I suppose you could say that this one breaks all of the pie rules. What we have here is basically an upside-down pumpkin pie. There’s no worry of a soggy bottom crust with this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Cobbler. Just yummy pumpkin custard topped off with crispy flaky gluten-free crust. There are some traditions that simply must be honored though. Always include a topping of whipped cream. That’s just a basic pumpkin pie rule.
Make this your way, gluten-free or not.
Let’s start with the pie crust topping. As I’ve already mentioned, what we have here is gluten-free. For those of you who have no dietary concerns, feel free to use your favorite pie crust here …homemade or not. It’s all good. For this version, I highly recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
The best way to incorporate the chunks of butter with the flour is with your hands. Really. Just make sure they’re coated with the gluten-free flour and feel your way through the mixture, squeezing the butter between your thumb and forefinger until you have a pebbly mixture.
This recipe comes from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. Nicole offers this valuable advice… “Do not chop up the butter into super small pieces or process them until they’re the size of “small peas.” That may be a common instruction in pie crust-making, but I am anti-small-peas in all pastry-making for one reason. Very small pieces of butter not only melt too easily when they meet with the heat of your hands (or even warm air), but they melt right into the dough, so even rechilling the dough won’t help once the butter in the raw dough has melted. Using butter in larger chunks, and then flattening them between your thumb and forefinger, solves all of those problems.”
Once the dough comes together, give it a few quick rolls and folds and place it in the fridge to cool down for awhile. While that’s happening, get started on preparing the yummy pumpkin custard.
This is so great …it’s all mixed together in one large bowl. With a whisk. That’s it.
I have found that it is best to partially bake the pumpkin custard before adding the crust topping. It gives the custard a chance to thicken so that the pie crust doesn’t sink into it as you apply it.
While the custard is in the oven for the first bake, the pie crust dough can be rolled out. I like to use a scalloped-edge round cutter. The discs of dough are arranged in an overlapping pattern. My grandkids like to lift a “cookie or two” off the top of their serving so they can take the cookie and dip it into their pumpkin custard and whipped cream. Of course, you can design whatever pattern you may like with the pie dough.
The recipe for gluten-free pie crust dough that I have featured here will yield enough for two pie crusts. Be sure to wrap the dough you won’t be using right away and place it in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two months.
Your Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Cobbler is ready!
This is delicious when served while it is still warm from the oven. Be sure to include some freshly whipped cream with each serving.
gluten-free pumpkin pie cobbler
Adapted from a recipe by Erin McDowell featured on FOOD52
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pie Crust
- 4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (560 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced & chilled (1/2" dice is best)
- 1 1/3 cups very cold water
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Cobbler
- 1/2 prepared Gluten Free Pie Crust dough
- soft butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 30 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- egg wash, as needed
- turbinado sugar, as needed
Instructions
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Make the dough. In a large bowl, place the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine well. Add the chopped and chilled butter to the flour mixture. Toss to coat it in the dry ingredients. Flatten each chunk of butter between your thumb and forefinger so that it's about an 1/8-inch thick. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add the ice cold water, mixing gently until the dough begins to come together. Press together with floured hands, press together the dough into a disk. If there are any crumbly, dry spots at this point, add more water by the teaspoonful and press together with your hands.
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Begin to shape the dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top lightly with more flour, and roll out into a rough rectangle that is about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour, fold it over on itself in thirds like you would a business letter, sprinkle again with flour, and roll out the dough once again into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Repeat the process of rolling, sprinkling and folding at least once more, this time ending with a rectangle about a 1/2-inch thick. Using a pizza wheel, pastry cutter or sharp knife, slice the rectangle in half along the length, creating two rectangles of equal size, and roll each separately in thirds once more. Wrap each piece of dough securely in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill until firm (30 minutes to an hour).
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with soft butter.
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In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar to combine. Whisk in the heavy cream, then the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt and whisk to combine.
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Pour the custard into the prepared casserole dish. Partially bake for 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and allow to slightly cool.
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Finish shaping the crust. Once the dough has chilled, remove one piece from the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured surface. (Reserve remaining dough for another time.) Sprinkle the top lightly with more flour, and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Using a scalloped-edge round cutter, form as many dough discs as possible.
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Gently lay the dough discs all over the partially baked pumpkin custard, in a slightly overlapping pattern. Egg wash the surface of the pie dough, and sprinkle evenly all over with turbinado sugar. Return to the oven and bake until the pie crust is deeply golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
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Serve warm or cool to room temperature. Delicious when served with a side of freshly whipped cream.
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