Gluten-Free, Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This holiday season, I was tasked with a new baking challenge: make pumpkin pie that is not only gluten-free and vegan!  I fit right in with my husband's family as many of them also have dietary restrictions, including his aunt and uncle who are both gluten free and vegan.  One night when we were all out to dinner, we were talking about who was the best pie-maker.  And me, feeling the need to boast, told everyone I could make a pie that was gluten-free and vegan and would be as good as all of the other pies.  And when my challenge was accepted, I realized I actually had to figure out how to do that.

I got the idea from the blog Sarah Bakes Gluten Free and adapted in slightly to fit what I had in the pantry and my own taste.  To start, you need to make the dough for the crust.  This can be the most challenging part because you'll have to do a lot of "substitution"here:

Ingredients for the Crust:

• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 potato starch
• 1/4 millet flour
• 3 tablespoons of ground, gluten free oats
• 1/3 cup vegan, organic shortening (I used Spectrum, Organic Shortening)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine together the almond meal, oats, potato starch, millet flour, and salt.

Using a fork or the flat beater on a stand mixer, cut in the shortening to the flour mix.  It should resemble a sand like substance before it starts coming together in a dough.  Then, add in the maple syrup or honey and blend until it is completely combined.  Then, add in water until the dough is moist and comes together in a ball.  (You can use more water if needed).

Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper large enough to roll out the dough 11" in circumference.  Place an equal sized piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll the dough out in to, approximately, and 11" circle.  Grease a 9" pie pan with shortening or gluten free cooking spray.  Remove the top layer of the parchment paper a place pie pan upside down on the dough.  Flip the pie pan over with the dough and parchment paper.  Press the dough down in to the pie pan so it is flat on the bottom.  Remove the parchment paper from the dough.  Pinch the excess around the outside of the pan so it resembles a regular pie crust.  Refrigerate for one hour.

Ingredients for the pie filling:

• 1 large can of pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup potato starch
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the pumpkin, milk, vanilla, and syrup/honey.  Whisk in the potato starch and spices until well-combined and smooth.  Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and pour the pumpkin mix in to the cold crust. 

 Bake for around 50 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly.  Refrigerate overnight and serve with your favorite topping!

Any favorite recipes that cater to several food intolerances?  Share in the comments sections!  And have a wonderful New Year everyone!