Traditional Keto Pumpkin Pie Recipe - KetoConnect (2024)

There is no dish more symbolic of the holiday season in America than Pumpkin Pie. It’s such a traditional that Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without it. Enjoying Thanksgiving on a diet is always a challenge, luckily you have us to try and make it a bit easier. Give this incredible Keto Pumpkin Pie recipe a try this year and no one will believe that they’re eating healthy pumpkin pie. It’s that good!

As you might have guessed, pumpkin pie has rich traditions in American and English history. It is believed that pumpkin pie was already a very popular dish before the English settled in America. What may have been the signature moment that earned pumpkin pie it’s place at our Thanksgiving table is the fact that a small town in Connecticut actually postponed the holiday because they were short on ingredients for this signature pie. (1)

How Many Carbs are in Pumpkin Pie?

Pumpkin Pie made in the traditional way is a very high carb dish, just like most desserts you’re familiar with. A slice of pumpkin pie will generally be around 50g of carbs, with a good portion of those being from the added sugar. Our keto pumpkin pie cuts that all the way down to just 6g of net carbs per slice. We do this by replacing the sugar with a keto friendly alternative, as well as using our signature keto pie crust recipe to replace the grain based pie crust typically used. What you’re left with is a keto pumpkin pie that is every bit as good as the one you grew up eating. You might even be able to fool a couple of your relatives!

Tips for Making The Best Keto Pumpkin Pie

Follow these tips and you will come out with a perfect keto pumpkin pie every time. Making a low carb pumpkin pie is a bit more complex than you might be used to. You will need to more precise with the temperature of your crust in order to get it to be nice as crispy, the way any good pie should be.

Make the Crust

Making the pie crust is the toughest step of the recipe. Using our keto pie crust recipe you will need to closely monitor the temperature of the crust. If your crust is not cold enough it will be impossible to roll out with a rolling pin and shape into the pie pan. Anytime you are having trouble working with the crust just pop it into the fridge for a few minutes and it will be much easier to work with.

Since we are using almond flour and coconut flour instead of wheat flour, the pie crust can be a bit harder to work with than you are used to. The recipe also calls for Xanthan Gum, which is a binding agent at helps hold the crust together. You will be totally fine if you omit the Xanthan Gum, it will just be slightly harder to work with.

Prior to placing the crust in the oven you will want to poke the bottom of the crust with a fork to create holes. This allow the air to circulate and cook the bottom of the crust without create a bubble.

Baking the crust is pretty straightforward. One thing to keep an eye on is if the crust begins to burn. Usually this will happen where the crust is thinnest and around the edges. To prevent burning you can make a rim of tin foil to cover the crust and all the keto pumpkin pie filling to bake without burning the crust.

You can make a big batch of pie crusts and keep them in the freezer to be used throughout the holidays. We do this every thanksgiving and are able to use the crusts for our Christmas meals as well.

Make the Keto Pumpkin Pie Filling

The keto pumpkin pie filling is almost identical to the pumpkin pie filling you are used to with a few changes. To make a sugar free pumpkin pie, we have removed the sugar that is typically involved and replaced it with a zero carb sweetener called erythritol. Reference our sweetener conversion chart to understand a little bit more about the different sugar alcohols and natural sweeteners we use for sugar free and gluten free low carb baking. If you are new to baking with sugar alcohols just know that they are low calorie, low glycemic replacements for sugar.

When buying your pumpkin puree for the filling make sure you look for a can with just a single ingredient of “pumpkin” or “pumpkin puree”. Sometimes people get confused and they buy the can of premade pumpkin pie filling which is loaded with sugar. Pumpkin puree is what you’re looking for!

Very Important. You need to know your audience. If you are serving keto desserts to people that have never had them before then you may not want to use a large amount of erythritol. To those that are not used to it erythritol can have a cooling sensation in the mouth and may be unpleasant. For this reason we find it best to use a smaller amount of erythritol and also add in some stevia. This combination makes your keto pumpkin pie more palatable to your relatives that are not used to keto sweeteners.

Use Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin pie spice is a magical blend of wintery spices that give this pie its signature flavor. The biggest mistake people make with their pumpkin pie recipes is not adding enough pumpkin pie spice. For a single pie we add 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice. This will give your low carb pumpkin pie recipe the kick that you’re used to.

If you would prefer a more homemade version rather than buying premade pumpkin pie spice you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. I find that using your own spice mix gives the pie a more unique and homemade flavor while using pumpkin pie spice gives it the traditional flavor that most people are used to.

Don’t Overbake It

You want to err on the side of under baking this pie. If you leave it in the oven too long the crust will burn and the pie will crack. You should remove it while it is still slightly jiggle to the tough. As it cools it will firm up and have a perfectly smooth consistency.

Allow the Pie to Cool Completely

This is so important for keto pumpkin pie. The filling is not as thick as a traditional filling which means when your low carb pumpkin pie cools, it will be nice and silky. BUT, if you don’t give it the necessary time to cool it will be hard to cut and serve. I recommend allowing it to cool for at least 2 hours and serving it at room temperature or slightly below.

If you’re in a rush you can allow the pie to cool in the freezer or the refrigerator. I usually place it in the freezer and it takes 1 hour to completely cool.

How to Serve Low Carb Pumpkin Pie

The first rule of this pumpkin pie recipe is that it should be served at room temperature or below. I personally like it right out of the fridge. If you serve this pie warm it doesn’t taste quite as good and the texture is not right. Top your pumpkin pie with some easy keto whipped cream or cool whip. Simply whip up some heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer and add in some stevia sweetener, and some vanilla for flavor. This makes for a perfectly creamy topping for the pumpkin pie recipe and adds some tasty fat as well.

Do You Need to Blind Bake the Pie Crust?

This is debatable and it really comes down to the texture you like your crust to have. Most people seem to enjoy a pie crust that is on the crunchier side and provides a contrast in texture to the filling. If this is what you’re going for then you’re best off blind baking or pre baking the pie crust.

The downside of blind baking the crust is that it can result in some burning around the edges. A simple solution to this is to use a tin foil rim around the edges when you bake it for a second time. If you’re in a rush and you don’t mind the crust being soft and not crispy, then adding the filling to the raw pie crust and baking it all at once could be the solution for you.

Make Your Thanksgiving Keto Friendly

People always ask us how to approach Thanksgiving when you are on a keto diet. It’s hard to give advice because everyone has different goals and responds differently to the holiday environment. Here’s the best advice I have for tackling the holidays.

1. Have a plan – Decide in advance whether you will be sticking to your diet or you will be indulging a bit. Either option is fine as long as you plan for it. I also find it particularly helpful to have a plan for the next morning just to be sure that Thanksgiving doesn’t carry on all the way until New Years. I like to treat the day after Thanksgiving as if it were any other day. Back to my keto diet and eating my typical meals.
2. Make a keto side dish and a keto dessert – You know you’re going to have turkey, so your main entrée is taken care of. Typically you will be able to find a side dish or two that are keto friendly. This leaves you with only one thing you might be missing and that is dessert. I always like bringing a low carb dessert with me to my family gatherings. That helps cut down on the temptations and it’s fun to see everyone try the healthy desserts I bring.
3. Get creative with the menu – Browse through our top 30+ best keto thanksgiving recipes and add a few of them to the menu. My personal favorites are the keto pecan pie and keto pumpkin bread.

Got Leftover Pumpkin? Try These!

Pumpkin season only comes around once a year so make sure you get your fill… and yes, you can have pumpkin on a keto diet. Pumpkin pie is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out all of these pumpkin keto recipes we have to use up those extra cans of pumpkin you have lying around.

1. Low Carb Pumpkin Pancakes – The perfect keto recipe for the morning after Thanksgiving. The pumpkin makes these pancakes the absolute softest and most tender pancakes you’ve ever tried. You can make them as sweet as you’d like. Top with butter and sugar free syrup for a fun breakfast.
2. Low Carb Pumpkin Bread – If bread is your thing (isn’t it everyone’s?) then this is the recipe for you. Our super moist pumpkin bread is filled with a tangy cream cheese filling. It’s more a dessert than a breakfast, but if you have it for breakfast we won’t tell anyone. You might also like our keto pumpkin bars recipe.
3. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes – This recipe is truly one of our most beautiful. Layers of cheesecake, crust and pumpkin make for a sensation in every bite. If you want the flavor of pumpkin pie but want to cut the carbs down even further then this is the recipe for you. A less sweet alternative that is more suitable for breakfast would be these keto pumpkin muffins.
4. Low Carb Pumpkin Crisp – This is just like a pumpkin pie but easier. Instead of making a crust and dealing with all of the headaches that come with that, why not just use a crumble topping instead. It provides the same contrast in texture that a crust would but is less of a hassle.
5. Keto Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – This is definitely our favorite new pumpkin recipe. The chocolate chips add a delicious contrast in flavors to the warm fall flavors in these cookies.

You can browse our site knowing that every single recipe is keto friendly, sugar free and gluten free. We pride ourselves on providing people with a healthier alternative to all of their favorite foods, so browse our website to find whatever keto recipes you are craving.

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