If you love pumpkin AND pecans, this praline pumpkin pie will become your go-to dessert for all special occasions. An easy grain free and paleo pie crust is filled with a dreamy layer of pumpkin custard and a thick layer of gooey pecan praline topping. Serve with coconut whipped cream for the ultimate gluten free, dairy free and paleo Thanksgiving dessert!
Want more paleo baking recipes that taste just like the real deal? Purchase my book, Paleo Baking at Home here!
When fall rolls around I start dreaming of pumpkin pie!
It’s obviously the star of Thanksgiving desserts for a good reason. The creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin custard filling paired with a flaky crust and whipped cream is actual dessert heaven!
But this one? I think it’s even better – especially if you also LOVE pecan pie like I do! You get everything you love about pumpkin pie, plus a thick gooey layer of pecan praline amazingness. Are you ready to dive in? The only answer is YES!
What You Need to Make Praline Pumpkin Pie
I separated the ingredients into 3 sections – crust, filling and topping.
You’ll see that many of the ingredients from each section overlap, but this way you can see exactly what you need for each step of the recipe process.
Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the praline pumpkin pie:
Crust:
- blanched almond flour
- coconut flour
- tapioca flour
- palm oil shortening or grass fed butter, or a combination of both
- Maple Sugar or coconut sugar
- sea salt
- egg
Filling:
- pumpkin puree
- full fat coconut milk, blended prior to adding
- tapioca flour, or arrowroot
- maple sugar or coconut sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- pumpkin pie spice
- ground cinnamon
- fine sea salt
- eggs
Praline Topping:
- pure maple syrup
- pure vanilla extract
- coconut sugar
- fine sea salt
- pecans
How To Make the Paleo Pie Crust
Prepare the crust first. The dough will need to chill for at least 1 hour, and can also be made the day before to chill overnight.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together all the crust ingredients except for the egg, then add the egg and pulse until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375° F. Lay out a sheet of parchment and sprinkle all over with tapioca flour. Place the chilled dough on top, sprinkle with more tapioca and cover with a second piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 11-12” disk.
Remove the top piece of parchment and place your pie dish upside down on the dough. Carefully flip the dough into the pie dish – it will break, but it can be easily repaired. Remove the top piece of parchment and repair the dough to fit in the pie dish.
Either crimp the ends or press with a fork, then place in the freezer for 10 minutes before pre-baking.
To pre-bake, you can use pie weights (on top of parchment) or prick several small holes in the crust with a fork. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until just set.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to partially cool while you prepare the filling.
How to Make Praline Pumpkin Pie
After prebaking the crust, prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together all the filling ingredients, except for the eggs. Then, whisk in each egg one at a time, careful not to overmix.
Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then cover loosely with foil to avoid the crust browning too much and continue to bake until the filling is just set in the center – about 25-30 more minutes.
While the pie bakes, make the praline topping. In a small bowl, stir together the maple, vanilla, coconut sugar, salt, and pecans. After removing the pie from the oven, sprinkle the topping evenly over the pie, loosely cover with foil, and continue to bake another 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. I recommend refrigerating the pie for about 30 minutes before serving because it’s easier to slice this way. You can also store the pie for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, covered, before serving.
To serve, slice and top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream if desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips for Praline Pumpkin Pie
- As with any pie, do not rush any of the steps! Make sure you chill the dough before rolling it out (it’s a sticky mess otherwise!) and be patient with repairing the dough as needed before pre baking the crust.
- Do not skip chilling the un-baked crust prior to baking. Making sure it goes in the oven cold is key to even baking and avoiding shrinking.
- Make sure you cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil (not just the crust) to avoid burning the crust and top. I do not recommend a pie shield, as paleo pie crusts are too delicate for them.
- Before adding the praline topping, make sure the filling is almost completely set in the center. Oven times vary, so jiggling the pie a little to see if the center is set will help you decide when it’s time to add the praline topping!
I hope you’re ready for a seriously delicious and decadent dessert that’s absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving, but too good to skip year round! Enjoy!
Praline Pumpkin Pie {Paleo, Gluten Free}
Praline Pumpkin Pie {Paleo, Gluten Free}
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbsp
coconut 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
Filling:
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk blended prior to adding
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 3/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar you can also use a combination of the two
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
Topping:
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the crust first. The dough will need to chill for at least 1 hour, and can also be made the day before to chill overnight.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together all the crust ingredients except for the egg, then add the egg and pulse until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375° F. Lay out a sheet of parchment and sprinkle all over with tapioca flour. Place the chilled dough on top, sprinkle with more tapioca and cover with a second piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 11-12” disk.
- Remove the top piece of parchment and place your pie dish upside down on the dough. Carefully flip the dough into the pie dish - it will break, but it can be easily repaired. Remove the top piece of parchment and repair the dough to fit in the pie dish.
- Either crimp the ends or press with a fork, then place in the freezer for 10 minutes before pre-baking.
- To pre-bake, you can use pie weights (on top of parchment) or prick several small holes in the crust with a fork. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until just set. Remove and allow it to partially cool while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together all the filling ingredients, except for the eggs. Then, whisk in each egg one at a time, careful not to overmix.
- Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then cover loosely with foil to avoid the crust browning too much and continue to bake until the filling is just set in the center - about 25-30 more minutes.
- While the pie bakes, make the praline topping. In a small bowl, stir together the maple, vanilla, coconut sugar, salt, and pecans. After removing the pie from the oven, sprinkle the topping evenly over the pie, loosely cover with foil, and continue to bake another 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. I recommend refrigerating the pie for about 30 minutes before serving because it’s easier to slice this way. You can also store the pie for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, covered, before serving. To serve, slice and top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream if desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Fall Desserts? Try One of These!
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake {Vegan}
Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Cream
Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte Bars
Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!
Do you think I could make this without the crust?
Michele, this looks delicious. Can you please advise what size pie dish you used? I read recipe twice but I may have overlooked. Thank you.
This looks excellent!!!! Do you have any recommendations for egg substitutes for the different pie components? I have a sibling who is egg, dairy and gluten intolerant. Thank you for sharing!
My husband has a nut allergy to pecans and almonds could I replace pecans with walnuts? And use white flour instead of almond flour if we don’t mind the gluten free aspect of the recipe?
Seriously the best pumpkin pie ever!!
We LOVE this recipe!! Hubby asked me to make another one before the first was gone. The crust needed some extra TLC but well worth it!!!
Diana, it appears Michele used a 9-1/2″ pie plate. Click on picture of the pie plate and it takes you into Amazon where it indicates the size.
Cant wait to try this one out!! Michele, This says 1/2 tbsp of salt in the pumpkin pie filling but I’m pretty sure you meant to write only 1/2 tsp haha – Just a friendly heads up!
You need a jump to recipe button
Could you use ghee instead of palm shortening?
That’s what I used and it turned out great! I think its probably more buttery tasting than just using butter.
For the love of pumpkin pie, DO NOT put 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice + 1 tsp of cinnamon. Stick to ONLY 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. That would be more than enough. Since it was my first time making it, I followed the recipe even though I was concerned about the amounts of the above spices listed. The spice flavor was overwhelming and the pie got tossed.
This was the best pumpkin pie ever! Creamy, with the perfect blend of spices. The next time I make it (and there will be many next times!), I’ll reduce the sugar in the praline topping, as that part was a bit sweet for me.
Way way to salt, I’m thinking the salt should read 1/2 tsp not half tbsp.
Any recommendations for the crust if I dont have a food processor? Will mixing my hand or an electric mixer be sufficient?