Thinking Outside the Pie Box

Happy Thanksgiving! I don't know about you but this 4-day weekend has been delightful and very busy around our house. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, just me, Aaron, Noëlle, my sister Cailin and her new husband, Jon, and my mom (Noëlle's Jama). We drank wine starting at noon, swayed to 20s jazz on Pandora, and cooked up a storm, which always includes a plethora of desserts. Jon and Aaron have nearly insatiable sweet teeth, and my mom is a self-proclaimed pumpkin pie fiend. Aaron loves it equally, so pumpkin pie is a staple. Now, the challenge with desserts around here is that my mom is allergic to a lot of the common allergens, particularly wheat, milk, and chicken eggs, and for health reasons, she hardly eats any sugar. But it's not just her--as I have shared with you before, for health reasons we also limit Noëlle's intake of wheat and dairy as well as sugar, since too much sugar is hard on the pancreas. If you know about baking, you know that eggs, wheat, sugar and dairy are key dessert ingredients. But that doesn't stop us! It's a challenge to me to think outside the pie box, so to speak, to come up with delicious and nutritious desserts for all to enjoy. So today, in the spirit of the Holidays and pumpkin season, I am here to tell you about a recipe for coconut milk, gluten free, low-sugar pumpkin pie! I made it this weekend, and it had my mom and Noëlle asking for seconds...and thirds...and fourths. Read on to learn how to make this pumpkin pie for those you love!


The pumpkin pie I made this weekend was a hybrid of two different recipes I found online, one for dairy-free pie filling--which included two of my own modifications (see below)--and one for gluten-free pie crust using amaranth flour. The pie crust comes first. I chose to use amaranth, as I have baked with it before. We make amaranth muffins for Noëlle, and it bakes nicely. I buy Bob's Red Mill Amaranth flour, and on their site you will find recipes! This recipe also calls for almond meal/flour and arrowroot starch, which Bob's also has. The following recipe makes a 9 inch pie crust:

• 1/2 cup Arrowroot Starch (Lauren's note: you can use corn starch)
• 1/4 cup Almond Meal/Flour
• 3/4 cup Organic Amaranth Flour
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (Lauren's note: I used butter!)
• 3 to 4 Tbsp Water

Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil a 9-inch pie pan; set aside.

Combine dry ingredients and blend well. Combine oil (or butter!) and 3 tablespoons water and blend with fork. Add all at once to flour. Stir only until a ball forms. If ball appears dry and crumbly, add a little more water, one teaspoon at a time, until ball hangs together. (Moisture content of flour varies.)

Pat or roll crust to fit into pie pan. Dough tears easily, but mends easily using extra bits to patch. Prick with fork. Bake 3 minutes in 400°F oven, fill and finish baking the time required for filling. Or bake about 15 minutes until brown and crisp. Cool and fill. Crust holds up very well after baking.

Now turn the oven to 425 F and prepare your pie filling!

For the basic pumpkin pie filling recipe, I settled on this one from About.com's Dairy Free Cooking section that uses coconut milk! If dairy is your only concern, go with this recipe and don't modify. You will see where I made my own modifications below based on my mom's allergies.

• 2 cups pumpkin puree, store-bought or homemade
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar (Lauren's note: I used 3 drops of stevia instead of sugar; beware, stevia is really sweet so you need very little, but it is naturally sugar-free; you can also use honey!)
• 2 large eggs (Lauren's note: I used duck eggs for my mom! Works just the same)

Beat together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt until very well combined. Gradually add the coconut milk until all has been added.

Now pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes at 425 F, then turn down the heat to 350 F to bake for 35-40 minutes longer. (If the edges of the crust start to brown too quickly, loosely tent the crust with foil.) Transfer the pie to a cooling rack to cool completely, then chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Serve with Vegan Coconut Milk Whipped Cream if desired. And I recommend that you do!

Just because you have allergies, doesn't mean you can't enjoy life...and some tasty desserts along the way. There is always a way, if you take the time to figure it out. And I must say, getting to hug my mom who cried when I told her I was making her the pie, and watching Noëlle's delight at every bite, made it all well worth it. I can't wait to do it again! I hope you enjoy and that those for whom you make it, feel very special. They deserve to! 

Noëlle and Aaron loving their special pie!

That's it for tonight, everyone. Hope you are all having a wonderful, merry holiday season. In a swift transition from one holiday to the next, Aaron just returned home with the Christmas tree he picked and cut himself at the tree farm, and he and my sister are already at stringing the lights. I must go help! 

Good night and best of luck with your pie making!

Ms. Crunchy Chic
Pie Maker Extraordinaire