Pumpkin Pie with Maple Glazed Pecan Topping - Vegan Gluten Free

With the holidays very quickly approaching, I find myself craving the indulgences that I was once able to enjoy that now send me into the land of tummy pains and food-baby bloating. I love pie but there's the crazy issue of pie crust. In addition to my gluten free way of eating, I am also working towards a full transition to veganism. This week marks my one year anniversary of going vegetarian. I have tripped up and stumbled, but am making continuous progress and am hoping to be a full convert soon.

When I prepare foods, I do my very best to create meals and dishes that will appeal to vegetarians and omnivores alike. Such is the case with these little gems of holiday delectable goodness. I have been craving something pumpkin-y lately. Don't we all around this time of year? I first thought about making a pumpkin loaf, but I haven't done much baking yet with GF flour mixes. Earlier in the week, I bought a container of Pillsbury brand gluten free pie crust without an actual plan, so I decided on making little pumpkin pies with it. The pie crust browned beautifully and served its purpose well, although I may continue to search other GF prepared pie crusts or recipes, just to compare the flavors. I am happy with this one and it is perfect for someone who wants a little short cut.

Speaking of short cuts, my tortilla press came in real handy for this recipe. I used it to press heaping T doughballs of piecrust dough into circles of crust that were appx 4" in diameter. Alternately, you can roll the dough out onto a flat surface and cut 4" circles, or roll individual balls into circles. You could even roll it out and cut into squares. I think they look beautiful, simple and rustic and there is room for lack of perfection. The best advice I can give you about handling the dough circles is to handle them gently. They tear rather easily. It took me a couple tries on the first crust and then I got the hang of it. You'll see, it isn't that bad.

To fill all 12 muffin cups, you will need appx 3/4 of a container of Pillsbury Gluten Free Pie Crust, which is the equivalent of 1 1/2 crusts. You can always use regular pie crust if gluten isn't an issue with you. In fact, go ahead and use your own favorite recipe!

I live in the middle of a pecan orchard and this has been a record year for the harvest. We have 100's of pounds of pecans everywhere. Bagged, sold, or still on the ground. This led me to dream up this crunchy topping for the mini pies. Definitely a good decision. The pecan topping is a perfect complement to the creamy pie.

The biggest challenge in all this was waiting for the pies to cool off enough to eat. Taste testing is the BEST! In fact, I'm on my third tester as I write.

 

Pumpkin Pie with Maple Glazed Pecan Topping - Vegan Gluten Free

 

Preheat oven to 425

 

For the crust:

1 container prepared gluten free pie crust

-or- regular prepared pie crust

-or- one recipe for pie crust that makes enough for two crusts

 

Roll out into 4" circles and placed into muffin tins. See picture above.

 

For the filling:

 

In a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the following ingredients:

 

1 15 oz can pumpkin

4 T maple syrup

1 t pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

3 T cornstarch

 

Spoon appx 2 T filling into each little piecrust. I used a larger cookie scoop that holds a little over an ounce.

 

For the topping:

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 t maple syrup

1 T granulated sugar

 

Stir the maple syrup into the pecans, then add the sugar and toss to coat. Evenly sprinkle a little of the pecan mixture over each pie.

 

Place pan into hot oven on the middle rack. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 5 more minutes.

 

Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove pies from tin and place on a cooling rack to let them finish cooling.

 

Lovely. The pies are nothing short of lovely! Enjoy!