A creamy keto pumpkin pie filling with a tender almond flour crust. If you want a light and airy Thanksgiving dessert, then this Pumpkin Cream Pie is for you. With only 7g total carbs per serving, you can afford to indulge this holiday season.
Who wants pie?
The dreaded words that anyone on a low carb diet hates to hear at the end of their Thanksgiving meal. Because that pie…oh my! It has a lot, and I mean a LOT, of carbs. Pumpkin or pecan, it doesn’t matter. With all that pie crust and all that sugar, it’s bound to be carbalicious.
Except that it really doesn’t have to be and this low carb pumpkin cream pie proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
This pumpkin pie recipe is a keto dieter’s dream and I promise you that it will be the highlight of your holiday meal. You will be looking forward to dessert all dinner long!
Adventures in making Pumpkin Cream Pie
A shout out to the reader who suggested I try my hand at this. I believe it was over Instagram, and she said I was the queen of keto cream pie recipes. How could I resist such flattery?
I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought I would make it exactly the same way I made keto Strawberry Cream Pie and the Mocha Cream Pie from Easy Keto Desserts. Oh boy, was I wrong.
For some reason, when I added my pumpkin mixture to my whipped cream, the filling completely curdled. It tasted great, but it was remarkably ugly. All little bits of orange pumpkin puree mottled by little bits of white whipped cream. It wasn’t uniform at all and nothing I did made it come back together. And I knew it wouldn’t set properly either, since they wouldn’t mix together.
Don’t make the same mistake I did! I tossed that filling and started over.
Many pumpkin cream pie recipes rely heavily on cream cheese for the filling, but that’s more of a pumpkin cheesecake and that wasn’t what I was after here. But I knew it would help give the filling some structure so I used only half of a brick of cream cheese. And then I also used some gelatin dissolved in hot water to give it a lighter, more airy quality.
I also used the new Swerve Brown sweetener for a true pumpkin pie flavor, with that hint of caramel or molasses. You could use all powdered Swerve here, if you prefer. The second filling turned out just as I wanted it, a light pumpkin mousse rather than a dense cheesecake, but so rich and satisfying at the same time.
For the crust, I highly recommend using my Almond Flour Pie Crust. It’s so easy because it’s simply a press in pie crust, but it ends up being tender and flaky, and it holds up to any filling you want to put into it. You could make it no-bake, but in this particular application, I highly recommend baking it. It has more crispness that way, which contrasts deliciously with the creamy no-bake pumpkin filling.
But you know, if you wanted to skip the crust altogether and eat this as a delicious pumpkin mousse, I wouldn’t stop you.
Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
It’s so wonderful to have sugar free options to some of our favorite traditional desserts. This pumpkin cream pie isn’t like your traditional custard pie. It’s not nearly as dense or heavy, but it’s still full of amazing pumpkin pie flavor.
And only the crust is baked, so it’s really easy to make. Be sure to use the gelatin to make sure it sets properly, but you shouldn’t have any worries that it won’t turn out well. Sometimes regular pumpkin pie doesn’t set or makes the crust soggy but it won’t happen with this pumpkin cream filling.
Here’s to a happy and healthy keto Thanksgiving! Who wants pie?
A creamy keto pumpkin pie filling with a tender almond flour crust. If you want a light and airy Thanksgiving dessert, then this Pumpkin Cream Pie is for you. With only 7g total carbs per serving, you can afford to indulge this holiday season.
- 1 recipe Almond Flour Press In Pie Crust
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup Swerve Brown
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 tsp grassfed gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Make the pie crust according to the directions and bake at 325F for about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.
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In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar substitute, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the water and gelatin. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then whisk again to dissolve the gelatin. Beat into the pumpkin mixture.
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In another large bowl, beat the whipping cream with the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks.
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Fold the two mixtures together until no streaks remain. Spread in the prepared pie crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set.
Deb says
Thanks for the recipe … love pumpkin! Just a clarification … is it the “green” or “orange” label of Gre
at Lakes gelatin?
Carolyn says
The green can is collagen, not gelatin. So it’s the orange can. I’ve linked it in the recipe itself.
pcjae says
Thanks so much for the recipe. FYI, the link for the recipe goes to both the green and orange can, and they both say gelatin. That’s why it’s confusing.
Carolyn says
Ah, it didn’t used to. Amazon sometimes changes the product for the same link. thanks for the tip!
Jennifer says
This looks amazing! Could I substitute coconut cream for the heavy whipping cream?
Carolyn says
Probably but I didn’t try it this way.
Kerry says
Yum! I think I’ll make this for Thanksgiving this year. Can’t wait!
Danielle Covarrubias says
Do you have to use the gelatin?
Carolyn says
Yup, if you want it to set and not goo all over your counter.
Tracy Sabroff says
Is there something else that you can use in place of the gelatin?
Carolyn says
Gelatin is required to set the filling. I don’t know of any good subs.
Lynn says
Couldn’t you use xanthan gum as a substitute for the gelatin? I know you don’t need much of this stuff – how much do you think?
Edmark-Cargill Kristina says
I have Sukrin Gold sugar alternative. Is it similar to the Swerve Brown?
Carolyn says
Yes, you can use that..
Katie says
I love all of the amazing keto recipes! It just shows that you don’t have to miss out on fabulous flavors like pumpkin during this season, even when you are eating better!
Patti says
Carolyn,
Do you think it would work with Knox gelatin, I don’t have the grass fed, and I LOVE anything pumpkin…I love your pumpkin and cream cheese muffins and I have some cream cheese softening on the counter as I type!
P.S thank you for all your amazing recipes! ❤
Carolyn says
It should but you need to bloom it properly first so mix it with more cold water (about 1/4 cup) for 5 minutes and then warm it up to dissolve.
Jennifer Blake says
Love this variation to your classic pumpkin pie. That light hint of orange with the flecks of spice are gorgeous!
D'Ann Martin says
I eat keto a and none of my coworkers do. We take turns making treats for each others birthdays, but I have to make my own or else I get a SAD dessert! Lol😂 I want to make this for my birthday treat Friday. I would need to make a bit more though. To make this in a 9×13 cake pan, do you think I should double the recipe or just 1 1/2 the recipe? Looks Devine and every single one of your recipes have been a hit!
Carolyn says
Okay, the best way to figure it out is to get the area of a 9 inch circle compared to a 9×13 rectangle. 9×13 is 117, whereas a 9 inch circle is 63 or thereabouts (I used an online calculator to figure that out because who has time to do the math of pi times the radius squared???). So you do in fact need to double it, since 2×63 = 126 so 117 is pretty darn close!
Lindsay Cotter says
I don’t think I can wait for Thanksgiving to have a slice of this pie! It looks out of this world delicious!!
Kellie Hemmerly says
OMG….this is so light and fluffy….easy to make and amazing!
Suzy says
Love that I found a keto option for pumpkin cream pie! Keto friends will love me 🙂
DeeGee says
I’m looking forward to making another of your wonderful recipes! I only have Swerve regular in the house. Do you think adding a bit of molasses might accomplish the same flavor? Any suggestions regarding the amount? I’m also contemplating using half ground pecans for the crust. My mouth is watering already. Thanks again!
Carolyn says
Yes, regular Swerve and maybe a teaspoon of molasses would be fine.
Dee Gee says
Thanks so much. It turned out GREAT! Everyone was thrilled with it 😉
Cici says
I think you should re-name this Pumpkin Chiffon Pie! Can’t wait to make it!
Lainie Stambaugh says
Carolyn, I LOVE your recipes! This one is also a sure hit! I made this today for our Friendsgiving dinner and everyone loved it! Thank you!
Carolyn says
So happy to hear it!
Bobbi says
Thanks for all these amazing recipes.. I will be making a few of these for Thanksgiving but could I use xanthan or guar gum in place of grassfed gelatin?
Carolyn says
Yes, you probably can. Whisk about 1/2 tsp in to the liquid before you fold into the whipped cream.
Elaine Lynn says
Any idea if you can freeze it? I have to work Mon-Weds leading up to Thanksgiving so would love to make ahead…
Carolyn says
No idea, sorry. I doubt it would do well in the freezer.
Raana Ponstingl says
I have made this 3 times now and freeze the pie with a whipped cream topping. It thaws out just fine. I freeze pie pieces for portion control.
Joanne says
This looks delicious! What do you think about making it a day ahead and refrigerating it for 24 hours before serving? Thanks!
Carolyn says
It will be fine!
Joanne says
Awesome! Thanks so much for the quick response!
Sandra says
After you bloom it do you use the full ¼ cup or 2 tablespoons of the gelatin to mix with the pumpkin pie purée?
LORI says
MY cream cheese made little chunks when I mixed it up with the pumpkin. WHAT happened?
Carolyn says
Were your eggs or pumpkin cold?
Marge meeuwen says
My my my! I made this today and it was so good. The best pumpkin pie! So tasty and fluffy. Thanks
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Alana Jones says
I made this today and it was delicious! I started keto 10 weeks ago and have lost 21 pounds and having the option to still eat sweets like this is life-changing! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Congrats and good luck on your keto journey!
Karen Kelleher says
What eggs????? I do not need them listed in recipe ingredients.
Carolyn says
Yes, a mistake on my part, I was trying to identify why this person’s filling curdled.
DavetteB says
If I skip the crust, how does that affect the carb count? I’m the only low carb person in my house and I’m trying to keep my numbers tight.
Carolyn says
I don’t know so you will have to run those numbers yourself. Should be pretty easy to do in an online nutritional calculator.
Ana says
I had also originally made the strawberry cream pie and when fall came around I wondered if I could turn the berry cream pie into a pumpkin cream pie, so I’m really happy someone has already tried it! It’s now my new favorite kind of pumpkin pie! I also added some chopped pecans to the crust and sprinkled some on as a topping which added a great flavour. Definitely recommend.
Carolyn says
Sounds delicious!
Elita in L.A. says
The crust is hands down the best pie crust I’ve eaten, keto or not. SO GOOD! I doubled the filling mostly because it was easier than splitting the can of pumpkin and trying to figure out what to do with the rest. I also added a lot more pie spice. The filling was delicious, albeit I do wish it had a stronger pumpkin flavor, it was muted by the whipped cream. Don’t get me wrong, I still couldn’t stop myself from adding another sliver and yet another sliver to my plate after eating a whole piece! I delivered half of the pie to a friend (I clearly could not be trusted with the whole pie in my house) and she and her husband also thought it was fantastic! THANK YOU for yet another delicious keto treat!
FIONA says
What can I substitute for Swerve….I can’t do anything with erythritol?
Carolyn says
What powdered sweetener do you like?
Karen McGowan-Olyott says
I love this pie! I’ve made it 2 times already, my family also love it and they are not doing keto here in the uk, not many make use of the pumpkin sadly.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Heather says
I love this recipe!! Even my non-keto sugar-addict family members love it! I like my pumpkin pie a little spicy, so I did add cinnamon, cloves, ginger & all spice to taste. Also, I found that there is just enough room in the crust to make a second batch of the whipped cream & spread it over the top. I’ve made it about 8 times in 2 months!! Thank you!
Bonnie Eckard says
I used fresh pumpkin and this recipe was superb. I recently bought a copper bowl and a balloon whisk and the peaks of the cream formed just nicely and folded into the pumpkin beautifully. I just needed my pie shell just a bit bigger there was mixture leftover I put into a container to eat later. Thank you dearly for the confidence to continue baking Keto! I think everyone is going to want this pie instead of my regular cooked pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year.
Carolyn says
That sounds lovely, glad it worked out so well!
Tina says
Help!!! I forgot to get the gelatin! Is there anything else I can use??
Carolyn says
You really need gelatin to set the filling. I am not sure what to day.
Erica B says
Late reply, but…I’d probably put the pumpkin in a sauce pan with a few tablespoons of cream and butter, whisk in a couple of egg yolks and cook briefly and very gently, then let it cool. I’d also add a good pinch of xanthan gum to the whipped cream at the firm peaks stage. The yolks, butter, and gum should firm up the filling at least a little. It wouldn’t be the original recipe, but maybe it’d hold its shape at least. 😄
Jen Richard says
I won’t be missing traditional pumpkin pie this year AT ALL! Thank you so much!!
Jennifer D says
I’m making this for an early (Canadian) Thanksgiving this weekend. (Canadian Thanksgiving is not for another week, early celebrations!) I Know it will be delicious…. all of your recipes are! But, I have one teeny comment…. wish list…. whatever you want to call it. Could you please link the recipe for the Almond Flour Crust in the recipe, also? That would be helpful for some of us! I tracked it down before I went to the store…. but some readers may miss doing that….)
Thank you! And Thank You for being our Test Kitchen……. I’m off to make this now….
Carolyn says
It’s already linked right in the recipe. Have a great Canadian Thanksgiving!