Admit it, you’ve been planning to leave keto behind come fall. You’ve stayed (ahem, pretty much) on track for months now, but there’s just no way you’re going to willingly miss out on pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup and well, everything else you love featuring your favorite gourd. But what if we told you that you can still devour all your seasonal favorites—without ditching your diet? You can, with these 26 keto pumpkin recipes to savor all autumn long.
RELATED: 30 Amazing Pumpkin Recipes to Make All Fall Long
Is Pumpkin Keto?
Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet plan. Ideally, those on keto should only consume 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day to keep the body in ketosis (that’s how your body will burn fat for energy). Luckily, pumpkin is fair game on keto. This beloved autumn treat has 4 grams of carbs per ½-cup serving, as well as 15 calories and 1 gram of protein. That’s about half as many carbs as those in the same amount of butternut squash or acorn squash. And it blows starchy sweet potato out of the water, which has about three times the carbs.
Pumpkin, considered a superfood by some due to its fiber content, potassium and high vitamin A and C counts, is famous for being used in creamy fall soups, moist breads and muffins and a ton of drool-worthy desserts. But it’s also a great salad topper (as are its seeds, called pepitas). And it’s a nutritious fruit that deserves a spot in your grilled cheese, quesadilla, chili, cheese dip and beyond. Bonus: Pumpkin purée can be a great vegan substitute for butter, oil and egg in baked goods. The more you know.
Sure, it’s the cutest appetizer you and your guests have ever seen. But it’s soul-warming and hearty enough to enjoy solo too.
You say dinner, we say breakfast. Just take it easy on the carby Yukon potatoes if you’re strictly keto. Your kids, on the other hand, can go ham on the spuds.
Oh, pepitas. No salad is complete without your crunch. Plus, they’re chock-full of iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium and mind-blowingly simple to roast.
Your signature mashed potatoes will be jealous. Give the polenta a boost of fiber and nutrients by making it with whole grain cornmeal instead of de-germinated.
A fried egg is an easy (and delicious) way to get some protein. Snag a bag of your favorite low-carb bread and voilà: It’s keto.
Trust us, this appetizer won’t last long at your Halloween party. Scoop it up with sliced veggies or low-carb crackers. Or heck, dump it onto a bowl of pasta. We won’t tell.
Psst: The dressing is a delicious honey-spiked balsamic vinaigrette. Believe us, you’ll want to put it on everything.
Meet your new favorite keto breakfast, thanks to coconut flour, almond flour and zero-calorie sweetener. Your morning cup of coffee will love the company.
Pro-tip: Smashing the pumpkin chunks against the pot will make the chili super creamy. We’ll take extra sour cream on ours, please.
Want to get this make-ahead lunch as low-carb as possible? Skip the sliced apple. (And make up for it with extra goat cheese.)
Destined for Thanksgiving cocktail hour. Trade the crackers for crudités if you’re on keto.
Isn’t it just the cutest vegetarian dinner you ever did see? Instead of using baguette, substitute low-carb bread or keto croutons.
Helloooo, fall. Believe it or not, you won’t miss the super sugary one from your local bakery this sweater season.
Gluten-free, paleo, Whole 30—this half-hour wonder does it all. Skip the sweet potato and replace it with more pumpkin or butternut squash if you want to save yourself a few extra carbs.
You’re only 20 minutes away from all the warm and fuzzies. Did we mention it freezes like a charm?
If you’re serving a crowd, top it with pomegranate seeds, pepitas, hemp hearts or even edible flowers. If you’re eating it alone, feel free to tackle it plain straight from the bowl.
It turns out that dates and pecans make a killer crust for creamy pumpkin-maple filling. But be careful: These paleo bites are dangerously poppable.
You’ll never have to scoop the filling out of Mom’s signature dessert for the sake of your diet again. Don’t skip the homemade whipped cream.
Because it just wouldn’t be right if we let you go the whole season without a PSL.
How’d she pull off a keto pie crust, you ask? Almond flour, butter and brown sugar substitute. Ta-da.
Luckily, you won’t have to steer clear of the dessert table with these on the menu. Even better? They’re ready in 30 minutes. Yeah, we’ll be whipping these up through December.
These sugar-free gems will last in the freezer for two to three months, meaning you and the kids can have a taste of fall in the dead of winter. They’d also look great at your Halloween party. Even if it’s over Zoom.
Almond butter saves the day in this sweet treat, which is rich with dates, canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
Want to break away from the canned stuff? All it takes is baking or boiling a pumpkin, then cubing or blending it to your liking. Yup, it’s as simple as it sounds.
Meet the fluffiest, most luxurious dessert at the party. The cheesecake boasts crispy walnut crust and a pumpkin-cream cheese filling that you’ll never forget.
There’s no better way to warm your bones in the morning when the weather’s chilly. Made with real maple syrup and pumpkin purée, this sipper is surprisingly low in calories at 90 per serving. Good morning, indeed.
