What is it about fall that makes you want to get in the kitchen and whip up something yummy? And by something yummy, I mean, something pumpkin-flavored! These keto pumpkin cream cheese cookies are unbelievably simple, soft, and full of fall flavor. Now is the perfect time to start filling your house with the warm flavors that come from baking these pumpkin cookies. Seriously, who doesn't love smelling pumpkin, cinnamon, and clove? This will be a new fall favorite!
These pumpkin flavored cookies with a creamy cheesecake center are the perfect fall treat and are low carb and keto-friendly. These Keto Pumpkin Cookies are the perfect, soft-baked, bakery-style pumpkin cookie! These Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with a luscious cheesecake center.
Ingredients You'll Need
These keto pumpkin cheesecake cookies don’t require a lot of special ingredients beyond the usual keto baking staples. Here's what you'll need:
- Pumpkin Puree: I used canned pumpkin puree, but you can also make homemade pumpkin puree. Be sure to watch labels when buying canned pumpkin and to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which will contain a lot of sugar and is not keto friendly. I have never made my own pumpkin puree but I think I'm going to try this year. I think the gross looking pumpkin puree didn't help, but once I got over that, I became obsessed. Not obsessed enough to think I need a pumpkin spice latte, but I digress.
- Cream Cheese: To get the cream cheese filling, we are using cream cheese mixed with sweetener. Don’t want the cheesecake filling? These pumpkin cookies are delicate and almost like pumpkin cheesecake cookies, as they are soft in texture. They need to be cooled before handling. The butter and cream cheese need to be at room temperature before mixing. The softer they are, the smoother the cookie batter will be. Be sure that you use a block of cream cheese and not cream cheese spread or the frosting will turn out runny.
- Monkfruit Erythritol Blend: The cookies are sweetened with a monkfruit erythritol blend. Sweetener: We tested this with Swerve and Lakanto monkfruit erythritol blend successfully. If desired you can sprinkle a little more monkfruit erythritol on top of the cookies after they are done baking. For the granulated sweetener, I've only tested this with an erythritol-based sweetener, but I'd imagine xylitol, allulose (will need a few extra Tablespoons if using pure allulose), or a monk/fruit allulose blend with an added ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum would make the cookies extra big and soft!
- Almond Flour: There is no coconut flour in this keto cookie recipe, so you will only need a superfine blanched almond flour, and the keto sweetener of your choice. Blanched Almond Flour - Low-carb flour. Can These Cookies be Made with Almond Flour? If you are not a fan of coconut flour, almond flour can be used but you will need to at least double the quantity and add an egg.
- Coconut Flour Coconut Flour - Another low-carb flour.
- Spices: I prefer to blend my own spices rather than using a store-bought pumpkin pie spice blend because I just think it tastes better.
- Butter I highly recommend using organic and grass-fed. It’s also important that the butter is softened to room temperature.
Full Ingredient List:
- 2 ¼ Cups Blanched Almond Flour - very finely ground
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp. Allspice
- ½ Tsp. Baking Soda
- ½ tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- 6 tablespoon Butter - room temperature
- ¾ Cup Erythritol-Based Granulated Sweetener
- ½ Cup Pure Pumpkin - NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla
- 1 Large Egg
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese - room temperature, use the block not the spread
- ¼ Cup Butter - room temperature
- ½ Cup Keto Powdered Sweetener - + more if needed (see notes below)
- ½ tsp. Pure Vanilla
- 1 Pinch Sea Salt - optional, if frosting is too sweet
- Non-Dairy Milk or Heavy Cream - optional, to thin frosting if needed
Glaze:
- 1 Cup Keto Powdered Sweetener
- ½ tsp. Pure Vanilla
- 2 tsp. Butter - melted
- 2 Tbsp.
Making the Cookies: Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: Before starting, you want your cream cheese to be slightly softened but not so soft that it's going to be difficult to scoop into balls. Keep in mind that the cream cheese will soften more once the sweetener is added. I let mine sit out for about 15 minutes before starting. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 1/4 cup sweetener. Scoop 1/2 tablespoon balls and place on a parchment paper lined plate or small baking tray. The balls don't need to be perfect, they just need to be roughly round. (If for some reason your cream cheese is too soft to work with, you can put the cream cheese mixture in the freezer for a few minutes until firm enough to scoop.) Place cream cheese balls into the freezer until solid (about 15-30 minutes).
Make the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, add almond flour and 1/2 cup sweetener. Stir until evenly combined. Add in pumpkin and stir until pumpkin is fully incorporated and a dough forms.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Assemble the Cookies: Use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough. You should have enough for 12 balls. If you don't have a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, you can also do 2 scoops using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop or 3 scoops using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop. Flatten each ball slightly in the palm of your hand, then place a hardened cream cheese ball in the center. Wrap the dough around the cream cheese, sealing it completely. Roll gently to form a smooth ball.
Coat and Bake: Roll each stuffed dough ball in remaining 1/4 cup sweetener to coat, then place on the prepared baking tray, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten the tops of the cookies to form a disk about 2 inches wide. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. The tops of the cookies may still feel soft, but that is okay. Let cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. When they are cooled, the exterior of the cookies should firm up.
Alternative Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, pumpkin puree, and powdered sweetener.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- Add in the coconut flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, stirring until just combined.
- Drop by cookie scoop onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the edges just barely start to brown.
- Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to countertop to cool.
- If cookies do not flatten on on their own, use a spatula to flatten them slightly for the icing.
- To make the icing: beat the cream cheese and Lakanto Powdered Sweetener until fluffy.
Detailed Instructions:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sea salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the room temperature butter and sweetener until creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat in the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg. Then, slowly beat in the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Roll the dough into 20 Tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet. Then, lightly press down on each cookie to slightly flatten.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- After the 20 minutes are up and the oven is preheated, bake cookies for 11 - 16 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the centers may still be slightly soft.
- Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Top with cream cheese frosting or glaze if desired.
Cream Cheese Frosting and Glaze
While these are great with a simple glaze or with chocolate chips, our favorite way to eat them is with Keto cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Add the room temperature butter and cream cheese to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sweetener until thick and creamy, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the vanilla until incorporated and a pinch of sea salt if it's too sweet.
- Thin with non-dairy milk or heavy cream and thicken with additional powdered sweetener if needed.
To make the icing: in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and Lakanto Powdered Sweetener until fluffy.
Glaze:
Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Thin with non-dairy milk or water as needed.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Tips for Perfect Keto Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
- Don't skip the freezer! Freezing the cookies is essential to achieving a soft and tender texture - so don't skip it!
- Room-temperature butter is essential for both the cookies and the cream cheese frosting. It’s also important that the cream cheese is softened to room temperature.
- Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin: I developed this recipe using canned pumpkin. If you use fresh pumpkin I cannot guarantee the results. However, if you do use fresh pumpkin you'll need to drain it very, very well. Otherwise, your cookies may not hold together well - as fresh pumpkin is usually wetter than canned.
- Cooling is key: These pumpkin cookies are delicate and almost like pumpkin cheesecake cookies, as they are soft in texture. They need to be cooled before handling. When we cook our cookies we carefully move the parchment paper from the baking sheet onto a wire rack, rather than picking up a cookie. They will break if handled when warm.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in the fridge in an airtight container and they should last up to 5 days. Store: Store the soft sugar-free pumpkin cookies loosely covered for up to a week at room temperature. If they've been frosted, store them covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Store the frosted or unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Yes! This dough freezes well. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dairy-Free: For dairy-free, use dairy-free butter. Then, top with the glaze using non-dairy butter and non-dairy milk.
- Paleo: To make these pumpkin cookies Paleo, use coconut palm sugar for the sweetener. Then top with Paleo "Cream Cheese" Frosting or add ½ cup of Paleo-friendly chocolate chips to the batter.
- Vegan: While I haven't tried it, I'd imagine a "flax egg" or a "chia egg" would work well in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: Or if you prefer chocolate, forego the topping and add in some sugar-free chocolate chips.
Keto and Nutritional Information
Each cookie has 2 g net carbs. If you are on a keto diet, please remember to look at net carbs and not just total carbs in the estimated nutrition. The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Variations may occur for various reasons, including product availability and food preparation.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? What Is The Ketogenic Diet?
A Few More Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out this everything pumpkin post! And if you're looking for more low-carb pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out these pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin pie smoothie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin donut recipes!
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Want more fall recipes?