Smooth and creamy no-bake keto fudge recipe made with pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin.
The easy one-pot recipe is made with only 6 simple ingredients in under 10 minutes, only 0.8g net carbs.
The delicious low-carb fudge recipe can even be frozen.
When it’s pumpkin season, winter, fall, or Thanksgiving, it’s great to find new pumpkin puree recipes that won’t mess with your blood sugar and keep you on track with your low-carb diet.
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Is pumpkin keto?
Pumpkin is a low-carb vegetable that’s widely used for those on a keto diet or low-carb diet.
Pumpkin is only 6g net carbs per 100g which makes it ideal for sweet low-carb recipes. Pumpkin adds color, flavor, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and a subtle sweet taste.
Pumpkin can be used for savory dishes such as pumpkin and coconut soup, keto pumpkin and bacon soup, roast pumpkin, or mashed pumpkin with butter and garlic. It can also be used in sweet desserts such as keto chocolate pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie spice fudge, and pumpkin pie spice latte.
It is low carb, low calorie, low fiber, low protein, and contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.
Pumpkin nutrition serving per 100g: 6.5 g total carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 6 g net carbs, 1 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 26 calories.
Fudge ingredients
The simple keto pumpkin fudge recipe only needs a few simple ingredients, which you probably have in your pantry and fridge already.
For this healthy pumpkin recipe, you’ll need to ensure you only use the full-fat cream cheese. Be warned – if you use the spreadable cream cheese, it will NOT be set as a block of fudge that can be cut. You would have to freeze it, to ensure it is firm enough to be cut with a knife.
All quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Pumpkin puree – fresh pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling will work in this pumpkin fudge. Ensure whichever pumpkin puree you use is low moisture, otherwise, the pumpkin fudge recipe will not set.
Butter – You can use salted butter or unsalted butter in this fudge recipe. Adjust salt before pouring. Salt actually brings out the sweetness in a recipe.
Cream cheese – always use a full-fat block of cream cheese, otherwise, your fudge will not set and you will have to freeze your fudge.
Pumpkin pie spice – you can buy a ready-made spice jar or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
Vanilla – you can use vanilla essence or vanilla extract. You could also use maple syrup extract too.
Sweetener – use your favorite sugar-free sweetener or sugar replacement. Add more or less than the recipe suggests. You may need twice the amount of sweetener if you are a beginner.
How to make homemade pumpkin spice
You can buy a spice jar of pumpkin pie spice or you can make your own homemade pumpkin spice mix with a few simple spices.
This way you can adjust each flavor to your liking, it’s cheaper, and you know exactly what the ingredients are so you can avoid added sugars and unnecessary starches.
Once you have your own freshly made jar of pumpkin spice, you can make a wide variety of recipes at the end of this post. Pies, soup, fudge, and even the famous Starbucks pumpkin pie spice latte.
Substitutions and variations
Pumpkin – You make your own homemade puree. Fresh pumpkin can be cooked and pureed until it is smooth OR you may use the tinned/canned pumpkin pie filling. Just remember to read the nutrition label to confirm there are no added sugars or starches.
If you make your own pumpkin puree, gently steam or boil your fresh pumpkin until soft. You must make sure you allow all the steam to escape before pureeing It must be low moisture otherwise the pumpkin fudge will not set properly and will be too wet and damp.
Chocolate – once the fudge mixture has cooled, and before pouring it into the lined baking tin, you can stir through some sugar-free dark chocolate chips or sugar-free white chocolate chips.
For low-carb chocolate fudge, you can make keto chocolate fudge recipe with walnut pieces and sugar-free chocolate chips.
How to make pumpkin fudge from scratch
Full instructions are in the printable recipe card below and you can also watch the recipe video.
Step 1: Gently heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat or gently melt it in a microwave using a microwave-safe bowl.
Place all the other ingredients in the saucepan (or bowl) and warm together and mix until smooth. DO NOT OVERHEAT.
Step 2: Remove your saucepan from the heat, and allow it to cool slightly, mixing all the time to ensure the butter doesn’t separate.
Pour into a baking pan that has been lined with baking parchment paper.
Step 3: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the surface of the sugar-free fudge.
Step 4: Place the fudge in the fridge to set it completely. When set, slice into small squares with a sharp knife. Alternatively, once the fudge is almost set, you can roll the mixture into balls and then freeze.
Keto fudge toppings
There are so many delicious ways to decorate a classic fudge, these variations will satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Macadamia nuts, pecans, or chopped walnuts – chopped nuts are optional, but sprinkle a few salted chopped nuts over the top of the sugar-free pumpkin fudge recipe for that little extra salty crunch.
- Sugar-free chocolate chips – stir a handful of sugar-free chocolate chips through the mixture before you pour it into the prepared tin, and sprinkle a few more over the top.
How to store fudge
Always wait before you slice the keto fudge and allow it to cool completely otherwise the fudge squares will be too soft and not hold their shape.
You can store keto fudge in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It can also be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Frozen fudge is absolutely delicious to nibble on and it restricts how fast you can eat each square. For a quick keto frozen dessert, serve with whipped cream.
More pumpkin pie spice recipes
There are so many low-carb recipes and keto recipes that use pumpkin pie spice flavor with zero guilt. Each recipe is gluten-free and keto-friendly.
- How to make homemade pumpkin spice mix
- Keto pumpkin pie spice latte
- Keto chocolate pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin pie mug keto cheesecake
If it’s more keto fudge recipes you’re wanting, try keto peanut butter fudge for that real peanut butter flavor. You can even make it with almond butter too.
And chocolate keto fudge made with unsweetened cocoa powder is a classic keto chocolate fudge with sugar-free chocolate chips sprinkled over the top.
Expert recipe tips
You may have overheated the fudge or may have accidentally used a spreadable or lite, low-fat cream cheese. These will not set the fudge. You would have to freeze it, to ensure it is firm enough to be cut with a knife.
Do not overheat the cream cheese or it will split and separate. Just heat gently, so the butter and cream cheese mix together beautifully. If it has separated, allow the fudge to cool, and as the butter begins to set, stir the mixture back together. Stir again to emulsify before pouring into the lined baking dish.
No. If the cream cheese and butter are heated too high, they will begin to separate. Only warm enough on low heat to melt the butter and cream cheese together.
No, this particular recipe is based entirely on dairy products such as butter and cream cheese. However, you may enjoy dairy-free chocolate Bounty bars (coconut bars) instead of this low-carb fudge.
You can use a granulated sweetener but a powdered sweetener will give a smoother texture.
This sugar-free fudge recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
To set the fudge quickly, place the fudge in the freezer for 20 minutes.
It is easiest to set the keto fudge recipe in a square baking dish that has been lined with baking parchment paper, making it easy to remove the fudge squares.
However, any type of baking pan will work such as a round cake tin, loaf pan, or loose bottom tin.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Keto Fudge Recipe (No Bake)
Equipment
- Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 110 g pumpkin puree
- 220 g butter
- 100 g cream cheese full fat
- 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp powdered sweetener or more to taste
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Gently heat the butter in a small saucepan on low heat then place all the other ingredients in the saucepan and gently warm together and mix until smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool, stirring to ensure the fudge does not seperate.
- Pour into a baking dish that has been lined with baking parchment paper and sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts to garnish.
- Place in the fridge. When set, cut into small squares.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This was yummy but it didn’t set like fudge, it was more the consistency of pumpkin pie filling. The recipe calls for two sticks of butter, but the video showed only one stick, should I have just used one stick ?
You need two sticks of butter to make it set firmly. Only one stick of butter was shown, some things have to get cropped as all my cooking videos are less than 1 minute. Maybe set it in the fridge, or even freezer, for a little longer next time.
I used 2 resulting in aess! I think 1 is correct
Silly question… How do I make pumpkin puree and what type of pumpkin is best to use? Crown, butternut, squash?
Any will work. Yay. Just make sure the mixture isn’t too wet if you are mashing/making your own.
I’m an NZ follower and have never seen canned pumpkin puree in a supermarket. Do I just boil til soft then blitz in a food processor til smooth?
I am in NZ too and just boil then make my own mashed pumpkin. All my American readers like to use the canned/tinned variety. Make sure you let all the steam escape before blitzing. You don’t want any extra moisture otherwise the fudge won’t set.
Hi fellow kiwis, there are places you can get the tinned pumpkin, I found it in Countdown one miraculous night. I have a tin and just use it. Martha’s backyard is an American food store that will ship anywhere in NZ. Just a tip for next time.
I had a similar problem – the fudge stayed like pie filling rather than hardening. And the butter seemed to clarify in the heating process, resulting in puddles of clear butter on top. Also, the cream cheese stayed in tiny lumps even after heating.
I was thinking of trying again with softened butter and cream cheese, and just mixing rather than heating.
I’m sorry to hear this. O wonder of it is a particular brand of cream cheese that is making this happen? If the butter ever comes out of the mixture, simply pop it back in the fridge until the mixture is a little more firm, mix again to incorporate, then place in the lined dish.
These are absolutely delicious and set up perfectly. I’ve made them a few times now and they’ve turned out every time. One of the times I did get the cream cheese too hot and it broken, but I just used my immersion bender and all was well. These are also great in your morning coffee. Just through one in the blender with your coffee and you have a healthy pumpkin latte! Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow, thanks Trisha. I’m so glad to hear the work for you. Me too, every time. Yay 🙂
what size baking dish do i use?
Gosh I can’t remember sorry, I tend to use a different one each time.
My didn’t set up, more like a thick pudding ??
Oh dear, that’s not good. I have just updated the recipe to only include 1/2 cup pumpkin puree as few people are telling me theirs didn’t set, so this will guarantee it will set each time. Others say it does set each and every time and are sharing their pictures on Instagram. So I am wondering if it is a certain brand of cream cheese that is causing this. Remember to NEVER use spreadable (guaranteed never to set) and to add sweetener and pumpkin spice to YOUR taste. I like mine flavoursome, and not-so-sweet, but you may prefer it differently. So have fun experimenting, and enjoy 🙂
I haven’t made this yet, but could the setting issues come from too wet pumpkin puree? Libbys brand tends to be the driest, but I would still dry it some with a high quality paper towel. Another possibility is that someone used pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree. I’m glad I read the reviews. I know I will be drying the pumpkin when I make this. 🙂
Ahhh. I never ever thought someone might consider to use pumpkin pie filing. That could be it. I only ever use my own home cooked pumpkin puree so I know how much moisture it needs – not much. Thanks for the tip! 🙂
The video shows cocoa powder being added with the sweetner, but no cocoa powder is listed in the ingredients
The video has been updated and had the word “cocoa” has been removed. It is actually pumpkin spice that gets added. Apologies, I had a bit of trouble with this video.
Its the pumpkin pie spice… Not cocoa.
Whar size dish do you use?
Made this last week- topped with chopped pecans and a little toasted coconut. It was DELICIOUS!
Mine is tasty but too wet to handle. Weighed and measured all ingredients and used full fat Philly cream cheese, and Trader Joe’s brand pumpkin (canned). It’s fairly wet (i.e. slides off the spoon quickly but not quite runny) so I’m wondering what is the correct consistency of the Pumpkin for this recipe?
I too used trader joe’s Organic pumpkin purée and the fudge also was a little too wet to handle. Tasty though. Suppose that purée is too wet to begin with. I melted dark chocolate and used it to coat the bottom on the fudge which gave it a more stable base.
I tried this recipe yesterday & thankfully I read the comments first. I reduced the amount of butter down from 2 sticks to 1/2 stick. After pouring in a pan & letting the mixture set up I still wasn’t able to get a bar that I could cut. Although, mine turned out more solid than liquid. I would say it has the same consistency of a pumpkin pie (just not sliceable). Either way, it is delicious! I scooped a few tablespoons into a bowl last night for a snack. Very satisfying & at least it was eatable. 🙂
Mine separated also, but I put the pan in the freezer instead of the refrigerator and it turned out delicious!
Brilliant Angie! This is exactly what I do if it ever separates.
After reading negative comments I still decided to give this a try. My gas stove runs too hot so I kept taking the butter off the burner every two minutes to let the temperature come down a little and so it wouldn’t be too hot when I added the cream cheese. I used a gram scale to measure everything. I used Great Value (Walmart) canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie stuff) and was happy that it was VERY thick. As I was mixing everything together in the final step on the stove I noticed the butter didn’t want to incorporate with the other ingredients. I mixed as hard as I could by hand and got some of it to incorporate so when there was only a few little bits of cream cheese unmelted I put it in my food processor and blended it for a while. It worked! It was consistent throughout with no butter separation. Sadly, even after 24 hours in the fridge it never set up thick as fudge. I could not pick up a cut piece with my hand. I could, however scoop half a piece at a time with a butter knife. It was thick but soft enough to cling to the wax paper and not firm enough to pick up with your hands. I used 5 tablespoons of Swerve instead of 3 and even my husband said it wasn’t very sweet. It would have been great if it formed up and with more sweetener though. Awesome pumpkin pie flavor.
Thanks for your top tips Terri. I love them. If your fudge doesn’t set, just pop it in the freezer and make frozen fudge, it’s amazing and takes longer to enjoy also 😉
Perhaps it is too wet due to 2 sticks of butter. In the video you only melt one?
Hi Missy, the recipe definitely needs 2 sticks of butter, this is what sets the fudge. My videos often get clipped to meet the time requirements of some social media platforms. I have added a whole lotta more tips and recipe FAQ to help everyone who makes this for the first time. I hope this helps.
Flavour is bang on!! Ive tried it a few times now and it does not set as fudge . So just have to freeze it. Even teied subbing half the butter with coconut oil and even added a 1/3 cup whey isolate and still didnt set lol. Perhaps the recipe is meant for homemade puree. Even steaming off the can puree didnt work. Oh well still tastes great!!? Thanks for this great site!!
Hey there Steve, thanks for the great feedback. Did you use pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filing?
Yes. I was just going to say this. There is only 1 stick used instead of 2. I will have remake this dessert.
I’m not sure why these negative Nancys are commenting. You need the butter so help the cream cheese set solid . And if it’s not sweet enough, duh, add more sweetener! It’s not rocket science folks, it’s delicious and soft as long as you follow the recipe and all of Libby’s great tips. Too many people want to skip to the recipe card to save 3 minutes reading, spend 20 minutes making the fudge, then the next 20 minutes complaining. Take 3 extra minutes to read the tips = baking success every single time 🙂
Thank you Shelly (the fudge lover), I do add the “Jump to recipe” button right at the top, only by popular demand, but then no one reads my tips. I’m so glad you love this. You might also like my peanut butter fudge too.
Thanks for the recipe! I had to put mine in the freezer to get it to set. If I make it again I’m dialing the amount of pumpkin spice mix way back— 2 tablespoons was too much for my taste and I found the whole thing dominated by bitter clove notes. But of course that’s a matter of taste. If you LOVE pumpkin spice you will certainly get enough here. LOL.
I have been stirring for 20 minutes. There is no way this vat of butter is going to incorporate with the other ingredients. 2 sticks of butter, really? Has this recipe been tried before? I did the slow melt and stirred constantly while it cooled. I am at the 30 minute mark. What next?