Simple Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
Save RecipeMade with my go-to almond flour crust and a coconut cream based pumpkin custard, this is truly the best Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie.
Hi Bold Bakers!
I’m Olivia Crouppen. As Bigger Bolder Baking’s resident alternative Bold Baker, I love taking the classics and reworking them to utilize some of my favorite healthy ingredients and substitutes. Whether you’re gluten-free or not, you will love this Pumpkin pie recipe.
Made with my go-to almond flour crust and a coconut cream based pumpkin custard, this is truly the best Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie. Oh and it just so happens to be low sugar and low carb too. Come on, you know you want to find ways to lighten up this holiday season. This is THE place to start.
How to make a gluten-free pie crust
Before I tell you how to make a gluten-free pumpkin pie crust, I want to tell you why you should give it a try. This almond flour based pie crust is full of flavor and richness as almonds themselves are delicious. Without losing out on any of the flavor, this gluten-free pie crust is flaky and sweet, naturally has added fiber and healthy fats, but has zero gluten or sugar.
Gluten can irritate a lot of peoples’ digestive systems causing inflammation and discomfort in your tummy. With all the holiday feasting, I like to take help where I can get it when it comes to eating clean. Little things like swapping this crust for typical wheat-based ones can make all the difference for your digestions. So now that you know the why, the how is really straightforward.
Just like you would make a classic crust, you combine the dry ingredients with the fat (coconut oil in this case) in a food processor. The result is a pie dough that is rich and malleable and super easy to press into whatever pie shell of pan you want to use. It’s extremely versatile and can even be used to make a savory crust by omitting the Lakanto Sugar. This gluten-free almond flour crust has become a staple in my baking.
Can you use other gluten-free flours for the crust?
You can use a regular gluten-free flour to make this pie crust if for some reason you do not want to use almond flour. That said, I find almond flour adds a nice flavor. If you cannot find almond flour, though, you can always make your own by processing raw almonds in a blender or food processor into a fine powder.
How to make a low sugar pumpkin pie
I have the worst sweet tooth. If I could, I’d have dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the holidays it can feel like there are sweets at every meal, so it’s a great idea to include some sweet options that are not high in sugar.
My Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie recipe had zero added sugar. Instead of baking with sugar, I use Lakanto Sugar Substitute which is naturally derived from monkfruit. I love this brand as their products are free of chemicals, have no aftertaste, and can be used 1:1 for sugar. This means the only sugar content of the pie is from the natural sugars in the pumpkin puree.
The other ingredients in the filling are egg, coconut cream, and pumpkin pie spice and that’s it! I love how clean and simple the filling for this pie is, because these are all ingredients you can feel great about sharing with friends and family, no matter what time of year.
Why do you need to refrigerate pumpkin pie?
So the process of making this pumpkin pie is the same as making any other. You make the crust, then fill it with the pumpkin custard, then bake it. Just like any other pumpkin pie, its a really good idea to allow your pie to really set after baking, so an important step is to allow your pie to fully come to room temperature.
From there I like to pop my pie in the fridge for at least an hour. This really allows the egg in the custard to firm up, which will ensure the pie stays together and can be cut into perfect slices when ready to serve.
Believe me no one will ever know this pie is actually really good for you as it tastes every bit as decadent as your grandma’s recipe!
How to make coconut whipped cream
No slice of pie is complete without a dollop of whipped cream, and this one is no different. I like to top my gluten-free pumpkin pie with coconut whipped cream as dairy can also irritate the gut similar to gluten.
After going the extra mile to keep this pie gluten free, it’s nice to take the same care with the toppings to ensure this pie not just tastes great but doesn’t irritate your digestion. To make a dairy-free whipped cream, I use coconut cream with the solid white cream that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk. All you do to turn this cream into whipped cream is whip it up with a hand or stand mixture into a light fluffy topping.
As the fat content of coconut cream is pretty high, it can easily melt — so I keep this whipped up in my fridge until it’s time to serve. It’s just like regular whipped cream when served, so pile it high atop a big old’ slice of pumpkin pie! YUM!
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Made with my go-to almond flour crust and a coconut cream based pumpkin custard, this is truly the best Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie.
- 2 cups (8oz/225g) almond flour
- 2 tablespoons Lakanto white sugar, Swerve or sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or butter, cold
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 2 cups (16oz/450g) pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
- 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) coconut cream
- 2 eggs*
- 2/3 cup (5oz/142g) Lakanto sugar,* Swerve, or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons Lakanto maple syrup,* maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), then generously grease a 9 inch pie tin with coconut oil, set aside.
In a food processor combine the almond flour, Lakanto Sugar, salt and baking soda. Pulse a few times just to combine.
Next, add in the cold coconut oil, egg, and vanilla, then pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
Using your hands, press the ball of dough into the greased pie tin, pressing the dough up the sides of the pie tin.
Using a fork or your fingers crimp the edged of the pie crust for decoration.
Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or just until dry and no longer raw looking. You just want to par-bake the crust, not brown it. Set the crust aside to fully cool.
While the crust is cooling make the pie filling: Turn the oven down to 325°F ( 160°C).
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, coconut cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spices, salt, Lakanto Syrup, and vanilla. Mix until evenly combined.
Once the pie crust has fully cooled, pour the pumpkin custard mixture into the crust.
Bake the pie for 50-55 minutes or until almost fully set with a slight jiggle in the center.
Allow the pie to cool fully to room temperature before placing in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight.
To serve, remove from the fridge and allow to come back to room temperature. Slice and serve with coconut whipped cream.
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
*The Eggs in this recipe can be replace with flax egg.
*The Lakanto sugar can be replaced for regular sugar or coconut sugar but the pie will not be sugar free.
*The Lakanto Maple Syrup can be replaced with regular maple syrup but the pie will not be sugar free.
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The crust came out mushy, almost like there was too much oil. I followed the recipe and par baked for 10 mins. I then baked the pie for 65 minutes so I’m not sure how this happened. Anyone else experience this? I want to make it work!
Hmmm, was the crust dry looking after blind baking or still raw? It should have crisped up!
It looked fairly dry, but not crisp. I’ll try it again and blind bake for a bit longer. Thank you! I’m excited to have a simple gf crust.
Can’t get my coconut cream to fluff. Been whipping it for almost an hour. What am I doing wrong??
Hi Jackie,
that is way too long to be doing this. What have you been using to whip it? An electric hand whisk will do it in a few minutes, a hand whisk a bit longer. It will not whip up the same as fresh dairy cream, not so fluffy, but will lighten up to a smooth cream.
Chilling the can of cream will allow the cream to set up in the can, this is what you use, just the cream, not the water which separates from the milk. Chilling the bowl too if you live in a hot place, but I am thinking you are whipping the milk, or milk and cream, and this will not work for you.
I hope you resolve it, I am sorry you are having this trouble,
Gemma 🙂
The coconut cream? Do you get this by taking can of coconut milk, flipping it over in the fridge, and scooping out the cream that separates from the milk? I haven’t seen coconut cream in any stores near me (I live in TN, USA) and the only way I’ve seen to get coconut cream is doing as I described^. Is that how you got it?
Hi Hannah,
Yes, precisely! we then use the coconut water in our smoothies here at home, very delicious too, and no waste,
Gemma 😉
Made this tonight as a trial run for Thanksgiving. I made it exactly as the recipe said except I used Splenda as the sweetener and sugar free store brand maple syrup. The crust is excellent! More like a cookie than a regular pie crust. The filling was delicious! The coconut cream adds a nice touch. By the way in case anyone is wondering if you get 8 servings from the pie it is 9 Weight Watchers SPs per piece.
Hi Dawn,
YEA! good woman, a trial run is always a great idea, and lovely to have a taste to yourself too as the cook often gets overlooked on the day! Well done too to make the substitutions so cleverly, I am delighted to get your tips on this.
Yes, we do get questions on the WW points, and do not always work it out, so thank you so much for this too.
Good to have you baking with us,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you! Quick question, when I opened the coconut cream part of it is solid and part is thick liquid. Can I use the liquid if there isn’t enough solid for the next pie or to whip into whipped cream? It’s in the fridge but did not solidify.
Hi Dawn,
You use the thick cream, not the liquid for best results.
I think this is what you mean! You can add the liquid to smoothies, soups etc.
Gemma 🙂
My second pie turned out great! Used a slightly smaller pie plate this time since the first piece was in a 9.5” and the filling was thinner than I would like it to be (photo was 1st pie). I also made this crust for a pecan pie. Mmmm mmmm! So delicious! Thank you for these excellent recipes 😋
Hi Dawn,
YEA! thank you for getting back to me, I am delighted you got a great result.
I always say ‘experience is the best teacher’ and this is so true for me too.
Good for you, thank you for your kind words,
Gemma 🙂
This was awesomely way! Thank you, my family loves it! I’m going to try and freeze one for Thanksgiving!
Hi Andrea,
that is great, I am happy to hear this, thank you for letting me know, and happy thanksgiving to you and your family,
Gemma 🙂
The coconut cream gives it a rich, unique flavor. Gorgeous! I really like the the crust. The food processor method really makes a difference. Perfectly wonderful.
I’m delighted to hear that!! Thanks for trying it out :). I’ll let Olivia know.
Best,
Gemma.
Can’t wait to make the pumpkin pie…does it freeze well?
Yes, it freezes and thaws very well. Just allow it to defrost at room temperature 🙂