Pumpkin Crumb Cake is the ultimate keto fall dessert recipe. Tender low carb cake with pumpkin and spice, and a delicious brown “sugar” crumb topping. The perfect keto coffee cake recipe! This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
First keto pumpkin spice recipe of the season! It’s September now and that means I’m allowed to post all the pumpkin recipes my little heart desires, right? Starting with this delectably tender pumpkin crumb cake.
I already have so many pumpkin spice recipes. I love pumpkin and fall, and all that comes with it. So many delicious keto friendly ways to enjoy that big orange gourd. Like my Keto Pumpkin Cream Pie, a delicious light and airy take on standard pumpkin pie.
Or my almost famous Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, a healthier keto take on the Starbucks version. And don’t forget about easy keto pumpkin pancakes, a welcome addition to any fall breakfast table.
But this pumpkin coffee cake is truly something special. Tender pumpkin spice flavored cake with a crumbly streusel topping. Low carb and grain free, of course.
And then I went and put a delicious vanilla drizzle over the top. Yeah, because I am all crazy like that.
Keto Pumpkin Cake with a New York Style crumb topping
Have you ever heard of New York Crumb Cake? It’s an amazing coffee cake with a thick layer of brown sugar streusel. I’d say it’s almost more crumbs than cake, and it’s so delectable.
I came up with an amazing version for my keto baking book, but you can’t have that one. Not yet anyway. The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking doesn’t come out until December 3rd, although it’s available now for pre-order. I haven’t officially announced it because it doesn’t yet have a cover, but it may be my pièce de résistance.
Seriously though, the crumbs on the top of the cake… oh my. I was impressed with what I could do using Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour and almond flour, along with the brown sugar replacement from Swerve. I replicated the crumb topping for a crumb cake almost perfectly.
My taste buds did the happy dance.
And then I had trouble getting that tender brown “sugar” crumb out of my mind. So I had to find a way to use it again. And now that it’s pumpkin spice season… I think you know where I am going with this.
Tips for the perfect Keto Pumpkin Coffee Cake
A proper crumb cake should almost be as much crumb topping as it is cake. While the pumpkin cake itself is delicious, it’s the topping that takes it over the top. Pardon the pun!
Both the cake and the topping contain almond flour and coconut flour. This really gives it the best consistency. You could perhaps use all almond flour for this but you would need to triple the amount of coconut flour, which would increase your carb count considerably.
For the topping: Be sure to use plenty of brown sugar replacement and butter. It should really be like a very thick cake batter or almost like a cookie dough. It should not be dry at all but you should also be able to break it apart into big crumbs.
Instead of cinnamon, which is standard in crumb cake topping, use pumpkin pie spice.
For the keto pumpkin cake: The combination of ingredients is important here. Protein powder helps the cake rise in the absence of gluten, so don’t skip it. I used egg white protein but you can also use whey protein. Collagen protein does not work well, it makes things gummy and hard to cook through.
Pumpkin puree gives the cake it’s beautiful orange gold color. Pumpkin puree can differ brand to brand. There are nice thick ones and others that are quite watery. The thicker the better for a pumpkin crumb cake like this. Watery puree could make the cake a little soggy.
If you do have a more watery pumpkin puree, try adding another tablespoon or two (or three if necessary) of coconut flour to offset the moisture content.
Testing the cake for doneness:In most of my cake recipes, I tell you to bake until the top is firm to the touch. That test for doneness won’t work here because the crumb topping is so tender, it obscures the cake.
For this particular recipe, the golden color of the topping is one clue that the cake is done. It will be very golden around the edges. You should also use a tester and insert into the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
Ready to enjoy some delicious Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake? You won’t regret it!
More Keto Pumpkin Spice Recipes
Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup Swerve Brown
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
Pumpkin Cake:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup unflavored egg white protein powder (can also use whey protein)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Drizzle (optional):
- 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crumb Topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the butter until well combined. It will be like a thick batter. Set aside
Pumpkin Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, whey protein, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Crumble the topping mixture with your fingers into pea size pieces and sprinkle evenly overtop the cake batter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. It won’t be firm to the touch because the topping is so tender.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Drizzle:
- Whisk the sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Julie Jensen says
Easy recipe. The instructions were great. The results were amazing!! My husband (who doesn’t like pumpkin and doesn’t do low-carb) really enjoyed it. Plan to freeze some for later so didn’t put the glaze on.
Carolyn says
Glad to hear that!
Rhonda Sherlock says
This is delicious!!
Katie says
Hello, how much do you think you’d increase the baking time for an 8×8 pan?
Carolyn says
You will just need to watch it carefully.
Jen says
I love your recipes and I have tried a few but I live in the UK and love trying new keto recipes but unfortunately I weigh in grams and so a lot of the time my recipes don’t always turn out great.. It would be great to have measurements in grams as well as cups..
Carolyn says
Many of the recipes do have a metric conversion option.
Alisa says
I love pumpkin spice but despise the texture of pumpkin pie and this is an AMAZING alternative to get all the flavors. It would be easy to overeat this so I’m glad it can be frozen. Thank you for this luscious treat!
Melanie says
This was really tasty. I am not following a keto diet but I am a weight loss surgery patient and therefore try to stay low carb/sugar. This was my first experience with low carb baking. I made a few changes for what I had on hand: used Lakanto monkfruit/erythritol blend for the sweetener (1:1) and used 1 scoop (7g) Genepro protein powder. I halved the topping amount but doubled the spice and increased the spice in the batter to 1 tsp. And I didn’t have a 9″ square so I used an 8″ springform. It didn’t rise much and was maybe underdone in the center at 35 minutes but still really good, for me and my BF who hasn’t had his guts rearranged 🙂 Thanks for making my first low carb bake a success!
Elaine says
So scrumptious!! After it was cooled enough to eat, I cut half of it into pieces and froze the other half, sealed in my Food Saver. Had a piece this morning with my pumpkin coffee…..Perfect way to start the day! Thank you for all your delicious recipes. My sister gifted me with your Keto Baking Cookbook, and I’ve spent hours going through it…..it’s like looking through the “Wish Book” we used to get before Christmas. So many wonderful things to pick from!!
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Cindy C. says
I made this for brunch with a friend today and it was amazing! I skipped the protein powder as I didn’t have it. This was my first Fall bake and it did not disappoint.
Andrea says
This was fabulous and so fun to make on this first day of Fall, even though it’s a nice 80 degrees in Colorado Springs today!
I made the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect. Mine didn’t come out quite as orange as yours but still pretty to look at! This is definitely a keeper.
Jill says
Can’t wait to try. What’s the net carbs?
Carolyn says
Just take the carbs and subtract the fibre.
Rachel says
Can this be made with egg substitutes? Has anyone tried & has it turn out okay? We have egg allergies here. Thanks!
Carolyn says
I can’t honestly say… give it a go and at the very least, you will have tasty pumpkin-flavored crumbs!
Dawnj says
Made this pumpkin crumb cake today and it reminds me of an old fashioned REAL crumb cake. I am so happy, I thought I may never taste one this heavenly again. We just finished eating your “Death by Chocolate Cheesecake” which is aptly named. OMGosh it was the best texture, loved the chocolate crust—ALL of it was just exceptional! Thank you (for both)!
Christina Lemelin says
FIRST KETO DESSERT A SUCCESS! Couple of questions though. Little Bit did not care for the “carrot-like” texture 😉 Do I simply use all almond flour next time? Also, would love more pumpkin taste but unsure how to add more pumpkin without throwing off ratios and baking time. Lastly, if one were a purest and wanted to make as low sugar, what would you recommend for sugar quantitity? Thanks!
Carolyn says
Not at all sure what you mean by “carrot like” texture. What brands of flour are you using?
Christina Lemelin says
Shoot- ha ha haaaa… just looked at both of my bags, and I’m certain she’s referring to coconut texture of Bob’s Red Mill, “Fine” Macaroon Coconut, which as we all know, IS NOT flour at all. Yep, in my rushy rush, I read “fine”, grabbed and la voila. Suffice to say, maybe this will bring some other VERY beginner bakers some laughter as I’m convinced I must learn everything the hard way. And to top matters off, I just baked your pumpkin cupcakes with said exact flour so we shall see…
Carolyn says
Aha, good to find the culprit.
Tara says
Can you use pea protein?
Carolyn says
Probably.
Mia says
I only have the truvia brown sugar blend would that be okay to use?
Carolyn says
I’m not really sure what’s in it but I think it should be fine. Check how sweet it is supposed to be compared to sugar.
Mia says
I went ahead and made this with the truvia brown sugar for the crumb topping, soooo good. I added chocolate chips to the cake filling and more on top when serving. I needed to cook it a little longer but I will make again! Thank you.
Carolyn says
Wonderful!
H. Sparks says
Have made these twice & they taste wondetful but having issues with the squares falling apart. I’m letting it cool completely before cutting and removing from the pan…what can I do to prevent this?
Carolyn says
I would need to know exactly what brands of ingredients you are using. I think that might be the issue, one of the ingredients being a bit off. Coconut flour is hard because it varies so much, brand to brand.
Laura says
Hello! This is currently in the oven right now. But I wanted to just quick stop by and say the recipe in the topping part says pumpkin pie spice in the ingredient listing but when you read the directions it says cinnamon. I added pumpkin pie spice but I wasnt sure if it was supposed to be cinnamon or PPS
Cant wait to eat this! Thanks for the awesome recipes!
Carolyn says
Sorry, it’s supposed to be pp spice in both. 🙂
Cindy says
Will any type of protein power work?
Carolyn says
Whey and egg white, but not collagen. It makes baked goods gummy.
AVERY says
Can you use something else in place of protein powder?
Carolyn says
No, I am afraid not. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, a dry protein powder helps the baked goods rise properly and hold their shape.
Tiffany says
What about egg white powder?
Carolyn says
That works in place of whey.