Un-Pumpkin Pie

Pretty much every desert we’ve been having for the last few weeks has been pumpkin pie. I can’t eat sweet things, since the MTX isn’t working the jaw arthritis is back which means no chewing, and don’t like chocolate unless it’s drinkable so finding deserts I can actually eat is difficult. Enter pies. Easy to make, infinitely adaptable, and no chewing really necessary. Might even work out a dairy-free cheesecake at some point, if I’m feeling really brave.

So this isn’t a recipe, but more a note-taking, so I can remember and so anyone who might want a super simple and no sugar, no gluten, no flour, no pretty-much-anything-but-pumpkin pumpkin pie can partake as well. Note: this isn’t vegan. I have tried flax eggs and they do NOT work in this, and I haven’t found a good substitute. So.

Un-Pumpkin Pie

• 1 can of pumpkin (not the pie filling, just the plain packed pumpkin, which, by the way, is £3 a can here)
• 2 eggs (veganize as you like)
• 1/2 t pumpkin spice (or to taste, cinnamon is iffy for me so we use less)
• 3/4 c applesauce (takes 4 minutes in an instant pot to make at home, highly recommend)
• 1/2-3/4 c plant milk (I find coconut milk doesn’t work at all - we use Rebel Kitchen’s Mylk)
• 1/2 c porridge oats (depends on the size of your pan, add more if needed)
• 1/4 c desiccated coconut flakes (“)

Spread porridge oats in a thin(ish) layer on the bottom of your pie pan, top with a thin layer of coconut flakes. Set aside.

Mix up your pumpkin pie: basically dump everything in a bowl and whisk until combined. It should be fairly liquid but not super runny. Pumpkin pie texture, basically.

Pour pumpkin part over the layers of dry ingredients in the pie pan. Do not mix. 

Cook at 200C (fan assisted) for 15 minutes, then lower and cook at 160C (fan assisted) for 50 minutes. Let cool completely before eating because warm pumpkin pie is nobody’s friend. 

Once it’s cool though, have at it. The pumpkin bit turns out sweet and spicy enough, with a good texture (although it seems to have a better texture when whisked as opposed to hand stirred) and the “crust” is a revelation: the pumpkin seeps into the oats and coconut and it turns into a sort of soft coconut-oat cookie. If you hate pastry crust as much as I do, this is a total win. 

 And there you have it - a very yummy but non-traditional pumpkin pie. Because food allergies suck.

Happy Saturday. I’m off to have a slice.