Classic pumpkin pie made low-carb! Sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and still absolutely delicious! The silky creamy pumpkin custard of your dreams is EASY to make and healthy, to boot (paleo and vegan!)
Originally published October 19, 2018. Updated October 13, 2021
Low-Carb Paleo Pumpkin Desserts
'Tis the season! PUMPKIN season.
When September - October strikes, I can not get enough pumpkin lol. A pumpkin spice frappuccino, soft and chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles, and (no-bake!) pumpkin cake balls! Are you loving pumpkin as much as I am??
I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but the pumpkin pie just HAD to be made. And it was a challenge! How to make this classic without flour, butter, eggs and sugar?? And make it actually taste like the real deal?
THIS pretty pie has everything you want: a buttery crust, a SILKY smooth rich custard -- perfectly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. And a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top! It really is hard to believe there's no gluten, no dairy, and NO SUGAR.
Discolsure: as an affiliate, we earn a commission on purchases made from affiliate links to Amazon and other retailers.
Simple, Healthy Ingredients
Instead of the conventional pie that's super high in carbs and sugar (plus gluten, dairy and eggs), this pie is made with wholesome, natural ingredients that fit your healthy low-carb lifestyle. You probably have many of these pantry staples already in your cupboard.
- Almond Flour
- Avocado Oil
- Pumpkin Puree
- Coconut Milk
- Monk Fruit
- Flaxseed
- Pumpkin Pie Spice & Pink Himalayan Salt
Most of these common ingredients can be found at national retailers such as Target, Costco, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods and Amazon.
What Does "PRETTY PIES" actually mean?
Pretty Pies is so much more than physical appearance. Yes, I like creating beautiful pies cheesecakes and cookies, but what really matters is the pretty (wholesome, healthy, good-for-you!) ingredients.
You're just going to have to look past the ripples and little cracks in this pie. It may not be as "perfect" looking and smooth as the ideal pie, but trust me, it's GOOD.
Do looks matter?? I asked you guys on Instagram whether or not I should share the recipe of the ugly pie anyway, and I was kinda blown away by the response. 96% said YES, that looks don't matter! (To the other 4% of you, I'm with ya lol) I can't be putting some ugly pie on my site. After all, the name of my blog is PRETTY PIES hahaha.
But ultimately, what Pretty Pies means is inherent beauty from what's on the inside. Real food with real nutritional value. Recipes made with the good stuff that's good *for* you.
Ingredient Swaps for Low-carb, Vegan & Paleo Pumpkin Pies
I made some swaps from the original recipe from the back of a can of pumpkin + a little something to make it just as rich and creamy and delicious!
- For the crust:
- Wheat flour --> Almond Flour (now it's gluten-free and grain-free!)
- Butter --> Avocado Oil (now it's dairy-free!) I tried coconut oil the first round and it was a little too crumbly, but still good.
- Sugar --> Monk Fruit (now it's sugar-free!)
- For the filling:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk --> Coconut Cream (now it's dairy-free!)
- Sugar --> Monk Fruit (now it's sugar-free!) Click here to see the kind I use
- Eggs --> Flaxseed and almond butter (now it's vegan, and still rich tasting!)
See? You can swap out conventional stuff, and with a little guidance, you can ROCK these pies with alternative ingredients. 🙂
Is this Pumpkin Pie KETO?
This low-carb pumpkin pie is a fraction of the carbs and sugar than a traditional slice of pie, and YES can fit a ketogenic diet, especially for a special occasion like Thanksgiving. Most people don't eat pie as an everyday thing.
Each slice has roughly 6 net carbs, which is a little bit on higher side for a keto dessert. But if it fits your macros at 6, go ahead and enjoy!
If 6 is a little too high, what can you do? Cut the pie into smaller slices to lower the carbs. Or swap coconut cream for heavy cream, if you can do dairy.
If you have any questions about ingredient swaps, you can always ask! Comment below or message me on Facebook 🙂
TIPS for a PERFECT (super EASY) Gluten-Free Pie Crust:
My crust recipe is SO EASY compared to conventional ones where you have to have chilled butter and cut it in just so, and roll it out, blah blah etc... NONE of that stuff here you guys!
THIS crust is so simple. Mix together your flax and water to make a "flax egg" (that name grosses me out, but we'll just have to deal)
Mix your almond flour, salt and monk fruit, then add in your "egg" and oil. Mix well.
Tip #1: Grease your pie plate well to prevent sticking. I used a drizzle of avocado oil and a paper towel to spread it out evenly.
Tip #2: Poke holes all over with a fork before baking so that it doesn't bubble up and lose its shape.
Tip #3: Par-bake your crust. We're only going to partially bake this crust so it doesn't get soggy, and since it's going to be in the oven a lonnnng time after the filling is added and we don't want it to be too dry or burn.
Tip #4: WRAP IT IN FOIL. This is THE most important tip for a perfect crust. After you add the pumpkin filling, get two big pieces of aluminum foil and cover up the entire outer perimeter of the pie with foil (not the filling) This will help it stay light colored and prevent burning. I learned this the hard way the first go-around, ha.
The BEST Sugar Substitute
Monk fruit is where it's at, friends! I'm telling you, this monk fruit sweetener is amaaaazing. I cannot get over the pure taste. To me, it tastes just like real sugar. But it has ZERO CARBS. What is this sorcery??
Monk fruit is a REAL fruit, and somehow they are able to extract all of its sweetness with none of the actual sugar/calories/carbs. It's insane. But insanely delicious.
You can find the exact monk fruit I used here.
Want MORE low-carb holiday desserts?
Just because it's a special occasion like Thanksgiving doesn't mean you have eat alllll the sugar and junky stuff that ends up making one feel ill. OR have to miss out due to allergies, illnesses or restrictions that prevent you from partaking. You can absolutely enjoy a wholesome pie, cake or cheesecake that's JUST AS DANG DELICIOUS if not MORE than the conventional. For real.
Check out these other festive treats that are perfect for holidays and family gatherings. All free from gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar!
- Chocolate SIlk Pie
- Gorgeous Green Vanilla Christmas Tree Pie
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Loaf Cake
- Classic Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce from Yay It's Sugar-Free
- Keto Almond Dreamcake
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and comment below 🙂 ENJOY! And Happy Holidays!!
Low-Carb Classic Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Grain-Free Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 2 Tbs avocado oil
- 2 Tbs ground flaxseed + ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbs monkfruit granules - or coconut sugar for non low-carb
- ⅛ teaspoon pink salt
Pumpkin Custard
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup coconut cream - from a can of coconut milk refrigerated overnight
- ¾ cup granulated monkfruit - or coconut sugar for non low-carb
- ¼ cup natural almond butter
- 2 Tbs ground flaxseed + ¼ cup water - I used leftover coconut water from the can
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice - to taste
- Scant ½ teaspoon pink salt
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease a pie dish with oil. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix flax, water and set aside to thicken. Stir in oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, and monk fruit.
- Pour wet mixture over dry and mix well with a fork until a dough forms. Add a small splash of water if it's too crumbly.
- Press dough evenly into pie dish. Prick all over with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Par bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before filling.
To make the filling:
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whip with a hand mixer until silky smooth. Taste and adjust with more spice or monk fruit.
- Spread filling over crust.
- Wrap crust in foil (I used 2 large pieces of foil overlapping and covering the entire bottom of the pie dish, wrapping over the perimeter edge/crust portion only)
- Bake in the center rack for 70-85 minutes, until it's lightly set, but still little jiggly in the center.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack at room temp, then refrigerate for 6 hours (or overnight) before serving.
- Garnish with a dollop of coconut whipped cream (recipe in notes) ENJOY!
Sandy
None of the links to the monk fruit work. I tried them all, & get a page not found error.
Emily
So sorry about that! I fixed them. They apparently changed the URLs to their products recently. The granulated monk fruit I use is found here: Lakanto.com Classic Monkfruit Granules
Sandy
Thank you! That one works.
Kirstin
Do you have a substitute for the coconut cream, for those of us allergic to coconut? Dairy is not an issue for me, as long as it’s low or no sugar. Thanks.
Emily
Heavy cream works too 🙂 and it’s very low in sugar.
Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try it
Laur
Could I get away with using Eggs instead of Flax Eggs? I'm skipped making Thanksgiving Pie last year, to avoid the heartache, and I really need to redeem myself!
Emily
I think that would work! It may have a more custard-like consistency:)
Lydia K
How many eggs should be used? How man “flax eggs” are in the recipe?
Emily
1 regular egg replaces the flax egg in this recipe (1/4 cup)
Gloria Otto
What size can of pumpkin puree?
Emily
A standard 15 oz can 🙂 I will update the post
Amy O'Day
I made this pie for an early Thanksgiving gathering this week and it was absolutely excellent!! I am so grateful to be able to eat pumpkin pie again, as I have egg and dairy allergies. My family so appreciates your recipes!!!!!
Emily
Amy, I am SO happy you and your family got to enjoy pumpkin pie again! Thank you for taking the time to let me know
Brianna Schiavoni
I don’t understand the directive to wrap the crust in foil after it’s baked.... please explain?
Emily
After pre-baking, you can fold a rim of foil over the the outer perimeter of the crust to prevent it from getting to dark or burning during the next baking time. Hope that helps!
Renee Biancolin
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried! I have a lot of experience baking with alternative ingredients and I know that it's usually a bit tricky when you start with a new recipe, it rarely turns out perfectly, but if you follow all of Emily's instructions, it's very likely that it will turn out beautifully and it is so tasty no one would ever know that it doesn't have any sugar in it! Or eggs, or dairy! I can't tell you how incredible this recipe is, you will just have to try it for yourself. We will be making it again soon. Bless you Emily, I can't wait to try all of your amazing dessert recipes!
Lydia K
Is there another sweetener I can use instead of monk fruit? I have fructose, maple syrup, and pure stevia. Monk fruit doesn’t agree with me unfortunately 🙁
Emily
Any dry granulated sweetener works: white sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar. Pure stevia wouldn't add the necessary bulk. I haven't tried fructose before so I'm not sure.
Maple syrup could potentially work if you reduce the liquid elsewhere, but I don't know if replacing some of the cream would have the same consistency. You would need about 1/2 cup + 1-2 Tbs maple syrup. But for best results, use a dry granulated sweetener.