Fall is finally here, which is why health enthusiasts are now on the hunt for healthy pumpkin recipes. If you’re following a low carb diet like keto, you are probably hesitant about cooking anything with pumpkin for fear that it will ruin your diet. This vegetable is naturally starchy, similar to potatoes and other carbo-loaded veggies.
Is Pumpkin Keto-friendly?
So before we get into my roundup of healthy pumpkin recipes, let’s first find out if pumpkin is a low-carb veg.
Pumpkins do have carbs, just like the potatoes, parsnips, and other starchy vegetables. Half a cup (120g) of pumpkin flesh contains 10g total carbohydrates but because of the fiber it contains you will only get 6g net carbohydrates.
If you compare this with potatoes and other starchy veggies, pumpkin has significantly fewer carbs, which is why you can integrate it into your low-carb diet.
It can be difficult to work out exactly how many carbs are in a recipe with pumpkin but it’s easy with one of the many free online calculator apps.
So, if you love pumpkin you’ll be thankful to know that there are many ways to make low carb and keto recipes from pumpkins and you can take inspiration from the healthy pumpkin recipes below.
Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
1. Low-carb Pumpkin and Coconut Soup (slow cooker recipe)
Whip up this low-carb Pumpkin and Coconut Soup for lunch, dinner, or whenever you need a bit of comfort food this fall season. This recipe is from Leanne Vogel blogger at Ditch the Carbs and comes in at just less than 10 grams of net carbs per serving.
If that’s too high for your carb level you can reduce the amount of carbs by using some other low carb veggies such as cauliflower in place of some of the pumpkin.
It’s so easy to prepare, although it requires a cooking time of 4 hours in your slow cooker. You can cook a big batch of this soup and freeze the rest in a Ziploc bag to reheat later on.
2. Low Carb & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chicken Chili
If you’re looking for healthy pumpkin recipes that you can prep for dinner with the family, this Low Carb & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chicken Chili from Mellissa Sevigny of I Breathe I’m Hungry would be perfect.
This hearty low carb dish will surely be loved by everyone in the family, even if they’re not into low carb. It uses shredded chicken or turkey, so if you’ve got some leftover poultry meat from the previous dinner, then this is the perfect recipe for it!
3. Keto Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancakes
If you love having pancakes for your breakfast, this Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancake Recipe from Carolyn, recipe developer at All Day I Dream About Food, would be a great recipe to try. These low carb pancakes are light and fluffy enough that your little ones will love them too.
With only 8.5 grams of carbs per serving of 2 pancakes, these pancakes are suitable for your low carb or keto diet. Plus, they only take 10 min to prepare and you can cook a batch of 12 in only 20 minutes!
4. No Bake Keto Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Bites (Paleo & Vegan)
This recipe for Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Bites is one of those healthy pumpkin recipes that does not require a lot of ingredients to prepare. In fact, you only need 5 ingredients to whip up these appetizing snacking fat bombs.
Made by Australian born blogger Arman Liew of The Big Man’s World, this no-bake recipe is sure to satisfy your pumpkin cravings this Fall.
Araman was brought up eating Persian, European and Malaysian dishes as well as modern Australian and British cuisines. He believes that desserts should be a daily staple in the diet so his blog is about healthy, easy, quick, and simple sweet recipes.
Each bite contains only 3 grams of carbs so they are eminently suitable for your keto lifestyle. They are crammed with tasty pumpkin pie spices.
5. Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse
Do you find yourself craving for some cheesecake this fall season? Then take inspiration from this no bake Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse recipe from Brenda Bennett,
the Sugar-free Mom.
Brenda was a self-confessed sugar and carb addict but discovered the keto diet. She now develops low carb recipes that the whole family will eat so she doesn’t have to cook different meals for herself.
This pumpkin cheesecake is so creamy with a light and fluffy texture. Having a net carb of only 4 grams, you’ll definitely not feel guilty indulging in this delicious dessert even when you’re on the keto diet.
6. Low Carb Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These low-carb pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are truly appetizing. This recipe is from Maya Krampf of Wholesome Yum and takes only 10 minutes of your time to prepare!
Maya says she is addicted to experimenting with healthy low carb recipes.
Made with canned pumpkin, coconut oil, almond flour, and with lots of protein and fiber, this is one of those healthy pumpkin recipes that will help you stay in ketosis. In fact, each serving has only 2 grams of net carbs. and are so much healthier than regular ones full of sugar and refined flour.
7. Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
These low carb pumpkin pie cupcakes from Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food are a perfect way to get your autumn baking on.
They are creamy inside, not like regular cupcakes, and finished with with sweet whipped cream. Made with coconut flour, Swerve sweetener, and heavy whipping cream, these cupcakes are guaranteed keto-friendly! They are easy to prepare and cooks in only 30 minutes!
8. Low Carb & Gluten Free Pumpkin Crepe Cake
Crepe cakes are exactly what they sound like – cakes made out of crepes! And if you’re a big fan of crepes, you’ll absolutely love this Low Carb & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crepe Cake, another recipe from Mellissa Sevigny of I Breathe I’m Hungry. She claims it’s the one of the most delicious low carb desserts she’s ever made.
She says that although it’s relatively easy to make the hardest part was getting the pancakes out of the pan in one piece! It’s not a problem if they do break as it does not show once you’ve put the cake together with the low carb frosting.
Each serving has 4.25 grams of net carbs so you don’t have to worry about getting out of ketosis when indulging in this cake. Plus, it’s so delicious, no one will even notice that it’s low carb!
9. Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte
When the fall season comes, everyone seems to be going crazy over the pumpkin spice lattes, that this drink has become synonymous to fall but many served in popular coffee chains are high in calories, carbs and other unhealthy ingredients.
For a low-carb version of this popular drink, check out this Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte from Faith and Lara, The Keto Queens. Faith is the food stylist and photographer and Lara is a dietitian with a love for food.
This low-carb drink is rich and creamy and tastes almost like the real thing. Yet it only contains 3 grams of carbs and has 33 grams of total fat, which is perfect for those following the ketogenic lifestyle!
10. Bacon-wrapped Butternut Pumpkin
This Bacon-wrapped Butternut Pumpkin recipe from Elviira, a keto coach at Low Carb So Simple, consists of only three ingredients – bacon, pumpkin, and good quality onion powder! Plus, it’s so easy to prepare.
You can use butternut squash in place of pumpkin but as they are higher in carbs it’s best to stick with pumpkin if you are on a very low carb diet.
All you need to do is to carefully cut the pumpkin into sticks, wrap each with bacon and brush with olive oil and onion powder. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, and you’re done! If you’re looking for some healthy pumpkin recipes that are easy to prepare, then this would be one.
11. Keto Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake
This delicious Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Mira at My PCOS Kitchen is just so hard to resist. Made with unsweetened pumpkin puree, almond flour, and Erythritol, it has everything you need to help you stay in ketosis.
Plus, the creamy frosting on top is also made with keto-friendly ingredients like almond milk and coconut butter. Each slice of this cake has only 4.72 grams of net carbs, so a slice or two probably wouldn’t hurt your diet!
12. Delicious Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Well this roundup would not be complete without a recipe for pumpkin pie now would it? I’ve already posted a recipe for it on this blog.
This low carb pumpkin pie recipe is completely grain free and sugar free, which makes it ideal for a low carb keto diet. Click here to read it.
So you see there are plenty of healthy pumpkin recipes that are suitable for your low carb diet. Enjoy!
