Keto Pumpkin Roll

by KetoFocus.com

No fail, No rolling & unrolling

5 Stars (4 Reviews) 9 Comments

A no-fail keto pumpkin roll recipe that features a spongy pumpkin cake wrapped around a buttery cream cheese filling, eliminating the traditional towel-roll method and ensuring a crack-free finish.

If you struggle or shy away from make pumpkin rolls or any type of swiss roll because the recipes are so fussy and often results in a flat, cracked cake that doesn’t look anything like the photograph, this keto pumpkin roll recipe is for you! 

A white pumpkin plate with a slice of pumpkin roll spiraled with cream cheese filling on it.

With this pumpkin roll recipe you don’t need to mess with rolling the freshly baked cake up in a towel and the apprehension of unrolling it – trying not to crack it so you can have a picture perfect keto swiss roll. Instead, this recipe promises a spongy texture filled with a luscious buttery cream cheese concoction AND a crack-proof finish.

How I discovered this method…

Interestingly, this method was serendipitously discovered during an experiment with my keto oatmeal creme pies recipe. The first batch yielded cookies that spread out into a flat, thin sheet. When peeling them off the baking tray, I noticed they rolled seamlessly without cracking. This accidental discovery set the foundation for this impeccable pumpkin roll.

How to make a crack-free keto pumpkin roll

  1. Make a low carb pumpkin cake – For the cake, you’ll need ingredients like almond flour, oat fiber, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt, softened unsalted butter, sugar substitutes, pumpkin puree, and room temperature eggs.
  2. Bake the cake into a thin sheet – Spread the cake batter onto a baking pan (the half sheet size) and bake until set on top, golden perfection and your house smells like a Fall pumpkin candle. Take it out of the oven. Loosen the edges with a knife and let it sit there until it cools.
  3. Make a sugar-free cream cheese frosting – While the pumpkin cake cools you can make the filling. Mix more unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar-free sweetener, oat fiber, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
  4. Frost & roll – Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting, roll it up tightly using the parchment paper as you guide, and finish with a dusting of powdered sweetener. See, no rolling and unrolling. No cracks!
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Keto Pumpkin Cake Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar-free sweetener
  • 1 tablespoon oat fiber
  • 1 tablespoon nut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Keto Pumpkin Roll Directions

  • Keto Pumpkin Roll
  • A fork holding a bite of pumpkin cake over a plate with a slice of pumpkin roll on it.

    Can I have pumpkin on keto?

    It depends on who you ask. Those who are really strict keto or some Keto Karen’s out there will tell you pumpkin isn’t keto approved because it contains sugar. A half-cup of pumpkin puree has 12 g total carbs, 4 g of sugar, 4 g of fiber and 8 net carbs. 

    I like to gently remind them. Hey Einstein – All fruit has sugar in it. 

    From berries, to zucchini, to even avocado – they all contain small amounts of sugar. What matters when it comes to the keto diet is how many net carbs you can end up eating at the end of the day and stay in ketosis.

    This recipe uses 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree for the entire cake, which is 10 servings. The canned pumpkin is contributing to 0.5 carbs per serving, so I’d say you can have pumpkin on the keto diet. 

    Secret ingredient that makes keto cakes spongy

    In a traditional cake recipe, you achieve a spongy cake texture by using cake flour or all-purpose flour, which contains gluten – the ingredient responsible for the fluffy, spring-like texture.

    When it comes to keto cake, we don’t always use gluten-based flours. Almond flour and coconut flour are the baking staples when it comes to making cakes. Both can create a dense, flat cake unless you add this special ingredient – oat fiber.

    Oat fiber is an insoluble fiber that comes from oat husks. Since it’s made up of 100% fiber, it’s ZERO CARBS!

    A pumpkin cake rolled up with cream cheese filling to form a pumpkin roll. Two slices sit in front of the cake roll.

    Storage information

    Store any leftover cake roll in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days. 

    If you are someone who loves to freeze your food, this keto pumpkin roll can be frozen for up to 1-2 months as long as it is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer safe bag or container.

    Keto Pumpkin Roll: FAQS

    Can I use a 9x13 baking dish instead of a rimmed baking sheet?

    Yes, you can use a 9x13 baking dish to make a cake roll; however, your cake may be on the thicker side. It may take longer to bake in the oven. A jelly roll pan can be used as well.

    Why do I need to freeze the cake before cutting, and can I skip this step?

    If you want to get a clean cut (meaning crumb-free) and to prevent the cake from getting smushed when slicing, freeze the cake for 15-30 minutes before serving. Use a serrated knife when slicing and wipe the knife off in between cuts to get the cleanest cut.

    My pumpkin roll cracked. What do I do?

    Even though I'm not sure how that happened since I made this keto pumpkin roll recipe several times (as did others) and not once did it crack, you can just dust it with powdered sweetener or cover it with whipped cream and move on with you life. Then ask yourself, did you make substitutions, use a different ingredient brand or not follow instructions. If yes, let us know in the comments what you changed and your result.

    Nutritional information & Macros

    Nutrition Information

    Keto Pumpkin Roll

    Servings: 10

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 526
    Fat 53.2g
    Protein 6.6g
    Total Carbs 7.1g
    Net Carbs 2.7g

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    9 Comments

    1. Is this really over 500 calories per serving or is that for the whole recipe? Just sounds so high calorie?

      Thanks

    2. Hello Annie, I don’t like the taste of Oat fiber and I was wondering if I can substitute oat fiber for bamboo fiber. Thank you so much for sharing all the delicious recipes that make my keto lifestyle achievable!!!

      1. I haven’t tried using bamboo fiber. If it works the same as oat fiber, then I think it could be substituted but not entirely sure. Glad you enjoy the recipes.

    3. Hubby (Non keto skeptic) loved this but is not a pumpkin fan! My coworker made it for me in lieu of the farm fresh eggs Ive been giving her over the summer. He wanted to know if a chocolate version could be made out of this recipe?

    4. Hi Annie, 2 things, I would like to add 2/3 cup of pumpkin, so do I need to adjust anything to cake? And do you really need the cup of butter in the cake? I see your post that I can cut back in filling but am wondering about the cake too? BTW I made the cake the other day and dropped it all over my porch where it was cooling. I was sick about that. But the flavor was wonderful that I tried of what was left in the pan. 😱
      Thank you Chris

      1. Oh no! That’s too bad! I haven’t tried it, but you might be able to use 2/3 cup of pumpkin and then decrease the butter by 1/3 cup (so use 2/3 cup butter). I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how it would go, but worth a shot.

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