Paleo Pumpkin Pie – A healthy dessert option for you this Thanksgiving
One of the things I have the most fun doing since going paleo is revisiting some of my old recipes, especially desserts.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before I went ahead and gave a little bit of a paleoification treatment to one of my most popular desserts ever: my better than sex pumpkin pie.
Now I’ll be honest, It’s already been a couple of years since I came up with the original version and I’d only had it this once so I don’t remember exactly what it tasted like. All I remember is that it was crazy good. The kind of good that would make me roll my eyes backwards with pure ecstasy with every single bite.
I guess if I wanted to make a really accurate comparison, I’d have to bake both pies at the same time and have a slice of each.
But you know what?
I don’t think that will be necessary. For this new version I just created is WAY beyond satisfactory! So much so, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the need to revisit the original experience.
This new pie’s filling is so, so creamy and smooth and velvety and spicy and sweet, it feels like it softly caresses every single cell in your mouth each time you take the fork to your lips. It’s got a texture like that of a devilishly rich and unctuous custard combined with a thick, buttery and silky mousse. Yet, it doesn’t feel heavy in the least. In fact, I’d even say it’s quite refreshing!
And if many people found my original version to lack a little bit in the sweetness department, well let me tell you, this paleo guy will definitely not let you down in that capacity. Despite containing no refined sugar whatsoever, this one IS plenty sweet, trust me! Perhaps even a tad too sweet for my taste. But hey, this is a treat after all, isn’t it?
The crust I wasn’t exactly convinced would work all that well at first…
Before it made it to the oven, it looked nothing like what you would expect from a typical pie crust. The dough came out really soft and had more of a batter consistency, so I pretty much had to spread it into the pie dish, as opposed to pressing it down like you kind of expect to do with that kind of crust.
I was highly skeptical that such a soft crust would ever be able to hold up to such a dense and heavy pie filling…
Much to my surprise, I think it turned out absolutely fantastic after all. It’s nice and moist, yet crispy and kind of crumbly, a bit like a good graham cracker crust, only softer, and tastier! It’s sturdy enough that you can hold a slice of pie in one hand, yet soft enough that you can very easily go right through it with a knife, or fork, or spoon, or whatever utensil you choose to use to consume your pie!
And above all, it complements the flavor of the pie to absolute perfection!
One word of advice, though: make sure that you grease your dish very VERY well because it is somewhat sticky and sweet and will want to adhere to any spot you might have forgotten. (Who, me? Noooooooo, I most certainly did not forget any spots…)
Oh, and DO use a pie dish with a removable bottom, unless you don’t mind eating Pumpkin Crumble instead of pie. Mind you, it wouldn’t be such a shame after all, because it would taste just as good…
How’s about we try a slice? I say this looks pretty darn creamy and lusciously rich!
Paleo Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup crushed raw pecans
- ¼ cup organic raisins
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
For the filling
- 2 cups pumpkin purée
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup date paste
- 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp freshly ground whole nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp lime zest
For the crumble
- ¼ cup crushed raw pecans
- ¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¼ tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tbsp organic raisins, chopped
- 1 tbsp raw honey
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Add all the ingredients to your food processor and process until well combined.
- Transfer to a well greased removable bottom deep pie dish and spread gently and evenly to the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula to form a crust.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, reshape by pressing gently as needed (the crust might poof a little) with a rubber spatula. Set aside
For the filling
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and process until smooth and creamy, about one minute.
- Transfer to the reserved pie crust.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes, until filling is set and top gets slightly darker.
- Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Allow pie to cool for a couple of hours, then take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator, where you will leave it to cool for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
For the crumble
- Add shredded coconut, raisins, pecans, salt and cinnamon to your food processor and pulse a few times until the texture resembles that of raw oatmeal. Transfer to a small non stick pan and toast over medium heat until slightly fragrant, about 30-45 seconds
- Add honey and stir until honey is completely melted and small clusters begin to form.
- Remove to a plate and allow to cool completely.
- Sprinkle over pie.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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50 Comments on “Paleo Pumpkin Pie – A healthy dessert option for you this Thanksgiving”
Great, now I want pumpkin pie…and it’s 4am! :/
Hmmm… the question is: just what were you doing up at 4 in the morning? Should you not have been in bed? If you had indeed been in bed like you were supposed to, then you wouldn’t have been craving pumpkin pie. So there. Totally not my fault. I can’t be held responsible for your nightly craving. This foodie is now officially off the hook! 😉
Well, you can try telling that to the Judge in Court.
Yes, I’ve just sued you for unlawful nighttime cravings generator.
And with this comment consider yourself served.
What about that?
😉
Uh oh…
Well, in that case, PLEASE let me offer you a slice of pie! I’m all out, but I’ll gladly bake a fresh one. I’ll even throw in a cup of coffee, and I’ll make it strong, too!
Then I’m sure we can forget all about this lawsuit stuff… 😉
You know what, I don’t even like pumpkin pie but I really wanna try this! I never would have thought to put lime zest in with pumpkin, is that added to brighten up the flavor? Because whenever I bake with pumpkin the end product is always blah and I have to remake it with a bunch of extra spices and sometimes a tiny bit of lemon and it tastes a lot better.
Anyways, that crumble looks gloooorrrrious and I would probably eat it all first saying it is “granola” 🙂
That’s exactly right, Jessica. Lime (or lemon) is one of those ingredients that is known to “fix” or enhance the flavor of certain foods. While you aren’t really able to taste it, it does make a surprisingly big difference.
And thank you for your kind words, I take it as a major compliment! 😀
Healthy and delicious – can’t beat a combo like that! Looks gorgeous, I especially love the crumble on top 🙂
This sounds amazing! Definitely going to try and convince my family to swap this for the usual sweetened condensed milk-loaded pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving this year 🙂
Sweetened Condensed Milk Pumpkin Pie? Oh my! I hope you get to convince them to give this version a try, too! And I hope you all end up liking it better than the sinful version… 😉
This looks ridiculously amazing!! Can’t wait to try it.
Ah, and I hope you like it, Amy… who knows, maybe I’ll get to see a pic on Instagram? 😉
I love pumpkin pie, cannot wait to make one soon. This looks so good. Pinned.
Hi Sonia–I just discovered your website and think it is just fabulous. I love the foodie humor. I’m not paleo, but only eat fish and eggs in the animal world so many of the recipes here are great for me too. What I’m wondering is … what is that white whippy cream looking dollop on the plate? Since you’re paleo, I’m thinking it isn’t tofu based ;-). Is it the real deal?
HaHa! That, my friend, is the Paleo version of whipped cream! It’s simply coconut cream (the fat from coconut milk) that’s been whipped with a hand mixer. Some people add a little bit of honey and vanilla to it, to make it sweeter, but I like to eat mine plain. It’s so creamy and silky, it’s even better than the real thing! 🙂
Looks so good! Definitely going to try this! One question: would I be able to substitute coconut flour instead of almond flour? It’s so hard to find almond flour in my area. 🙁
Ooof, I don’t know about this, Marissa. Coconut and almond flour have very different properties… If you can find almonds, or better yet crushed, sliced or slivered almonds, you could very easily make your own flour by grinding them in small batches in a coffee grinder. That’s what I always do because I find almond flour to be WAY too costly…
Hope this helps!
i dont eat eggs could you use a flax egg in this?
To be honest, I have never used flax eggs, Charlene, so I really wouldn’t be able to tell. Hopefully someone with a little bit more experience then me will be able to offer their insight!
I just tried this with flax egg replacer. It has been in the oven for over an hour and just isn’t setting up. It was the only substitution I made in the filling. I’m hoping it will firm up as it cools, but I’m doubting it…
Thanks for the input, Melissa! Did it end up firming up after all?
I just made this yesterday and this morning had a piece for breakfast and I just love the taste and texture!
AWESOME!!! Glad you liked it, Nan and thank you so much for letting me know! 😀
Where do I find date paste? Never heard of it
try clicking the link, it explains how you make date paste
Actually, date paste is something that you make… click the link in the recipe it’ll take you right to the instructions!
i’m wondering why you need a pie pan w/ a removable bottom – i usually just serve the pie from the glass pie pan it was baked in. Clue me in plz.
Well, Carol, I suppose you could use a regular glass pie dish but since the crust is very delicate, I think it would be hard to get the slices out of there in one piece, especially the first ones. Also I’m thinking that such a dish might end up being too small to contain all of the filling, as they tend to not be quite as deep… Notice how I used a DEEP pie dish and didn’t bring the crust quite all the way to the top… this is a fairly thick pie!
I am wondering why you would want to refrigerate this overnight? Can you serve this pie warm? I made this pie today and followed the instructions, just wondering though. I am planning on warming it up and hoping that will be okay? It looks and smells amazing – cannot wait to bite into it tomorrow!! This is my first attempt at going Paleo with my family so, hope they love it! Thanks for the recipe!
I like to let it refrigerate overnight just to make sure that it’s nice and firm and will hold its shape when I slice it up. As for serving it warm, I couldn’t tell you for I haven’t tried it. Call me weird but I never really cared for warm pie… hope you liked it if you did give it a try! And I really hope that the pie was to your liking, too! 🙂
What size pie dish was used?
one other quick question, i have pumpkin pie spice which contains cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, can i use that in the filling instead of each individually and how much of it should i use.
thank you
The pie dish that I used is 9.5 inches. As for the pumpkin pie spice, I am not familiar with the mix as I prefer to mix my own spices, so I wouldn’t know how much to use. Probably 2-3 tbsp? I guess it also depends on how spicy you like your pie to be… let your taste buds be your guide!
Question… are the macros for 1/8th, 1/10th, 1/12 of the pie?
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious! I like making truly special treats for the holidaysd. The only change I made was to substitute dried currants for the raisins, and I didn’t toast the crumble. It was delicious that way as well. Thanks so much for the recipe!
AWESOME! So glad to know that this pie was to your liking, Eileen, and thank you so much for letting me know. I truly appreciate your taking the time to give me such great feedback. You’re the best! 🙂
Me again….plotting Thanksgiving recipes and this looks like a winner! Quick question though, what do you prefer to use to grease your pan for this? I’ve tried ghee and coconut oil before and had issues on other creations, so curious what you prefer, lard or something? Now if you could just somehow duplicate my grandmother’s stuffing recipe in a paleo version…… 🙂
Lard is definitely my fave for greasing pans, Ali, followed by ghee and coconut oil. I will only use coconut oil when it’s firm, though, never when it’s in the liquid form. As well, whenever possible, I like to also line the bottom of my pans with parchment paper, that way I’m almost certain that none of my goods will ever cling to that pan.
And now you got me all curious… what exactly goes into the making of that stuffing? I’ve always loved me a good challenge! 😀
It’s not too complicated, just a LOT of butter (which is fine for me, we “do” dairy!), sausage, mirepoix and then dried bread cubes and crumbled, dried out cornbread….mix delightfully and then add chicken stock to desired moisture. I am going to do a test run with some of your paleo breads, like maybe your foccacia sans olives? And crumbled up crackers for the cornbread? That’s my only stumbling block for Thanksgiving, everything else is super easy to paleo-ize (thanks to your pie crust recipe :-))
I promise I will stop bothering you, I just love the food scientist in you!
HA, but you are not bothering me in the least, Ali, I LOVE to have my brains challenged!
I completely agree with the idea of using the foccacia recipe sans olives for the bread part, that would totally do the trick, me thinks. As for the cornbread, I’m thinking perhaps some kind of paleo biscuit? Theoretically, I should be posting a recipe for that pretty soon which I was told by the creator (it’ll be a guest post) are AMAZING! I can’t wait to try them myself… I LOVE me a good biscuit and I think they would be an awesome addition to any stuffing!
Oh boy, my head is getting full of ideas now. See? You’re really not bothering me, not even close. In fact, you’re inspiring me! 😀
Tried this out this weekend and it was FABULOUS. I don’t even like pumpkin pie, I think it usually tastes like mediocre spices in a sticky filling, but this was divine. The filling is so light and creamy, I cannot believe it from the ingredients. The crumble is awesome too, I could have covered the whole pie with it (or ate it by the spoonful!!!). The heavy reliance on pecans totally works.
I would post a pic if I could because I was also able to make it look pretty like hers as well, it wasn’t hard at all. I didn’t have a removable bottom pie tin, so I used a normal one excessively lined with parchment paper and then lifted it out afterward.
Thank you for the recipe!! My office is devouring the leftovers as we speak
Thank you so much for this amazing feedback, Ali. This is more than music to my ear, this is like a grand orchestra playing directly in my brain! 😉 I would LOVE to see a picture of you pie. Can you post it on my Facebook page? That would be totally awesome! 🙂
Mouth watering … thanks again Sonia!
Sonia! Two years running (plus a Christmas dinner on Oahu!) I have made your original Crazy Good yet Unbelievably Healthy Pumpkin Pie – (also making my own pumpkin puree from a pumpkin from a friend’s garden!). It really is THE BEST I have ever made and/or eaten….bar none…hands down…for sure and for real! Everybody’s first bites in each case were a picture perfect “OMG! face”! Amazingly, it EVEN LOOKED like your photo – wow! Now I see you have it in the Paleo version….I will make it that way this time and report any differences I make or taste – our English Verison Thanksgiving Dinner will be Sunday (I live in England), so it will be sometime next week. Thanks so much for doing what you are doing – you are a found treasure!
Wow, thank you so much for all this, Carole. I might be a found treasure but you, my dear, are a total gem! Your amazing feedback is like pure music to my ear, wow, I am so flattered, I don’t even know what to say. I really hope that you like the paleo version just as much (honestly, I liked it even better) and can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Fingers crossed. Until next week…
This looks awesome… I’m going to try it but don’t have dates or date paste. Any substitutes? I’m not opposed to using a little sugar if necessary just need to know amount. No artificial sweeteners tho. Thanks!!! Love your site!
Thank you for this wonderful finish to my first paleo Thanksgiving! I have been eating AIP and now Paleo for about 6 months and am feeling great and am only just starting to explore the dessert side of things. This pie exceeded all my expectations. My parents keep trying to steal another slice instead of their regular pumpkin pie! We also had your butternut, brussel sprouts and jicama hash which I’ve made several times and I always find it divine. I am so glad that I have found your website. You are a talented cook and a wonderful resource of inspiration.
Thank you!!
Awww, thank YOU Andrea for taking the time to give me such amazing feedback AND for your super kind words! This is like music to my ears! So glad you and your family enjoyed the pie and to be such a great source of inspiration to you. Real happy you found me, too! 😀
This looks yummy! I’m sure it gets eaten up right away but I’m also wondering if you can freeze it?
I’ve never tried it, Lisa, but I really wouldn’t see why not…
Wow this was good! It was so good I am slightly in denial that there was no refined sugars!
Since its fruits and vegetables this qualifies as a healthy breakfast option…..right?