Perfected Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie (Easy, Homemade)
Please all holiday guests with this easy, from scratch gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe! Start with an extraordinarily tender, flaky gluten-free pastry crust, and fill with a rich, custardy pumpkin pie filling, thanks to the addition of heavy cream. Plus, this gluten-free pumpkin dessert also includes a simple trick to avoid a soggy bottom crust!
Place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Place the liquids bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 ½ tablespoons ice water, 1 ½ tablespoons sour cream, 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
FOOD PROCESSOR: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt together until mixed.BY HAND: Whisk dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl.
¾ PLUS ⅔ cup (6 ½ ounces weight total) gluten free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
FOOD PROCESSOR: Process the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated, evenly dispersed, and without large chunks.BY HAND: Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut and knead butter into the dough until it is well incorporated throughout.
FOOD PROCESSOR: Add the liquids to the food processor and pulse until the flour becomes moistened and small dough clumps appear. If dough doesn't start to come together, add a touch more cold water. BY HAND: Add half the liquids and knead with fingers or a fork. Pour in the remaining liquids. Knead until the dough starts to come together and the liquids are well mixed with flour.TIP:To check if you have enough liquid, clump and flatten a small bit of dough. If it doesn’t stick together, is crumbly, or breaks apart easily, add a small dash of ice water. Pulse a few times and recheck. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add a dash of flour. Pulse a few times and recheck.
Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a thick 1" disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Before rolling out, let sit on counter 5 minutes so it is easier to work with.
Use a silicone pastry rolling bag or lay a large piece of parchment paper on your workspace. Place unwrapped dough disc in middle and place same sized sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to press and spread out down from the middle out. Roll out into a circle slightly larger than your pie dish.
Remove top paper, and invert onto pie dish. Remove second paper. TIP: If the dough warmed while rolling, it may be trickier to take the paper off. If this happens, leave the paper on, and stick the whole thing in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Once the crust is chilled again it's much easier to pull off the paper. If the dough is too cold and the crust breaks, let it sit on the counter for a minute first.
If necessary, trim the edges so there is an even ½ inch overhang all around the edges. Tuck the edge under, all the way around, and then use your finger and thumb to make a decorative edge. Freeze the crust for at least 15 minutes before filling.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
While it is freezing, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack. The baking sheet heats, along with the oven, to place the pie on. The metal conducts the heat better, which makes a crisp bottom crust.
For the filling, first make sure the eggs are at room temperature. If you need to do this quickly place the whole eggs in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then crack the eggs in a small bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. This avoids over-mixing the filling, which can cause the pie to crack upon cooling.
3 large eggs
In a large mixing bowl stir together the canned pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla extract, spices, and salt. Once that has been mixed well, add the lightly beaten eggs and heavy cream. Gently stir to just combine, without any streaks left.
15 ounces canned pumpkin puree, ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup heavy cream
Remove the crust from the freezer. For a shiny crust edge (optional), brush with the egg wash on the outer crust edges and about 1 inch down from the top. (It's okay if some of the egg drips down into the crust.)
Optional egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Pour the mixture into the crust. Transfer the pie to the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Leave the pie in the oven, but lower the temperature to 350ºF. Protect the crust with a pie shield or loosely over the edges with foil.
Continue to bake for 50 minutes longer, or until edges are set, firm and start to puff and slightly crack. When the pie is gently moved, the middle shouldn't be sloshy, liquidy. If you don't mind puncturing the pie, you can stick a knife or toothpick in the center. It should come out without liquid.
Cool the pie completely before slicing and serving, about 3-5 hours. For best results, make the pie one day ahead of serving and store at room temperature, uncovered or loosely tented with foil.
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Notes
Dairy-Free Modification
For a dairy-free recipe, follow a specialized gluten-free dairy-free pie crust recipe. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream.
Storing and Make-Ahead Notes
For best taste and texture, the pie can be made one day ahead of serving. If you would like to cover it, loosely tent foil over the top, but avoid using plastic wrap, which will trap in moisture.If you prefer refrigerated pies, after it has completely cooled, loosely tent foil over the top and place in the fridge up to 2 days. However, refrigerating a pie adversely affects the crust, making it softer and not as flaky.If you are worried about a pie sitting out that long, I would recommend freezing the baked pie instead. Once it has completely cooled (at least 5 hours), place it in the freezer, unwrapped. Once it has frozen, wrap securely with plastic wrap and cover with foil.When ready to serve, unwrap the pie and thaw at room temperature for 3 hours. Be sure to take the wrappings off before thawing or the condensed moisture will make the crust soggy.