Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie
Ah, pumpkin pie. Not just a Thanksgiving treat. Trust me, it’s too good to only have on one day!
Sarah Wilson’s fructose free pumpkin pie in the original I Quit Sugar book was one of the things that converted me to the idea that perhaps giving up sugar wouldn’t be so horrendous after all (as did the Oreos and the IQS website’s Millionaire Shortbread).
Before we even did the 8-Week Program, I wanted to make a few of the fructose free sweet recipes to see if the experiment might be something that could become a long-term thing. And these recipes were so delicious we started the 8WP two weeks earlier than we had planned!
Since that time, I have has a special fondness for pumpkin pie. It’s a very American dessert, not one you see much of in the UK. In fact, before the IQS version, I had never had a pumpkin pie and had only heard of them because of the fact that I had grown up with a fair few Americans around me.
But I have been making and tweaking this recipe for a couple of years now, and it is now at a point where I feel I would not change anything else. It’s sweet without being cloying, you can taste the pumpkin flavour without it being overpowering, and the custard sets to a perfect soft-but-solid consistency.
It’s creamy, sweet and delicious, and has a real “treat” feeling to it while being made with fresh, wholesome ingredients and no sugar, making it a perfect treat to have more than just once or twice a year.
And if you can get hold of chestnut flour, I highly highly recommend using it. I adore this stuff, as it is naturally very sweet and lends that sugar-free-sweetness to everything it’s added into. It takes this from an already delicious pumpkin pie to something a bit more seasonal and special. If you cannot get hold of it or wish to stick to what you know, use plain (all-purpose) flour, wholewheat flour or a mix of both (my favourite).
I hope you come to love and treasure this recipe as much as we do. If you make it, why not take a picture and post it to Instagram, tagging me (@raisingsugarfreekids) in it? 🙂 I would love to see how you get on.
A delicious, sugar free version of a Thanksgiving classic, this pie is full of fresh, wholesome ingredients and deserves a place on a celebration table, but is good enough for you to eat more often than that! Adapted from this recipe.
- 250 g flour (I used 100g chestnut flour, 75g wholemeal and 75g plain)
- 110 g (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 medium egg
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp rice syrup
- 50-60 g (1/4 cup) xylitol
- 250 g (1 1/4 cup) pumpkin puree
- 150 ml (3/4 cup) single cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar free vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice mix
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cornflour
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Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. To make the pastry, pulse flours, salt and cold butter together in a food processor for 30 secs until combined and resembling uneven sized breadcrumbs. Add beaten egg and blitz until the dough just comes together (add a drop of cold water if needed). Shape into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in cling film, then chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
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Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and press gently into a greased 9 inch (23cm) tart or pie tin. Prick the base lightly all over with a fork. Line with tin foil or greaseproof paper and pour in baking beans or uncooked rice and blind bake in the preheated oven for 15 mins, then remove the beans or rice and foil before returning to the oven for another 5 mins. Allow to cool slightly while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 180/350F/gas 4.
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For the filling, whisk all of the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and thin. Pour into the pastry case and bake in the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour, until the custard is set round the edges and just has a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool completely (even better, chill for an hour or two after cooling) before serving with fresh whipped or pouring cream, or even my sugar free ice cream!
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