Pumpkin Pie

I've always been a pumpkin pie lover. Anything pumpkin, actually. This time of year, I put it into everything: muffins, waffles, smoothies, rice dishes, cupcakes you name it. I do prefer to make my own pumpkin puree, by first slicing the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, and roasting it in a 375 degree oven for 1-1 1/2 hours. I then scoop out the cooked flesh and puree it in my Vitamix or food processor. But when the pumpkin craving calls and I don't have an actual baking pumpkin, I use canned pumpkin out of convenience.

I created this recipe because A) I wanted a gluten free crust for my pumpkin pie and B) I wanted to make it without the traditional evaporated milk. (I'm not much of a cow's milk fan unless it is raw, real, and straight from the cow!) This version utilizes coconut milk, which contributes to this pies incredibly rich flavor. (Please note, though, that although the flavor is rich, the pie itself is not so rich that you can only eat one piece and you're stuffed. It's actually incredibly light on the tummy.)

My crust is a variation of Elana's simple pie crust from her book Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. I really love her cookbook and would recommend it for sure to anyone who is gluten free, but also to anyone looking to up the protein and fiber value of their everyday foods (almond flour is great for that and super tasty too).

This recipe comes just in time for you to make it for your Christmas gathering with family and friends.


Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1 cup almond flour

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1-2 tablespoons water

Filling:
1 can pumpkin puree (or 2 cups fresh)
1 can coconut milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons agave
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves and nutmeg, each

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, combine almond flour through salt in a bowl and stir. Add grapeseed oil and water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir until it forms a dough. Take dough and press into a 9 inch pie plate, spreading the mixture evenly in the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 425 degrees.

For the filling, combine all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Pour into crust (the filling will come over the top of the crust, and this is fine).

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven temp down to 350 and continue baking for an additional 45-50 minutes, until the top is set. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. The top will sink a tad when cooling, but will also become more firm.