My keto pumpkin cheesecake recipe has a creamy filling and a buttery, nutty crust. You'd never guess this is a diabetic-friendly dessert! Perfect for Fall and the holiday season.
I adore cheesecakes such as this no bake sugar free cheesecake or my keto chocolate cheesecake. When we have a large gathering, nothing beats cheesecake as dessert. I love that I can prepare them a day in advance and EVERYONE loves to eat a slice (or 2).
You all know that I also go crazy for pumpkin recipes as soon as September comes around. Naturally, I had to create a sugar free pumpkin cheesecake recipe!
This is a surprisingly easy recipe, and the combination of the silky, spiced filling and the buttery crust is just so good.
Here's what my reader Susan commented: "Made this for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit! So DELICIOUS! I made homemade whipped cream as a topping. Enjoyed by all! Not difficult to make. Will definitely make again!"
Also check out my Healthy Pumpkin Brownies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crunchy, buttery crust. The base for this cake is a baked crust made with nuts and plenty of ground ginger. It tastes as if it's made from gingerbread cookies!
- Luxuriously creamy filling. This is a spin on a classic cheesecake filling, with the addition of pumpkin puree and warm spices. The texture is wonderfully silky.
- Easy recipe. Even though the recipe takes a little longer, the steps are really simple. Suitable for baking beginners!
- Low in carbs. One generous slice contains only 6 grams of net carbs.
- Perfect for celebrations. This is a great cake for any festive gathering during autumn and winter, and of course for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you'll need for a simple sugar-free pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I have split them into 2 images, one for the crust and one of the filling.
Crust
Almond Flour: I used ground almonds. Super-fine almond flour will also work well.
Nuts, sweetener and spices: Walnuts and pecans add autumn notes.
Butter: Melted and cooled. Binds the crust.
Filling
Pumpkin puree: I used a canned unsweetened pumpkin puree. Don't mix this up with pumpkin pie filling, which contains lots of added sugar.
Powdered sweetener: My go to sweetener is an erythritol monkfruit blend. However, any 1:1 sugar substitute of your choice works well, from allulose to Swerve to Bocha Sweet and stevia. Be sure that it is powdered, or the end result may taste gritty.
Spices: I used a combination of pumpkin pie spice mix and separate spices such as ginger and nutmeg. You can replace the single spices with the same amount of additional pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.
Eggs: I use large eggs in all my recipes, this one included. Room temperature is best. The eggs bind the filling.
Cream cheese and cream: It wouldn't be cheesecake withour these two! Full fat cream cheese such as Philadelphia works best. Also, check that you are using heavy cream (also called double cream).
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Let me show you how to make a keto pumpkin cheesecake. Here are the basic steps.
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
STEP 1
Blend the nuts, sweetener and melted butter in a food processor until a crumbly dough forms. I did this in a food processor, but you can also use a tall mixing bowl and an electric blender.
STEP 2
Fill the crust mix into a well-greased 9 inch springform pan.
If you're worried about the crust sticking, line the base with parchment paper.
STEP 3
3.) Press the crust firmly into the cake pan, then bake in the preheated oven until golden.
STEP 4
4.) Simmer the pumpkin puree with spices and powdered sweetener until it is silky and has thickened. Cool.
STEP 5
Blend the cooled pumpkin puree with the cream. Use a food processor or a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer.
STEP 6
Add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
STEP 7
Add the eggs. You should mix only until just combined - you want as little air in the filling as possible.
STEP 8
Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the cooled crust and bake in the preheated oven until it has set on top but is still jiggly in the middle.
Serving Suggestion
I added a quick low carb maple caramel sauce, but you can also decorate the cake with sugar free whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
Compact the crust ingredients well. The firmer you press, the less crumbly your crust will be.
Cook the pumpkin puree. Don't skip this step! It reduces the amount of liquid in the pumpkin and intensifies the pumpkin taste!
Room temperature ingredients. This makes it easier to blend the ingredients together and ensures the mix does not split. Also, it ensures the cheesecake cooks evenly.
Taste and adjust sweetness. Always taste the batter and add more sweetener if necessary!
Put water in a tray below the cake. This increases the moisture in the oven. It is the ultimate hack to ensure that cheesecakes do not split during baking. ALWAYS place a pan with boiled water inside the oven, right below the baking cheesecake. So much safer than putting the cake pan directly into a water bath!
Don't over-bake! The top of the cake should be set, but the inside needs to be jiggly like jello.
Let the cake cool fully before serving. First let it come to room temperature. Don't put it in the fridge straight away or it could crack. Then, cool it in the fridge before serving, best overnight.
Variations
Below are ideas how you can adapt the recipe ingredients to suit your dietary needs and preferences.
Use different nuts. You can vary the type of nuts you use for the crust, as long as the amount stays the same. Both pecans and walnuts work well with pumpkin, as would hazelnuts.
Nut free crust. Simply swap out the nuts for a combination of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Or make a coconut flour crust.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store Keto pumpkin cheesecake just like a regular cheesecake: in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, pumpkin is a keto friendly vegetable. It contains 7.8g of carbohydrates per 100 grams (source: USDA).
It's tricky to get canned pumpkin in some countries. Here is a simple recipe to make homemade pumpkin puree: Cut a pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay the halves flesh-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 200 C / 400 F for 30-45 minutes (time will depend on the pumpkin size). Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and puree.
Use coconut cream instead of the dairy cream, a dairy-free cream cheese made from coconut or almond and use coconut oil instead of butter in the crust.
Yes, keto pumpkin cheesecake is actually best when it is prepared a day ahead. This gives it plenty of time set fully as it cools in the fridge overnight.
More Keto Pumpkin Recipes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan or loose bottom cake pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust
- 1 cup almond flour 100g
- 5.3 oz walnut & pecan halves 150g, around 1 ½ cup
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, 50g
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon powdered sweetener or more, to taste
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 15 oz pumpkin puree unsweetened, 425g
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- pinch cloves
- ¾ cup powdered sweetener 120 g, use up to 1 cup / 160 g for a sweeter filling
- 1 cup double / heavy cream 240g
- 24 oz cream cheese 675g
- 3 eggs large, room temperature
- 2 egg whites room temperature
Sugar Free Maple Caramel Sauce (optional)
- ⅓ cup Lakanto maple flavoured syrup 80 ml
- 3 tablespoon butter 50g
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 160 Celsius / 320 Fahrenheit (electric). Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter.
- Blend all ingredients for the crust in a food processor or with an electric mixer.
- Press the nut mixture into the cake pan. You can do this with your fingers or use the bottom of a glass.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool to room temperature.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- While the crust is baking, heat the pumpkin puree, all spices and half the sweetener in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. This way the pumpkin becomes less watery. Once the pumpkin mix is brown and silky, remove from the stove and let cool.
- Blend the cooled pumpkin mix with the cream and the remaining powdered sweetener.
- Now add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
- Last, add the eggs - 3 eggs plus 2 egg whites. Blend only briefly to combine and avoid getting air bubbles into the mix.
- Fill a baking tray with 2 fingers high with just boiled water and place in the bottom of the oven. Place the springform with your pumpkin cheesecake on a rack above the tray. Bake for 90 minutes or until the top is set and golden. The top should be set, but the inside slightly jiggly.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool to room temperature (this takes around 3 hours). Then chill in the fridge for at least another 4 hours or overnight until serving.
Sugar Free Maple Caramel Sauce
- Melt all ingredients for the caramel sauce in a small saucepan and cook on a medium heat for 3 minutes. Let cool and spoon over the cheesecake. The sauce thickens as it cools.
Rock
This has become a family favorite. You can’t even tell it’s sugar free.
Susan Davies
Made this for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit!! So DELICIOUS! I made homemade whipped cream as topping. Enjoyed by all!! Not difficult to make. Will definitely make again!! Thank you, Katrin!
Zach
Looks and smells amazing so far! It's taking a bit longer in the oven, about 1:50 is what I've set it for. There are some cracks and I can see inside still looks a bit less than cooked. It also jiggles quite a bit. I also had to guess/read the comments to be sure I was coming at the right temperature, that's not listed in the baking steps. Hopefully it's ready in time for dinner!
barb
can make ahead and freeze this pie?
Katrin Nürnberger
Here's an article on how to freeze cheesecake!
Amanda D.
Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I just made this for my husband's birthday. He absolutely loved it! It is super yummy!. I do have a question though. I followed the recipe almost perfectly, but used whipped cream cheese instead of block cream cheese. I even cooked the pumpkin mixture like you recommended, although I needed to cook it for an additional hour. Also, the eggs were not at room temperature and the top split, even though I put the water underneath. Further, I had to use a hand mixer instead of a food processor as mine is not big enough to mix the inner ingredients. Neither of us were complaining though, I was just wondering if you could comment on this as I am a new baker. Thank you again for your wonderful recipes!
Katrin Nürnberger
Using a hand mixer is fine. With the whipped cream cheese, make sure it does not contain any additional ingredients that may change the batter (additives, water?). I think the mix might have split because your eggs were cold. It's good to have room temperature ingredients because then the pumpkin cheesecake can rise evenly. Hope this helps!
Amanda D.
Thanks for the info and all your help. When I make it next time, I'll make sure to take the eggs out ahead of time. As for the cream cheese, I purchased Philadelphia Whipped Original and it does list skim milk after the pasteurized milk & cream, which the block does not have. I'm assuming that is what added the extra liquid. I'll try the block next time. Just curious though... what speed should I put the hand mixer on? It has 1-6, 6 being the highest. Thanks again for the wonderful recipes!
Katrin Nürnberger
I always start on low and then go to a high setting to get everything incorporated. 🙂
Tracy
We loved this cheesecake. Delicious! Small modifications I made were 1. I did not cook pumpkin & spices to reduce water and simply cut the cream down to about 1/4-1/3 cup, added the cream at the end after the eggs so I could add a little at a time to get the thickness I wanted. Figured I would take moisture out that way. 2. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, and again used much less of it. 3.When it was done cooking, and the time in the recipe was perfect, I opened the oven door a crack and let it cook in oven to prevent cracking of the top, for about and hour. 3. I used Splenda as the sweetener. 4. Served without the syrup topping, just a preference. I have made a brandy eggnog sauce in the past to serve with a pumpkin cheesecake and that is divine. The recipes here are always fabulous. Thank you so much for providing us such a great resource.
Dottie Kovacs
I’ve made this yummy pie before love it. I’ve just made 2 more and I believe it one can be frozen any suggestions on this. Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, it's possible to freeze cheesecake!
Terri Woodman
Made it today, waiting for it to cool enough to put in the fridge. Also made the maple topping and it smells so yummy! Only downside is that the top did crack even with the water pan on the rake below the cake. ☹️. Today was a dry run trying the recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
What a shame it cracked! Next time you could try baking on a slightly lower rack so the temperature is a little cooler. That may help.
Aleah Williamson
Awesome advice on making powdered sugar from granular. I had already started the recipe and realized I didn't have enough powdered sugar. I've made this recipe and a number of your other recipes at least 4 times. Keep up the great work!
Katrin Nürnberger
Glad I could help! Sounds like you're preparing for a feast. Enjoy Thanksgiving!
Hannah M
Hi! This recipe looks and sounds fab however I am allergic to walnuts AND pecans. Would there be a substitute for the nuts?
Katrin Nürnberger
If you're not allergic to almonds, you can use the base from this chocolate cheesecake and bake it together with the entire cake.
Hannah
Okay great! Should I pre-bake the crust prior to placing the cheesecake filling?
Katrin Nürnberger
No, don't pre-bake it. Simply assemble your cake, base and filling, and then bake. 🙂
Lisa
You could also try a gingersnap crust