrin fiber syrup gold, as well as swerve. I just today saw the sukrin brown sugar on Amazon so I will have to get some and try it again correctly. These turtles did have the best flavor of any low carb sweets I have made so far but they did got me out of ketosis, maybe because I ate too many!
Kim
Hi Mona. It was probably because you used both of the fiber syrups. Only use ONE of them. I use just a little bit so it shouldn't knock anyone out of ketosis. It sounds like you accidentally doubled the fiber syrup! That's okay. The recipe will work better next time. You can use regular erythritol if you have the Sukrin Gold Syrup or if you use the clear fiber syrup, use the Sukrin Gold brown sugar replacement so you get that brown sugar flavor. That way you won't have to buy an extra product - however I LOVE THE SUKRIN GOLD brown sugar replacement. It's my favorite product. I purchase directly from Sukrin USA because it's cheaper. Have a nice evening. -Kim
Mona
Thanks Kim! I can't wait to get some sukrin gold and try it again! I didn't know there was a sugar free replacement for brown sugar so I'm also eager to try it in chocolate chip cookies,
Ilene
If you use Pecans instead of the Almonds would that change Nutritional info much? And do you think they will be just as good?
Kim
It won't change the nutritional information very much, Ilene. Toasted pecans are good in the recipe. I made the recipe with them first, but they weren't very pretty. Enjoy. -Kim
Ilene
What is Sukrin Fiber Syrup? I've never heard of it before. The Recipe looks great. I started Low Carb eating in April, so good, so far. But I have a terrible sweet tooth. And these look like delicious.
Kim
Hi Ilene. Sukrin Fiber Syrup is a sweet syrup similar to corn syrup in consistency. If you can't find the Sukrin Fiber Syrup on Sukrin USA, then try Vitasyrup on Amazon. -Kim
Carie
Do you think the Caramel sauce could be used to make caramel corn?
Kim
That's a great question, Carie. I don't know. I don't eat popcorn anymore and haven't tried. I don't want to say yes and have it not turn out. I hope you understand. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
Debbie
SG syrup raises everyone's sugar level more than sugar does!
Kim
I'm not sure that's an entirely true statement, Debbie. In any case, the amount listed equates to less than 1/2 a teaspoon per candy. -Kim
Erica
On the brandy do you use the alcohol brandy or candy extract that is brandy flavored?
Kim
I use the alcoholic beverage. I suppose you can use the candy extract, but I'm not sure how much to use. Most of the alcohol burns off, but maybe not all. -Kim
Kim
Erica, I just edited the recipe just a tiny bit to make it more clear. Make sure to re-read the procedure. -Kim
Mirjana
Great recipe! I’m wondering if 3/4 c. of Allulose can be used for the Carmel instead? I know Maria Emmrich used Allulose to make Carmel, but wonder if the proportions would be the same to get that hard Carmel consistency? Thanks!!
Mirjana
Also wondering if these could be frozen to keep linger? Pop one out and defrost a bit? With the Allulose I don’t believe it will crystallize.
Kim
I didn’t experience the crystallization phenomenon with this recipe - where things get crunchy. We actually had them in the fridge for a few weeks and they kept just fine. As far as freezing, I haven’t tried but since it’s mostly fat, I don’t think it would be a problem. The erythritol helps the caramel become harder otherwise it would be runny and all over the place. -Kim
Kim
I haven’t used Allulose yet, Miranda. From what I have heard, it is very expensive and like 60x times as sweet as sugar so you have to use more. I haven’t it looked it up in a while so don’t quite me on the sweetness. There is a similar product Tagatose which is not made anymore, but a company bought the patents and is making Tagatesse. It is much more sweet than sugar so you only have to use half as much. I get it from Sukrin USA. I have enjoyed using it in recipes that don’t need the bulk that our usual sweeteners contribute. I have not tried to use it in caramel yet. I think the erythritol helps contributes to the overall texture of the caramel when cool. It hardens a bit. I hope this info helps. -Kim
Dianne
Where do you get the Sukrin fiber and Sukrin gold...I'm in Canada
Kim
Hi Dianne, I ordered it from Sukrin USA. You may be able to buy from Amazon. -Kim
Val
Hi, do you think glycerin would help the crystallizing problem also?
Kim
I haven't tried, Val, but that's a great question. -Kim
Ramona Cahill
Serving size for this is one ???
Kim
Hi Ramona. Each candy is 2 net carbs and is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. The recipe makes 40 candies. Of course, you can have as many as you want. I hope I answered your question. Please ask if there is more information I can provide. Enjoy your Thursday. -Kim
Cheryl
This is one of my favorites to satisfy sweet tooth. I end up eating too much so I don't make as often as I like. Still a better alternative to sugar!!
Kim
It's a good one. I have the same problem. Lol. Luckily my kids love this and eat it before I get too many pieces. Lol. Thanks for letting me know you enjoy the recipe. Have a great day. -Kim
Kim
It's a good one. Luckily my kids like it so much that they save me from eating too many pieces. Lol. Have a great day! -Kim
Pathardy
Thank you I want to learn more about low carb
Kim
Great, Pat. I always point people to the Atkins site for free information and support through their forum. -Kim
kathy
Are you deducting the 3grams of fiber to make the carb count?
Kim
Great question, Kathy. Yes, generally we deduct the fiber from the total carbs to get a net carb number in the U.S. -Kim
Taryn
These look amazing. My mom loves turtles. I'm trying to get her to give up sugar. I should make her a batch for Christmas to win her over :)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love turtles! This is a great recipe for sugar-free caramel. Good to know that maltitol raises your blood sugar!
Sarah
Chocolate and caramel - so delicious! These look amazing!
Kim
Thanks, Sarah! -Kim
Katrin
So interesting that the fibre syrup sorts out the problem with the crystallisation! Sukrin have not got it available at this time in the UK ,so I can't wait. Your turtles look to die for. I wish I could snack on one right now.
Kim
Yes, Katrin. I still have some in the fridge from several weeks ago and they never got "crunchy". They taste just as good as they did when I first made them. The syrup begs to be played with but it is pretty high in fiber, so moderation in the key. Have fun with it when Sukrin UK gets it in. -Kim
Georgina
Wow these look SO perfect! YUM!
Adina
I have xylit at home which is erythrit in German, I suppose that is the same thing as erythritol... I don't have or ever heard of the fiber syrup before. Could I replace that with maple syrup for instance?
Kim
Hi Adina. Great questions. Xylitol and erythritol are two different sweeteners with different properties. However, I do believe that xylitol would work in the recipe although I haven't tried it. I'm not sure about replacing the fiber sugar with maple sugar as that may burn with the long boil time. There are recipes for making paleo caramels online using sugar alternatives like honey and coconut milk instead of heavy cream if you are interested in a paleo recipe. Again great questions. You comment reminds me that it's been far too long since I've visited your beautiful site. Have a wonderful week Adina! -Kim
Carrie
No way! I literally just did a web search for low carb turtles and BOOM!! this popped up! Thank you!
Kim
Great! I hope you enjoy the recipe, Carrie. -Kim
STACEY
I would eat all my veggies for these too! I don't even own a candy thermometer, so I'm glad I don't need one. Turtle are a favorite.
Kim
Thanks, Stacey. They really are good! -Kim