We’re past the halfway mark of the CFU Paleo Challenge, woo hoo! I say it’s time for another delicious Paleo dessert (because I’m sure we’re all a bit over omelette/frittata recipes!)
I love any dessert that’s spicy, gingery and creamy, so was quite excited when I came across a delectable-looking Pumpkin Pie recipe in Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar Cookbook. It’s not a Paleo cookbook per se, but a lot of the recipes use Paleo-friendly ingredients like eggs, coconut flour and nuts. All the recipes are really simple, easy to prepare and totally yummy. I highly recommend it for anyone doing the Paleo Challenge and/or wanting to curb their sugar cravings. Click image below to check it out (it’s available in both hardcopy and ebook formats)
Paleo Pumpkin Pie
(based on Sarah Wilson’s Pumpkin Pie recipe)
For the filling:
- 3 eggs
- 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (original recipe uses rice malt syrup, which is fructose-free but not Paleo) **UPDATE: I’ve since realised your sweet tooth probably needs a bigger hit than mine, so a few extra tablespoons probably won’t go astray.
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (see bottom of post for easy puree instructions)
- 180ml coconut cream
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (seems like a lot, but it’s actually not overpowering at all)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 2 tsp. Yum!)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp arrowroot (I used coconut flour instead, turned out fine)
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs for sprinkling (optional)
For the crust:
- 60g coconut oil, melted
- 2 cups almond meal (I used a combo of almonds and cashews, plus some shredded coconut)
- 1 tsp salt
What to do:
Preheat oven to 180 deg C. To make the crust, pulverise the nut meal, oil and salt in a small food processor (or mix by hand) until it comes together. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of 22cm pie dish. (I used a springform tin, and lined the sides with baking paper.) You may need to make a bit more mixture if you want a nice thick crust up the sides.
Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cool (pop in the fridge or freezer if you’re running short of time).
Using a stick blender or whisk, beat the eggs and honey/syrup together, then blend in the rest of the ingredients until the mixture is the consistency of thin custard. You can pop in some extra arrowroot/coconut flour if it’s too runny. I had some ground chia seeds on hand, so I threw them in too. (If you’ve just made the pumpkin puree from hot pumpkins, make sure it has cooled down a bit, otherwise it will cook the eggs in the mix. We’re not going for a scrambled eggs pie here!)
Gently pour the filling into the cold crust and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the centre of the pie is set (the surface will start to crack a bit). Remove from oven, let cool completely then pop in the fridge until ready to serve. The longer you refrigerate it, the better it will taste as it will allow the flavours to develop.
Sprinkle the pie with cacao nibs (if using) just before serving. They add a lovely chocolatey crunch!
How to make easy pumpkin puree
Don’t bother with finely slicing skins off pumpkins and then dicing them. Instead, get a whole butternut pumpkin (or two, they’re so cheap at the moment) and chop it in half lengthways with a big sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds. Spread a bit of coconut oil over the cut sides (like spreading butter on toast), and pop the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a baking tray or dish. Bake at 180deg for 35-60 mins until nice and soft. When cool enough to handle, just use a spoon and scoop out the pumpkin flesh, scraping every last bit from the skin. Pop into a food processor and blend until smooth. I usually pop leftover pumpkin puree into silicone muffin pans and freeze for later. Too easy!
