Easy Paleo Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Flour Crust

I asked this question the other day in my free Facebook community:

What comfort food do you wish you had a healthy option for?

While the most popular answer was pizza (check out my recipe here), the one that stood out the most was pie! Luckily, I already had this paleo pumpkin pie recipe in queue to post…just in time for Thanksgiving (I’m Canadian). It also happens to be my sister-in-law, Holly’s, favourite dessert! So it was a win/win.

Making Crazy Good Grain-Free Crust

Traditionally, pumpkin pie is of course made with a wheat-based crust. Being celiac, this doesn’t really work for me. I also stay away from grains so a simple swap for gluten-free flour wasn’t in the cards either. Instead, I used coconut flour for the base of the crust.

Since it absorbs a lot of moisture, coconut flour creates a dense end result which works great for a crust. It has almost a shortbread-like texture to it and tastes amazing with the pumpkin filling. It’s a great grain-free or paleo option for those that have a nut allergy, too!

Pumpkin Spice

The fall version of a classic PB&J combo is definitely pumpkin and warm spices. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove are my favourites to add to pretty much every recipe I make in the cooler months. Not only do they give an incredible flavour, but they’re also great for digestion. These four spices help to warm the body up in the colder months, as well.

When shopping for spices, quality matters. I buy all of my spices organically to make sure they haven’t been irradiated and are full of nutritional value. Irradiating food (exposing to ionizing radiation to kill bacteria) not only kills the good bacteria but also damages its nutrients.

What About The Pumpkin?

Last week, I shared my Deliciously Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte and talked about the awesome benefits of pumpkin (read it here). And yes, having a slice of this paleo pumpkin pie counts as having vegetables for dessert. 😉

And don’t forget to read the notes section of the recipe to make sure your pie comes out perfectly! Remember to take a picture of your creation and tag me Instagram so I can see it!

Easy Paleo Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Flour Crust

A decadent pumpkin pie made with warming spices and a grain-free coconut flour crust.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 pie

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

For the crust:

• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1/8 tsp unrefined salt

For the filling:

• 2 cups mashed pumpkin or 1 ½ 397 mL/14 oz. cans of pumpkin puree
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar maple syrup works too
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground clove
• ¼ tsp unrefined salt

Optional garnish:

• 1/4 cup raw pecans
• 1/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions

For the crust:

• Grease an 8” pie plate with coconut oil.
• Combine all the ingredients with a pastry blender (or just use your hands).
• Press the dough down into the pie plate.
• Pierce the flattened dough with a fork several times to prevent bubbling.
• Set aside.

For the pumpkin filling:

• Heat pumpkin and spices for 20 minutes on low - stirring occasionally.
• In the meantime, preheat oven to 425F.
• Combine remaining filling ingredients into a food processor or stand mixer.
• Add spiced pumpkin and mix until well combined (the mixture will be quite runny).
• Pour into uncooked pie shell.
• Place filled pie into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350F and bake for an additional 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Garnish with pecans and raw pumpkin seeds, if desired.
• Serve or cover and chill in the fridge.

Notes

You can use a 9” pie plate, the crust will just be thinner.
The dough is semi-sticky, so I wet my hands a bit it or put some coconut oil on them to prevent the dough from sticking to my fingers.
If using canned pumpkin, make sure it’s from a BPA-free lined can.
Don’t skip heating the pumpkin and spices (especially if using canned pumpkin puree) because this take any canned flavour away and really allow the flavours to meld together.
Pumpkin filling is quite runny before cooking but will set into the custard texture when baked.
Check your pie crust after about 15 minutes - if it’s getting too brown, tent with aluminium foil or use pie crust shields.
The pie tastes even better when made a day ahead because it allows for the flavours to deepen even further.