This low carb pumpkin pie crème brûlée is a silky, spiced pumpkin custard with a crackly sugar-free top, all baked in two little ramekins. It tastes like the best part of pumpkin pie, has just 5g net carbs per serving, and makes a seriously impressive keto crème brûlée for a fall dinner.
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If you're looking for a fancy and fabulous dessert for the fall (and lots of alliteration!), this is the one to try. It's a wonderful way to end a meal, and almost all of it can be done ahead of time. The custards bake and chill in advance, so the only thing left to do when your guests are ready for dessert is melt that sweet, glassy shell on top. It's a recipe for two, which makes it perfect for a cozy date night, and it doubles easily if you're feeding a crowd.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Heavy cream. This is what makes crème brûlée so rich and smooth, and it's naturally very low in carbs. Use full-fat heavy cream (sometimes labeled heavy whipping cream). Half-and-half and milk have more carbs and won't set as firmly, so I don't recommend swapping them in.
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure you grab 100% pure pumpkin, like Libby's canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is loaded with sugar. A quarter cup is enough to give real pumpkin flavor without adding many carbs. Homemade roasted pumpkin puree works too, as long as it's thick rather than watery.
- Pumpkin pie spice. A little pumpkin pie spice is what makes this taste like a slice of pie. No blend in the cupboard? Mix cinnamon with a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
- Egg yolks. The yolks are what thicken the cream into a custard. Save the whites for an omelet or a batch of meringues.
- Monk fruit sweetener. I use Lakanto Classic monk fruit sweetener in the custard and for the crunchy topping. Any granular monk fruit or stevia blend that measures like sugar will work. Stick with a granular one for the top, because powdered sweetener tends to scorch before it melts.
- Orange food coloring (optional). Pumpkin puree gives a gentle orange color, but a few drops of orange gel food coloring make it really pop. It's entirely up to you!
Helpful Tips
Keep the cream below a boil. You only want to warm the cream, pumpkin and spice until they're steaming, which takes about 5 minutes over low heat. If it boils, it can split, and it'll be too hot to add to the eggs safely.
Temper the eggs slowly. Whisk a spoonful of the warm cream into the yolks and sweetener, then another, before pouring everything back into the pan. Bringing the yolks up to temperature gradually stops them from scrambling, so you get a smooth custard instead of sweet scrambled eggs. If you spot any little cooked bits, pour the mixture through a fine sieve as you fill the ramekins.
Don't skip the water bath. Setting the ramekins in a pan of hot water (a bain-marie) keeps the heat around them gentle and even, so the custard sets up creamy rather than rubbery or cracked. Use hot water from the kettle, pour it in once the pan is on the oven rack so you're not carrying sloshing water, and fill it about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Look for a wobble. The custards are ready when the edges are set but the centers still jiggle a little when you nudge the pan. They'll keep firming up as they cool and chill, so pulling them out at this point is the secret to that silky texture.
Torching the top without sugar. Blot the chilled custards dry with a paper towel first, then sprinkle a thin, even layer of granular sweetener over each one, about a teaspoon. Hold a kitchen torch about 2 inches above the surface and keep the flame moving until the sweetener bubbles and turns clear. Monk fruit sweetener won't go as deep amber as real sugar, and it can taste bitter if you scorch it, so stop as soon as it melts. No torch? Pop the ramekins under a hot broiler for 1 to 3 minutes and watch them closely. Either way, let them sit for 5 minutes so the top hardens into that satisfying crack.
Variations
- Vanilla pumpkin. Stir half a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the warm cream for a softer, bakery-style flavor.
- Maple. Add a few drops of maple extract along with the spice for a pumpkin-maple custard that's perfect for Thanksgiving.
- Chai spice. Swap the pumpkin pie spice for a chai blend with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger.
- Nutty crunch. Skip the torched top and scatter chopped low carb caramelized pecans over each custard instead.
- Plain keto crème brûlée. Leave out the pumpkin and spice, add a split vanilla bean or a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and you have a classic vanilla version.
Serving Ideas
These little custards are rich, so they're best served on their own, straight from the ramekin, with a spoon for cracking the top. A few fresh raspberries or a small dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on the side cuts through the richness nicely.
If you're planning a whole low carb pumpkin spread for the holidays, set these out alongside my Low Carb Pumpkin Mousse and a plate of Keto Pumpkin Fat Bombs. And if you want the chocolate lovers covered too, Low Carb Chocolate Pots de Crème are made in much the same way.
Storing & Freezing
Once they've cooled, cover the baked custards with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Hold off on the sweetener topping until right before serving, because it softens and weeps in the fridge within an hour or two. That's what makes this such a good make-ahead dessert: bake on the weekend, and torch the tops when you're ready to eat.
I don't recommend freezing crème brûlée. The custard turns grainy and watery as it thaws, and the torched top won't survive at all. If you want a pumpkin dessert to keep in the freezer, my Keto Pumpkin Muffins freeze beautifully.
More Low Carb Pumpkin Desserts
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Low Carb Pumpkin Mousse
- Keto Pumpkin Fat Bombs
- Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream (with Candied Bacon)
- Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies
- 30+ Low Carb Halloween Recipes
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
Equipment
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Put the kettle on so you have hot water ready for the water bath.
- Add the heavy cream, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for about 5 minutes, whisking now and then, until it's steaming but not boiling. Stir in a few drops of orange food coloring if you're using it.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the 2 tablespoons of sweetener together in a small bowl until smooth and pale.
- Temper the eggs: whisk a spoonful of the warm cream mixture into the yolks, then another, so the yolks warm up gradually without scrambling. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan and whisk well to combine. Don't put the pan back on the heat.
- Divide the custard between two 6-ounce ramekins (or three smaller 4-ounce ones) and set them in a small baking pan or dish. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still wobble slightly when you nudge the pan. Carefully lift the ramekins out of the water and let them cool on a rack.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until completely chilled.
- Just before serving, blot any moisture off the tops with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granular sweetener evenly over each custard. Melt it with a kitchen torch, keeping the flame moving about 2 inches above the surface, until it bubbles and turns glassy. (Or place the ramekins under a hot broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely.) Let them stand for 5 minutes so the top hardens, then serve.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.
julie says
So, are the net carbs lower, due to the sugar alcohols?
Georgina says
No, most people who follow a low carb diet do not count sugar alcohols. So if you DO count them, then the net carb would be higher. Hope that helps!