Keto Pumpkin Bars are the ultimate, low-carb pumpkin dessert. Delicious without a topping, and extra decadent with keto cream cheese frosting. And (Shhhh!) they are packed with nutrition...
Do you love pumpkin? If so, you'll want to make these Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins.
For more dessert options check out our Keto Desserts section.
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Why you'll love this recipe
These bars have the perfect balance of pumpkin and spices, plus a great texture.
You can easily have these low carb pumpkin bars in the oven in less than ten minutes. It's that simple to make.
Another recipe that's easy to make is our keto coffee cake with a sweet crumb topping. Goes perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Key pumpkin bar ingredients
Pumpkin puree - We use pumpkin puree in this recipe not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling in a can is not keto friendly as it has added sugar.
Granulated sugar-free sweetener - We use Swerve granulated sugar replacement but you can also use Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener.
Pumpkin pie spice - This is what brings the warmth and great aroma to these bars. We also use this spice in our easy keto pumpkin mug cake recipe.
Key cream cheese frosting ingredients
Cream cheese - Must be room temperature to whip up nice and smooth. Make sure you purchase a block and not what comes in a tub as they have different consistencies.
Powdered sweetener - You cannot use regular or golden sweetener to make frosting. You must use powdered.
We also make a cream cheese frosting for our tender keto carrot cake. Also, give our keto cream cheese cookies a try!
If you have any questions about the ingredients, please comment below and we will get back to you.
Substitutions
Eggs - One of our readers used ½ cup applesauce and 2 teaspoon baking powder as a substitute for the eggs. You can also use flax egg, or chia egg just note that the bars will be wetter.
Oil - You can use cooled melted butter in this recipe. Just note that the texture may vary slightly. We like to use melted butter for our cake recipes, like our delicious keto chocolate cake.
How to make Keto Pumpkin Bars
Step 1: Add pumpkin, oil, sugar-free sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients until combined.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients - almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda.
Step 4: Mix until well combined.
Step 5: Pour batter into an oiled 8X8 baking pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper instead of using oil.
Step 6: Bake as directed. Enjoy plain or frost with our keto cream cheese frosting.
For the full list of ingredients, instructions, and baking times, please see the keto pumpkin bars printable recipe card below.
If you do make the cream cheese frosting, go ahead and make extra so you can top our keto cinnamon rolls next.
Tips for working with almond flour
One thing to note about using almond flour is that it is NOT a 1-to-1 for other flours. It has a lot more protein and fat, and less starch, so it reacts differently in recipes.
It’s best stored in the refrigerator or freezer if you’re not going to use it up in a week or two.
Always bring almond flour to room temperature before baking with it. If you use it cold, it’ll absorb more of the liquid and your batter will be thicker than it should be.
Now that you're an almond flour baking expert, give our tender almond flour scones or our amazing almond flour banana bread recipes a try.
FAQs
Yes, but the consistency of your pumpkin bars will be wetter. Homemade pumpkin puree has more liquid than the canned pumpkin you buy at the store. Heating your homemade pumpkin puree at a gentle boil will help to remove some of the extra liquid.
Not at all! Our favorite way to enjoy these low carb pumpkin bars is with sweet cream butter spread on top. We include a keto cream cheese frosting recipe in the instructions below as an option for those who like their pumpkin bars a little sweeter.
Approximate Nutrition Information for Keto Cream Cheese Icing in the recipe card - Makes 16 servings (about 1.5 tablespoons per serving). Per serving: 53 cals, 5g fat, 5g sat fat, 45g sodium, 1g carbs, 1g protein.
You can use almond meal but your pumpkin bars will be quite dense. Almond flour is typically made from blanched almonds which have had the skins removed, and is ground more finely than almond meal, which typically still contains the skins and has a more coarse grind. We like to use almond flour in our baked goods. Almond flour adds extra texture and healthy fats and proteins, making it our baking flour of choice.
Yes, pumpkin can be consumed on the keto diet in moderation.
How to store Keto Pumpkin Bars
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze these keto pumpkin bars for up to 3 months. We suggest wrapping them in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More cozy fall keto dessert recipes
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📖 Recipe
Keto Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ cup granulated sugar-free sweetener we used Lakanto or Swerve
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour make sure to spoon the almond flour into the measuring cup then level it.
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the Keto Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8″X 8″ baking pan; set aside.
- Add pumpkin, oil, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
- Add almond flour, pumpkin spice, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.
- Pour batter into your prepared 8"X 8" pan.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top starts to darken and the center is set (always start with the lowest time).
- Enjoy plain or frost with keto cream cheese frosting. For the frosting: mix the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add in the powdered sweetener and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- The almond flour needs to be at room temperature or it will absorb more of the wet ingredients.
- Make sure to spoon the almond flour into the measuring cup and then level it or your batter will be too thick.
- If your batter feels too thick, add 2 tablespoon of water and mix.
- One of my readers used ½ cup applesauce and 2 teaspoon baking powder as a substitute for the eggs.
- You can use melted and cooled butter, or your oil of choice in this recipe. Just note that the texture may vary slightly.
- The nutritional info below is just for the pumpkin bars.
- Approximate Nutrition Information for Keto Cream Cheese Frosting - Makes 16 servings (about a 1.5 tablespoons per serving). Per serving: 53 cals, 5g fat, 5g sat fat, 45g sodium, 1g carbs, 1g protein.
Karen
My mom used to make pumpkin bars, with all the sugar and flour and who knows what else; it was my youngest's favorite! So I made a double batch of these, baked them in a jellyroll pan like she used to; he said they were great! Highest complement I could get. Thank you!
Four Score Living
You are very welcome. We're so glad that your youngest love them! Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know.
The Four Score Living Team
Sarah
These were so delicious! I’ll be making a bigger batch for Thanksgiving. One substitution I made; instead of the avocado oil I used sour cream (same measurement). This will be a regular treat at our home, especially during the fall! Thank you!
Four Score Living
We're so glad you loved them. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know.
The Four Score Living Team
Leah
Me again, update on nutritional info on carb manager for pumpkin bars.. they put both sugars as regular sugar so I adjusted recipe to swerve sugars.. so now it’s correct and much lower in carbs! Think they have it now as 2.5?
Thanks
Leah
Four Score Living
Hi Leah,
Thank you for following up. Nutrition calculators are great, but yes, they can sometimes be off. It's always a good idea to calculate the macros yourself, especially since you may use slightly different brands/ingredients.
The Four Score Living Team
Leah
Hello, delicious recipe! I used swerve brown sugar in the batter and it turned out great! Wanted to ask about nutrition info if it includes the frosting? I put the recipe in my carb manger app and they came up with 6.6 net carbs? It’s very hard eating one bar 😋 because they are seriously good so want to make sure of carbs because 6.6 is a lot to me as I’m trying to do 20 carbs or under daily. Thank you for the recipe and I’ll be anxious for your reply before I get another bar!🤭
Sincerely
Leah
Nanette
I’m just chiming in with my adjustment for high altitude conditions. I’m at 5,400 ft and the first time I made the recipe as directed it took forever to cook and it was flat and a little too moist. Still delicious, though, so I wanted to make it again. I increased my oven temp to 375, used only 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and used ghee instead of the avocado oil for its more solid texture. They turned out perfectly! Cooking at high altitudes can be a big challenge for baking so I thought I’d post this in case it might help someone else. I also put chopped pecans on top and YUM! I made the cream cheese frosting and put some sugar free maple syrup in it and that made it even more delicious. 😋😋
Four Score Living
Hi Nanette,
Thank you so much for sharing what you used at high altitude.
The Four Score Living Team
Kim
So good! I used chia seed (1 egg - 1 TBS chia seed soaked in 3 TBS water) in place of egg. I also used half coconut flour and half almond flour. Had to add some water, but turned out great! I had to make myself stop eating them!
Penny
I added raisins👍👍
Lindsay
Wow, these are delicious. Great with butter and my husband loves them with keto cream cheese frosting. I also used this recipe for lower carb banana bars by substituting mashed banana for the pumpkin and cinnamon for the pumpkin pie spice. They were delicious as well! A little higher carb because of the bananas, but still significantly less carbs than traditional banana bread. Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe!
Jessie
Swerve Brown Sugar? What’s your thoughts on using the swerve brown sugar instead of the granulated swerve?
Four Score Living
I haven't personally used it but I bet it would be really good in this recipe.
Jamie
Could I bake this in a loaf pan with the same texture results?
Four Score Living
Yes, you can bake it in a loaf pan. This recipe makes a lovely pumpkin loaf.
Mandie Willhoite
These were amazing! Tasted just like pumkin bread, im glad to finally find something out here that is keto and taste good. I feel so deprived on this diet now i can have what feels like a cheat moment without cheating! Thank you goe posting this! ??
Four Score Living
I am so glad you liked them 🙂
Melissa
Mine were awful and I even cooked them less time so they wouldn’t be a brick and my toothpick was clean. They had a weird texture and weren’t smooth as the photo depicted. This isn’t something I would waste specialty keto ingredients on this again sadly even if I was so excited about them.
Four Score Living
Hi Melissa,
Can you tell me what brand of almond flour you used and if you store it in the fridge or freezer? Also, how did you measure your almond flour? These bars are smooth and airy. It sounds like either you used cold almond flour and it absorbed more of the liquid ingredients or you used too much almond flour.
Scharleen
Are these gluten free?
Four Score Living
Yes, the ingredients are gluten free.
Pattey
I made these pumpkin bars last weekend and they all got gobbled up before I even had a chance to frost them. Everyone said it was just like pumpkin bread I used to make before keto. I haven't been able to find a good keto recipe that is fluffy and spongy-soft and this recipe is just that. I am making these again for Thanksgiving as my daughter requested I make them so she can bring some home with her! Thanks for the delicious recipe, I will be checking out your site for more!
Four Score Living
Hi Pattey,
I am so glad you loved them. If you need a quick treat sometime, you'll love my pumpkin mug cake 😉
Barbara
These were so easy to make, and I love that the ingredients are so simple and all things I already have on hand. I bring baked goodies for an early morning climbing gym class, and like to have something tasty for the vegan, keto, or food-sensitive climbers as well.
I’ve asked for feedback, so I’ll let you know what they thought 🙂
Four Score Living
I am so glad you like them. Thank you for letting me know.
Barbara
Feedback has been that they are amazing, and requests for more. The climber with the most sensitivities (similar to AIP) loves them. I’ve skipped the frosting and added walnuts for extra crunch. Making a 3d batch today 🙂