These Maple Pecan Bars are topped with Sea Salt and made in the Air Fryer. These bars will give you that pecan pie bite, but made in half the time it takes to roll out the crust for a traditional pie.
What Makes Maple Pecan Bars With Sea Salt So Good
- Fast. Done in nearly 30 minutes .
- Easy. Made in your air fryer for easy cleanup.
- Vegetarian. A great vegetarian-friendly dessert option .
- Delicious. The most decadent flavors you crave in a comforting dessert.
I wanted to make an indulgent Air Fryer Dessert Recipe because of the time it saves, and find a way to beat the heat! If you are hosting a holiday party or need a quick dessert to bring as a gift, these maple pecan bars will hit both the sweet and salty cravings.
Here in Texas, pecans are available year-round, so for me, this is a great base of a pecan pie recipe to make any time.
Maple Syrup or Corn Syrup?
While Pecan pies and tarts are typically made with corn syrup, I wanted to use maple syrup for its distinctive taste.
Corn syrup can sweeten—but it doesn’t provide the distinct flavor that maple does.
Corn syrup is basically just glucose, water, and no flavor. Maple syrup is sucrose with water, but there are a lot of other flavor compounds that add a complex, smoky sweetness to the finished dish.
There’s just something about maple syrup and sea salt together that is absolutely divine.
Watch the Video On How to Make Air fryer Maple Pecan Bars
How to Make Maple Pecan Bars in the Air Fryer
Step 1: Start with the crust. It couldn’t be easier!
Mix together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and mix until crumbly. Then place it evenly in the foil-lined baking pan . Press it down into the pan. Place the crust in the air fryer and cook first for 13 minutes.
Step 2: The delicious filling
In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and milk. When it begins simmering, cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans.
Place the filling on the par-baked crust, and spread into an even layer. Place back in the air fryer and bake for 12 minutes. When it comes out of the air fryer, immediately sprinkle sea salt on the top, and allow to cool completely.
Why Make Air Fryer Desserts?
The biggest advantage of using Air Fryers to make desserts is simply, they use less energy. If you were to translate an air fryer recipe to a regular oven, you’d want to increase the temperature by 25-50 degrees, and increase the time by 25%.
Not only is this more energy-efficient, but think of the energy you’re saving by not having to cool down the house that got heated up when you ran a large oven at 400F–only to make a small little pecan tart in it.
Step by Step Instructions to Make Maple Pecan Bars
Step 1: Finely chop pecans.
Step 2: Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in all-purpose flour and salt.
Step 3: Press the crust down into a square baking dish and place in the Air Fryer . Bake for 13 minutes. When you have 5 minutes left of cook time, start the filling.
Step 4: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and milk until simmering.
Step 5: Add the vanilla and pecans.
Step 6: Carefully pour the maple and pecan filling into the baking dish , and spread the filling with a spatula until evenly distributed. Bake for 12 minutes.
Step 7: Remove from the Air Fryer , and sprinkle the top with sea salt. Cool completely on a wire rack. I recommend refrigerating overnight if possible before cutting the bars.
Tips and Tricks:
- Finely chop the pecans small for easier cutting of finished bars
- Chill the bars before serving. It’s a must!
- Leave extra foil to hang over the sides of the baking dish to create handles to easily remove the cooked tart.
- To make this in an oven, try 325F. You will likely have to bake for 3-4 minutes longer than specified in the recipe.
Need More Desserts?
- Keto Maple Pecan Blondies
- Air Fryer Eggless Farina Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding
- Instant Pot Mango Cheesecake
Maple Pecan Bars With Sea Salt
Equipment
- PHILLIPS AIR FRYER
- 8 x 8 Baking Dish
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ▢ Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- ▢ 1/3 cup Butter , softened
- ▢ 1/4 cup Brown Sugar , firmly packed
- ▢ 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- ▢ 1/4 tea Kosher Salt
For the Filling
- ▢ 4 TBS Butter (1/2 stick) , diced
- ▢ 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- ▢ 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- ▢ 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- ▢ 1/4 tea Vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup Pecans , Finely Chopped
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Flaked Sea Salt , for Topping
Instructions
For the Crust
- Line a 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a couple of inches of overhang. Spray the foil with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture (it will be crumbly) to the prepared pan. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the mixture (it will be crumbly) to the prepared pan. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. (use the bottom of a coffee mug to help press it in the pan if needed.)
- Place the pan in the air-fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 350°F for 13 minutes. When the crust has 5 minutes left to cook, start the filling.
For the Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When it begins simmering, cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and finely chopped pecans.
- Carefully pour the filling evenly over the crust, gently spreading with a rubber spatula so the pecans and liquid are evenly distributed.
- Set the air fryer for 12 minutes or until mixture is bubbling. (The center should still be slightly jiggly–it will thicken as it cools.)
- Remove the pan from the air fryer and sprinkle with the salt. Cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled to room temperature, transfer the pan to the refrigerator. Use the foil overhang to remove from the pan and cut into 8 bars.
- Serve at room temperature.
Watch The Video
- Finely chop the pecans small for easier cutting of finished bars
- Chill the bars before serving. It’s a must!
- Leave extra foil to hang over the sides of the baking dish to create handles to easily remove the cooked tart.
- To make this in an oven, try 325F. You will likely have to bake for 3-4 minutes longer than specified in the recipe.
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Originally Published December 23, 2019
And don’t forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer , and Air Fryer Revolution .
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Maple Pecan Bars With Sea Salt
Ingredients
For the Crust
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1/3 cup Butter softened
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tea Kosher Salt
For the Filling
- 4 TBS Butter (1/2 stick) diced
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 tea Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup Pecans Finely Chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Flaked Sea Salt for Topping
Instructions
For the Crust
- Line a 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a couple of inches of overhang. Spray the foil with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture (it will be crumbly) to the prepared pan. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the mixture (it will be crumbly) to the prepared pan. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. (use the bottom of a coffee mug to help press it in the pan if needed.)
- Place the pan in the air-fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 350°F for 13 minutes. When the crust has 5 minutes left to cook, start the filling.
For the Filling
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When it begins simmering, cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and finely chopped pecans.
Carefully pour the filling evenly over the crust, gently spreading with a rubber spatula so the pecans and liquid are evenly distributed.
Set the air fryer for 12 minutes or until mixture is bubbling. (The center should still be slightly jiggly–it will thicken as it cools.)
Remove the pan from the air fryer and sprinkle with the salt. Cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled to room temperature, transfer the pan to the refrigerator. Use the foil overhang to remove from the pan and cut into 8 bars.
Serve at room temperature.
Finely chop the pecans small for easier cutting of finished bars
Chill the bars before serving. It’s a must!
Leave extra foil to hang over the sides of the baking dish to create handles to easily remove the cooked tart.
To make this in an oven, try 325F. You will likely have to bake for 3-4 minutes longer than specified in the recipe.
Maple Pecan Bars With Sea Salt https://twosleevers.com/maple-pecan-bars/
If you’re not familiar with the delicious flavors of Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers, you’ve truly been missing out. They are the perfect combination of spicy with a cool and creamy filling that makes them a tasty low carb treat.
Why Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers Are A Keto Dream Come True
Tasty flavor combinations aren’t the only thing that makes Jalapeño Poppers a hit. Here are some of the other things that will make you want to make them over and over again.
- Fast. An easy snack or appetizer made in under 30 minutes .
- Easy. Five minutes of prep time and toss in your air fryer . That’s it.
- Few Ingredients. You’ll need 5 ingredients (or less) to make these keto friendly Jalapeño Poppers.
- Low Carb . Only 6 grams of carb per serving.
- Versatile. Use your favorite type of peppers, a variety of cheeses, or wrap with prosciutto or ham for a twist on a classic recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This delicious five ingredient recipe is the perfect spur of the moment keto snack , appetizer , or side dish . No need to make a special trip to the grocery store when all of them are commonly found in most of our kitchens.
Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need before you get started:
- Jalapeños - The main ingredient and the base of the dish, jalapeños provide a spicy kick and slightly smoky flavor. They are the perfect vessel for stuffing with creamy, cheesy filling, and their heat balances beautifully with the richness of the other ingredients.
- Bacon - Bacon adds a savory, smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the heat of the jalapeños. Once cooked, it becomes crispy, providing a satisfying texture contrast to the creamy filling. Bacon also adds an irresistible richness to the overall dish.
- Cream Cheese - The creamy filling in the poppers, cream cheese provides smoothness and a mild flavor that helps balance the spiciness of the jalapeños. It also helps hold the bacon, cheese, and spices together, making the poppers deliciously creamy and rich.
- Cheddar Cheese - The cheese that melts and oozes inside the poppers. Cheddar adds sharpness, depth, and a satisfying gooey texture that complements the richness of the cream cheese. It also contributes to the overall flavor profile with its tangy and savory notes.
- Cayenne Pepper - For those who like extra heat, cayenne pepper is an optional addition to enhance the spiciness of the poppers. It adds a subtle warmth and a kick of fiery flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
How To Make Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Unlike stuffing and breading the traditional deep fried version, making these air fryer Jalapeño Poppers is a breeze.
Here’s how to make the perfect bacon wrapped Jalapeño Poppers that are super simple to make, but taste just as delicious as the high carb version:
- Prep the peppers. Carefully cut jalapeños lengthwise from the stem to the tip of the pepper. Use the back of a spoon to carefully remove all of the seeds from the jalapeños
- Make the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Stuff the peppers. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the body of the peppers until it is level with the top of the halved pepper
- Wrap them up. Place a strip of bacon around the cream cheese stuffed jalapeño, ensuring the ends of the strip of bacon are on the underside of the pepper.
- Air Fry. Place the stuffed peppers directly into your air fryer basket. Set your air fryer to 325F. Cook without flipping or turning for 12 minutes or until the cream cheese is bubbly and the bacon is cooked to your desired doneness.
Can You Make Keto Jalapeño Poppers In The Oven?
If you haven’t purchased an air fryer yet (or are using it to make another one of our amazing air fryer recipes) you can still make these yummy stuffed jalapeños in your oven!
Here’s how:
- Prep and stuff. Make the stuffed peppers according to the air fryer instructions listed above.
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Add to a pan. Place Jalapeño Poppers on a baking sheet and place them in the oven.
- Cook. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until bacon is cooked completely and the cheese is bubbly.
Tips And Tricks
While this is an incredibly simple recipe, here are a few tips and tricks that can make you love it even more:
- Use thin-cut bacon. This will ensure your bacon gets crispy without charring your peppers.
- Grab a toothpick. If you’re having trouble getting the bacon to stay in place when wrapping, simply place a toothpick through the bacon. Just remember to remove it before serving.
- Make it Vegetarian. Trying to maintain a meat-free lifestyle? Skip the bacon and cook as instructed.
- Chop It Up. Want to keep your hands clean? Skip wrapping the jalapeños with bacon and chop it up into fine pieces instead. Sprinkle the small pieces of bacon on top of the cream cheese and cook as directed.
Variations
If you’re craving a low-carb twist on classic jalapeño poppers, there are plenty of fun and flavorful variations to try. Here’s a list of ideas to inspire your next batch:
- Cheese Variations - Swap the traditional cream cheese filling for combinations like cheddar and mozzarella, pepper jack for a little heat, or blue cheese for a bold, tangy kick.
- Sausage-Stuffed - Add cooked breakfast sausage or chorizo to the cream cheese for a savory, protein-packed filling.
- Herb Infusion - Mix fresh herbs like cilantro, chives, or parsley into the cheese filling for an aromatic, fresh twist.
- Spicy Kick - Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or crushed red pepper flakes to the filling for extra heat.
How Long Do They Last?
In my house, about 20 minutes, max. But, if you have a little more self-control than we do and have some leftover, they last for up to 5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Can You Reheat Them?
Absolutely! One of the many things I love about this recipe is that you can reheat them the same way you cooked them–in the air fryer!
To reheat them, simply lay them cream cheese side up in the air fryer and warm at 280F for 2 minutes or until the bacon is sizzling and the cream cheese is warmed through.
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
One of my favorite things about cooking with an air fryer is how many things you can cook to perfection with very little effort or learning curve.
Here are some of my favorite things to make in my air fryer :
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Pizza
Watch The Video
AIR FRYER JALAPEÑO POPPERS | KETO JALAPEÑO POPPERS
Equipment
- PHILLIPS AIR FRYER
Ingredients
- ▢ 12 Jalapeño Peppers
- ▢ 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- ▢ 6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ▢ 12 strips Bacon
Instructions
To Prep Jalapeño Poppers
- Using disposable gloves, carefully cut jalapeños lengthwise from the stem to the tip of the pepper.
- Use the back of a spoon to carefully remove all of the seeds from the jalapeñosIn a mixing bowl,
- Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the body of the peppers until it is level with the top of the halved pepper
- Wrap a strip of bacon around the cream cheese stuffed jalapeño, ensuring the ends of the strip of bacon are on the underside of the pepper.
To Air Fry Jalapeño Poppers
- Place the stuffed peppers directly into your air fryer basket
- Set your air fryer to 325F
- Cook without flipping or turning for 12 minutes or until the cream cheese is bubbly and the bacon is cooked to your desired doneness
To Cook Jalapeño Poppers In The Oven
- Prepare the stuffed peppers according to the air fryer instructions listed above.
- Place Jalapeño Poppers on a baking sheet and place them in the oven.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until bacon is cooked completely and the cheese is bubbly.
Get support & connect with our community on Facebook!
Nutrition
And don’t forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer , and Air Fryer Revolution .
