I’m excited.

It’s Thanksgiving!!

And it’s THEE official day of pumpkin!!

If there were ever an official pumpkin day, today would be the day. Maybe I should have posted pumpkin pie last week, but maybe sometimes I’m not the best at planning.

Like when planning to type out this post, and then deciding to go to the bar beforehand.

Bad planning.

Luckily [for you] I typed out the recipes ahead of time.

As mentioned many times before, I am a vanilla freak. I just love it. So why not infuse it into pumpkin pie?

I tested this recipe twice. It was based off the 101 Cookbooks Pumpkin Spice-Kissed Pie. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was using all coconut milk. While the flavor was subtle, you could definitely taste it. I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t want that flavor to come through quite so much. For round 2, I decided to use half coconut milk and half almond milk.

I also used more pumpkin, and decided to try cooking it for about 5 minutes in a pan. I thought this would deepen the pumpkin flavor, allow some of the moisture to cook off, and make the pumpkin silky smooth.

Totally worth the 5 extra minutes.

You can definitely find easier pumpkin pies to make, but this is by no means hard. There is just a little extra time involved.

The gluten free crust exceeded my expectations. It was just what I was looking for!

A few years back, I decided to try making an oat based crust for pumpkin pie. I’ve never been a huge pastry crust fan, especially paired with pumpkin pie. I feel like it needs something a bit heartier. Something with texture.

I had a hard time photographing this pie and spent a little too long trying…

The texture was spot-on, classic pumpkin pie. Just what I was looking for. And the crust?

Buttery rich, slightly sweet, with a not too chewy bite. The crust held together very well, and with a serrated knife, cut easily.

Round two! New slice, new plate, + new whipped cream!

As you can see from the photos, the crust went slightly past the “golden brown” stage. It wasn’t burnt, but was a little darker than I would have liked. For round 2, I shielded the crust with foil. It was a little bit of a pain, but worked perfectly! I basically tore off strips of foil, folded them over so they were thicker, and pressed them into the outer-side of the pan, coming up over + hovering above the crust.

Vanilla Bean Pumpkin Spiced Pie [adapted from Spice-Kissed Pumpkin Pie]

2c pumpkin puree [not pie filling]
1/2c full fat coconut milk
1/2c unsweetened almond milk
1 vanilla bean
1/4c sucanat
1/4c honey
1.5T arrowroot starch
3 eggs
1.5t cinnamon
3/4t ginger
1/4t all spice
1/8t nutmeg
1/16-1/8t clove
1/4t salt

Slice the vanilla bean down the center, and scrape all of the seeds out with a spoon or butter knife.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the coconut + almond milk, vanilla beans and vanilla bean pod.
Whisking frequently, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat + cover the pot for 20min to let the vanilla steep.
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, clove + salt.
Preheat oven to 350*.
Stir to combine and stir frequently for about 5min, until slightly thickened, glossy, and smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sucanat until combined.
Once the vanilla is done steeping, discard the vanilla bean, and place the mixture in a large bowl.
Vigorously whisk the arrowroot starch until there are no clumps. [If you’re having problems getting rid of clumps, you can always use a hand mixer.]
Whisk in the eggs, then the honey until well combined.
Add the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely smooth.
*Optional* Fold over 4-5 long strips of foil, to make little guards over the crust. Press it around the pan, but not actually on the crust, just hovering above. This will ensure the crust will not burn.
Slowly pour into the pie shell and bake for 50-55min, until the center is set. It should be golden brown on top and cracked around the edges. If the center jiggles, bake for a few more minutes and re-check.
Cool on a cooling rack for 1-2hrs, before placing in the fridge. Do not wrap with saran, or foil, until fully cooled.

tips/substitutions: All pie pans are not the same. I used a 9.5” wide 2” deep pie pan, which fit perfectly with the crust about 1/4” below the top of the pan. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, sub 2t vanilla and forgo the steeping process. Sub in 1T pumpkin pie spice, instead of all the spices listed, if that’s what you have on hand. Cornstarch can be subbed instead of arrowroot. Pure cane sugar/brown sugar/white sugar can be subbed for the sucanat. Brown rice syrup or maple syrup can be subbed for the honey.

This crust is a definite keeper!

Oatmeal Walnut Pie Crust [I used a 9.5” wide 2” deep pie pan]

1.5c GF rolled oats
3/4c walnuts
4T butter
1/2c GF oat flour
2T honey
3T sucanat
1/4t cinnamon
1/4t + 1/8t sea salt

Preheat oven to 350*.
In a food processor, process walnuts until crumbly. ~20sec
Cut butter into pieces and pulse until just combined.
Add sucanat + oat flour and process until combined, and a thick dough has formed.
Empty into a bowl and add rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, and honey and mash with a fork until fully combined.
Spread evenly into the bottom of your pie pan and then start to work from the middle out to the edges and up the sides. Press into the sides, rotating the pie pan, keeping the dough about 1/4” from the top. Make sure the dough is firmly packed around all sides and the bottom. *Refrigerating your dough for 15min or longer will help, but is not fully necessary.
Bake for 10-12min and let cool.

tips/substitutions: A mini food processor will work for this. If you don’t have a food processor, chop or grind the walnuts until very crumbly, then mash in the softened butter, then oat flour, etc. I would imagine that the dough could be made and refrigerated 2-3 days ahead of time. Feel free to sub 1T molasses + 1T honey, instead of 2T honey, if you want a rich, spicy flavor. Pure cane sugar/brown sugar/white sugar can be subbed for the sucanat. Brown rice syrup or maple syrup can be subbed for the honey. Sub pecans instead of walnuts, if desired. *Make sure to use certified gluten free oats if necessary to make sure the crust is completely gluten free!

If you’re looking for vegan pumpkin pie, check these recipes!