[Zana]

Crustless, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays (featuring Linda from The Gluten-Free Homemaker and offering a giveaway—subscription to Eating Well magazine!), Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free (pumpkin treats!), Friday Foodie Fix—Pumpkin, and Love the Pie! Party.
Sue is an active and enthusiastic member of a neighboring support group. She loves to bake. Several years ago, my good friend and former co-leader of my support group, Donna, had just been introduced to Sue. She couldn’t say enough nice things about her. Donna, in turn, connected the two of us. Sue and I had a nice long chat on the phone. That wasn’t hard to do since we both live to bake. We talked flour mixes. We talked cookies and cakes. Then Sue said, “You know about the trick of adding ¼ cup of flour to a pie to make it crustless, don’t you?” What??!! “No,” I answered. “Tell me more.” She laughed and said, “That’s all there is to it!” She went on to tell me that if you add ¼ cup of gluten-free flour to most pie recipes, like pumpkin, coconut, and such, you end up with a wonderful, crustless pie. I immediately pulled out my pie plate and ingredients for pumpkin pie, a family favorite. I added ¼ cup of gluten-free flour to my classic pumpkin pie recipe sans crust, loved the results, and I’ve never looked back. I don’t think you will either. Oh, and, you’ve probably already said to yourself … that’s gluten free easily—gfe!
I make this pumpkin pie for holiday gatherings, support group meetings, work functions, girlfriend dinners … you name it! Nobody even notices this pie has no crust. When I purposely ask individuals if they noticed that there was no crust, they are surprised and honestly say they didn’t. This recipe is perfect for Mr. GFE and Son because they always left their crust on the plate anyway. They just never liked crusts. So, no more sad, empty crusts left behind in my house. It’s all about the pumpkin custard flavor in this one, baby. You don’t even taste the small amount of flour added; it just holds the custard together nicely. Enjoy.

Crustless, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs

1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin or 2 cups cooked fresh pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin, hence, the lighter color and fresh pumpkin also provides a much lighter taste in my opinion)

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 2/3 cups evaporated milk (one regular-sized can)

¼ cup gluten-free flour (your choice—your favorite single flour or a mix; sift if needed)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease pie plate and set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs slightly; mix in remaining ingredients. Place pie plate on oven rack; pour in filling. (I never do this, but it makes sense. Personally, I’m in the “hum” or “count as you carry the pie to the oven” school of thinking to ensure the pie plate contents do not spill. Hey, it works for me!) Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until knife or toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes longer. (Pies made with fresh pumpkin may take slightly longer to bake due to higher moisture content.)

Adapted from Betty Crocker with thanks to Sue!

Note that this particular crustless method will not work for pies that contain heavier ingredients, like fruit. But, be sure to check out my recipe for Crustless Apple Pie.
If you want to make this pie dairy-free, a dairy-free milk like coconut milk should work just fine. In fact, Diane made gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free pumpkin pudding just the other day. I’m betting that sweet treat could easily become a full-fledged pie with the addition of ¼ cup of gluten-free flour!

Not gluten-free? Use 1/4 cup of your all-purpose flour.

Looking for other ways to use pumpkin? Fantastic recipes abound. Check out the following:
Melissa’s Pumpkin Coconut Custard
Brian’s Pumpkin Cheesecake (with a luscious topping)
Amy’s Mini-Pumpkin Spice Cheesecakes or her Gluten-Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits (yes, even our pets don’t do well with gluten and deserve a safe treat)
Ali’s Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (gluten-free and vegan)
Ellen’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini-Bundt Cakes
Lauren’s Pumpkin Cupcakes

Linda’s Pumpkin Recipes, including Traditional Pumpkin Pie with Crust
Still want more? There’s a whole roundup over at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s Friday Foodie Fix and Heather of life, gluten free now has the Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free carnival up. Theme? what else? pumpkin treats! You can also check out Heather’s Pumpkin Spice Cake.
Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!