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Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake

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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.

Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake in a stack on a white plate

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.

A slice of pumpkin crumb cake with vanilla glaze being drizzled over.

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.

Close up shot of pumpkin coffee cake with a forkful taken out of it.

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!

A pan full of pumpkin crumb cake

More Keto Pumpkin Spice Recipes

Keto Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Keto Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Spice “Sex In A Pan”

Keto Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

4.82 from 22 votes
Close up shot of pumpkin coffee cake with a forkful taken out of it.
Print
Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

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!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Brunch
Keyword: pumpkin coffee cake, pumpkin crumb cake
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 203 kcal
Ingredients
Crumb Topping:
Pumpkin Cake:
Drizzle (optional):
Instructions
Crumb Topping:

  1. 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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan.

  2. 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.

  3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top. 

  4. 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. 

  5. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.

Drizzle:

  1. Whisk the sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Nutrition Facts
Keto Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/16th of cake))
Calories 203 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Carbohydrates 6.6g2%
Fiber 3.3g13%
Protein 5.7g11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

  1. Can you freeze the pumpkin crumb cake? Looks wonderful but too large for one person. Do you think the recipe would work for muffins and maybe freeze them? Great Big Thanks for all you do Carolyn!

    Reply

  3. I want to know about freezing too. I’m sure I can cut the recipe in half and make only 8 pieces, but I still cannot trust myself with 8 pieces of cake calling my name.

    Reply

  4. Sweet Liberty! That’s it. Was holding off on my pumpkin obsession until a more “respectable” day – like later in September. No longer. I have all the ingredients to make this tomorrow morning! YASSS. ( I was born in New York and I know what you’re talking about with regard to the crumb! It’s.The.Best.Thing.Ever. )

    Reply

  5. I love all your recipes and you have really inspired me to find new ways to stick to a keto diet. Unfortunately, I am allergic to coconut. Do you have a suggestion as to what I could substitute in the place of the coconut flour for your recipes?
    Cindy

    Reply

      • Did you mean to say if we want to use all almond flour, we would have to triple the coconut flour?

        “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.”

        Reply

        • It’s hard to make this clear enough for people to understand but… if you want to replace coconut flour, you typically have to use 3x the amount of almond flour. So in this case, you are already using 1 cup of almond flour in the topping, you’d now need 1 3/4 cup (the 3/4 cup replaces the 1/4 cup of coconut flour). In the cake itself, you’d need 2 cups of almond flour.

          Keep in mind, this would raise the carb count.

          Reply

      • I have made this cake three times so far and it is so DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for this pumpkin crumb cake recipe. I’have shared it with friends and they all love it. It’s such an easy recipe to make which is helpful. I actually use a lot of your recipes and they always turn out perfect.

        Reply

  6. This looks fantastic and love the crumb topping!! I just purchased your Keto Soups and Stews cookbook on Amazon and will be cooking the Old Bay Crab soup soon. Very nice cookbook!

    Reply

  8. I don’t have any egg white protein powder (or whey either). Can I use just egg whites and remove some liquid somewhere else? So excited to try this recipe!

    Reply

    • No, it would be better to skip it. This really doesn’t have much added moisture besides the pumpkin and you won’t get your cake to cook through if you add more egg white.

      Reply

  9. It’s in the oven right now. It’s our 37th wedding anniversary and I’m making this for dessert tonight, maybe even put a small scoop of keto vanilla ice cream with it since it’s a special occasion. Love all of your recipes. I’m sure this one won’t disappoint. Waiting with baited breath for the baking book. It’s been pre ordered.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    I love your recipes. Somehow I didn’t see the nutritional values anywhere in this recipe. Could you tell me the net carbs please??

    Reply

  15. I just cannot handle the cooling effect of Erythritol. I usually substitute Bochasweet when I can, but they don’t yet make a brown sugar replacement. Do you have any ideas on how I could make my own brown sugar replacement with it for this recipe? 🙂

    Reply

    • 1 1/4 tsp of stevia extract powder added to one package of Swerve will kill the cooling effect. I’ve been using it like this for over a year now. (My husband hates the cooling effect of swerve and when I add stevia extract powder he can’t tell I’m using swerve.)

      Reply

      • Interesting. Do you just emptynout the package of Swerve in a bowl or something and stir in the stevia? And what brand of stevia do you use?

        Reply

  16. 5 stars
    So… I followed your instructions BUT had the oven at 375 not 325 (oops!). Anyway, it came out a little dark & dry but still was tasty (nothing a little extra whipped would fix!). I didn’t make the vanilla sauce as the cake & the crumb topping was sweet enough already. This is a lovely segue into the fall and my house smells amazing! ☺️

    Reply

  17. A few things to mention. In the instructions for the crumb topping, it says salt but the ingrdient list doesn’t have salt for crumb topping listed. I found that it has more pumpkin flavor if you wait until the next day to eat. I also need to add more spice. I love spice.This came at the right time. I had pumkin that I was needing to use.

    Reply

  18. 5 stars
    I was hoping to hold out a little longer before making something with pumpkin, but your recipe was too enticing! This was so delicious and easy to make.

    Reply

  21. Hi Carolyn,
    I love all your recipes and am so grateful for how much of yourself you pour into your work! It is the secret ingredient! Your yave made made our keto journey an adventure in amazing recipe discoveries, making this a sustainable blifestyle and not a diet. Can’t thank you enough!! This one in particular will be a staple in our home this fall. Just one question – instructions for topping includes salt but I don’t see salt listed in the topping ingredients. Can you please clarify?

    Reply

  22. Hello, I am new to all things keto and am going to give this a try. What brand of egg white protein do you use? LUCKILY I have all the other ingredients and have just been waiting for a perfect recipe to try. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    This is incredibly difficult to stop eating. Do not make this if you cannot resist delicious things. Also, the non-Keto people in your life will gobble this up as soon as you turn your back, which is helpful, because you were going to sneak in the kitchen and eat the rest yourself.. This recipe is very moist. Very much like the crumb cake you love and remember, but better.

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    Perfect September cake! Recipe is fantastic. This dessert loving family of four is grateful to find so many tried and true Keto options. Pairs nicely with my after dinner green tea. Will be making this crumble again!

    Reply

  25. OMG YASSSS!!

    I have been trying to find a cook Dunkin Donut Pumpkin muffin replacement and I think this will fit the bill!! Cannot wait to try it!

    Reply

  26. 5 stars
    This is excellent. It now goes into my Tried and True Keto recipes on Pinterest. I think I will sprinkle some chopped pecans into the topping next time. I’m so glad I get to enjoy pumpkin this fall! Thank you, Carolyn.

    Reply

  29. For the topping and cake, would subbing in coconut oil work or would I be better off with something like Earth Balance Margarine or something else? Am (very sadly) going dairy free for health reasons.

    Thanks Carolyn for all your delicious recipes and advice. 🙂You are truly a recipe genius. 🙂

    Reply

  31. Will replacing the regular Swerve in the cake with Swerve Brown change the texture of the cake? I only have Swerve Brown and I’m planning on making this today. Looks delicious! Thanks!

    Reply

      • 5 stars
        Thanks for your reply. This recipe is definitely a winner! My 4 year old had a piece after school and gobbled it up with many “mmmmmmm”s! The only complaint I have is that the pumpkin flavor didn’t come through as much as I would have liked. But, then again, that’s a good thing for those that aren’t huge pumpkin fans. I always loved sugar-loaded crumb cake with lots of topping, and this was just like the “real” thing. YUM.

        Reply

  32. Thanks for the recipe. It is cooking now. Though i did leave out the pumpkin pie spice from the cake because it is missing from the steps. Hopefully it isnt too bland! Could you update for next time? i always forget to go back and double check against the ingredients. 😊Thanks again!

    Reply

  34. My husband and I both loved these pumpkin squares and agreed it’s our favorite recipe on your site. The only tweak we would make next time is to add more pumpkin pie spice to the topping and cake.

    Reply

  36. 5 stars
    MAKE THIS NOW!!!! I will make these every. single. week. Who doesn’t love crumb?! Even my nonketo (and VERY picky) husband LOVED THESE!!!!

    Reply

  37. 5 stars
    Made this today and OMG! Simply fabulous and I will be repeating this for thanksgiving next month
    This was great with whipped cream too😋😋😋

    Reply

  38. 5 stars
    Once again, you’ve done it! This is a wonderful recipe! I made this a couple of days ago and it’s a huge hit between me and my husband. I am incredibly grateful for all your wonderful recipes that you share with everyone. Thank you thank you!

    Reply

  39. Thanks Carolyn, I am going to make this now! Oh the joy you feel when you have all of the ingredients in the house!

    Reply

  40. Carolyn…this sounds absolutely divine…If I make it for a group of 25 ladies, should I double the recipe and use a 13×9 inch pan, or would you suggest dividing it out into 2 9X9 inch pans or a sheet cake pan?

    Reply

    • Well, if you do the math on a 9×13 pan, you will see it’s 117 square inches, whereas 2 9×9 pans are 162. That’s a big difference in your cake would be a lot thicker in the smaller pan, and thus hard to cook through. If you happen to have an 11×15 sheet pan with deeper sides, that’s 165 sq inches so it’s a better bet.

      Reply

      • For this 1st time making it, I just went out and got another 9X9 pan. I’ll just make 2 of them since I’m going to cut it up and serve it on a cake plate. I don’t want to experiment this time since I need it for a breakfast pot luck, but I am glad I asked…I didn’t think about the total square inches…I’ll have to remeber that tidbit of info for anything else I bake! If this tastes anything as yummy as your raspberry almond cake (which I make whenever I can get my hands on fresh raspberries) I know it will be a hit! Thank you so much for all your hard work…can’t wait till the new cook book comes out..I love the other two I have!

        Reply

        • Hi Patty… that tidbit is something I’ve tried to convey to readers for a while. And it’s in my new cookbook, along with TONS of other keto baking tips. The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking comes out December 3rd and if you love to bake, I highly recommend it. https://amzn.to/2n0XQWf

          Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  43. 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!

    Reply

  44. 4 stars
    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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

      • 5 stars
        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.

        Reply

  47. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

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