Use in Moderation
Pumpkin
4.70g net carbs per 1/2 cup
Cooked and mashed, a half-cup serving brings 4.7 g net carbs, which adds up fast if you go past one scoop. Keep portions small and pair it with fat like butter or cream to stay inside your daily carb budget.
Built by Barron Hansen · Last updated July 2026
Nutrition Facts
Fits My Daily Budget?
Set your daily net carb limit to see how one serving fits.
One serving uses 24% of your 20g daily budget.
Plan the rest of your day
Good to Know
Reach for plain canned pumpkin (Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin) rather than pumpkin pie filling, which is loaded with added sugar and can run several times the carbs. Roasted fresh pumpkin works too, but the flesh concentrates as it cooks, so weigh it after roasting rather than before. Watch lattes and baked goods labeled pumpkin spice, since most get their flavor from syrup and sugar, not actual squash.
Is Pumpkin Keto? The Full Answer
Pumpkin contains 4.70g net carbs per 1/2 cup (6.00g total carbs minus 1.30g fiber). Cooked and mashed, a half-cup serving brings 4.7 g net carbs, which adds up fast if you go past one scoop. Keep portions small and pair it with fat like butter or cream to stay inside your daily carb budget.
On a standard ketogenic diet, most people target 20-25g net carbs per day. A single serving uses 24% of a 20g daily carb limit. Track your portions carefully and account for other carbs in your meals.
Better Keto Swaps
Want that soft, spoonable orange flesh without the sugar load? Roasted butternut is still on the higher side, so reach for these instead. Mashed cauliflower is the closest stand-in for pumpkin puree in soups and casseroles, running about 1.5 g net carbs per half cup, and it takes on whatever spices you throw at it. Spaghetti squash is another option when you want fiber and a little chew, sitting near 4 g net carbs per half cup, so it works in moderation. For baking, where pumpkin usually shows up, swap to almond flour at roughly 1.5 g net carbs per quarter cup. It keeps that dense, moist crumb you get from a pumpkin bread without the 4.7 g per half cup you would spend on the real thing.
Track Your Ketone Levels
The Keto-Mojo meter is the gold standard for confirming you're actually in ketosis. Know your numbers - don't guess.