Every fall comes the classic pumpkin pie. And, it’s all in the custard. That is why I love this Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe, since it has that magical custard. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin pie, but I have to be honest, there are lots of marginal pumpkin pies. Marginal pumpkin pie happens when people try to mess with a good thing.
Why? Because pumpkin pie isn’t good because of the pumpkin. No, pumpkin is a vegetable. Sure, North American settlers were able to transform this late growing vegetable into a dessert. Doing so, maybe out of desperation for fruit once all the apples were gone.
Because, pumpkins are the last bastion of fresh when you live in a climate that has winter. And pumpkin alone, put in a pie, would be deeply disappointing. Again, because it’s a vegetable (I cannot repeat that enough). But, in seeking solutions, someone, way back when turned that pumpkin into pie with spices and a sweet heavenly smooth custard.
a pumpkin pie, in order to be good, needs the rich luxurious smooth custard—It’s so smooth because of sweetened condensed milk.
That’s also where crisis can happen when you are low-carb searching for recipes for pumpkin pie. It is the improvised solutions for pumpkin pie. Not saying there aren’t some good options, there are. But for the unrepentant indulger, a pumpkin pie, in order to be good, needs the rich luxurious smooth custard, to be declared worthy. Indeed, that custard is so smooth because of sweetened condensed milk.
Yes, fantastic news flash: you can still have that luxurious custard on a keto low-carb diet by using my ‘sugar-free’ sweetened condensed milk to make that luxurious custard. Yes, using my Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie recipe is more upfront work if you don’t have some previously made, but it’s a game changer, and it only takes an additional 25 minutes. Trust me, your Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie will be worth it. That’s what the traditional recipe has, and that is what a good pumpkin pie needs.
Blind Bake your Keto classic Pumpkin Pie shell While you make the filling.
I usually try to make the sweetened condensed milk or the pie pastry ahead of time. That said, making this Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie filling is the least amount of time required. The greatest time required is making the pie pastry and the resting time that requires. Because I’m chronically behind schedule, I usually have a dry batch of pastry measured out in baggies ready to go.
I also like to pre-make my Super Flaky & Easy No-Fail Keto Pie Pastry and have it stored in the fridge. When I know I’m making a pie the next day, I’ll make the dough in the evening after dinner. Then, the next day, usually post coffee, I’ll roll out the dough, set it in the pan, and return it to the fridge for when I’m ready to make the pie. At that point, I’ll blind bake the pie shell while I’m making the filling. If you are making the pie crust and the filling the same day, you’ll need to account for the time to do both.
I also prepare my pumpkin pie spice but if you don’t want to do that, you can substitute the two teaspoons of pie spice for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ginger, a ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and a 1/4 teaspoon of allspice.
I don’t think there are any huge secrets for making this Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie except for a couple of practical things. First, I prefer using canned pumpkin. I’ve tried fresh pumpkin so many times, and each and every time, it’s too runny.
Second, even though I use canned pumpkin, I still put it in a blender, to make sure it is absolutely pureed, then I add the pumpkin pie spice(s) to that puree to make sure both the pumpkin and spices are completely incorporated and smooth. Then I whisk the eggs, condensed milk, and cream with the pumpkin.
Pumpkin pie crust needs to be blind baked ahead of time, as I mentioned. I used carbalose flour in my Flaky Keto Pie Pastry Recipe. It’s a reliable pie pastry that can be forgiving for those who aren’t advanced bakers. It also is a great option if you want to punch out leaves or get fancy with your crust.
Carbalose Flour, if you have never heard about it, is a wheat based flour that is low-carb (amazing right?!?). So, it’s not-gluten-free, for those that have that requirement, and it may not be as healthy as coconut flour, but it is low enough in carbs to maintain Keto. I don’t make pies as often as I make cakes or other sweets, so this option has been great where you can have a great treat without sacrificing the whole diet in order to do so.
don’t use foil or anything that might stick to the pastry
Since the pastry can be a bit sticky when rolled, I am really fond of using a pie bag to roll and cut out the pie round. For a nine inch pie, I cut out a 12 inch circle. I place the pastry into the pie plate and trim excess dough beyond an inch from the edge of the plate.
Then either I fold the edge of the dough over to form a double crust and scallop the edges or I get fancy. Since Carbalose flour is stickier than conventional wheat flour, I don’t use foil or anything that might stick to the pastry when I blind bake the crust. Rather, I use parchment paper for holding my pie weights when blind baking. I give the recipe with step by step instructions on my post: No-Fail Keto Pie Pastry.
The filling needs to be set. The centre can still be slightly loose. Overcooking can make your pie crack or sink a bit, or even – gasp – wrinkle. You want to let the pie cool completely before serving. Next you can dress is up with whipped cream or serve it plain.
I love the whipped cream because it goes perfectly with it and it hides any imperfections. A must if you have any cracking. You can whip the heavy cream with your beater blade until you get stiff peaks. Then, fill a pastry bag with a star tip, to pipe your cream along the outer edge of your delicious Keto Classic Pumpkin Pie and on each piece when you serve.
Hope you love this as much as I do,
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