Pumpkin Pie, along with Apple Crisp, are our family’s traditional desserts for Thanksgiving each year. Sometimes I offer to mix things up, but as many of you can probably relate, Thanksgiving is not the time to mess around with tradition in some households. This year, however, I was forced to make a few changes to our menu lineup due to my little guy’s gluten and dairy allergies. This year is the first time we will be eating a completely gluten-free and dairy-free Thanksgiving meal. A year ago, I would have been dumbfounded by how to convert a regular recipe to be gluten-free and dairy-free, but over the past year, I’ve learned a lot about gluten-free flours and dairy substitutes from the blogging community, and by experimenting on my own.
I’ve never been a pie maker. Some people make the most beautiful pie crusts with fluted edges and cutouts for the top crust. My pie crust never comes out very pretty. I start out with good intentions, but I just don’t have the patience to make the perfect looking pie. That’s why I usually cop out and make Apple Crisp or some other crisp or crumble. Thanksgiving is the only time I am required to make pie for my family, thankfully. Instead of a dough crust, I opted for a super easy graham cracker crust. It felt a bit like cheating, but my kids like graham crackers, and I think it goes well with pumpkin pie filling.
Fortunately, gluten-free graham crackers and graham cracker crumbs can be found at natural foods stores, so making a gluten-free graham cracker crust is a no-brainer. For the filling, I chose a dairy-free recipe, using light coconut milk. Although I cheated on the crust, I did make my own roasted pumpkin for the filling. Using roasted pumpkin makes this a richer tasting pie. After all, the filling is what my kids love best.
I have put together a complete list of healthy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Thanksgiving Recipes in case you’re still looking for ideas to round out your Thanksgiving menu.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
- 2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 3/4 cup ground jaggery or unrefined coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups Roasted Pumpkin Puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup light coconut milk
Instructions
To Make Roasted Pumpkin:
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully cut the pumpkin into four wedges; cut off the stem. Scoop out the seeds and pulp (save the seeds for toasting)
-
Rub the pumpkin wedges with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt.
-
Bake on a cookie sheet on the center rack until tender, about an hour. A knife should easily pierce through the pumpkin wedge.
-
Scoop flesh from the skins and puree in a food processor.
To Make Graham Cracker Crust:
-
Place graham cracker crumbs, coconut oil and maple syrup in a food processor and process until well combined.
-
Spoon into a pie pan and press crust evenly along bottom and sides of pan.
To Make Pumpkin Pie:
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
In a large bowl, mix together jaggery, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Stir in pumpkin puree, vanilla, eggs and coconut milk, and mix until well combined.
-
Pour filling into pie crust.
-
Bake for about 50 minutes or until filling is firm and set.
More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas:
Jeanette’s Healthy Living Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
EA-The Spicy RD says
Looks delicious! Definitely on my list to make! I like to use Marys Gone Crackers crumbled ginger cookie for pie crusts too. Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Angie@Angiesrecipes says
Looks so smooth and tasty! I love the added coconut milk in this pumpkin pie
Jeanette says
Coconut milk is a great dairy-free substitute in this pumpkin pie – creamy and smooth.
Kathy says
Ooh, I MUST make this for my aunt’s Thanksgiving party she has every year. And every year, it’s just a frozen apple, pumpkin, or rhubarb pie (or even all three!). I get bored and look at the ingredients, then I find that it’s just sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and corn syrup.
Now that you’ve posted a lovely recipe, time to convince my cousin that I’ll be bringing the pie! ;]
marla says
I have got to get my hands on some of that coconut sugar. I have never tried it. This pie looks fantastic!
Jeanette says
Hi Marla – I think you would really love raw coconut sugar. It is naturally high in minerals, vitamins and 17 amino acids.
France @ Beyond The Peel says
I just know you’ll have the most amazing Thanks Giving this year. All the recipes you’ve been trying out and experimenting with have been amazing.
Jeanette says
Thanks France, I have been playing around quite a bit this year due to my son’s allergies. This is our first gluten-free and dairy-free Thanksgiving, so I’m hoping everything will turn out well.
Kim - Cook It Allergy Free says
I am just not a pretty pie-crust kind of gal myself. I, too, go with the press in graham cracker crusts, almond flour crusts, or just go crustless. But this pie looks fabulous! And thank you so much for including my favorites here! 😉
Marly says
I was looking for a good gluten-free crust for pies. Thanks – this is perfect! I still make the gluteny pie crusts for my family…but I let them eat some of my GF food too. It’s good to share. Unless I really like it a lot…then I’ll put it to the back of the fridge and hope they don’t see it. Ha! Happy holidays!
Jeanette says
Glad you like this gluten-free crust. I used to make two different recipes for baked goods, one regular, and one gluten-free, but have decided to just make one gluten-free recipe most of the time. No one seems to mind and it makes my life so much easier! Love how you hide your food. I have lots of friends who do that…so funny.
Jerrit says
Thanks for the recipe! This was our first dairy, soy, gluten free Thanksgiving and being able to have delicious pumpkin pie for dessert was great! It never felt like anything was missing.
Jeanette says
Hi Jerrit – I’m so glad you found this recipe helpful. Last Thanksgiving was our first dairy/gluten-free Thanksgiving, so I know what you encountered. I made this pie again this Thanksgiving for my family 😉
Suzy says
Does this pie freeze easily? Would love to make a cple weeks ahead for thxgiving
Jeanette says
I haven’t tried freezing this Suzy, so couldn’t say. I have seen frozen pumpkin pies in the supermarket so it might work.