This delicious gluten free, dairy free dessert really tastes like pumpkin pie. I served this dessert instead of traditional pumpkin pie to the GAPS crowd at the 2009 Weston A Price annual conference in Chicago. It was a big hit. If you can eat dairy, this is delicious topped with whip cream. Otherwise, coconut cream is also a delicious topping. If you are sensitive to any of the sugars below, you can substitute honey. The crust was inspired by Sally Fallon’s book, Eat Fat, Lose Fat.
Pumpkin Squares with Coconut Crust (GAPS friendly)
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9′ Pie Pan
If you want this to be truly GAPS friendly, then use honey instead of any other sweetener.
Ingredients
- Supplies:
- 9 Inch Pie Pan
- Crust:
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- ¼ cup honey, rapadura cane sugar, maple or palm sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil
- Pie Filling:
- 1 recipe coconut crust (see below)
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin purée from pie pumpkin or sweet winter squash(see below)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup honey, rapadura cane sugar, maple or palm sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- grated rind of 1 lemon
- 1 cup coconut cream (or coconut milk)
Instructions
Crust special Hints/Tricks
- Oversee mindfully, since crust burns easily. Could be crumbly when serving.
- Once whole pie is baked, cut into slices thirty minutes after removing from oven. If you wait too long to cut the pie, the crust will harden and will be difficult to cut.
Pumpkin Puree special Hints/Tricks:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie pumpkin or squash in oven and bake until tender or knife pokes through to middle easily, about 1 hour.
- Once cool, cut in half and scrape flesh away from skin. Remove seeds and stringy part. Puree or mash well with fork.
Assemble the pie
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Cream eggs with sweetner of choice.
- Gradually mix all ingredients together in a bowl and transfer to a 9 inch pie pan and press firmly and evenly against sides and bottom.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is a dark golden color. Allow to cool to room temperature.
This recipe looks awesome but I need to point out that none of the sweeteners you list is actually GAPS friendly. I made it with honey for the sweetener and it turned out fine.
Thanks, Margo,
I added honey to the recipe as an option to make it GAPS friendly. I will also point out that just because one is using GAPS approved honey does not necessarily make it a healthier dessert. It is still sugar and I find many GAPS folks overdose on the honey or allowed fruit perpetuating yeast overgrowth in their body. As I adhere to the principle of bio-individuality, I feel it is important to find the sweetener that is right for you and not just the one that a certain dietary guru recommends.
I am needing clarifying, the crust is made from shredded coconut?
Is the recipe stating, the crust ingredients are mixed in with the filling?
Like a crust less pie?
Thanks, just put the pumpkin bread in the oven, smells yummy.
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Hello, yes, the crust is made from the shredded coconut. I need to update that recipe. I haven’t looked at it in a long time. It is yummy, sorry if it wasn’t clear.
So is the crust assembled and baked first, assembled and pressed into pan then only bakes filled with pumpkin pie filling, or do you mix the crust ingredients into the recipe and the coconut falls to bottom from weight and magically makes a crust? There are no instructions for what to do with the crust ingredients, unless you include them with the pie filling directions: “Gradually mix all ingredients together in a bowl”
This sounds amazing, but I’m living overseas and will struggle to find the ingredients. I won’t have the luxury of just trying it and hoping it works and re-doing it if it fails – I’ll only get one shot…
Please please please update the recipe! I love pumpkin pie and I really want to try this!
Hi Cecilia, I just updated the recipe though I need to spend some more time with it. A quick answer for you is yes, make crust and pat into pie or baking dish first and then add the filling over that. I haven’t made this pie for a while so I don’t remember all of the details about it. I need to spend some time with this recipe, test it and update it again. In the mean time, the updated version should work for you. If you want a recipe that definitely works and is a winner, try my Pumpkin Spice Bread. Best and luck and let me know if you try this recipe! Thanks, Amanda https://amandalove.com/pumpkin-spice-bread-made-with-almond-flour/