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Keto Pumpkin Bread

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4.73 from 47 votes
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This easy low carb Keto Pumpkin Bread mixes up in no time. A wooden spoon and 5 minutes of your time are all it takes to get this delectable fall treat into the oven. This delicious pumpkin bread recipe is also gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, has dairy-free and nut-free options, and is Trim Healthy Mama friendly.   

keto pumpkin bread loaf topped with pecans on a white platter with three slices cut from loaf

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When the fall season arrives, it is time for fall flavors! I am not the biggest pumpkin fan but I do enjoy a hint of pumpkin, and lots of cinnamon, in muffins, cakes, and loaves of bread. And my readers seem to be a pumpkin-loving crowd, so I have one pumpkin recipe day each fall so I can add a few new keto pumpkin recipes to my repertoire.

This year, I decided to kick up my Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins into a sweet easy keto pumpkin bread dotted with pecans and drizzled with a sweet glaze. It was a good decision. This low carb pumpkin bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, as an afternoon snack, or even for dessert, just like my Keto Zucchini Bread. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week and can be frozen.

plate with two pieces of gluten free keto pumpkin bread with a shaving of butter on top of each piece

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin puree – You can use either homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree. Make sure you do not get a can that says ‘pumpkin pie filling’ because that will have added sugar.
  • Eggs – Eggs are necessary for this recipe.
  • Butter – I use salted butter when baking. If you have unsalted butter, make sure to add a pinch of salt.
  • Cottage cheese – I promise you can’t taste it at all. It adds protein to this easy keto pumpkin bread recipe and helps it stay moist.
  • Vanilla – Vanilla extract brings out the flavors in the other ingredients.
  • Molasses – I use molasses as a flavoring the way you use extracts. When used in this way the amount of carbs per serving is very minimal. You can swap in a brown sugar sweetener and omit this.
  • Almond flour – I find that almond flour has a mild flavor in baked goods that lets the other flavors shine through without overpowering them.
  • Coconut flour – I use coconut flour in conjunction with almond flour to help balance the natural oils in the almonds.
  • Sweetener – My sweetener blend of sugar alcohols and stevia works well in many dessert recipes. I highly recommend trying it but if you would like to substitute I offer suggestions in the recipe card.
  • Cinnamon – Cinnamon is my favorite sweet spice. Choice one that is vibrant and flavorful. You do not want to just get the cheapest cinnamon at the store. Look for Saigon or Korintje cinnamon.
  • Pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin spice normally is a combination of warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. You may add it if you like but I personally prefer just using cinnamon.
  • Baking powder – Check the date to make sure it is fresh or your quick bread will not rise.
  • Pecans – These are my favorite nut in pumpkin recipes but you can sub in walnuts if you prefer.
ingredients in a mixing bowl

How to Make Keto Pumpkin Bread

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Step Two: Add all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl at the same time. Combine well.

dough topped with pecans in loaf pan

Step Three: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Top with more pecans. Bake until no longer jiggly in the center. Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the best results.

Top Tip💡

Baking times for anything in a loaf pan seems to vary a lot. Just make sure the bread no longer jiggles when lightly shaken. If the top starts to get too brown cover it with aluminum foil for the last 20-30 minutes.

low carb pumpkin bread topped with pecans in a bread pan

Variations

  • Nut-Free – I have not tested this without almond flour but sunflower seed flour is a great sub in most recipes. Just use sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour and pumpkin seeds in place of the pecans to make this nut free.
  • Dairy-Free – To make this keto bread dairy free just sub in coconut oil for the butter and coconut cream for the cottage cheese.
  • Chocolate Chips – Feel free to swap out the pecans for sugar free chocolate chips or use both!
  • Cream Cheese Frosting – Swap out the glaze for a thick and creamy keto cream cheese frosting.
  • Muffins – Easily make this into keto pumpkin muffins by dividing the batter between greased paper-lined muffin tins.

Substitutions

  • Cottage Cheese – I promise you that you cannot taste the cottage cheese in this. It keeps the bread moist and is a great source of protein. However, sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt can work in place of the cottage cheese if you prefer.
  • Nuts – You can sub in any but you prefer for the pecans. Walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) can all work.
overhead view of a small white plate with a piece of keto pumpkin bread topped with butter next to a platter of the pumpkin bread loaf with two slices cut off

Storage

You can store this at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer than that, store in a refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. You can also wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months.

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Common Questions

Is Pumpkin Keto Friendly?

Absolutely. Pumpkin is a great choice when on a keto diet. There are 10 grams of carbs in pumpkin puree and 3 grams of fiber. That may seem like a lot if you sit down with a can of puree and a spoon but it isn’t when you are using a cup of pumpkin in a baked good divided by multiple servings.

Is Pumpkin Bread Healthy?

Sometimes. The flour in traditional pumpkin bread recipes is unhealthy. But this keto pumpkin bread uses almond flour to give pumpkin bread a nutritional boost! By cutting out sugar and using healthy flours you are making a typical pumpkin bread low carb and much healthier! By using that combination of flours it helps keep this keto pumpkin bread recipe moist as well.

The members of my family love a good sweet bread or cake for a snack or breakfast. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lemon poppy seed loaf, almond flour coffee cake, keto chocolate chip bread, keto cinnamon bread, or this keto pumpkin bread; just slice up the sweet bread and slather it with butter to see it disappear. When we are eating one of my low carb recipes, I don’t have to worry about how much sugar my kids are eating.

hand holding a piece of keto pumpkin bread with a bite missing topped with a small pad of butter

 

keto pumpkin bread recipe shown on a white platter with three slices cut from loaf

Keto Pumpkin Bread

Taryn Scarfone
This easy Pumpkin Bread mixes up in no time. A wooden spoon and 5 minutes of your time ​​​​​​​are all it takes to get this delectable fall treat into the oven.
4.73 from 47 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 192.3

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325. Line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  • Add all the ingredients, besides the pecans, into a large bowl. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup pecans.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Spread evenly. Top with the remaining pecans. The pan will be quite full but will bake up into a tall loaf. If your pan seems overfilled, reserve a small amount of batter for muffins.
  • Bake for 60-75 minutes until golden and no longer jiggly. The center should feel firm to the touch, and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. The internal temperature should be 200-205. Cover with foil for the last 20 minutes if necessary, so the pecans do not burn.
  • Cool completely before slicing.

Optional Glaze:

  • Melt the sweetener in a small saucepan over low. Drizzle on top of the pecan pumpkin bread.

Notes

Tweaks: Recipe updated on 5/4/26 to use sour cream instead of cottage cheese, reduced coconut flour, added more almond flour, added an additional egg, and added xanthan gum. This update reduces the chance of an unbaked center.
Pan Size: A 9×5 pan will produce a slightly flatter loaf and may require additional baking time.
Nutrition: This makes 12 slices of pumpkin bread. A serving is 1 slice in the nutrition facts. Each serving has 4.4 NET carbs. That does include the optional molasses.
Spices: My original recipe just has the cinnamon, and we love it like that. Some of my readers prefer to add additional spices like the optional 2 tsp pumpkin spice. If you love all things pumpkin spice go ahead and add some!
Molasses: I get a lot of comments from my low carb readers on the use of molasses. I use it for flavor, not sweetness. One teaspoon of molasses has 5 grams of carbs. This recipe uses 1 tsp divided by 12 servings. That is less than .5 grams of carbs from the molasses. If you prefer you can just omit it.
Notes on Sweeteners: 
I use my own blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. This is twice as sweet as sugar. It is comparable to Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet and Truvia.
To sub in Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit use 1.5 times the amount of sweetener called for. 
 
To sub in Pyure or Trim Healthy Mama Super Sweet use half the amount of sweetener called for.
 
Substitutions will work in most recipes. They may not work in candies, such as caramel.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 192.3Carbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5.1gFat: 16.7gSaturated Fat: 4.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 55.7mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 197.9mgFiber: 3.6gSugar: 2.1gVitamin A: 3411.8IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 93.5mgIron: 1.3mg
Love this recipe?Please leave a 5 star rating!

Originally Published September 24, 2018. Revised and Republished September 11, 2025.

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109 Comments

  1. I substituted coconut oil for the butter only difference to recipe, can’t say my batter could “pour” into pan because it was dense. The flavor was good but not as cake like as pictured. I’ll try again using the butter. Any thoughts?4 stars

  2. I have been making this recipe weekly! We love it!! It’s easy and the flavor is amazing! I didn’t have any cottage cheese so subbed in sour cream and was still amazing!! I’d give it 10 stars if I could!5 stars

  3. This was delicious. Very moist. I used raisins instead of nuts and I didn’t use any sweetener. Just my own personal preference. The raisins provided enough sweet for me. I also used yogurt instead of cottage cheese and the bread did not hold together. Next time I will either add another egg or use cottage cheese. Highly recommend this recipe.5 stars

  4. The taste is Great! I love your recipes. Made 2x and it just crumbles. What am I doing wrong? I used good high fat yogurt in place of cottage cheese

    Please help.

    1. Just use cottage cheese as directed. It melts and helps act as a binder. If you want to try yogurt again I’d suggest adding an extra egg.

  5. I made this yesterday, and unfortunately, didn’t love it. I did love how moist it was, but it was lacking flavor. This is coming from somebody who loves pumpkin everything, and just wanted to give honest feedback. I am going to make this again, but going to add pumpkin pie spice and cloves to give it some flavor. I’m kind of bummed that I wasted ingredients on this because we’re not going to eat it, but happy that I learned the base recipe is good, just needs more flavor/spices.3 stars

    1. Please don’t waste it. If you want more pumpkin spice added you could make it into pumpkin cake balls. Simply mix crumbs with a little almond milk or cream cheese, extra sweetener if you like, and pumpkin spice. Form into balls.

  6. Can i add the amount of cottage cheese as extra butter? My traditional (non keto) recipe for pumpkin bread calls for so much more fat than your recipe. What do you think?

  7. Love this bread! The flavor is perfect and it fills a real need/desire for pumpkin bread comfort food in the Fall on my lowcarb lifestyle.
    However, I just can’t seem to get it done in the middle.
    I’m following the recipe & temperature exactly and using a 9 inch loaf pan. Any suggestions??5 stars

  8. Hi, I’ve baked a few things with swerve and find that it doesn’t dissolve like sugar. When it cools it re crystalizes and my almond cake and flourless chocolate cake had a crunchy texture. Have you ever had a problem with erythritol re crystalizing after being baked. Does your blend actually dissolve in your baked goods?

    1. I have not noticed it recrystallize in baked goods. There is one low carb packaged cake that has that gritty sweetener problem and it is awful. One solution could be to just grind your sweetener to a powder before using.

  9. Have all the ingredients on hand except molasses (although I love molasses in stuff). Just leave it out? Use a tiny bit of brown sugar?
    Thanks!

4.73 from 47 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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