Paleo Pumpkin Pie (gluten-free, dairy-free)

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This Paleo Pumpkin Pie tastes unbelievably similar to a traditional pumpkin pie recipe. Yet this version is gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s a creamy, delicious holiday dessert win!

Slicing up a paleo pumpkin pie.

The holidays are right around the corner and one of the things I look forward to most at Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie. A smooth and creamy pumpkin pie with the most golden, flakey and buttery crust.

In addition to being absolutely delicious, this pumpkin pie is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. Lot’s of “free” – but you’d never know it by tasting it. And that’s always my goal when I’m whipping up new recipes or modifying classic recipes.

So how is this pumpkin pie recipe paleo? By swapping sweetened condensed milk for coconut milk and refined sugar for maple syrup. But I believe the most important ingredient is always the pumpkin spice mix. And fresh is best. So if you’ve got a bottle of pumpkin spice mix that’s a few years old, you might want to ditch that and buy a new bottle.

Making the paleo pie dough.

Making the paleo pie crust.

Making the paleo pie crust.

Ingredients in the Paleo Pie Crust

Some folks who follow a paleo lifestyle will opt for a crustless pumpkin pie. And that’s because many paleo pumpkin pie options have crusts that are thick, dense and unpalatable. Or they simply crumble and fall apart the moment you slice into it.

But not here. This crust holds together and it’s deliciously flakey and golden. That’s because it’s just the right blend of cassava flour and almond flour.

You can see from the photos that after making my dough I placed it straight into the baking pan, smushed it down with my fingers and then flattened it out with some parchment paper.

But if you prefer to roll it out, go for it. I’d recommend placing the dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper and rolling about 3 inches wider than the width of your pan (or 5 inches for a deep dish pan).

A slice of paleo pumpkin pie on a plate.

Up close photo of paleo pumpkin pie slice.

How to Make Paleo Pumpkin Pie

So let’s dive into this recipe! Similar to any homemade pie recipe, this paleo pumpkin pie is really two parts – the crust and the filling.

To make the crust:

  • Stir together the almond flour, cassava flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Then cut in the shortening or butter (it’s up to you) using a pastry cutter or your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture.
  • Add one beaten egg and one tablespoon of water to the flour and knead it all together until you’ve got a ball of dough. To make the dough more workable, you’ll need to wrap the ball with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least one hour.
  • Once the dough has chilled you can roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper or use your fingers to smush it into a 9-inch pie pan, as I did above. Then poke the bottom with a fork a few times to make some holes.
  • You’ll then pre-cook the crust for 15 minutes in your pre-heated 350 degree fahrenheit oven, remove it and set it aside. Don’t forget this step. It’s imperative that the crust is pre-cooked to get that perfect texture.

To make the filling:

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt. Then use grab your hand-mixer and blend on medium speed for about one minute or until it’s creamy looking.
  • Pour the filling into your pre-cooked crust and (carefully) place it back in the oven for 50-60 minutes. If your crust edge starts to get too dark you can always place a pie crust shield over it halfway through.
  • Your pumpkin pie is done when a toothpick comes out clean one inch from the edge. Cool your pie at room temperature for 30 minutes before placing in the fridge for proper cool down of 2 hours to firm up.

You can serve the paleo pumpkin pie straight from the fridge or you can dollop dairy-free whipped cream on top. Make sure to check out my recipe and video for coconut whipped cream. It’s delicious!

Single slice of paleo pumpkin pie on a plate.

 

How Many Pies Does this Recipe Make?

I’ve listed the ingredients below for one pumpkin pie, but feel free to double the recipe and make two. In fact, it might be smart to make two. Because I guarantee this version of paleo pumpkin pie will be popular with your entire Thanksgiving crowd – paleo or not.

More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

 

A slice of paleo pumpkin pie on a plate.

Paleo Pumpkin Pie (gluten-free, dairy-free)

4.91 from 53 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This Paleo Pumpkin Pie is creamy and delicious with a perfectly golden and flaky crust. It's gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. This recipe makes one pumpkin pie, but feel free to double the ingredients and make two.

Ingredients 
 

Pie Crust

  • 1 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup cassava flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 5 tbsp cold butter, or organic palm shortening for dairy-free
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp cold water

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Instructions 

  • To make the crust, stir together the flours and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter or shortening using a pastry cutter or your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture.
  • Add the egg and one tablespoon of water and using your hands, knead the ingredients together until a ball of dough forms. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add the second tablespoon of water (I used two for my recipe).
  • Wrap the ball of dough with plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper or use your fingers to push the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Use a fork to piece a few holes in the bottom of the dough.
  • Pre-cook the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all the pumpkin pie filling ingredients. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, blend all ingredients together for one minute.
  • Pour the filling mixture into the pre-cooked pie crust and place back in the oven for 50-60 minutes. To keep a lighter crust edge, place a pie crust shield over your pie halfway through. When a toothpick comes out clean one inch from the edge, your pie is done.
  • Remove the pie from the oven, cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.

Lisa's Tips

  • You can definitely make this pie one day ahead. Just keep it in the refrigerator until needed.
  • This is the 9-inch pie pan I'm using in the photos above.
  • Plan ahead for all you holiday pumpkin needs and buy a few cans of organic pumpkin puree online. I always use this brand.
  • When it comes to cassava flour I only recommend Otto's brand. Too many people have had issues with other brands. Just read the comments on my Cassava Flour Tortillas post to see what they've said.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8615IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie, Paleo Pumpkin Pie
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

This recipe was originally posted November 2015 but updated to include new information. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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167 Comments

  1. I’ve loved Lisa’s recipes for years, but I’ve recently gone gluten-free, so now I have a whole new reason to love them. Couldn’t do thanksgiving without my mom’s pumpkin pie, so I combined recipes a bit… I used Lisa’s pie crust recipe exactly as written. It turned out great! It was tasty (you can just taste a slight almond flavor, which is great!) and crisp. The bottom held up, so no leaking of the custard making the pie stick to the pie plate. For the custard, I combined my mom’s recipe with Lisa’s swapping the white sugar for maple syrup and modifying the quantities a bit. SIL’s GF declared it the best she’s ever had! (I’m sure following Lisa’s recipe for the custard would have been great…but tradition called for some modifications.)5 stars

    1. I’m happy you loved both of those recipes, Tara! And yes, holidays are always best with a mish-mash of recipes and traditions. Enjoy!

  2. “Best Pumpkin Pie Ever” was literally the first thing said when we sat down to dessert this Thanksgiving! This was so simple and easy to make, although to be completely candid I did use regular pie crust because I didn’t have the flour substitutes on had to make the GF crust. We don’t eat a lot of gluten but we do not completely avoid it at this time. However the pie filling itself was perfect, we are a sugar free family and I was so excited to see a recipe for pumpkin pie that I could make for our family!5 stars

  3. Another stellar recipe that I made today for my Thanksgiving Dessert to go along with my slow cooker pot roast. I could not be happier as to how this recipe came out. This was a great dessert to end my Thanksgiving dinner. To top it off I made your coconut whipped cream, I prob could have kept the coconut milk in the fridge longer as it was not quite 24 hours. But still came out amazing. I would definitely make again. Thank you for sharing this.5 stars

  4. This pie came out so good for Christmas! I made a few tweaks and it came out great. I subbed arrowroot flour for cassava and added 1 tbsp of bourbon in place of 1 tbsp of maple syrup. I also used palm shortening instead of butter. Thank you for all your amazing GF DF recipes!!5 stars

  5. I’ve made at least a dozen grain free pie crust varieties & this is my favorite flavor & consistency of them all. Followed your recipe exactly and was thrilled with the delicious results. Will definitely make this pumpkin pie again & use this crust recipe for other pies. Thanks for another winner Lisa!5 stars

  6. The filling was absolutely perfect with coconut milk.

    I struggled with the crust because I couldn’t find palm shortening, so I subbed coconut oil. I did a little research and read to use 25% less coconut oil by volume…so used 1/4 cup. It took an extra 1/2 tbsp of water to roll into a ball. I’m not an experienced baker, so when I tried putting this in the pan without rolling it out first, it ended up an uneven thickness. So it came out a bit crunchy, lol. I wonder if I should pre-bake it a little less – like 10 minutes instead of 15? Or use the coconut oil 1:1 (5 tbsps)?

    Also, is there a way to make it just a tiny bit sweeter? I rubbed a little maple syrup on it before I baked it and that gave it a hint of sweetness…would’ve loved to have a touch more.

    It was still delicious, though..any flaws were mine in the preparation, and I share them for others’ benefit. This will be on our table again next Thanksgiving. Thank you!5 stars

  7. I just finished making my pumpkin pie a couple of hours ago and it’s in the fridge, looking gorgeous, and I know it’s going to be absolutely delicious because I snuck a taste off the spatula as I was pouring the pumpkin filling into the pre-cooked pie crust. Thank you, Lisa, for your healthy and delicious recipes! I have a few of them lined up for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I’m so glad I found your website and YouTube channel <35 stars

  8. Happy Thanksgiving Lisa! Just made this pumpkin pie (again) and my house smells wonderful. Just wanted to say “Thank you” and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m so thankful for you and your site! I am a personal trainer and nutrition coach and I have pre-ordered several copies of your new cookbook for client gifts as well as myself. Looking forward to finally having it in my hands! 🤗5 stars

  9. Hi Lisa,

    I’m unable to tolerate almond flour.  Is there another flour I can substitute and still keep it grain free?  Thanks.

    1. Unfortunately I’ve only tested this with almond flour so far. But, will keep in mind to test another flour in the future :)

    2. I subbed almond flour with tigernut flour and used nutiva shortening (mix of palm and coconut oils) instead of butter. I made my own pumpkin spice mix (4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp each nutmeg, clove and allspice grounds). Also I had to leave the pie in the oven for 65 minutes instead of 50-60, after pouring the filling in. I didn’t cover or use a crust shield but did shape the crust edge on top a bit fat (~1/4 in) so that it didn’t burn. It turned out amazing 😍both the crust and the filling was so good, the ball of dough was surprisingly easy to spread into the glass pie pan🤩 Thank you very much for this recipe!5 stars

      1. I wanted to clarify that I didn’t use the entire pumpkin spice mix I prepped, just 1 tbsp of it like the recipe called for. I put the rest in a small mason jar for the next time 😉
        Also this pie goes well with coconut cream as some others mentioned, I didn’t bother whipping it, I’m sure that would have been even better. But really, even by itself without any toppings it’s amazing! My spouse also gives it a 5 stars🌟🤩
        I like to make a drink on the side, hot in the winter or refrigerated in the summer (can add ice cubes too), with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, plus either (hibiscus 🌺 leaves, rosehip buds, dried mint, cardamom pods, cherry stems) or (dried turmeric pieces, parsley stems, peeled and sliced raw ginger and lemon peels). No sweetener needed and goes well with a lot of deserts.5 stars

      2. I’d love to know how you make your tea, Asmā’Sarah. The ingredients like parsley and cherry stems are right up my alley. Thanks. I will be making this pumpkin pie recipe this Thanksgiving; it looks great!

  10. This was easy to make and tasted wonderful. The crust was good and easy to make. I just smooshed it in the pan. Hubby loved it! Made some whipped coconut cream to top it off.5 stars

  11. Made this and followed the instructions and even used the same brand pumpkin purée; however after making the mixture I had a lot left over?? I used the same size And brand pie dish.  It did taste great though, and will make again. Lisa any ideas for using the crust to bake other things, it is a wonderful tasting crust. Thanks for all you do!4 stars

    1. Hi Liz – that’s strange that you had a lot leftover. The only thing I could think of is if your pie tin is just a bit smaller than mine (though I know you said it was the same). I’m happy you loved the flavor of it though! And yes, you can use the pie crust for any type of fruit pie as well (apple pie, cherry pie, etc), it’s really versatile!

  12. We were doing dairy free, gluten free & low carb, all achieved with this recipe after I substituted Lakanto sugar free maple flavored syrup. Everyone agreed This pie was delicious!5 stars

  13. I see the at at the end of recipe, it says to refrigerate 2 hours to firm up. Do I have to wait the pie cold?  Can I heat it up again for a hot pie when serving? Would reheating cause pie to melt and not hold shape? Thanks!!!

  14. Lisa, let me just say Thank You Thank You Thank You for actually testing your recipes before posting them to your blog. Before making this pie, I had tried four paleo pie crusts, and all turned out awful. I really need to just give up on making recipes from most other blogs and stick with yours because they ALWAYS turn out for me.

    This pie was so good, my husband said it was almost as good as his mom’s pumpkin pie which is a huge compliment. In case any one is curious, I made two of these, one with room-temperature coconut oil instead of shortening and one with vegetable shortening and both tasted great. Thank you so so much! I can’t believe I get to eat pie again.5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear you found a winning paleo pie recipe Emily! I hope to make more pie recipes in the future as well, so stay tuned :)

    2. Thank you for posting this comment, Emily…I could not find palm shortening and google suggested coconut oil as a sub. Do you sub it 1:1 for the palm shortening? Thanks – looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving!

  15. Soooo good. I had no issues par-baking the crust with the metal pie pan or baking the rest of the pie. It did take 60 minutes, and the center was still jiggly but the edge was set. After the agonizing wait of 2 hours and 30 minutes😂, we dug in. It was silky smooth and I could’ve baked it a little longer to set up more but it was still spot on! I will be making this again at Thanksgiving!5 stars

  16. Curious as to how you can say this is dairy free? Butter and eggs? That’s dairy. And shortening? Really? I won’t even consider this recipe as it’s completely misrepresented.1 star

    1. Eggs are not a dairy product. As for the butter, I have provided the dairy-free alternative which is palm shortening.

    2. I have made this pie several times and it is delicious. I even substituted the butter for coconut oil and it turned out wonderful. It gets the same consistency as shown on Lisa’s picture.
      I believe eggs are not a dairy product. I think dairy products are derived from animal’s milk such as cheese, yogurt, milk etc, etc.5 stars

  17. I wu; d like to make the pumpkin pie wising the Cassava flour, but there are nut allergies so is there another type of gluten free flour I can use instead?

    1. Unfortunately I haven’t tested a nut-free version yet, but if you do try this with any other gluten-free flours let me know how it turns out!

  18. This really is an award winning pumpkin pie! The pastry is absolutely gorgeous & the filling has a beautiful texture, perfectly sweetened & spiced. It would have been good to have a recipe for the pumpkin spice, as in some countries we can’t buy it pre-mixed in the supermarket, as it’s not part of our cuisine. I used Minimalist Bakers recipe & it worked beautifully! Please create more pie recipes ❤️5 stars

  19. Made this again today but with sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin and coconut cream as I was out of coconut milk. Two pies are now gone! Delicious!!!5 stars

      1. Made two of these this weekend. First homemade pies ever. I doubt they’ll even last until Thanksgiving. Probably my favorite pie flavor and this was just perfect. Thank you!