Low Carb Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Creamy and perfectly sweet with pumpkin spices, you’d never guess that this keto pumpkin cheesecake is low carb and keto-friendly.
Does fall make you want to start baking? The cooler weather definitely inspires me (Rebecca of Good Things Baking) to pull out the baking pans and heat the oven!
This keto-friendly pumpkin spice has everything you could want in a fall dessert. It tastes of pumpkin and cinnamon and cloves. And on top of all that, it’s low-carb and sugar-free!
What Is Keto?
Not sure what the keto diet is? It’s a diet focusing on eating full-fat and low-carb foods with a moderate protein intake. And thanks to several zero-carb sweeteners, that means you can eat delicious desserts like this keto pumpkin cheesecake, keto pizza, zero carb bread, and keto strawberry cheesecake!
Ingredients Needed
For the crust:
- Almond and/or pecan flour — Because the low-carb crust is made of nuts, this cheesecake is also gluten-free. However, the common allergens it does contain are nuts (in the crust), dairy, and eggs.
- Melted unsalted butter
- Pumpkin pie spice — — If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can whip up your own with spices that you probably have in your cupboard!Just mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. You can use this in any recipe that calls for pumpkin pie spice (which most Thanksgiving desserts call for). Store any leftovers in an airtight container or jar.
For the cheesecake filling:
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Zero carb sweetener — Either monk fruit or an erythritol-based cup-for-cup sugar replacement
- Pumpkin puree — Make sure that it’s pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar and spices already mixed in.
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Large eggs
Pure vanilla extract
How to Make a Low-Carb Cheesecake Crust
1 — Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
2 — Place the nut flour in a mixing bowl. You can use all almond meals or a mixture of half almond and half pecan flour. The pecan adds a nice flavor, but use whatever variety of nut flour you like best.
3 — Whisk the pumpkin pie spice into the nut flour until it combines well.
4 — Melt the butter. Then, stir it into the nut flours, one tablespoon at a time. Some nuts have more oil than others. So add butter until the mixture is clumpy and sticking together, but not very wet.
5 — Dump the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8” or 9” springform pan. Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to press it in an even layer across the bottom of the pan and up the sides about an inch.
How to Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Step 1 — Before you begin baking, make sure your cream cheese is soft and at room temperature. This will help you avoid lumps in the cheesecake filling.
With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until it’s smooth and fluffy.
Step 2 — Add the pumpkin puree, sugar-free sweetener, and pumpkin pie spice, and stir until it’s all completely combined.
Step 3 — Add in the eggs one at a time, stirring them thoroughly after each addition.
Step 4 — Add the vanilla with the second egg.
Step 5 — Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the cooled nut crust.
Step 6 — Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in foil and bring it up a couple of inches around the sides. Place it in a large pan that is several inches wider than the springform pan.
Put both pans on the center rack in the oven together, and pour water into the lower pan. Add water until it is 1-2 inches up the side of the springform pan, but isn’t over the edge of the foil that you wrapped around it.
Doing this creates a water bath, and the steam it creates helps the cheesecake cook evenly without cracking. Check the water during baking to make sure it doesn’t all evaporate.
Step 7 — Close the oven and bake the cheesecake at 350 F for about an hour or until it is mostly set. The center should have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
Step 8 — Turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Then, pull it out of the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. This will take 1-2 hours.
Step 9 — Put the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill and finish setting for at least 6 hours. Slice it and serve chilled. If you want to, you can add whipped cream to the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. The recipe for that is below.
Store any leftover pumpkin cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days.
Keto Friendly Whipped Cream
Making your whipped cream keto-friendly is really quite simple.
You can either leave it unsweetened and let the sweetener in the cheesecake do the work. Or you can add a little bit of powdered monk fruit or erythritol sweetener.
Ingredients needed for keto whipped cream
Heavy whipping cream
Powdered monk fruit or erythritol sweetener
Vanilla extract
How to make keto whipped cream
Step 1 — Place the 1 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and use a hand mixer with clean beaters to beat it until it has thickened to a soft, runny consistency.
Step 2 — Sprinkle in 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener, and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue beating until the whipped cream is thick and fluffy.
Chill the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve it with your keto cheesecake. Whipping cream only takes a minute or two, so it’s best to make it within a few hours of serving it so that it doesn’t flatten.
Recipe Tips and FAQ
Can I freeze my pumpkin cheesecake?
Yes, you can also freeze this cheesecake! Freeze it whole or pre-sliced, then wrap the slices well to avoid freezer burn. It will keep up to 1 month in the freezer.
To thaw the cheesecake, place it in the refrigerator the night before serving it.
How to make sure your cheesecake is thoroughly cooked
While you want to ensure your cheesecake is thoroughly cooked, you also don’t want it to be overcooked and dry.
The best way to test your cheesecake is to gently shake it. The cheesecake should be mostly set, but a few inches across the center should still have a slight jiggle.
If the center looks at all liquid or ripples when you shake it, continue baking the cheesecake.
How to avoid cracks in cheesecakes
One of the biggest frustrations with making cheesecakes is the giant cracks that can form across the top.
Those cracks are caused by sudden changes in temperature that make the cream cheese filling shrink quickly, making it split down the middle.
There are a couple of steps you can take to avoid those cavernous splits. First, use the water bath, and don’t let run out of water while the cheesecake is baking.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t subject the cheesecake to sudden temperature changes.
Follow the directions in the recipe for cooling the cheesecake by letting it sit in the oven for about an hour before setting it out to come to room temperature. Only put it in the fridge when it’s completely cooled.
Small cracks may still occur. But you should be able to avoid large ones by following these steps.
More Easy Pumpkin Recipes
Love this keto pumpkin cheesecake recipe? Check out more pumpkin recipes from the archive below —
- No Bake Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Cream Puffs
- Snickerdoodle & Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart
Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with a strong motor (such as a KitchenAid)
- Rubber spatula
- 8”or 9” springform pan
- Larger pan (10”-12”) for the water bath
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cup almond or pecan flour Use all almond meal or a mixture of half almond and half pecan flour. The pecan adds a nice flavor, but use whatever variety of nut flour you like best.
- 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the cheesecake filling:
- 16 oz blocks of full-fat cream cheese Or 2 pieces of 8 oz blocks. Before you begin baking, make sure your cream cheese is soft and at room temperature. This will help you avoid lumps in the cheesecake filling.
- 1 cup zero carb sweetener either monk fruit or an erythritol based cup-for-cup sugar replacement
- 1 cup pumpkin puree Make sure that it’s pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar and spices already mixed in
- 1 1/2 – 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice See the recipe tips section for how to make your own!
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For keto whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipped cream
- 2-3 tbsp powdered monk fruit or erythritol sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Nutrition
Notes
- Store any leftover pumpkin cheesecake in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days.
- Test your cheesecake to make sure it is throughly cooked gently shaking it. The cheesecake should be mostly set, but a few inches across the center should still have a slight jiggle. If the center looks at all liquid, or ripples when you shake it, continue baking the cheesecake.
- To avoid the cheesecake from cracking:
- Use a water bath and don’t let it run out of water while the cheesecake is baking.
- Don’t subject the cheesecake to sudden changes of temperature. Letting the cheesecake sit in the oven for about an hour before setting it out to cool to room temperature.
- Only put the cheesecake in fridge to chill when it’s completely cooled.
Instructions
To make a low-carb cheesecake crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Place the nut flour in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the pumpkin pie spice into the nut flours until well combined.
- Stir the melted butter into the nut flour one tablespoon at a time. Some nuts have more oil than others, so add butter until the mixture is clumpy and sticking together, but not very wet.
- Dump the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8” or 9”springform pan. Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to press it in an even layer across the bottom of the pan and up the sides about an inch.
- Bake the crust for ten minutes. Then, set aside to cool.
To make the pumpkin cheesecake filling:
- With a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin puree, sugar-free sweetener, and pumpkin pie spice and stir until it’s all completely combined.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and stir them in thoroughly after each addition.
- Add the vanilla with the second egg.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the cooled nut crust.
- Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in foil and bring it up a couple of inches around the sides. Place it in a large pan that is several inches wider than the springform pan.Put both pans on the center rack in the oven together, and pour water into the lower pan. Add water until it is 1-2 inches up the side ofthe springform pan, but isn’t over the edge of the foil that you wrapped aroundit.Doing this creates a water bath, and the steam it creates helps the cheesecake cook evenly without cracking. Check the water during baking to make sure it doesn’t all evaporate.
- Close the oven and bake the cheesecake at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until it is mostly set. The center should have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Then, pull it out of the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. This will take 1-2 hours.
- Put the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill and finish setting, for at least 6 hours. Slice it and serve chilled. Or add whipped cream to the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
To make keto friendly whipped cream:
- Place the whipping cream in a bowl and use a hand mixer with clean beaters to beat it until it has thickened to a soft, runny consistency.
- Sprinkle in the sweetener and add the vanilla extract.
- Continue beating until the whipped cream is thick and fluffy. Chill the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve.
Don’t forget to share your keto pumpkin cheesecake with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? You can find them all right here with a few dinner ideas to go along with them!
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