Pumpkin Pie Bites

HAH! You thought that I was going to miss out on posting a pumpkin pie recipe just in time for Thanksgiving didn’t you? Well, you were almost right but I snuck one on in there. I must confess that Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday – just behind Christmas and before Halloween ’cause I love candy. I thought that “I love candy” warranted all caps but I didn’t want to get carried away on dark chocolate peanut butter cups when this is supposed to be a PIE post. 

So what other pie would be suitable for this post other than pumpkin? I considered a pumpkin/apple version but went for the classic because I didn’t have time to mess around with something that was already delicious. The hard thing about recipe testing for me, is making something that I tweak just enough that it turns into something really bad. It seems like when things go wrong, they either look good and taste bad or taste amazing and look like a blob.

So, this my friends is the classic pumpkin pie. But then again, these pies are mini and portable and BITE SIZE so not quite as classic as I promised. But in my world, these are mini so you can definitely eat like three or four…

While you can read all about my pie epiphany in my rhubarb blackberry apple pie post, pumpkin pie has always been near and dear to my heart. My dad has always been very, very, very “into” Thanksgiving. He spends hours in the kitchen every year and won’t let anyone else touch a single thing. Except – you guessed it, I get to make the pie. So year after year my sister, Lisa, and I get to make the pumpkin pie and that is it. Don’t touch the stuffing, don’t touch the potatoes, don’t.. well, you get it. He’s not really a dessert man incase you haven’t figured that out yet. That’s where I come in.

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Pumpkin Pie Bites

Servings: 16 bites

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) COLD vegan butter
• 1/2 cup COLD shortening
• 1/2 cup + 2-3 tsp of ice water
• 1/4 cup vodka (optional for flakier crust)

Pie Filling:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 TBSP soy milk
• 2 TBSP maple syrup
• 1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 TBSP melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp all spice (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. Complete steps 1-9 from my pie crust recipe, found here. After the crust has chilled for 30 minutes, roll the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness and cut into small circles. You can collect the remaining dough and roll out again until you have about 30-34 circles. You may have less depending on how large your shape is, mine was about 2″ in diameter.
3. For the filling, whisk the corn starch into the soy milk and maple syrup. After the mixture is smooth (some clumps are okay) add remaining ingredients together and whisk until mixture is combined. Place small spoonfuls onto half of the dough circles. “Small” means less than a TBSP.
4. Use your finger to spread a little water around the outsides of all the circles. Place the dough pieces without any filling gently over the remaining pieces. Push gently around the edges to make the crust stick together. Pinch edges with the edge of a butter knife, your fingers, or a fork. I think the fork is easiest and makes it look a little rustic.
5. Poke a few holes in the top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges begin to brown slightly.
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.