This classic Paleo Pumpkin Pie is just as delicious as any traditional pie you’ve made! A buttery, flaky paleo pie crust is filled with creamy dairy free pumpkin custard and baked to perfection for a delectable holiday dessert. Great with coconut whipped cream, gluten free, grain free, family approved!
Want more paleo baking recipes that taste just like the real deal? Purchase my book, Paleo Baking at Home here!
I’m not sure I really have “themed” weeks where all three recipes posted are somehow related to each other, but this week I just can’t help myself!
The theme of the week? Paleo versions of classically delicious holiday desserts!
Okay, in truth, I’ll be posting more than just 3 holiday dessert recipes before the New Year hits (I mean obviously!).
But, I worked really hard on perfecting these few over the past couple of weeks, and, I just HAVE to share them back to back.
And, by “perfecting”, I’m talking about testing, which, in the case of this paleo pumpkin pie, meant I made 4 pumpkin pies in one week.
All before September 1st rolled around, if you can imagine. So, yes, I’m really feeling the need to share already!
You might be wondering why this pie needed 4 rounds before getting the thumbs up. Especially when I actually already have an old pumpkin pie recipe on the site! The first answer to that is, my standards for paleo baking have changed over the past 3 years or so.
At first, if I could make something that sort of tasted like the original, that was good enough for me. But now? I’m a paleo baking perfectionist, because I’ve personally witnessed how true to the original versions paleo desserts can be.
It’s pretty amazing how you can use real-food ingredients and still come out with a finished product that no one can guess are grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
So, standards raised, I test everything until I come up with something I know you (and your families, including the non-paleo members) will love.
Step 1 – the crust. This is where I diverted far away from my original paleo pumpkin pie. I used a recipe nearly identical to my easy pie crust.
I added maple sugar, plus used a combination of 2 types of fat – palm oil shortening and grass-fed butter. You can also use just one or the other instead of both.
I sadly did not have success using coconut oil for the crust recipe.
Trust me, I try to use coconut oil whenever I possibly can, and it just doesn’t make for a great crust – greasy while baking and crumbly. Two thing you probably want to avoid when serving guests!
If you can’t have dairy at all, using all palm oil shortening is a great option.
Second, we have the filling! Now, I didn’t change the filling much from my original version. But, I did tweak the filling to work better with my crust for a tastier, creamier, pumpkin spice-ier (?) filling.
It’s a mixture of organic pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, a good dose of pure vanilla extract, thick creamy full fat coconut milk, 3 eggs, plus lots of pumpkin spice and cinnamon.
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for this one to get a nice creamy custard after baking – one other mistake I made that cost me one of the pies – eek!
Once you have the crust pressed into your pie dish and partially baked (this helps avoid a soggy bottom crust) you’re almost there!
Just pour in the filling, bake, and cool completely at room temperature.
The “room temperature” part is key – if your pie cools too fast, the filling can crack excessively. Keep in mind that even if your pie filling cracks (cracks are totally normal), the taste isn’t affected at all.
You always have pretty dollops of coconut whipped cream to cover them up!
I hope you guys are excited about the upcoming holidays with this delicious paleo pumpkin pie! Stay tuned for an equally festive apple dessert, and yet another pumpkin one this weekend. Enjoy!
Classic Paleo Pumpkin Pie
Classic Paleo Pumpkin Pie {with Crust Recipe}
Ingredients
For the Paleo pie crust:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour sifted
- 2/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup palm oil shortening cold, or grassfed butter, or a combination of both
- 1 Tbsp Maple Sugar or coconut sugar*
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1 egg
For the Filling:
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree organic
- 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk blended - or heavy whipping cream if using dairy
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup increase to 1/2 cup for sweeter pie
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
Instructions
Make the Crust:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all crust ingredients EXCEPT egg to create thick crumbs, then pulse/process in the egg until a dough forms.
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Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes prior to rolling or pressing into your pie dish.
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To get the dough into your pie dish, you can either:
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Roll out the dough into a circle between two sheets of parchment. Place your pie dish upside-down over the dough, then using the bottom parchment paper, flip the dough into the dish. Finish by pressing it into the bottom and sides of the pie dish to fit - this dough will break easily since it lacks gluten, however it also repairs incredibly easily and can withstand a lot of manipulation without affecting the final product!**
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If you don't wish to roll out the dough (or find it tricky) you can simply press evenly into 9 inch pie dish using your hands. Be patient and refrigerate dough as needed to make it easier to work with**
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Once pressed into the pie dish, gently pierce the dough with a fork all over so it doesn't puff up while baking.
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Bake pie crust in 9” pie dish in the 375 degree oven for 10 minutes until bottom is set, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring in filling.
Make the Filling:
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Whisk all ingredients except eggs, then whisk in eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time, don’t overmix.
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Pour filling into partially baked crust, spreading it all around to seal edges. Cover crust with aluminum foil and bake (at 375 degrees F) for 55-65 minutes or until center is nearly set (still a bit jiggly) and crust is deep golden brown.
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Allow to cool completely at room temperature to avoid excessive cracking of the filling. Once cooled, serve, or, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days prior to serving. Serve topped with coconut whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Coconut sugar will cause the crust to darken more than maple sugar
**Unlike a traditional gluten-containing crust, you can't "overwork" the dough, so take your time as needed pressing it into the pie dish
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Holiday Baking Recipes? Try of of these!
Paleo and Vegan Maple Pecan Apple Crisp
Paleo and Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Oo, one thing though- I did cover the pie with parchment, just bc aluminum off-gasses when heated, & it stuck to the filling. I took it off after 45min & even after 65min, it was still very wer & needed 40 more to fully cook. Consulted with my pie pro dad & he pointed out that evaporation needs to take place in the first portion of the bake. He usually pumps up the heat to 425° for 10 min to get it near boiling & then lowers to 375° for the remaining time. I’ll give that a go next time. Regardless- a practically perfect pie?
Appreciation to my father who informed me regarding this
blog, this web site is truly awesome.
Thank you for sharing your recipes! This filling is divine ?. It makes a lovely treat on its own; I have yet to try the crust recipe, which I’m certain is delicious. With the current state of affairs, pumpkin pie filling sounds yummy and comforting. Thank you again for sharing your recipes – they are delicious. I appreciate and applaud your effort.
I shamelessly use this pie crust for just about every pie.
For pumpkin I add 1/8 cacao powder to the crust.
This is the best paleo pumpkin pie recipe I’ve tried! I made it for Canadian Thanksgiving. The is crust is SO good and the filling is rich. Next time I will add an extra tbsp of sugar in the crust, only because of my sweet tooth. Fantastic – thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Omg, I will NEVER use another pie crust recipe ever…this will be handed down to my grandchildren’s grandchildren!! I’ve been using it for galettes, tarts, othere fruit pies…
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t miss my old (classic) recipe a bit!
My pie has only basked for 20 minutes and the crust is already really dark and looking burnt. I covered it with foil, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Any ideas for the next batch?
Yep it’s been 55 minutes now and the crust is black and the filling isn’t set. Not sure what I did wrong 🙁
Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup?
I noticed your Traditional Pumpkin Pie recipe in your Paleo Baking at Home cookbook is different than this pumpkin pie recipe on your site. Does your family have a preference as to which one you or they like better?
Q: Can pie be made two days prior to Thanksgiving and still good? Best storage? Thanks!!!