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Easy Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe – delicious and decadent Keto dessert, that is also sugar and gluten free. Great for fall and winter. Light, creamy with the right amount of pumpkin flavor.
Fall is the season for pumpkin and pumpkin spice. I know some people dislike the flavor, but in my opinion there are some awesome things you can do with pumpkin and pumpkin puree. This low carb pumpkin cheesecake recipe is just perfect to be made in the month of October.
The best part – pumpkin is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals and low in calories.
This makes it healthy and diet friendly. But we also know that some “diet friendly” foods are not Keto appropriate.
Pumpkin happens to be an exception – in moderate amounts, it is great for low carb diets.
Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
When it comes to Keto desserts – cheesecake is definitely the way to go. You can basically use your favorite cheesecake batter recipe and just swap the sweetener with a low carb one (preferably confectioners sweetener).
Keto cheesecake crust
For the cheesecake crust – needs to be sugar free, with as little carbs as possible and some fat.
I personally don’t like cheesecake crusts made with a mix of almond and coconut flours so I make mine with just almond meal (or flour).
I add butter, some sweetener and vanilla extract. Keep in mind that since this flour is made from nuts, it does not need a lot of butter to be added to it. Some vanilla extract will make the cheesecake crust taste awesome.
If you don’t like to use butter, coconut oil can be substituted in equal amounts.
The crust is soft, nutty and buttery, but not as stable as non gluten free crusts made with Graham crackers.
Ingredients for the low carb pumpkin cheesecake batter:
The pumpkin cheesecake batter has pumpkin puree added to it, so I did not use any sour cream or heavy cream to thin it.
- You can use homemade (unsweetened) pumpkin puree (I have a recipe for it coming) or store bought canned pumpkin puree. I’ve been in Europe for the last 10 months and luckily had some cans of pumpkin in my pantry here. But now, when I’m almost out of it and it is Pumpkin season (the month of October) I’ll be making some homemade pumpkin puree for my sweet and savory recipes.
- Full fat cream cheese – I prefer high quality brands like Philadelphia cream cheese (here in Europe cream cheese feels to have more liquid to it, which is not so good). Bring the cream cheese to room temperature, before you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
- The low carb sweetener – lately I’ve only been using granulated and powdered erythritol in my dessert recipes. I just like the balanced sweetness it brings, plus it is easily accessible for all my readers and friends. Just use confectioners erythritol for a smooth cheesecake batter.
- Eggs – large, room temperature eggs, that are added one at a time to the batter. Add each egg after the previous one is mixed into the batter completely.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – I used store bought PPS, but since I’m running out of it, I’ll be making some very soon. This popular seasoning is made with ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, allspice and ground ginger.
- Vanilla extract – adds a nice sweet flavor to this seasonal dessert.
What to decorate (top with) this pumpkin dessert?
I just used whipped cream to pipe flowers and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. You can leave the cake as it is, since any extra decorations add to the total carbs of the recipe.
How long to bake this pumpkin cheesecake
Baking the crust
Use an 8 inch springform pan or a cake pan with removable bottom (like the Fat Daddio one, I use in the video).
Bake the crust at 325 F (160 C) for 12 minutes and let it cool completely.
Bake the cheesecake
Wrap the bottom of the cheesecake pan with aluminum foil. Do it even though you are not baking it in a water bath. This will prevent drippings in your oven from the crust and possibly the batter.
Bake this low carb pumpkin spice cheesecake for 45 – 50 minutes at 325 F (160 C). If using a fan oven, bake at 300 F (150 C).
Then crack open the oven door and let it cool inside completely.
Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.
Water bath
What is a water bath?
A water bath is a pan of heated water that surrounds the pan with your cheesecake. It acts as a buffer for heat so your custard bakes gently and evenly. It is also called a bain-marie.
As you may already know I rarely use a water bath for my cheesecakes these days.
The truth is that cheesecakes baked in water bath are generally softer and smoother, have less cracks and are not curdled as some cheesecakes baked without a water bath.
But in my experience (and I bake a lot of cheesecakes), if you are baking a 8-9 inch cheesecake without more than 32 oz of cream cheese in the batter and you bake it at lower temperature in an oven with a fan 300 F (145 C), you may be fine without a water bath.
Just lower temperature and being cautious of not over baking the dessert will save you from a dry and curdled cheesecake and the pain of doing a water bath.
How long to store Keto pumpkin cheesecake in the fridge for
You can store this pumpkin cheesecake in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Freezing is not the best option, since the crust is not as sturdy as the ones of regular cheesecakes.
More Pumpkin Desserts
Want to try more sweet pumpkin recipes? This Keto Low Carb Pumpkin Pie is an awesome dessert for fall.
Looking for a fiber rich year round dessert – this Keto Pumpkin Mousse is worth trying.
These Low carb pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling will make unique and delicious weekend breakfast of coffee snack.
Check these Keto Pumpkin Cookies from Cassidy’s Craveable Creations. Bakery-Style Soft Keto Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting have all the warm spices of fall and are big, soft, flavorful, and tender.
Keto (Low Carb ) Pumpkin Cheesecake
Video
Ingredients
For the low carb crust:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2-3 tbsp powdered erythritol
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional
For the Pumpkin Filling:
- 32 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups powdered erythritol
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
To decorate:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp powdered erythritol
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper. Spray or brush with oil the bottom.
- In a bowl combine the almond flour, powdered erythritol, melted butter and vanilla (optional). Stir to combine.
- Spread on the bottom of the springform pan and press down.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until it is starting to turn golden.
- Cool to room temperature.
For the cheesecake filling:
- Beat cream cheese with sweetener with an electric mixer until combined.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and walls of the bowl.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust and bake for 50 minutes at 325 F, (without a water bath), until the center of the cheesecake is slightly jiggly, but the outside is set.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the cake from the pan and decorate.
To decorate:
- Beat the heavy cream with sweetener until stiff peaks form.
- Decorate the top of the cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Store in the fright for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I like to eat cake dishes. Can’t wait to eat it. I followed your recipe yesterday. After that, I had a delicious and healthy meal. This dish is really delicious. Thanks for your great article. Good and tasty.
This was so creamy and delicious! Love it!
Yes please ! Best low carb cheescake