Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

The colder weather has finally arrived in Houston ya'll! Hooray!! I feel like frolicking through the crisp air while the sun warms the tip of my nose and a mug of tea warms my hands. This is the weather that makes me giddy with excitement and gives me an excuse to wear all of my cozy sweaters, socks, and scarves. And as if the weather weren't exciting enough, I'm sharing one of my favorite pies with you today! It's Pie Sunday ya'll!!

My love for pumpkins is no secret here on the blog. In fact, I've probably pined about it many times on the blog over the years every time fall rolls around. That being said, I'm sure it comes as no surprise that my favorite pie is pumpkin. Even though I love a good apple pie, I'll pick pumpkin over it every day of the week. I love the spices and the custardy goodness that happens in the oven. And I love how well it goes with coconut whipped cream (in case I needed yet another excuse to eat coconut whipped cream). 

Considering my love for pumpkin, and in particular pumpkin pie, I knew I had to share one with you this year. I had the idea to change it up a little by using some gingersnaps as the crust. I absolutely love the spicy and snappy contrast it provides and am thinking that it might be one of the best decisions I've made lately. Since it worked out so well, I decided to share this new and improved version of pumpkin pie with you just in time for Thanksgiving and the holiday season! If you are still looking for more Thanksgiving meal inspiration, stick around tomorrow when I'll be posting a gluten free/vegan recipe guide :)

 Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

notes: Make sure whatever gingersnaps you use are crunchy/crispy rather than soft baked. Both the Lucy's brand & Mary's brand make gf/vegan gingersnaps. I added a bit of extra cardamom to my pie in addition to the pumpkin pie spice because I love cardamom, but feel free to leave it out if you want. Please note this pie involves 6 hours of chilling time in the fridge post-bake.

crust

6 oz gingersnap cookies (I used the Mary's brand--they're both gluten free & vegan!!)

1 oz melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp molasses or brown rice syrup

filling

1 can pumpkin puree

1/4 cup coconut sugar

3 tbsp grade B maple syrup

6 tbsp coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)

2 tsp vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

1 1/2 tbsp arrowroot flour/starch

pinch of sea salt

whipped coconut cream & a sprinkle of cinnamon to serve

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard glass or ceramic pie plate with coconut oil and set it aside. Process the gingersnap cookies in a food processor or blender until they become fine crumbs. Add the remaining crust ingredients to the cookie crumbs and pulse them in until the mixture looks moist and starts clumping together a bit. Dump this mixture into your prepared pie plate and press it into an even crust layer on the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Bake the crust for 10 minutes then remove it and set it aside to cool while you make the filling.

Combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a food processor or blender and process until smooth and well mixed. Pour the filling mixture into your prepared gingersnap crust, then smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes until the center is firm (it will jiggle slightly but it should be firm). Remove the pie from the oven and cool it for 30 minutes before covering it and chilling it in the fridge at least 6 hours. Serves 8-10. **I always have issues with the crust burning in my oven so I put the pie plate on top of an aluminum baking pan and cover the edge of the crust with foil**