New Twist On Traditional Pumpkin Pie

These days, almost everyone is allergic to something. Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free. Collectively, when we consider everyone’s potential allergies and preferences, green beans are often the only thing left standing on the menu. This year, I updated the traditional pumpkin pie recipe to make it a gluten free, lower sugar option. It calls for coconut milk to appease those with dairy sensitivities. Don’t worry. It’s still delicious and very easy to make.

Pumpkin Pie Crumble

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup honey or sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut milk or milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Oatmeal Crumble Topping:

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats (a.k.a. minute oats)
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• A pinch of sea salt

Hand mix the pumpkin, eggs, honey, and flavorings in a large mixing bowl. (This recipe is so easy you don’t even have to drag out your mixer.) Add the coconut milk and stir until blended. Pour into greased pie pan.

Next, place the oats, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Batter will start to form small crumbles. Sprinkle crumbles on top of pie filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Check to see if the pie is done by inserting a knife near the center of pie. The pie is done if the knife comes out clean.

An important note on oats: they are naturally gluten free but often cross-pollinated by wheat. Unless you specifically buy gluten-free oats, they may trigger someone with a wheat allergy.

As a recovering food-loving codependent, I developed this recipe to help me get over toxic memories of Thanksgivings past. You can read about that adventure and the four recovery tools I use here.