Classic Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Thanksgiving isn’t the same without pumpkin pie, and just because you can’t eat gluten doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this holiday favorite. My classic gluten-free pumpkin pie is perfect with a creamy pumpkin filling and homemade flaky pie crust. It doesn’t get more Thanksgiving than this recipe. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures

Pumpkin pie is my hands-down favorite holiday dessert; it’s hard to imagine a Thanksgiving without it.

I believe Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie is like a birthday party without cake. It just doesn’t work!

The truth is that I have celiac disease and can’t eat gluten, a sticky protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.

When I had to suddenly break up with gluten, I thought it meant I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a decent piece of pie again.

Not so fast! I had no idea that pumpkin pie – and all pie – would still be on the table despite my strict gluten-free diet.

Pumpkin Pie Crust – Three Ways

Today, I’m going to show you three ways to get a tasty gluten-free pie crust so, you, too, can put pie back on the [Thanksgiving] table.

(1) Homemade Gluten-Free Pie Crust

First, you can quite easily make a gluten-free pie crust from scratch.

I was once intimated by this prospect, but have since learned it’s super easy to do and requires just three ingredients:

1. Butter (or shortening)
2. Water
3. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend

That’s it!

What I love about making a pie crust this way is that there’s no added sugar, and I’m 100 percent in control of the ingredients. Plus, all the ingredients are easy to find at my local grocery store.

Here’s what my three-ingredient gluten-free pie crust looks like before baking. Isn’t she pretty?

(2) Semi-Homemade Pie Crust

You can also make a semi-homemade gluten-free pie crust by buying a ready-to-go pie mix.

The best gluten-free pie crust mix I’ve found is Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free pie crust mix. It contains rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sugar, rice bran, sea salt, and xanthan gum.

I find the mix a bit sweeter than my homemade version, and, as you can see, that’s because it contains sugar.

You will also need butter or shortening, along with cold water, to make this crust, just as you would my homemade crust.

There are other gluten-free pie crust mixes on the market, so you may want to try different ones as I notice they all taste slightly different.

(3) Store Bought Gluten-Free Pie Crust

The third way to make a gluten-free pumpkin pie is by using a store-bought gluten-free pie crust. The one I recommend is by Wholly Gluten Free, which you can find at Sprouts and Trader Joe’s, among other grocery stores nationwide.

Please note that the Wholly gluten-free crust holds much less filling than a normal pie shell, so the filling may require two pie shells.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pie Crust

To make either a homemade or semi-homemade gluten-free pie crust, you’ll want to incorporate the cold grated butter into the flour mixture, then add the cold water. Form the dough into a ball. For more detailed instructions, please read my post, Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (3 Ingredients!).

For the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix, the company instructs you to roll out the dough in order to add it to your pie plate, but I find doing so useless as the crust just cracks everywhere when you transfer it to your pie plate.

Instead, for both my homemade and semi-homemade crusts, I simply place the dough ball in the center of my pie dish and use the palm of my hand and my fingers to press the dough into place as evenly as possible. This is a much easier process than rolling it out – trust me!

The Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix will net two pie crusts (one for the top of a pie and one for the bottom of a pie). Because you’re making a single pumpkin pie and only need one crust. You can either freeze the second crust or use it to make an open-faced apple pie or quiche.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Filling

The pumpkin pie filling is naturally gluten-free and super easy to prepare. You’ll need:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) of canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) evaporated milk

You’ll notice I add Chinese Five Spice to my pumpkin pie mix, which is a bit out of the norm. I love this spice, but be forewarned, use it sparingly.

Chinese Five Spice adds licorice and peppery flavors to your pie, but you’ll notice the flavor is very subtle, especially since you just use 1/8 of a teaspoon.

If you have Chinese Five Spice on hand, use it. If not, don’t make a special trip to buy it. You can easily omit it and still net a delicious pumpkin pie.

Making the Pumpkin Pie Filling

Making a pumpkin pie filling is so easy to do. Much easier than it may look.

Start by adding the eggs to a large bowl and whisking, by hand, until well mixed.

Next, add the pumpkin mixture and continue to mix, then add the sugar, salt, and spices and continue to whisk the mixture until well incorporated.

Slowly add the evaporated milk and continue to whisk the batter until everything is well combined. The mixture will be liquidy.

Pour pumpkin pie filling into the pie shell (place the pie pan on a baking sheet in case it spills over). You will have enough batter to fill some pie dishes to the rim.

Now bake the pumpkin pie in a preheated 425º F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º F and bake for another 30-40 minutes until a butter knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

As mentioned prior, you can use my three-ingredient homemade gluten-free pie crust recipe, or follow the instructions on any pie mix bag/box. You can also use a store-bought gluten-free pie crust instead.

Top your pumpkin pie with whipped cream (or Cool Whip) and a dash of cinnamon for an extra special treat!

Tip! I noticed that the sides of the pie crust burn a bit if exposed above the pumpkin pie mixture. So, when I make pumpkin pie these days, I do not press the crust up the full sides of the pie dish; rather, I only press the dough up halfway. This way, the pumpkin pie filling covers the crust as it bakes, and the sides of the crust won’t burn.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and yes, enjoy that pie!

More Recipes for Thanksgiving and Beyond

You might enjoy these recipes too:

• The BEST Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe (easy too!)
• Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (3 Ingredients!)
• Pull-Apart Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
• Better than Stove Top Stuffing Gluten-Free Stuffing
• 3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
• Delicious Gluten-Free Pumpkin Squares Recipe
• Baked Brie with Walnuts, Pomegranates and Honey