Help me make a pie I can eat!

November 18, 2012 1:47 AM

Allergy-free pumpkin pie recipe? Crust optional.

I'm dying for pumpkin pie. In addition to it being the season for such things, I would often make pie filling with less sugar and eat it as a side dish (probably not healthy, but whatever).

I'm now allergic to Casein (milk), egg whites, gluten, rice, oats, pineapple, banana, soy, and corn. I'm supposed to be eating low sugar as well, but I'm willing to budge now and then for a treat.

I've seen lots of great paleo recipes that are great except for the egg. I can't use Ener-g since it includes rice or corn or something, I can't remember.

Anybody have a good hypoallergenic recipe? I've been watching allergy-free food blogs but I keep getting hung up on the eggs or the milk. I'm worried if I make too many substitutions I'll end up with something crazy.

posted by gilsonal to food & drink (16 answers total)

We use almond flour for gluten-free baking (among other flours). Perhaps you could make an almond flour-based crust (example), with pumpkin pie filling, using clarified butter where butter is called for, so as to avoid casein.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:04 AM on November 18, 2012

(Not gluten-free, but used to dealing with lots of food allergies.)

I haven't done this, exactly, but I'd go like this:

The typical recipe is this:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
ginger, cinnamon, clove, salt

I'm going to say do one can pumpkin, 14 oz coconut milk (the coconut taste, what little there is, will pretty much disappear into the pumpkin, or if you're worried, use almond milk, maybe simmered until it's reduced by about a third?), 3/4 c sugar or sugar substitute (splenda?), and then, for the eggs, 2 Tbsp flax seeds blended (or food processed, or whatever) with just over a quarter cup (like, 5 Tbsp) of water until it's gotten sort of creamy and cohesive. (This can take a few minutes, and it doesn't have to be perfect. 1 Tbsp flax + 2 and a bit Tbsp water blended together is, for baking, a pretty consistently good egg replacement, which may help you in the future.)

Mix ingredients together, including about 1/2 tsp salt and spices to taste, pour into a pie shell (or not, as desired), and bake at 350 for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. It probably won't take much longer than a "normal" pumpkin pie.

If you want a pie crust, can I suggest a graham cracker crust? Gluten free graham crackers are totally a thing, and crushed graham crackers + butter = perfectly delicious crust, in my book. You could do crushed gluten-free gingersnaps and butter to make a cookie crust, too--also totally delicious.

Go forth and make some pie!
posted by MeghanC at 2:30 AM on November 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Hail the flax egg! Even though my kid outgrew the egg allergy we continue to use this substitute when baking. It adds a slightly nutty edge that is delicious with pumpkin. Also, omega-3s and lignans!
posted by apparently at 2:55 AM on November 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

It is possible to substitute cashew butter for the egg. And I will second coconut milk as an excellent substitution for the milk.
posted by fancyoats at 5:22 AM on November 18, 2012

The blog The Spunky Coconut is focuses on a diet that works around your food allergies. She has two egg free pumpkin pie recipes, Pumpkin Pie (non-vegan because of gelatin) and Vegan Pumpkin Pie. I've also had a lot of luck with recipes from Elana's Pantry. She has a Pumpkin Custard recipe that might work for you.
posted by katie at 5:29 AM on November 18, 2012

Can you do coconut and coconut milk?

I suppose you can make this crustless by oiling your pie pan and cooking the filling without it, but I'l include the crust recipe just in case.

Crust:
1/2 cup amaranth flour (not amaranth whole grain)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch flour (this is your egg replacement)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup shortening
5 tbsp cold water

Filling:
2 c. solid-pack canned pumpkin
1 c. regular coconut milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. arrowroot starch
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp. EACH ground ginger, cloves and salt


Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl, whisking flours together and then adding your shortening. Combine until dough starts forming pea-sized balls, and sprinkle in water one tablespoon at a time until you can form the dough into a ball. Once you have a ball of dough, carefully roll out on wax paper. If you have two pie tins, you can place one bottom-side up underneath the wax paper and place the second one over the dough. Invert and carefully peel off the wax paper to have a perfect pie crust.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the oven or until lightly browned.

Whisk filling ingredients together in a large bowl and fill your crust with the filling. Bake for 50 minutes or until pie has firmed up somewhat. You CAN greedily eat a slice before it chills, but it will be somewhat soft until it is chilled in the refrigerator overnight. For the most impressive pie, cool overnight.

A friend of mine used coconut in place of the shortening, but I haven't tried it that way. She also used a coconut milk without guar gum (not sure why) that she found at an Indian market, and felt the texture was best without. You might want to experiment.

I also have this vegan, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream recipe, for a change of pace. Again, coconut.

If you can do almonds, there's this recipe.
posted by magstheaxe at 6:58 AM on November 18, 2012

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or more
1 cup coconut meat (fresh is best but it is avail in a can)
2 cups carrot juice
3/4 cup agave nectar (get it at health food store)
3/4 cup coconut butter or coconut oil (note that this is not coconut water or milk)
1/3 cup date paste
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp sea salt

Put everything in a kickass blender and blend till smooth. Pour concoction into preferred crust. Put in the fridge for a few hours to set. Tastes and looks just like Pumpkin Pie. No, really.
posted by dobbs at 7:14 AM on November 18, 2012

Can you do chia or flax seed? Gelatin?
posted by Neekee at 7:30 AM on November 18, 2012

My husband can't eat eggs or gluten, and we make a thanksgiving dessert every year which is two packets of butterscotch pudding mixed with two cans of pumpkin. Since you can't have milk, what about this recipe mixed with canned pumpkin? It's surprisingly pumpkin-filling like.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:52 AM on November 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I can recommend a great low carb crust.

Pecan Praline Crust:
(from Dana Carpender's 1001 Low-Carb recipes)

2 cups shelled raw pecans
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp Splenda
1 1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp water

Place pecans and salt in a food processor with the S-blade and pulse until a medium consistencey.
Add Splenda, molasses and butter and pulse till well blended.
Add water and pulse again.
Place in a 10" greased pie plate and press firmly for even thickness.
Bake for about 15 minutes at 350F and cool.

Pumpkin pie filling from the same recipe contains cream, but I'm including it anyway as you may
be able to substitute coconut milk as suggested upthread.

Pumpkin pie filling

1 15 ounce can pumpkin(NOT pie filling)
1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
3 eggs
3/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Whisk all ingredients together and put in cooled pie crust, bake at 425F for 20 minutes and then lower oven and bake 45 min- 1hour, watch carefully after the 45 minute mark.
Test for doneness with a toothpick, should come out clean.
posted by Snazzy67 at 7:57 AM on November 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I haven't tried this recipe, but it's super simple. Relies on soaked almonds to replace eggs and dairy. The only complication is that they advice using a high speed blender, but I think you could try it with a regular one.
posted by yarly at 8:40 AM on November 18, 2012

I've made this pumpkin pie recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen a bunch of times. The last time I replaced the sugar with 1/2 cup of apple sauce and some stevia. If you can do flax, you could use flax 'eggs' for the egg replacer, which I have done. Maybe coconut flour for the rice flour? My boyfriend even said it tasted like pumpkin pie, which is how I usually define baking success.
posted by carolr at 9:32 AM on November 18, 2012

Lots of helpful recipes already- I just wanted to suggest some safe brands for ingredients- These brands are all free of the top 8 and corn- I have very similar allergies and i've tried all of these- YMMV but I have never reacted to them.

Canned pumpkin: Trader Joe's pumpkin, Libby's and Farmer's Market
Canned Coconut Milk- I'd recommend Arroy-D coconut milk- no guar gum which can contain soy. I also like Tropical Traditions coconut products, but they're only sold online. (The coconut cream is concentrated coconut milk- just add water)

Shortening: Spectrum Organic Palm Oil Shortening- cut it into any flour, shape and bake, and you have a crust! Avoid the butter flavored, it has corn in it (annato)

Crust: if you're not allergic to nuts, I'd suggest almond flour for the crust. Trader Joe's is the cheapest if there's one near you. Avoid Bob's red mill brand, they have an allergen warning for soy.
posted by Aliera at 9:54 AM on November 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh and a quick warning for corn allergies: vanilla extract contains traces of corn, and sometimes even gluten too. Get a raw vanilla bean and scrape out it out with a butter knife instead. Vanilla Beans are waaay cheaper online than in stores. (Or if you're feeling adventurous, get some potato vodka and soak a bean in it for 2 months and make your own extract)

Secondly, I wouldn't recommend crushing up gluten free graham crackers since practically every gluten free product on the market I've ever seen contains xanthan gum (also contains corn) Also, iodinized salt, baking powder and sometimes even spices can contain corn starch. Sea salt, cream of tartar and baking soda, and spices (mccormick's black label spices labels their cornstarch, also gluten free)
posted by Aliera at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2012

http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/gluten-free-vegan-pumpkin-pie-dairy-free-egg-free/

Dry Ingredients
½ cup buckwheat flour (avoid bob's red mill for soy or nut allergies- I think authentic foods brand is ok)
2 tbsp arrowroot starch (ener-g tapioca starch/flour probably easier to find, and will work the same)
2 tsp baking powder (substitute mccormick's cream of tartar and baking soda instead. Hain's corn-free baking powder will work, if you can find it, but it's hard to find.)
1 packet gelatin
½ tsp salt (use sea salt)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup full fat coconut milk (I recommend Arroy-D coconut cream)
1 vanilla bean seeds (cut in half lengthwise with scissors, scrape with butter knife)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (light olive oil will also work, regular olive oil will taste too strong)
1 tbsp finely ground flax
½ cup honey vegan: ¾ cup agave nectar (or ¾ cup domino's brown sugar)
1 tbsp cashew butter nut free: use 1-2 tbsp of your favorite seed butter (sunbutter is a popular allergy-friendly brand)
posted by Aliera at 10:36 AM on November 18, 2012

Err, hopefully i'm not hogging the thread. I just wanted to make one last corn-free and gluten-free baking comment, that you'd want to avoid all gluten free mixes with xanthan gum or sorghum. All sorghum in the US is planted, grown and ground together in the same facilities as corn- there almost always is corn flour in it. If you're in canada or abroad, it might be safe, but I wouldn't know what brands. The only safe mix I know of is the Namaste mixes, but they might have a corn cross-contamination issue, since there's been an ongoing issue with corn allergics reacting to it occasionally.

Last comment- the recipe I linked to doesn't require xanthan gum, but if you want to bake anything else corn-free and gluten-free, pretty much all xanthan gum contains corn. The one sole exception is Authentic Foods xanthan gum which is grown on cabbage and processed in a corn-free facility. It tends to be hard to find though- you might have to buy it online.
posted by Aliera at 10:52 AM on November 18, 2012