Cuisine HELP: Pumpkin Roll

Kick the candy cravings and enjoy this fall dessert!

Do you need a strategy to keep you from indulging on Halloween goodies this year? Whether you are handing out candy or trying to resist raiding your children's buckets after they go to bed, most of us will deal with the decision whether or not to partake in blood sugar-spiking treats tonight. I find it helps to prepare for situations like this by having a healthy alternative ready to enjoy instead. Will power alone only takes me so far! This keto-friendly pumpkin roll is easier to make than it looks and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. One of my daughters especially loved this and even enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast. She said it was great after chilling in the refrigerator overnight.

How I Make It

The key to this recipe is to roll up the cake in the parchment paper it was baked on after it comes out of the oven. This allows the cake to cool in the correct shape without cracking. Once the cake cools, simply unroll and spread the cream cheese filling before rolling it back up. The original recipe calls for two different sweeteners. I decided to try simplifying the recipe and make it using only Pyure (a stevia-erythritol blend easily found in most stores). It turned out well with Pyure, but you could try using whatever keto-friendly sweetener you have on hand.

Ingredients and Supplies

Pumpkin Cake:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup Pyure sweetener
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin (make sure it's 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
• 1 TBLS baking powder

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 2 TBLS Pyure sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 TBLS butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Supplies:

• Parchment paper
• Large bowl
• Mixer, hand or stand
• 15x10x1 baking pan
• Cooking spray

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 17 minutes | Servings: 8

Prepare the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 15x10x1 baking pan with parchment paper and grease well. Dust paper with a small amount of almond flour.
2. In a large bowl (or you can use a stand mixer) beat the eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add in sweetener and pumpkin. Then add almond flour, spice, and baking powder. Beat on high until incorporated. Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared baking pan.
3. Bake for 14-17 minutes in preheated oven. When done, the edges will start to brown and the cake will bounce back when pressed in the center.
4. Lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. With the cake still on the parchment paper, roll the cake—beginning at the short end. Allow cake to cool rolled up while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling:

1. Beat sweetener, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until smooth.

Assemble the pumpkin roll:

1. Once cooled, gently unroll the cake.
2. Spread the cream cheese filling onto the cake - stopping one inch from the edge.
3. Roll cake up again, this time discarding the parchment paper as you go.
4. Cover and chill until serving.

Giving Credit Where It's Due

The original recipe comes from My Crash Test Life. This website has many great keto and gluten-free recipes the whole family will love. Give this keto-friendly pumpkin roll a try and enjoy a yummy fall dessert instead of the candy this year.

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Rachel Borg

Rachel is HELPcare's Membership Director and the HELPcare Challenge Coordinator. She lives in Winchester, KS with her husband and six children.