Keto Pumpkin Cookies with Sugar-Free Frosting

Everyone loves cookies, and these Keto Pumpkin Cookies are going to be one of your favorites. They are easy to make, they have a nice soft texture and are a good representation of Autumn. The pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice combined with vanilla frosting make these low carb cookies a delicious treat.

We have made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies, and now Keto Pumpkin Cookies!

I have never been a big pumpkin pie lover, so as a result, I have stayed clear of any other pumpkin desserts. I thought it was the pumpkin flavor of the pie that I didn’t like but in reality, it was the texture, because, in contrast, I love these keto pumpkin cookies which are so soft and chewy. 

If you are going to eat cookies, then these are the ones to eat because they are not only delicious but they are low in carbs and also easy to make. Put them on your list of desserts to make this fall and your family and friends will love them.

What is a Pumpkin Cookie?

I love this question because it’s an easy one to answer…A pumpkin cookie is a Fall cookie that is full of pumpkin along with a unique blend of 5 warm spices, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. It’s as simple as that! 

These pumpkin cookies are soft, delicate and slightly chewy. It can be eaten with frosting or without, and garnished with chocolate, nuts or pumpkin pie spice.

What Do They Taste Like?

Pumpkin keto cookies taste like Fall. You know what I’m talking about if you live in New England like us. When the fall season rolls in, the smell and taste of pumpkin are one of the many pleasures of the season. 

They are an old fashioned cookie that has many flavors to soak up….they are sweet, and have a spiced flavor, and of course pumpkin. They are very moist, almost cake-like, certainly not crunchy cookies.

The creamy frosting is a wonderful icing with a vanilla flavor and a perfect compliment to the pumpkin cookies.

Are Pumpkin Cookies Healthy?

YES, pumpkin keto cookies are healthy. Normally you wouldn’t say that about cookies, but the ingredients that make up these yummy treats are nutritious. What’s not healthy about pumpkin puree which has vitamin A, and almond flour which has protein and healthy fats.

These cookies are low in calories and low in carbs too, which makes them a good healthy choice.

Are Pumpkin Cookies Keto-Friendly?

Our Keto pumpkin cookies are for sure low carb as they are made from all keto-friendly ingredients like almond flour, powdered swerve sweetener instead of sugar, and of course pumpkin puree.

Our pumpkin cookies have 1.5 NET Carbs per cookie including the icing!

If you were to buy pumpkin cookies in the store there would be a lot more carbs, anywhere from 9-19 NET Carbs per cookie, which is a huge difference when you are watching your carbs.

What Ingredients are in Keto Pumpkin Cookies?

The Cookies:

• Pumpkin – This can be pumpkin or pumpkin puree in a can or fresh pumpkin. But we prefer using canned pumpkin puree, it’s so easy. 
• Almond Flour – This is a low carb flour which is made from finely ground almonds and is the main ingredient in forming almond flour pumpkin cookies.
• Butter – This gives the cookies a rich flavor and needed moisture and helps hold the cookies together. Use softened butter, but not melted.
• Swerve Sweetener – This is a zero net carb sweetener that is a powdered version.
• Egg – An essential ingredient to help bind your keto pumpkin cookies together.
• Vanilla – Used in most baked goods to give it a unique flavor.
• Baking Powder – This helps to give the cookies a fluffy texture as it helps them to rise.
• Pumpkin Spice – This is the flavor of Autumn….Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves all put together into one unique spice which makes cookies, muffins, pancakes, pies, and cakes taste yummy in your keto pumpkin spice cookies.
• Salt – A needed common everyday spice that enhances the flavor of your foods.

The Icing:

• Swerve Sweetener – Also the powdered version which is a zero net carb sweetener.
• Heavy Cream – This makes the frosting creamy.
• Vanilla – The best flavor in vanilla icing.

Almond Flour vs Coconut Flour for Keto Pumpkin Cookies

Almond flour is the best flour to be used in these Keto pumpkin cookies because it’s moist, has protein and is low in carbs. Coconut flour is not as good as almond flour in these cookies and they don’t come out quite as soft. It’s a much drier flour and it sucks up all of the moisture so you definitely would not get the same soft texture. 

Coconut flour can be used to make your pumpkin cookies but you need to add more moisture to compensate for the dryness of the coconut flour.

Adding an extra egg per every ¼ cup of coconut flour is a good rule of thumb. So use 1 cup of coconut flour and 4 eggs and leave all of the other ingredients the same.

Sweetener Options

There are several sweeteners that can be used in these sugar free pumpkin cookies that each have zero NET Carbs. Our sweetener of choice in these pumpkin cookies is Confectioners Swerve. We like the smooth texture that comes from using this type of Swerve.

Other acceptable choices in sweeteners are Monk Fruit, white granulated, or golden. You could also use Brown Swerve, and each of these sweeteners can be used 1 for 1 in replacement of regular sugar.

One sweetener that would not be good to use in these sugar free pumpkin cookies is liquid stevia because it’s way too sweet, it’s 250-300 times sweeter than sugar.

Should I Use Canned Pumpkin Puree?

We use canned pumpkin in our keto pumpkin spice cookies and it’s the easiest option. Use a canned pumpkin puree with no added ingredients, just 100% plain pumpkin in a can. It actually tastes really fresh considering that it comes out of a can.

You can also use fresh pumpkin and roast it first if you want to, but one thing to keep in mind about using fresh pumpkin is that it has a lot of water in it. Be prepared to strain out as much liquid as possible by putting it in a strainer for several hours to make sure all of the water is out. 

So it’s a matter of preference or convenience…take your pick or try different ways.

What About Pumpkin Pie Filling?

Canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree in a can are usually 100% pumpkin, and that’s what you want to use. There is also a can on the shelf at the store next to it and it’s called pumpkin pie filling. It looks similar but it’s very different so don’t be confused. 

Pumpkin pie filling already has spices in it and it’s full of sugar and is not interchangeable with pumpkin puree, especially in our low carb pumpkin cookies. You do not want to use pumpkin pie filling…stay away from it if you are watching your carbs!

Butter vs Coconut Oil

We use butter in our keto pumpkin cookie recipes, but if you are not able to eat butter for some reason, you can replace it with refined coconut oil. Use the same portion of coconut oil that you would use in butter, and also soften it the same as you would for the butter.

TIP – Do not use liquid coconut oil, you want to use refined, hard coconut oil that you can soften but not melt.

Pumpkin Pie Spice is the Secret

Pumpkin pie spice is the key ingredient in our keto pumpkin spice cookies because of its unique flavor. It’s used in many fall recipes like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, and others. All these Fall desserts would be very dull without pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin pie spice is made up of 5 ingredients:

• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves

In our keto pumpkin cookies recipe, we like to finish them off with a dusting of pumpkin spice on top of the frosting to give is just a touch more  of the warm, fall flavor.

Read our full Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe for more info on making it and what you can use it in.

Can I Substitute the Egg in these Cookies?

If you want to leave out the egg in these pumpkin keto cookies for your diet, then you can use one flax egg or a chia egg instead, both of which are acceptable to use if you are a vegan or are allergic to eggs.

We personally have not tried replacing the egg in these keto pumpkin cookies, but if you try it let us know what you think.

Different Variations of Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies

There are so many different ways to make low carb pumpkin cookies because the ingredients and the toppings can vary too. Here are some good ideas to mix it up:

• Chocolate chips – You can mix these into the batter if you like.
• Nuts – You can certainly use any kind of nuts that you would like to, but I think pecans and walnuts go along the best with the autumn flare.
• Cinnamon sugar topping, with low carb granulated sweetener.
• Cream cheese icing made with low carb powdered sweetener.
• Vanilla icing, made with low carb powdered sweetener.

Frosting Options

Of course, when making frosting to put on the keto pumpkin cookies make sure it’s also a low carb frosting to go with your keto pumpkin spice cookies.

• Cream cheese icing is popular with fall desserts and basically anything pumpkin.
• Vanilla icing provides you with a very compatible frosting too and a more classic taste.
• We also love adding flavorings like cinnamon or maple to our icing.

TIP – After you frost your pumpkin keto cookies, sprinkle a dusting of pumpkin pie spice on top for a better presentation.

Tools to Use

• Cookie sheet to bake the cookies on.
• Cooling rack to put the cookies on once they come out of the oven.
• Electric mixer. This is necessary for mixing the batter.

How to Make Keto Pumpkin Cookies from Scratch 

It’s easy to make this keto pumpkin cookie recipe from scratch. They are so simple to mix up and bake, it only takes a few minutes to get soft, yummy almond flour pumpkin cookies. Let’s see how to do it:

Mixing the Batter

STEP 1: The first step is to get out 2 bowls, one for the dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients.

STEP 2: In the first bowl, add the almond flour, powdered Swerve, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice. Mix it together with a spoon until well blended.

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STEP 3: In the second bowl add softened butter, egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until creamy.

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STEP 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and blend together with the mixer until well blended.

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Does Pumpkin Cookie Dough Need to Be Chilled?  

The cookie dough does not need to be chilled but if you are having a hard time forming the cookies for whatever reason you can chill them for about 15-20 minutes which will help. 

If your batter seems a little too soft because your butter was too soft to start with then it would definitely be a good idea to chill it before baking.

Baking

STEP 5: Get a cookie sheet and line it either with a piece of parchment paper or for even better results a silicone baking mat.

STEP 6: Use an ice cream or a cookie scoop to measure out the cookies. Take each cookie, roll it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet.

STEP 7: Take your palm and press down on the cookie ball to flatten it out about halfway down, while keeping the cookies in one piece and round.

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TIP – You do not need to space them out too much because they will not spread out. Where you place them is where they stay.

STEP 8: Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, but check them after 20 minutes.

TIP – Leave the cookies on the baking sheet until they cool off because if you try to take them off right away they will be delicate and fall apart.

How to Tell When Keto Pumpkin Cookies are Done?

When pumpkin keto cookies are done they should be soft and golden in color. The cookies look soft and light when you take them out of the oven but the color changes so slightly to a golden color. 

Do not overcook them or they will be way too hard to eat. Sugar free pumpkin cookies will continue to cook after they are out of the oven so don’t worry if they look slightly undercooked at first.

Making the Frosting

Making icing or frosting for these keto pumpkin cookies is really easy to do. It is easy to spread on the cookies, once they are cooled off, and they are a light-tasting addition. 

We like to make a vanilla icing for pumpkin cookies and they are a good combo. Cream cheese icing is also great.  Here’s what to do:

STEP 1: In a small bowl, add ¼ cup of powdered Swerve, 3 Tbsp Heavy cream, and ½ tsp vanilla.

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STEP 2: Use a spoon and mix all the ingredients together to achieve an icing texture.

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STEP 3: Spread the icing on the cookies.

Depending on how thick you want your icing on your cookie, you may have to make a double batch to have enough to spread around.

TIP – If your frosting is too thick then add a small amount of cream to thin it out a little.

Making a Low Carb Cinnamon Sugar Topping

If you don’t want an icing on your cookies, dusting them with cinnamon sugar is a great idea. Just make sure you are using a low carb version.

Cinnamon sugar is a great topping for fall items. Think about cinnamon sugar donuts, muffins, french toast, and cinnamon sugar cookies. So why not be able to enjoy the same yummy fall sweetness with your low carb pumpkin cookies too!

Instead of using regular white table sugar, just use granulated Monk Fruit mixed together with some cinnamon and sprinkle it on top of your pumpkin cookies before you bake them in the oven. In the baking process of your keto pumpkin spice cookies, the topping will adhere or stick  to them.

Tips for the Best Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies

Tips are always helpful especially when cooking something that you have never cooked before. It just makes the process so much easier to do. Here are a few tips that we feel that you can use to help make your keto pumpkin cookie recipe a success.

• If you want your almond flour pumpkin cookies extra chewy, add ½ tsp xanthan gum.
• If the dough is at all sticky, then chill the dough for 15-20 minutes.
• Place your cookies on a baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between and lightly flatten them out with the bottom of a glass or your palm. They won’t spread anymore during baking so make them the thickness that you want them to finish at. 
• Sugar free pumpkin cookies will be fragile and soft when they are done cooking but they will get firm as they cool off. So don’t try to remove them when they are hot, wait till they cool off enough to remove them without breaking them.
• If you soften your butter too much then it will produce flat and crispy cookies.
• If your oven is too hot then the fat will melt quicker and make flat and crispy cookies.
• Depending on how thick you want your icing to be on your cookie, you may have to make a double batch to have enough to spread on your keto pumpkin spice cookies.
• If your frosting is too thick then add a small amount of cream to thin it out a little.
• Leave them on the baking sheet until they cool off because if you try to take them off right away they will be delicate and fall apart.

My Cookies are Not Soft Enough

When we make these low carb pumpkin cookies they come out soft, and cake-like. If you like them to be extra chewy then just add ½ tsp of xanthan gum to the batter.

My Cookies Fall Apart

One sure reason why your keto pumpkin cookies can fall apart is that if you try to remove them from the baking sheet before they have time to cool off. 

I know that the smell of the warm, pumpkin spice flavor cookies will be irresistible, but for the sake of your cookies, leave them on the baking sheet long enough to cool before trying to remove them or they will fall apart.

How to Keep Pumpkin Cookies from Going Flat?

• When your cookie has too much fat it goes flat and crispy, but if it has less fat you will get puffier cake-like cookies.
• Generally there is enough fat in the cookies from the butter, margarine, or shortening so you don’t have to grease the pan. In the case of our keto pumpkin cookies, we made them on a piece of parchment paper that was lining the cookie sheet.
• If you soften your butter too much then it will produce flat cookies. 
• If your oven is too hot the fat melts quicker and makes flat cookies.
• If your pumpkin keto cookie batter is too soft then stick it in the refrigerator for 15-20 or so to firm up before baking. Remember, when you use low carb items to make your almond flour pumpkin cookies, they don’t behave the same way as previously used items act.

Are These Pumpkin Cookies Cakey?

Yes, when you make these keto pumpkin cookies the texture of them is soft and cakey. I think that’s what makes them so irresistible and addictive to keep eating!!

How to Make Keto Pumpkin Cookies in the Microwave

It may seem funny to you to make any kind of cookies in the microwave, it did to me too. But now I know how to make keto pumpkin cookies in the microwave, and to my surprise it’s really easy to do, and at the same time they come out very good.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Place your low carb pumpkin cookies on a microwave-safe plate the same way as you would on a cookie sheet.
2. It should take about 50 seconds all together to cook them. If you don’t have a moving carousel, stop and check them in 25 seconds, turn the plate and cook for another 25 seconds. Cooking time may vary depending on your microwave.
3. Make sure to slightly undercook Keto pumpkin cookies because they will continue to cook after they sit on the counter.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-free – Using almond flour in these pumpkin cookies keeps the gluten out of them.
• Vegetarian – All good ingredients for a vegetarian.
• Paleo – A good treat on Paleo diet, if you replace the butter with ghee, which is paleo approved.
• Vegan – If you replace the egg with a chia egg or a flax egg, and replace the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil then these pumpkin cookies are acceptable.

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Cookies?

In order to make these keto pumpkin cookies be compliant for vegans, you need to take out the egg and replace it with something else.

You can use one flax egg or a chia egg, as an equal substitute. They both add the consistency of a real egg and help bind the ingredients together.

You can also replace the butter with equal portions of vegan butter or coconut oil.

How to Make these Cookies Nut-Free?

You may be asking yourself, can I make keto pumpkin cookies with coconut flour instead of using almond flour?

To make pumpkin cookies nut-free you need to replace the almond flour with another low carb flour, and the best one happens to be coconut flour. But you can’t replace it 1 for 1 because coconut flour is drier and needs more liquid. Once you get the hang of how to do that it becomes simple. 

Instead of using the almond flour replace it with 1 cup of coconut flour and use 4 eggs instead of 1 egg. All the other ingredients can be the same. If you think that your cookies still need a bit more moisture then add a little more pumpkin.

Bake at the normal temperature, 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about the same amount of time, but check them after 15-20 minutes and see how they are progressing.

When to Serve Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies?

“Serving” low carb pumpkin cookies can be a little difficult because when you make them, they smell so delicious that we tend to eat many of them right from the baking sheet as soon as they cool off.

Pumpkin cookies are a great choice for a snack for your kids after school or if they are running out the door to go to school in the morning they can eat them as a healthy breakfast. You can also serve them at dessert with a warm cup of low carb hot chocolate or eggnog.

How to Store Pumpkin Cookies

Once the pumpkin keto cookies are baked, you can put them in a plastic container in a single layer and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for about 5-7 days.

 You can also keep them stored on the counter for 2-3 days too. 

Obviously if you are not going to eat the cookies before 5 days then store them in the refrigerator to preserve their freshness, but if you think that you are going to polish them off in a day or 2, it’s best to leave them on the counter at room temperature.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Cookies?

You can freeze the raw pumpkin cookie dough if you want to but only short term, about a month or so.

Sugar free pumpkin cookies after baking freeze well, so if you have extra ones, wrap them up good for added protection against freezer burn, and they will last for 5-6 months in the freezer.

The wrapping process is a dual wrapping. I either pack up the cookies in a plastic container and then put the container in a plastic bag. Or I put the cookies in a plastic bag and then put the bag in a plastic container. Or you can always double or triple bag it for extra protection too. 

If you do these steps your keto pumpkin spice cookies will come out of the freezer the same way as when they went into the freezer.

Low Carb Pumpkin Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Keto-friendly pumpkin recipes, check out our:

• Keto Pumpkin Muffins (with Cream Cheese Swirl)
• Low Carb Pumpkin Pie
• Keto Pumpkin Bread with Almond Flour
• Keto Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Keto Cookie Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Keto-friendly cookies, check out our:

• Best Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Flour Keto Shortbread Cookies
• Sugar-Free Gingerbread Cookies
• Easy Raspberry Keto Thumbprint Cookies

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