Celebrate Thanksgiving with a Healthier Pumpkin Pie

If you’re celebrating today, Happy Thanksgiving!

We won’t be eating a turkey dinner today because we’re hopping on a plane to visit our friends in Germany. However, we will be helping to cook an expat Thanksgiving meal on Saturday after we’ve seen some of the infamous German Christmas markets for the first time.

Yesterday, I baked a healthier version of my normal pumpkin pie and I’m carrying it on the plane this afternoon. I hope it arrives safely with me!

Since I’ve been trying to do gluten-free baking, the biggest obstacle was how to make a gluten-free crust. I’ve tried an almond flour crust a couple of times, but funny enough, I find it tastes too nutty. So I went back into the kitchen to figure out a recipe that didn’t require xanthum gum or some other strange gluten-free replacements.

The easiest solution was using a combination of almond and coconut flours. Then, I used melted coconut oil instead of butter to make it a bit healthier. The crust did brown faster than others I’ve used, so I would definitely recommend covering the crust with aluminum foil while baking the pumpkin pie.

Now that I’ve got the crust figured out, I’m just hoping I can get through airport security with my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie in tact! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joy

My previous version of Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with an almond flour crust.

Gluten-Free Coconut & Almond Crust

Yields: one 9-inch crust

120      g.                     almond flour

70        g.                     coconut flour

70        g.                     melted coconut oil

3          Tablespoons    maple syrup

Pinch                           salt

Using a food processor fitted with a blade, combine the almond and coconut flours and salt.

Slowly, drizzle in the coconut oil and maple syrup, and blend until you have a wet dough.

Press this dough into your pie pan. I use my hands and then a flat-bottomed glass to get the crust pressed down evenly.

Bake at 350 F/175 C until lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.

While the tart shell is baking, make the pumpkin custard recipe below.

For the Pumpkin Custard:

255      g.                     homemade pumpkin puree

130      g.                     organic palm sugar

70        ml.                   almond milk or cream (36% Smietanka Tortowa)

1          tsp.                  vanilla extract

1          tsp.                  ground cinnamon powder

¼         tsp.                  ground cloves

¼         tsp.                  ground allspice

¼         tsp.                  freshly grated nutmeg

¼         tsp.                  salt

2          ea.                   organic or free-range large eggs***

60        g.                     melted coconut oil

In a medium-sized bowl, place all the ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Add the melted coconut oil last as it can seize up into little chunks of solidified fat.

Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared pie shell.

Place the pumpkin pie onto a flat baking sheet. Bake the tart in a preheated 350 F/175 C for about 25-30 minutes until the center is set or a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate. Garnish the pie with whipped cream, slightly sweetened either with maple syrup or your choice of sugar substitute.

***Note: I still use eggs in my baking, but if you would prefer an egg-free version, simply blend 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 Tablespoons of hot water. Let rest 5 minutes or so until the mixture has the texture of a raw egg. This ratio = 1 egg.