With Thanksgiving officially less than one week away, it’s time to finalize recipes and gather ingredients. My main responsibility this year is to bring the Pumpkin Pie. And let me tell you, that is not a responsibility I take lightly. I’ve already made two pies to make sure my recipe is perfected.
When you have food sensitivities and food allergies, Thanksgiving can be a bit challenging. However, with the right mindset, that challenge can be part of the fun.
Pies tend to be particularly challenging for me because I cannot have eggs, gluten or corn. So, I always get excited when I’m able to adapt a recipe to meet my dietary needs without compromising flavor or texture.
This pumpkin pie is so good, no one will know it’s gluten-free and vegan, I promise!
The original recipe called for corn starch. I hypothesized that the best starch substitution would be potato starch because it’s a 1:1 substitution but I went to Whole Foods and amazingly they don’t carry it. So, I decided to experiment with arrowroot flour. Let me save you some disappointment. DO NOT USE ARROWROOT FLOUR!! The pie came out looking cracked and the texture was a bit slimy. Not really what you want in a pie, am I right?!
So, I gave in and went to a different store to buy potato starch. Thankfully, the pie turned out perfectly using this starch so I would definitely recommend using it if you’re also sensitive to corn. In my research I also found some health benefits of potato starch which may make it a better option for individuals that need to watch their blood sugar.
Potato starch is a resistant starch, so it does not get digested in the stomach or small intestine. Resistant starch does not cause the spike in blood sugar or insulin that other starches cause. It also has significant amounts of vitamin B6 and various minerals.
- For the crust:
- ½ cup shortening (for vegan) or butter
- 1½ cups Pamela'a GF Flour
- 4 Tbsp. cold water
- For the filling:
- 1¾ cup pumpkin (1-14oz. can)
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk (shake well before using)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the shortening or butter into flour until crumbly.
- Add the water and then use your hands to work the dough until soft. Mixture will be crumbly at first, but will slowly come together.
- Once your dough comes together, form it into a ball.
- Next, place the dough into an 8 inch pie pan or tart pan and press it evenly into the bottom and sides using your hands or the back of a spoon.
- Once the pie dough is spread evenly, take a fork and prick the bottom of the crust a few times. This allows the steam to escape as needed and helps to ensure that your pie will bake evenly and smoothly.
- Place the pie crust into your pre-heated oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until edges of pie crust are golden brown.
- While your crust is baking, make the filling.
- Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, brown sugar, potato starch, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl. Mix well.
- When the pie crust is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Adjust oven setting to 350 F.
- Pour pie filling into pie crust and bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove pie from oven and allow it to cool for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight before serving.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or coconut whipped cream and enjoy!
We hope you all get to enjoy time with family and friends this Thanksgiving. We are thankful for all of you!