Jil Carrara’s deliciously spiced pumpkin pie recipe makes for a perfect festive dessert, with the added bonus of saving any old Halloween pumpkins from ending up as waste.
The clocks have reset, the leaves have turned an orange-red hue, ice skating rinks have been set up and Christmas lights have started to brighten the city’s streets, which can only mean one thing: it’s officially November.
Whether your craving for pumpki-spiced latte can’t be stilled or you’re having an autumnal get together with your friends, there is really no better dessert than a traditional pumpkin pie – with a nutritional twist! Though this recipe opts for canned natural pumpkin puree, you can also choose to make it from scratch, cooking about 500g of pumpkin flesh (why not use your Halloween pumpkin if it is still edible and save it from going to landfill?), just make sure to drain the water out properly!
Ingredients
For the crust: 180g oats 150g ground almonds 5 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt
For the filling: 1 1/2 x 425g can natural pumpkin puree 5 tbsp maple syrup 50g coconut sugar 50ml oat milk 2 tbsp arrowroot powder 1 tbsp melted coconut oil 1/2 tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon & nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla extract pinch of salt
Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a food processor, mix all the ingredients for the crust together until a thick paste is formed. Grease a pie dish or round tin with coconut oil and press the dough into the form with the help of a spatula or spoon, spreading until even. Place in the fridge to set while you make the filling.
Add all the filling ingredients to a blender, adjusting the sweetness and spice according to taste. Blend until smooth, then simply pour into the chilled crust and spread evenly.
Bake for about 30 minutes, checking regularly. You will know the pieis baked once it starts cracking, but still looks a little jiggly. Once ready, leave to cool for 30 minutes to an hour so the filling can set properly, before serving with some whipped coconut cream.