Mini Pumpkin Pies

 

Pumpkin is so hot right now. Even though it's completely out of season in Australia, and the hotness is largely due to Halloween, and the fact our American friends are currently picking, cutting, cooking and eating it up like crazy.

Nevertheless, pumpkin pie is a very delicious thing, and I've wanted to make a paleo-esque version for some time now. These are gluten, dairy and refined sugar free, so they're not a bad alternative to all the lollies and chocolate poised to plague our lives this weekend! Enjoy :-) x

Makes 24 Mini Pies

For the filling:

-400g diced butternut pumpkin

-1 egg

-1/4 cup coconut cream

-1/4 cup coconut sugar

-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp ground ginger

-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the crust

-2 cup raw or activated almonds

-4 tbs rice malt syrup

-4 tbs coconut oil

-Big pinch of sea salt

1.Boil the pumpkin until soft, and allow to cool a little.

2.Place all filling ingredients in a high powered blender. Blitz until smooth, put aside and clean the blender.

3.Place almonds in the blender and blitz until they resembles bread crumbs. Add the salt.

4.Melt together the coconut oil and rice malt syrup for 30 seconds in the microwave. Add to the a5.lmonds and blitz until smooth.

6.Heat the oven to 180C. Divide half of the crust ingredients evenly between a 12-case mini muffin pan, and use your fingers to push into the molds. You may like to trim the tops edges a little so they don't brown up too quickly (but I like a little crunch! ;-)).

7.Bake in the oven for around 5 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and use the back of a teaspoon to gently push down on the crust so it keeps sitting nicely in the mold. It will still be a bit wet - give it a little time here to firm up against the hot tin.

8.Use a spoon to divide half of the pumpkin mixture between the prepared crust cases. Return to the oven for around 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool in the tin (this will help avoid soggy case bottoms!). Keep in the fridge.

9.Repeat with the remaining mixtures.

Happy Pumpkin-Trendy Month, everyone! x