Pumpkin pie usually means making a crust, mixing a filling, and waiting for the oven. These pumpkin pie bites skip all three, combining pumpkin puree with cream cheese, butter, sweetener, and pumpkin pie spices before the mixture goes straight into the freezer.
The recipe from Green and Keto makes 12 small fat bombs with ½ cup pumpkin puree, 4 ounces each of cream cheese and butter, and ¼ cup powdered sweetener. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves provide the pumpkin pie flavor without adding a prepared pie filling.
Each serving has a reported 137 calories, 14 grams of fat, 2 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 1 net carb.
There is no baking time involved. Once the ingredients are mixed and divided into a mini muffin pan or silicone mold, the freezer does the rest of the work.
Cream Cheese and Butter Form the Base
The recipe starts with equal amounts of softened cream cheese and butter. Both need to be soft enough to whisk together without leaving large pieces in the mixture.
If they are still too firm, the recipe suggests warming them in the microwave in short 15-second intervals. Once combined, pumpkin puree, powdered sweetener, vanilla, salt, and spices can be mixed into the base.
Powdered sweetener works well here because there is no baking step to help coarse granules dissolve. The result needs to remain smooth enough to portion into small molds before chilling.
Pure Pumpkin Goes In Without Making a Pie Filling
Half a cup of pumpkin puree supplies the pumpkin component, but plain puree is important. Prepared pumpkin pie filling can contain added sugar and seasonings that change both the flavor and carbohydrate count.
Canned pumpkin makes the recipe simple, though fresh pumpkin puree can also be used.
Because pumpkin contains water, the finished mixture remains soft after mixing. Butter and cream cheese firm as they get cold, which is why these bites rely on several hours in the freezer instead of an oven to hold their shape.
Five Spices Create the Pumpkin Pie Flavor
Cinnamon makes up the largest part of the spice mixture, with ¾ teaspoon added to the batch. Nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves fill out the rest.
If pumpkin pie spice is already in the cabinet, the individual spices can be replaced with 1½ teaspoons of the premixed blend.
Vanilla and a pinch of salt are added with the spices, while a pecan half goes on top of each portion before freezing.
A Mini Muffin Pan Sets the Portion Size
Once mixed, the pumpkin mixture is divided among greased or paper-lined mini muffin cups. Small silicone molds work as another option, and individual portions can also be spooned onto parchment paper when a mold isn’t available.
Each portion gets a pecan half before going into the freezer for two to three hours. By then, the cream cheese and butter have firmed enough for the bites to hold their shape.
The recipe makes 12 servings, so using the same amount in each mold also keeps the reported 1-net-carb nutrition estimate consistent from one piece to the next.
Keep Them Sealed in the Refrigerator or Freezer
These aren’t treats to leave sitting on the counter. Their cream cheese and butter base means they should remain refrigerated or frozen in a sealed container.
Freezing produces a firmer bite, though letting one sit for a few minutes before eating allows the cream cheese and butter to soften. Refrigerator storage keeps them softer from the start.
A tight container also serves another purpose. Foods with a high fat content can pick up odors from other foods in the freezer, so sealing the finished pumpkin bites helps protect their flavor.
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