If you've been craving pumpkin spice everything and were worried you had to cut out your favorites during the fall and winter by wondering "is pumpkin keto,"you'll be excited to hear that YES you can eat it in moderation!
Get the inside scoop about pumpkin on keto, plus get lots of keto pumpkin recipes to enjoy for all and even for year-round.
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Is Pumpkin Keto?
Are you someone who just can't wait for pumpkin spice season every fall and you look forward to finding delicious ways to put pumpkin in just about everything? I hear ya! Whether you're pumpkin crazy like me or simply looking for healthy fall and holiday pumpkin dessert recipes, we have tons of fabulous keto pumpkin recipes for you.
But first things first, when most of us think of pumpkin recipes, it's the desserts, pumpkin spiced latte drinks, and holiday favorites that come to mind. So it's an easy misconception to wonder "is pumpkin keto-friendly?"
Keep reading and learn all there is to know about pumpkin carbs, get questions answered like "is pumpkin a carb?", plus get a handful of our favorite low carb and keto pumpkin recipes!
And to get directly to your question about whether you can even eat pumpkin on keto, YES, you can!....In moderation 😉
Carbs in Pumpkin
Pumpkin is very much a low carb food and you'll be happy to know it's a great option to eat all year round as a healthy alternative to high carb and processed carbs. If you've been wondering how many carbs are in pumpkin, we've compiled the info for both cubed pumpkin and pumpkin puree.
Cubed Pumpkin Nutritional Facts: (1 cup)
- Calories: 30 g
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Total Carbs: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Net Carbs in Pumpkin: 8 carbs for 1 cup cubed, 4 carbs for ½ cup cubed
Carbs in Pumpkin Puree
Because pumpkin puree is denser than cubed pumpkin, the carbohydrates in pumpkin puree will be higher than the cubes.
Puree Pumpkin Nutritional Facts: (1 cup)
- Calories: 83 g
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Total Carbs: 20 g
- Fiber: 7.1 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Net Carbs in Pumpkin: 13 carbs for 1 cup pumpkin puree, 6.5 net carbs for ½ cup
Is Pumpkin OK for Keto?
Because we mostly associate pumpkin recipes with something sweet, at first thought many people might assume pumpkin isn't ok for a Keto Diet.
With 13 net carbs for 1 cup of pumpkin puree, you might wonder if pumpkin is Keto friendly.
Because a little bit of pumpkin goes a long way, and many keto pumpkin recipes call for 1-2 cups of pumpkin for the entire recipe, there are many low carb pumpkin recipes that only have between 3-5 net carbs each.
Eating healthy fats is a critical part of a ketogenic diet, and while pumpkin itself is lower carb, it has hardly any fat at all. The key to making sure pumpkin works for your daily macros is to make sure the recipes are cooked with fats such as butter, ghee, coconut milk, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or nut butters.
Is Pumpkin a Carb?
When readers are asking whether or not pumpkin is a carb, they typically mean is it in the same category of carbohydrates like acorn squash, sweet potatoes, Russet potatoes, or spaghetti squash.
While pumpkin is considered a winter squash, from a botanist perspective, it's structurally a fruit because it's a seed-bearing flowering plant.
So from a carb perspective, it definitely does have carbs but thankfully is low enough like some other types of squash that pumpkin is also considered keto-friendly.
Are Pumpkin Seeds Keto?
Pumpkin seeds are considered low carb when eaten just a sprinkle at a time and can definitely part of a ketogenic diet. While 10 net carbs per serving might seem high, pumpkin seed isn’t typically the kind that just gets eaten as a snack. You’re more likely to see them as a small sprinkle on a salad or a sprinkle on pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin Seeds (1 oz-85 seeds)
- Calories 126
- Fat 5 g
- Protein 5 g
- Carbs 15 g
- Fiber 5 g
- Net Carbs 10 g per 1 oz serving
Get more info on low carb nuts here.
Keto Pumpkin Recipes
Having delicious and easy low carb and keto desserts to periodically eat is one of the many reasons it's easier to follow a ketogenic diet during the holidays. This is my first year attempting to grow pumpkins in our garden, I can't wait to live off of pumpkin recipes from pumpkins I grew myself. (or hopefully they grow anyways?!)
How amazing is it to be able to still enjoy mouthwatering keto pumpkin desserts like healthy cookies, pies, drinks, snacks and more? And how much better yet that pumpkin is something we can indulge in often and still be losing weight, losing fat and helping us stay in ketosis.
This collection of low carb pumpkin dessert recipes is also perfect for special occasions like Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. But definitely don't feel you have to wait until the holidays to eat keto pumpkin ideas!
12 Keto Pumpkin Recipes
1
Keto Pumpkin Bread (gluten free, low carb)
Nothing says fall quite like the delicious taste and smell of fresh pumpkin bread. What's even better is when it's keto pumpkin bread with cream cheese whipped into the mix.
Whether you want it as a breakfast on the go, for snack, or as a dessert with whipped cream on top, you'll adore it any way! This recipe makes 2 loaves of low carb pumpkin bread.
2
Keto Pumpkin Mousse
An easy 5 minute keto pumpkin mousse that tastes just like a no bake cheesecake. Serve the low carb pumpkin mousse in a jar or dessert dish as a pumpkin cheesecake or layered with whipped cream. Just 6 net carbs per serving!
3
Keto Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Making an easy crustless keto pumpkin pie recipe makes sticking to a ketogenic, low carb, or gluten-free diet easier during the holidays. No fussing with a crust, your guests won't realize this is a sugar-free take on the classic pumpkin pie.
4
Low Carb Keto Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips
You've got to love sweet keto-friendly recipes you can eat for breakfast. These decadent Keto Pumpkin muffins can do triple duty as a quick breakfast, snack or dessert. We love that cream cheese is mixed right in to give this keto pumpkin recipe even more flavor!
Net carbs: 3 per serving
5
Keto Pumpkin Spice Latte
An easy keto pumpkin spice latte that tastes better than Starbucks and is with all natural ingredients. Learn how to make it in the microwave, on the stovetop, or with an espresso machine.
While keto pumpkin pie might be the most searched keto pumpkin recipe, in my world it's the pumpkin spice latte that is most frequently consumed much of fall. While you'll probably just eat one pumpkin pie, how many cups of warm and delicious keto pumpkin spice lattes will you enjoy?
6
Pumpkin Spice Keto Fat Bombs
Photo Credit:moscatomom.com
If you haven't yet discovered fat bombs, then you're for sure in for a treat with these pumpkin spice fat bombs by Moscoto Mom. Fat bombs are the perfect treat to help you stay in ketosis and make sure you're getting enough fats.
These tasty keto pumpkin fat bomb treats taste like cheesecake and it'll be hard to not to each the entire batch 😉
Net Carbs: 1 net carb per serving
7
Pumpkin Roll
Photo Credit:satisfyingeats.com
This keto friendly low carb pumpkin cake is just delicious and filled with a whipped cream and cream cheese mixture.
If you haven't ever made a roll cake, don't be intimidated! It's way easier than it seems and your friends and family will be extremely impressed. All you need is a jelly roll pan and parchment paper to easily roll the cake.
Net carbs: 3 per serving
8
Easy Pumpkin Fudge Recipe - Sugar Free and Paleo
Photo Credit:lowcarbyum.com
When most of us first think of fudge, our minds instantly go to anything with chocolate. But this low carb pumpkin fudge recipe is one just as decadent but without the chocolate.
What a fun twist and easy twist that is perfect for the holidays! Not only is this recipe low carb, keto, gluten free, and no sugar, it's also paleo and vegan.
Net carbs: 2 per serving
9
No-Churn Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream by Paola van der Hulst 34 September 2, 2018 - updated November 21, 2018
Photo Credit:www.gnom-gnom.com
Although more people eat ice cream in the summer than any time of year, there's no hard fast rule that says you can't enjoy yummy ice cream in the fall with your favorite pumpkin cheesecake flavor.
Keto Pumpkin ice cream is simpler than you'd think if you've never made your own ice cream at home.
Net carbs: 4 per serving
10
Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter Cups
Photo Credit:kitskitchen.com
I don't know about you, but I actually think almond butter tastes SO much better than peanut butter! You'll never crave Reese's when you learn how to make your own low carb and Keto friendly version at home.
Kit's low carb almond butter cups combines the best of both worlds--almond butter cups and seasonal pumpkin spice. Your friends and family will adore you forever if you make them these yummy candies! These do have 1.5 tablespoon of maple syrup, feel free to swap keto friendly maple syrup to bring the carbs down even more.
11
Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Photo Credit:thepaleomama.com
You'll simply adore these Keto Pumpkin cheesecake bites. Not only is this a no-bake recipe, but it's dairy free too and instead of cream, uses coconut products.
Making delicious and easy desserts you can just pop in your mouth is always a winner.
Net carbs: 6.5 per serving
12
Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
Photo Credit:www.thefoodieaffair.com
Low carb pumpkin cheesecake is a fabulous holiday dessert instead of the classic pumpkin pie. This low carb version by Foodie Affair will fool your friends and family and they'll never know you served them a sugar free gluten free dessert for Thanksgiving!
Net carbs: 6 per serving
Did you get your "Is pumpkin keto?" questions answered? If not, let us know what we missed!
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More Keto Desserts
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