Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Filling & Flaky Homemade Crust
Gluten-free pumpkin pie filling made with 10 ingredients (and no evaporated milk!) in 10 minutes of active time nestled in a flaky & tender gluten-free pie crust. Top it with whipped crème fraîche for a festive fall dessert. For best results, make the gluten-free pie crust with Vermont Creamery cultured butter.
Brush the interior of the crust all over with the beaten egg white (reserve the egg yolk for the filling) and return to the oven until set, 2 minutes. This will keep the crust crisp.
Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. If your crust has cooled, place it in the oven until hot just before pouring in the custard, 3-5 minutes.
If you like, roll out any pie crust scraps and cut them into leaf shapes with cookie cutters. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake alongside the pie until golden and crisp.
Filling:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325ºF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, sweet rice flour, pumpkin spice, and salt.
Add two of the eggs, gently whisk smooth, then add the remaining egg and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Whisk slowly so that you don’t incorporate too much air into the filling.
Slowly whisk in the pumpkin puree, then the maple syrup, cream or crème fraiche, and milk.
Strain the custard through a medium-mesh strainer to remove any eggy bits.
Baking:
Pour the custard into the hot pie crust and very carefully transfer to the oven. Alternatively, place the pie on the rack in the oven and carefully pour in the filling. Any leftover filling can be baked in a ramekin alongside the pie.
Bake the pie at 325ºF until the outer edges are set and slightly puffed and the center wobbles like Jell-O, 45-65 minutes. Take care not to overbake the pie in order to keep the texture smooth and creamy.
Let the pie cool completely at room temperature, 2–3 hours.
For the cleanest slices, chill until firm, 1–2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve cool or at room temperature with whipped crème fraîche.
The pie is best the day of baking but will keep, refrigerated airtight, for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
*Ingredient substitutions:
In place of sugar, sub by weight maple sugar or coconut sugar
In place of sweet rice flour, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1
For dairy-free, use use 1¼ cups canned full-fat coconut milk in place of the milk and cream, and serve with whipped coconut cream
In place of golden pumpkin pie spice, use a store-bought blend or use the following:
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, mostly for color)
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
Timing:
The prep and cook time here reflect making the filling only.
Give yourself at least 4 hours to make the crust, and 4 hours to cool and chill the pie, much of which is inactive.
In need of a quicker pie crust? Use this almond flour press-in crust, which can be made in under an hour, start to finish.
Make-Ahead Options:
The pie crust dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
The homemade pumpkin puree can be made and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
The pumpkin pie filling can be made and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
The pie is best the day of baking when the crust is crisp, but it can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 day.
The baked pie can be frozen, but it can make the filling a bit curdled and watery. Defrost completely before serving.
The whipped crème fraîche can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; re-whip before serving to recombine any liquid that has separated out.