Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe with buttery shortcrust pastry! This warming, spiced pumpkin filling is exactly what you need as the days draw shorter and a cosy jumper suddenly seems appealing. It’s Coeliac-friendly, wheat-free and easy to make dairy-free too.

Gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe using my ultimate gluten-free shortcrust pastry – this is one of those seasonal bakes you’ll be looking forward to all year round. Once you’ve made the pastry case using my pastry recipe, simply come back here for the instructions to mix up the filling and final baking temperature/timings. It’s easier than you think!

I always revel at the chance to make a gluten-free version of an absolute classic like this and I must say, I’m a little surprised at just how good this one turned out.

As you might have noticed, I bought a lot of tins of pumpkin puree recently… as demonstrated by my pumpkin spiced loaf cake and pumpkin spiced cookies!

So for my final flourish of tinned pumpkin puree, I thought I’d go for the autumnal ‘main event’, being a gluten-free pumpkin pie. And it was everything I was hoping it would be and more!

I think I can safely say that the chances of finding a slice of gluten-free pumpkin pie when I’m out and about are approximately… less than 0%. But fortunately, in my kitchen, those odds now vastly improve!

Here’s all the supermarket-friendly ingredients you’ll need to make it, bearing in mind that you’ll need extra ingredients to make the shortcrust pastry:

Gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe: What you’ll need…

• Gluten-free shortcrust pastry: I created a separate recipe page for my gluten-free shortcrust pastry over here so I don’t end up repeating the same thing over and over again whenever I use it in future recipe posts. It’s exactly the same recipe that first debuted in my second book ‘How To Bake Anything Gluten-free‘ on page 206, so either use the recipe there or the one here on the blog – they’re identical – then come back here once to continue the recipe for the filling.
• Eggs: Medium or large (UK size) eggs are fine for this recipe. I used large.
• Tinned pumpkin puree: This makes this recipe super easy as there’s no need to prepare/cook/blend fresh pumpkin. I usually buy mine in Sainsburys or Tesco – you might find that they’re actually stocked with all the American products.
• Light brown sugar: This is key for that distinctive caramelised sweetness, which works so well with the spices below.
• Vanilla extract: The better quality your vanilla extract is, the better it will taste!
• Cornflour: In addition to the eggs, the cornflour is there to help stabilise the filling once cooked – much in the same way you’d use cornflour to thicken a sauce for cooking.
• Spices: My spices of choice are ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and ground cloves. They give a warming flavour and subtle spice that combines so well with pumpkin.
• Double cream: This is the base of the filling that gives it a luxuriously smooth texture and a rich creamy flavour.

So what does my gluten-free pumpkin pie taste like?

The pastry is buttery, flaky and golden and you’d never know it was gluten-free – hence why it earned the title of ‘ultimate gluten-free shortcrust pastry’! Whether it’s a sweet dessert, jam tarts, quiche or savoury pies, this pastry never fails to impress.

And as for the filling… it’s bursting with warming spice, caramelised sweetness, a wonderful depth of flavour thanks to the vanilla and pumpkin, with a luxuriously creamy quality in every bite. It basically tastes like Autumn to me!

The combination of the filling and the pastry and the filling is absolutely heavenly so if you’ve never tried this before… then now’s the time to change that.

Before you ask me how to make this dairy-free, where to buy pumpkin puree or how to make your own pumpkin puree, please read the FAQ section below first! ?? All the answers lie there!

Gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.

Can I make your gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe dairy-free?

Yep! Firstly, ensure you make the pastry using Stork hard margarine instead of butter. As it isn’t as firm as butter, you’ll likely need to chill the dough for a little longer, so do bear that in mind.

Then replace the cream with a dairy-free double cream. That’s it!

Can I make your gluten-free shortcrust pastry recipe vegan?

I personally haven’t tested this recipe using egg replacers and as eggs are so vital when creating pastry without gluten, I’m hesitant to say it can be done.

That is, of course, until I try it for myself! So watch this space and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

It can be! Simply use lactose-free cream instead of double cream.

Where do I get tinned pumpkin?

I buy mine in Sainsburys or Tesco. They sell it in Waitrose too, but it’s a lot more expensive at the time of writing.

Can I use real pumpkin?

In order to use real pumpkin, you’d need to chop fresh pumpkin, cook it, drain it and blend it. Though I haven’t tested it, I am sure you’ll have great success making your own pumpkin puree to use in this recipe – give this recipe a try here.

What equipment exactly do I need to make this from start to finish?

Apart from your average mixing bowls, rolling pin, a jug and a wooden spoon, mostly just a 23cm fluted tart tin.

In at number 2 of other essential items would be ceramic baking beans for blind baking the pastry tart case. Adding that weight is integral in ensuring the pastry doesn’t rise, but in a pinch, you could always just use uncooked rice… it just feels like a bit of a waste of rice!

In at number 3 would be non-stick baking paper or parchment paper for the baking beans, as well as some clingfilm to wrap your pastry dough in.

And finally, a food processor (which isn’t mandatory at all) can make rubbing the flour into the butter for the pastry a 10 second job, instead of a 5 minute job. Just don’t over-blend them into a paste – stop once you achieve breadcrumbs! A food processor can be a huge help for those who might otherwise experience difficulties performing the rubbing in action by hand.

What biscuit cutters did you use for the pastry shapes on top?

Making these shapes for the top of the pie is essentially optional, but you’ll definitely have leftover pastry, so why not put it to good use?!

I used this squirrel biscuit cutter, star biscuit cutters and the tiny heart cutter from this set. No need to rush out to buy these cutters specifically, I just used these because I already had them tucked away in a drawer!

But I thought I’d link them for anyone who really particularly liked them… especially the squirrel! (though I think it’s now sold out on Amazon last time I checked – I bought it a very long time ago) In reality, any biscuit cutters you have will do.

Bear in mind that the tiny hearts and stars will bake almost twice as fast as the bigger shapes, so you might need to remove these from the oven much sooner than the bigger shapes. That’s what I did!

Gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe: Tips for pastry perfection

1. Keep it cold! Ensure your butter is nice and cold before starting and that your pastry is chilled until firm, yet malleable. The cold temperature of the dough ensures you can roll out your pastry without it breaking, so handle it as little as possible – your hands are warm after all!
2. Don’t bring the mixture together into a ball too quickly. It might feel like you can very shortly after the egg is cut in, but please resist and continue cutting in for a minute or two! If the egg isn’t adequately cut in, your pastry will be dry and brittle to work with.
3. If blind baking, use baking beans (or rice) for the first 15 minutes of baking. A perfect pastry case is lovely and flat – agreed? Without a little weight inside the case when baking, it can rise up in the middle which will cause it to crack. So please use baking beans or rice to prevent this!
4. Once chilled, ensure your pastry dough ball isn’t rock solid. Of course, this is because it’ll be near impossible to roll out! It should be firm, yet workable. If it is solid, simply leave out at room temperature until workable enough to roll out.
5. If blind baking, brush the base with egg-white when you’re finished and return to the oven for 1 minute. This helps to seal the base of the pastry case, ensuring your filling doesn’t leak through to create a soggy bottom.

Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram or TikTok and leaving me a comment on a recent post!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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