I’ve mentioned before that I don’t bake too exact of a science for me but it was a snowy day and I got cabin fever so I gave this a shot.  Glad I did!

This delicious pumpkin pie is a classic family favorite re-created with your special dietary needs in mind. Coconut flour is an aromatic gluten-free option that adds extra nutrition and fiber. Don’t like coconut? Use the substitution provided. This recipe can be made with egg replacement with good results.

Crust – I used Mrs. Smiths frozen pie crust (not gluten free hence could have been in title) but if you like to make crust here ya go. Remember I don’t bake that is Lyn’s thing.

1¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend of choice ¼ cup coconut flour*** 1 teaspoon xanthan gum ¾ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon agar powder*, optional 6 tablespoons cold butter or non-dairy substitute,     cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons shortening 3-4 tablespoons cold water, divided 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1. To make crust, place the first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to combine. (If you don’t use agar powder, increase xanthan gum to 2 teaspoons.) 2. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. 3. Add half the water and all the vinegar and process. Add remaining water, a little at a time, until dough forms into a ball. 4. Remove dough from the bowl and pat it into a disk between two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll it into a 12-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and gently turn the crust over onto a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan. It may crack or break in places but it will easily pat back into place. Form and press the dough into a pie shell and crimp the edges so that they are slightly higher than the pan. To bolster the height of the crust and to prevent over-browning, make a collar around the pie rim with aluminum foil. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 375 degrees. 5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set the pie crust on the baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase temperature to 425 degrees to bake the pie.

Filling

• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs**
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk***
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut***, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped in a food processor ( I did not use this)

To make filling,

• Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices.
• In a separate bowl, beat together eggs and coconut milk. Add pumpkin and beat well
• Add sugar mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.
• Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon flaked coconut over the bottom of the par-baked crust.
• Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell.
• Bake the pie in preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle remaining coconut over the top. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve or refrigerate for later use.

This was after 2 hours it was great but after it was refrigerated it was much better I liked the consistency and texture much better.

*TIP Agar, also called agar agar, is available in flake and powder form at natural food stores. Use agar powder for this recipe. **TIP For egg-free filling, replace the eggs with ¾ cup pureed silken tofu (about 7 ounces or half a package); increase the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons and reduce the coconut milk by ¼ cup. Proceed with the recipe as instructed.                                 ***TIP Don’t like coconut? Use 1¾ cups heavy cream or milk of choice (soy, rice, nut) in place of the coconut milk and omit the toasted coconut. Omit the coconut flour in the crust and increase all-purpose gluten-free flour blend by ¼ cup.