Keto Pumpkin Cake

Keto Pumpkin Cake is the perfect low carb fall dessert. The soft texture and pumpkin flavor will have you counting down the times until you eat your next piece. Not only is this pumpkin gooey butter cake low in carbs and keto-friendly, but it’s sugar free as well.

Once that cool air hits, I just love the flavor of pumpkin pie spice in just about everything. It has a warmth to it that draws me in and a flavor that keeps me coming back for more. This is one of those gluten-free keto pumpkin recipes that will have you from the first bite.

While you can easily eat this as a dessert, who says that you can’t pair pumpkin gooey butter cake with a cup of hot coffee to enjoy in the morning as well? I could totally see this working as a great brunch option or an afternoon sweet treat easily, too.

Speaking of easy and delicious pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out my Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake! It’s another great pumpkin dessert that is lower in net carbs.

Ingredients

Salted butter – Be sure that it’s softened but not melted. If you have unsalted butter simply add a pinch of salt.

Cream cheese – This adds creaminess to the wet ingredients and helps to make a moist cake. 

Pumpkin puree – If you buy the pumpkin at the store, read the ingredients! Some companies market canned pumpkins, but the ingredients actually read squash. Other types are called ‘pumpkin pie filling’ and will have added sugar, which you want to avoid for any keto pumpkin cake.

Joy Filled Eats Sweetener – This is my go-to sweetener when baking. You can also find sweetener options listed below in the printable recipe card. 

Eggs – Large eggs are what I use when baking. They’re important in this recipe because they help to bind together the dry ingredients. 

Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is a great flavor enhancer. 

Almond flour – Excellent for texture and a simple way to help this cake recipe remain low in carbs. 

Powdered Erythritol – A good sweetener option for baking that is not quite as sweet as real sugar and also doesn’t have any gritty texture once added. I used either Swerve Confectioners or Lakanto Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener.

Baking powder – Helps to add a bit of fluffiness to the cake when baking. 

Pumpkin spice – Just a bit adds even more of that unbeatable pumpkin taste. It can be called pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie spice. It is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s used to flavor pumpkin pie, and can also be used in other fall baking recipes.

How to make Keto Pumpkin Cake

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 pan. 

Step Two: Cream together the butter, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and sweetener in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. 

Step Three: Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix. Add in the rest of the dough ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Step Four: Spread in the prepared baking dish.

Step Five: Drizzle the melted butter over the cake and sprinkle with the powdered sweetener and 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice.

You don’t have to be precise per se with how much you add where, but try to distribute it out over the top of the cake.

You can also add some extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the top, if you want!

Step Six: Bake for 30-32 minutes until the cake is barely golden and no longer looks wet on top. Do not overbake, or you will lose the gooey butter cake texture.

Step Seven: Store at room temperature for 1-2 days. For longer storage, the cake can go in the refrigerator, but pieces need to be warmed before serving for the right texture.

Variations

Add cinnamon – If you don’t want to add pumpkin pie spice to the top of the cake, you don’t have to. You can easily add some cinnamon instead, or nothing at all. The flavor of the pureed pumpkin will still give a pumpkin flavor without the additional spice.

Nut-free – I’m not sure this would work subbing in coconut flour but sunflower seed flour can be subbed 1:1 for almond flour.

Top with nuts – This gooey cake is so good, but there is always room for nuts. Add some crushed pecans or walnuts on top for a crunch.

Drizzle white chocolate – If you have sugar free chocolate chips, melt them and drizzle them over the top of the cake!

Add frosting – A homemade cream cheese frosting would taste really, really good as well. This would increase the prep time a bit, but I’m sure it would be worth it!

Common Questions

Is pumpkin allowed on keto?

There is some debate among experts as to whether or not pumpkin is allowed on the keto diet. Some people believe that pumpkin is too high in carbohydrates to be included in a ketogenic diet, while others believe that the nutritional benefits of pumpkin outweigh the carbohydrate content. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not to include pumpkin in their keto diet. One cup of mashed pumpkin contains approximately 7.8 grams of carbohydrates. So adding pumpkin to a keto baked good normally only adds a gram or less per serving, whereas eating a bowl of pumpkin puree (not sure who would do that!) may be too many carbs.

How do I store leftovers?

Storing the pumpkin gooey butter cake leftovers in an airtight container is key. Room temperature is fine for 1-2 days, but then it does need to be stored in the fridge. For the best flavor, eat within 4 days of making it.

How do I keep cake batter from sticking to the pan?

If you want to have a mess-free baking experience, you can line the pan with parchment paper and then spray it with cooking spray.

That just means that all you have to do is toss the parchment paper away once the cake is done – and there is no scrubbing or scraping needed!

Can I make this into a smaller cake?

I always make a full pan because it goes so quickly! If you want to do portion control, scoop out a piece and put it into a mug. That way, you’ve got a mug cake that you can hold and enjoy while you’re sitting and relaxing.

If you really want to make a smaller cake, you could always try halving the ingredients and the size of the pan, also.  You’d have to adjust the total time for baking, etc., but it’s doable.