Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Oat Crust

This delightfully creamy yet relatively healthy version of a classic autumn dessert can be served as pie slices or bars – or both; I served bite-sized pieces to my infant sons on Thanksgiving. The original recipe, from the food blog Minimalist Baker, is vegan and gluten free. My adaptation calls for Greek yogurt, rather than almond milk, in the filling. And if you don’t have a gluten allergy, flour works well as a thickening agent in place of cornstarch.

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Oat Crust

Adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars

Crust 

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

5 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Filling

2 3/4 cups pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

1/4 cup Greek yogurt or unsweetened plain almond milk

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch

1 ¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and/or ginger)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan (if making bars) or 9-inch pie pan (if making a pie) with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor, combine oats and toasted pecans, and process until finely ground. Add sugar, sea salt, coconut oil, and maple syrup, and pulse until combined. Press into the bottom of prepared pie pan or baking pan. (If using a pie pan, press a little bit up along the sides.) Bake for 20 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Prepare the filling: Place all filling ingredients in food processor bowl, and process until smooth (alternatively, you can mix by hand, combining pumpkin puree, maple syrup, sugar, and Greek yogurt, then adding flour spices, and salt.)

Assemble and bake: Pour filling into the crust. Tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles and level the filling. Bake for 50-60 minutes; filling will appear dark orange, and will still jiggle slightly. Some cracks may form on the surface. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap or tinfoil and refrigerate until fully set, preferably a few hours or overnight (though the pie is also delicious warm!) Remove from fridge and slice into bars or wedges. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.