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Inspired by the best season of the year, these Keto Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars give you all the flavor of fall minus the guilt. They include three layers: a grain-free almond flour pecan crust, low-carb cheesecake, and sugar-free pumpkin pie filling.
In this post, I show you how to make keto pumpkin bars in a video tutorial, describe whether pumpkin is keto-friendly, and give tips for storing and making these ahead of time.
Why make these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars?
Pumpkin season is upon us. For me, at least, that means making and eating some pumpkin treats!
Since most of these treats usually include a ton of sugar, I’m sharing this recipe (and my collection of keto pumpkin recipes) so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
Across the site, you can stay true to pumpkin spice everything with my:
Pumpkin is sort of sweet. Is it keto friendly?
Pumpkin has a lot of fiber and each cup has about 9 grams of net carbs.
Though that might seem like a lot for those following keto, a little goes a long way for full flavor. Even in this recipe, I’m only using half a cup for 12 servings.
How this Recipe Cuts Carbs
Healthy is one of those words that means different things to different people. So, I’m going to take some time to share what I mean when I call these Healthy Pumpkin Bars.
The biggest changes to these keto pumpkin pie bars versus regular pumpkin bars are the crust and the way these bars are sweetened.
- Low-carb Crust: These keto pumpkin bars use a nut-based crust that is a mix of almond flour and crushed pecans. Both of these are very low in carbs and high in protein and healthy fats.
- Keto-friendly Sweeteners: Most pumpkin pie recipes rely heavily on brown and white sugar to sweeten them. In this recipe, I use a monk fruit erythritol blend and keto brown sugar replacement to keep the carbs in check.
How to Make these: Variations & Cooking Tips
The best way to learn how to make these is by watching the video tutorial. You can find it by scrolling down to the recipe card and hitting the play button.
In the video, you’ll find three main steps:
- Make the crust in a food processor and pre-bake it
- Mix the cheesecake layer, add it to the crust and bake it
- Whisk and add the pumpkin pie layer and bake it until it’s complete
These steps are helpful for getting a layered look. But, you can absolutely just add the cheesecake and pumpkin pie layers to your pre-baked crust.
Making them Ahead of Time
So that the bars have enough time to chill and set, you should make them ahead of time. In fact, I usually make them the night before a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Not only does this reduce stress the day of, but it also allows them to taste their best. I don’t know many people that like warm cheesecake!
Crust Variations
I first made this recipe with common pantry ingredients, but have had some time to experiment. I know that some of you prefer a crust that doesn’t include almonds.
An alternative crust is to use your favorite keto baking mix. Simply prepare the mix as directed and place the pumpkin pie and cheesecake layers on top. I personally loved this coconut flour pound cake mix as a base. It reminded me a butter cake or chess squares.
Storage & Freezer Tips
The keto pumpkin bars should be kept in the fridge until they are gone or for up to 4 days. I highly doubt they will last that long though.
If you need to freeze these to save them for later, these bars freeze very well. To store these in the freezer, I simply wrap one to two in parchment paper and add then to a freezer storage bag. As I want to eat them, I take the parchment paper packets out and thaw them on the counter.
Healthy Keto Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Ingredients
Almond Pecan Crust
- 1.5 cups Almond Flour
- 1/2 cup Salted Pecans
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp Granular Monk Fruit Erythritol
Keto Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Granular Monk Fruit Erythritol
Pumpkin Pie Layer
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 2/3 cup Keto Brown Sugar Replacement
- 1/3 cup Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1.5 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp brandy, optional
Key Tools I Used
- Stand Mixer
- Blendtec Blender, use DRDAVINAHS for 25% off
- 9-inch Square Pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Mix all of the ingredients for the crust in a blender or bowl.
- Use a rubber spatula to press the crust down into the square pan
- Cook crust for 5 minutes and remove it from the oven
- Mix cheesecake layer by adding all of the ingredients to a stand mixer
- Add the cheesecake layer to the pre-cooked crust & cook this layer for 8 minutes
- Mix all of the ingredients for the pumpkin pie layer
- Add it to the top of the cheesecake layer
- Cook for an additional 35-40 minutes. You want the center of the cheesecake to be jiggly.
- Allow the dessert to cool. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
Robin says
Can you substitute confectioners or granulated Erythritol for brown sugar Erythritol?
Davinah says
Yes – that should work. I prefer granular vs. confectioners. There will be a slightly different flavor (brown sugar has a bit more richness), but nothing to worry about. Please use what you have on hand.
Janice says
Omg! Delish! I did add the brandy? very rich so I only ate a small square. My husband L O V E D IT!!!
Davinah says
So happy that you enjoyed this, Janice!
Leah Temple says
Are you sure this goes into a 12″ pan (the link to purchase the pan goes to Amazon and it is a 12″ pan which made the end result extremely thin? It was delicious but may try an 8×8 pan next time.
Davinah says
Hi Leah!
Thanks so much for point that out. Sometimes, Amazon changes links or discontinues products and just directs you to the next best thing. I used a 9-in pan to make this and have updated all the links on this page.
Happy you enjoyed it!
Leah Temple says
Yes, my husband is devouring it as I am typing this email. although the pan was too large due to error … it was very very good!
Davinah says
Ha! Thanks again for pointing this out, Leah.
Ashley says
Are these gluten free? Trying to find something to make for Thanksgiving that fits everyone’s needs….a type 1 diabetic, who is low carb and a mom who is gluten free.
Davinah says
Hi Ashley,
These are gluten-free and the sweeteners that I’m usually are refined sugar-free.
Thanks for asking.
Rick says
I cooked the cheesecake layer for 8 min as directed but the pumpkin layer mixed in like a swirl instead of resting on top, still good just not as good looking as yours..
Davinah says
Thanks for letting me know about how that went for you. Happy you enjoyed this! Mine was a swirl on top too. The next time I make this, I’ll see if there are ways to modify the instructions to make it easier for everyone to get the layers along with the swirl.
Lisa MacDonald says
These were fantastic! Really loved it, and happy that the recipe was for a square pan. Truth is mist people don’t really want to try “no sugar added” desserts. However, with this recipe, you can’t tell the difference!
Thank you!
Davinah says
Hi Lisa!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this. Thanks for taking the time to write back about your experience.
Best,
Davinah
Julie says
Hi! Can you use regular white erythritol rather then brown? Thanks in advance!
Davinah says
Hi Julie!
Yes. Feel free to use the regular one. The brown has a slightly different flavor, but I’m certain these will still taste delicious without.
Thanks for asking.
Aliv says
Super recipe! The Pumpkin Pie layer was my favourite part, great mix of flavours 🙂
Davinah says
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Linda says
Dr Davinah Just discovered your site and am so glad I did. This pumpkin dessert is amazing!!! Just wanted to give you a big shoutout to a fellow keto foodie. I will definitely be checking your site often. Blessings on your day
Davinah says
Hi Linda!!!
So happy you stopped by. Thank you for taking the time to leave a note! Many blessings to you too!
Best,
Davinah
Doreen Garrett says
The pumpkin dessert was delicious. Being British,, pumpkin isn’t honestly something we use a lot in cooking -especially desserts! However, as it’s all Hallows around now, I thought I’d give it a go rather than waste all that beautiful fruit…what can I say…except I didn’t realise what I’d been missing out on! It’s hard to believe this is keto!! Thank you Davinah! You’ve opened my eyes. No longer will my keto life be full of the usual predictable meals. I will be using quite a number of the wonderful recipes you are so kindly sharing (once I find the British equivalent of the American names for some of the foods). Keto eating just got even more appealing!
Davinah says
Hi Doreen!
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m so happy that you enjoyed this and found it eye-opening! I started this website because I was getting quite tired of the usual predictable meals & figured others might want something a bit different every now and then too. Looking forward to hearing about the recipes that you try next.
Best,
Davinah
Mimi says
Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Davinah says
Hi Mimi – yes! You can even use coconut cream if you’d like to cut the heavy cream completely.Thanks for asking.
Donna says
Can you double recipe and make in a 9×13 pan??
Davinah says
Hi Donna!
Absolutely – in fact, this is my plan when I remake this for the holidays.
Best,
Davinah
Lauren Gonzalez says
Should I adjust the cook times if I’m doubling it?
Davinah says
Hi Lauren,
When you double the recipe, you’ll need to use a larger pan. Since there will be more space, it should cook evenly using similar times. I haven’t tried this, but I imagine that it should need ~10 extra minutes.
Thanks,
Davinah
Lauren Gonzalez says
mine didnt come out as pretty as yours but they were a HUGE hit!!
Brisbane McDonald says
Hi! This looks great and I am probably going to make this for an office pot luck! I just wanted to know, can I use just monk fruit or just Erythritol? I have lankos and swerve now and I don’t want to buy another sugar subsitute.
Davinah says
Hi Brisbane!
I’d recommend that you use Swerve. The sweetener that I’m using is an erythritol blend and so is Swerve so that would work perfectly.
Thanks so much for asking.
Best,
Davinah
MK says
This is DIVINE! It is Monday before Thanksgiving and I just made it to make sure the non-ketos would eat it. They will never know. So. Can I freeze it? (so we don’t eat it all before Thanksgiving….. Did I mention this is divine!?!?)
Davinah says
HA! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this, MK. Yes! You can definitely freeze this recipe. I tend to do that with all of my cheesecakes on Thanksgiving so that I don’t eat them all in just a few days! I prefer to freeze them pre-cut & portioned so that when I’m ready to eat this again, I can just take one or two out & sit on them counter to thaw.
Best,
Davinah
Clay says
Hi, I love the recipe and it tastes great but the crust is a little floury and I wanted to know how you utilize the butter in the mix, do you use softened or melted butter in the mix to bind it? Any feedback to assist in making this come out better would be helpful.
Davinah says
Hi Clay!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’m using melted butter. It essentially works to bind all of the flour. One thing that might help is to view the video for this recipe. It shows you how the crust should look before you place it in the pan. Hope this helps. Feel free to come back if you have more questions!
Best,
Davinah
Irene says
The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I am not a pumpkin person (My husband is). No brandy so I added whiskey instead…came out awesome…I cooked my crust to long though, but it was still Delicious, .
Davinah says
Happy that you enjoyed this one too, even though you aren’t a pumpkin person!!
Suzy says
Was looking for a gluten free pumpkin recipe and found this! It was just perfect and so tasty too!
Davinah says
So glad this popped up! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it.
Eileen K. says
I needed my pumpkin fix and these bars delivered. They are just delicious and easy to prepare. My family enjoyed them. We will definitely be making these over and over.
Davinah says
Eileen,
I’m so happy that you enjoyed these. Definitely one of my fall favorites too!
Best,
Davinah