A few weeks ago, I made a recipe that I found on Pinterest for paleo pumpkin pie muffins. It was not my favorite recipe -- let me tell you why.
This recipe had a banana in it. I like bananas -- I'm a big fan, but not in my pumpkin pie. I felt like the banana flavor over-powered the rest of the dish. Second, you had to bake it. I guess I just felt like this was kind of an unnecessary step; the pumpkin is technically already baked. I don't think it added much to the overall taste. It was creamy and somewhat pie like. But I knew that I could do it better.
So this recipe was born. I axed the banana and chose to use coconut cream. Honestly, you can't even tell there's coconut in here. And, unlike my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger Drizzle recipe, this one's nut-free. I made sure this recipe is as allergy-friendly as it can get.
This recipe is:
dairy-free
nut-free
refined sugar-free
paleo & primal
EASY
pretty darn healthy, if you ask me!
If you're looking for a healthy way to lighten-up your Thanksgiving meal, this is it!
This recipe makes four mini pumpkin pies. I suggest you make them in ceramic ramekins or those thicker cardboard-like cupcake liners. Once they're frozen and set, you can peel away the liner for a more dramatic finish. Regular parchment cupcake liners will not be sturdy enough for this.
Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Pies - Vegan & Gluten-free
For the crust*
8-10 Biscoff Cookies, processed into a powder
2 T. coconut oil, melted
*To make this dish gluten-free, use biscuit-like gluten-free cookies or make this simple nut/date crust.
For the pumpkin filling
10 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for at least 24 hours
1 tsp. vanilla-infused bourbon (learn more about infusing your own!)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
a few drops of organic stevia extract, optional
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and coconut oil. Once everything is saturated with oil, press the crumbs into the bottom of each container. Flatten them out with your fingers. The crust is done!
In a food processor, combine everything except the stevia. (For the coconut milk, you only want the "fat" part, the solid part. Scoop of the solid part and leave the water/milk for another use). This is the part that may take some time: puree the mixture until smooth. You'll have to scrape the sides multiple times with a spatula and pulse again. For the best pie, you'll want it to be very smooth.
Taste the mixture when it's at your desired smoothness. Do you need more spices? When I tasted mine, I thought it needed a touch more sweetness. I added a few drops of stevia extract to mine and pulsed it again. If you've ever used stevia, you'll know that a little goes a long way! (PS - Trader Joe's has organic stevia for a great price! I add a few drops to my sparkling water for an extra treat!)
When you're ready, scoop the mixture into the prepared four containers with crust. Shake them a few times to get the air bubbles out and the puree flat. I encourage you to freeze them for an hour or two to get them to hold shape, if you're concerned about that. Make sure you transfer them to the refrigerator shortly after that -- you don't want pumpkin pie popsicles!
(Or maybe you do?! Can you tell that mine are super frozen in the pictures? They taste 100 times better in the fridge, but I wanted to take fancy photos for you.)
Enjoy these mini treats -- they're such an easy (and HEALTHY) way to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Cheers,
-Aileen
PS - Top the pies with some marshmallow fluff or coconut whipped cream!