Pumpkin Pie

Jump to recipe

Pumpkin pie is an important menu item for Thanksgiving in our house. It took me a couple of attempts until this recipe passed approval by all. Since we’ve reintroduced egg yolks in our diet, I used them in this recipe. However, I also made it with gelatin and it tasted delicious so if you’re on the AIP elimination phase, you can use it instead. I’m opting for making it with eggs this weekend because I’d like to warm it before serving. With the gelatin, it took a while for it to completely set and I wouldn’t recommend re-heating it before serving as it will lose its shape.

For the leaf cut-outs to top the pie, I made those with the remaining pastry and baked them separately from the pie, adding them on top after the pie was baked and cooled.

I do not enjoy making a pie crust, so I have tried to make this as painless as possible. Using parchment plus a sprinkling of arrowroot or tapioca starch on the parchment paper makes rolling the pastry out a lot easier. I also like to put a piece of parchment on top of the pastry as I roll, so it won’t stick to the rolling pin. I know pastry recipes say to chill the dough before rolling it out but I just don’t bother with that step and mine turns out!

You’ll want to roll the pastry until it’s around 1/8″ thick and large enough to more than cover your pie plate. Once it’s rolled out, I lift it up with the parchment paper underneath and flip it over on to the pie plate. If it doesn’t turn over perfectly, as in the picture here, don’t fret. You can easily patch up the crust, as I’ve done below.

For the pie crust topping cut-outs, I bake those separately as I just find it so much easier. The pie will cook evenly and the cut-outs look much nicer when I placed them on top after the pie has cooled. I love using these cookie stampers to make mine.

Pumpkin Pie (Paleo)

Author: Elaine Drake, chpmom.com

Yields: 1 9″ pie

Freezer friendly

Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch, plus more for rolling pastry
• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 1 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 4-5 tablespoons cold water (or more to reach desired consistency)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions for crust:

In a mixing bowl, add cassava flour, arrowroot starch, gelatin, coconut sugar and baking soda. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add in coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. Using a pastry cutter or fork, work coconut oil into dry ingredients. Add cold water. Continue using fork or pastry cutter until the pastry is a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture together into a ball.

Preheat oven to 350. Take a large sheet of parchment paper, placing it on a clean counter top. Sprinkle the parchment paper with arrowroot or tapioca starch. Place ball of pastry in middle of parchment paper. Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the pastry ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry until the thickness is 1/8″ and it’s a large enough surface to more than cover a 9″ pie dish. Lift the bottom parchment paper and rolled pastry up off the counter by carefully sliding your hand underneath. Flip the pastry over on to the pie plate and remove parchment paper. Gently press the pastry into the mold of the pie plate so there are no air bubbles. Cut any excess pastry that is hanging over the edge of the pie plate. Set aside for later use. Crimp the edges of the pie crust for decorative effect or leave it plain. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes then remove and let cool.

While pie crust is baking and cooling, prepare pumpkin pie filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 400 mL can pure pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca starch
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• sprinkling of sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Stir or whisk until all ingredients are completely combined. In a separate bowl add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps in the flour or spices. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Pour filling into the pie crust. Place in preheated oven (I place it on a baking sheet in case there are any drippings or pie crust crumbs that drop while baking) for 60 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with coconut whipped cream or homemade coconut vanilla ice cream.

Pie crust topping cut-outs

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper. Using the remaining pieces of pie pastry from preparing your pie crust, form it into a ball and roll out, as per pie crust instructions using parchment paper and a sprinkling of arrowroot or tapioca starch until the pastry is approximately 1/8″ thick. Using a cookie/pastry cut-out/stamper, cut out desired shapes. Place shapes on parchment lined baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place the baked cut outs on cooled pie.