I’ve developed two dairy-free sweet pumpkin recipes for Canadian Thanksgiving that replace the butter and cream with mayonnaise and still taste fantastic.
A handful of people in my extended family have a lactose intolerance, and often have to sit out the dessert course. Well, this year is different; I’ve developed a dairy-free pumpkin pie recipe that leave out the butter and the cream but still tastes fantastic, and it's all thanks to mayonnaise. It's too good not to share with all of you.
A rich, spiced pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving fare and as far as I’m concerned it’s the ultimate autumn comfort food. I knew that if I had a dairy-free pie as my end goal, I was going to have to get creative with my crust. Amazingly, mayonnaise yielded a fork-tender, flavourful crust that I was thrilled to serve my guests. I always add vinegar and egg yolk to my pie-crusts, so mayonnaise seemed a clever, creamy alternative.
Rich spiced dairy-free pumpkin pie recipe
For the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
½ cup quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
2 medium egg yolks
1 cup pumpkin purée
2/3 cup quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method
For the pie crust:
Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon, then add the mayonnaise and mix together with a fork. Sprinkle in the ice water and bring it together with the fork. Gather the dough with your hands and roll into a large ball.
Place the ball of the pie dough on a 9-inch pie pan. Flatten with your palm, then press the dough evenly up the sides of the pan. Crimp the edges or press with the tines of a fork. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
For the filling:
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour and spices until there are no lumps. In another small bowl, whisk the yolks until runny. Add the pumpkin purée, mayonnaise, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk to combine well. Pour in the sugar and spices and mix together with a spatula.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Place on the center rack in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the pie set.
Leave to cool completely, and then chill for several hours before serving.
Hungry for more? Check out our full collection of Halloween baking ideas