Pumpkin Pie Bites

Pumpkin Pie Bites

These Pumpkin Pie Bites are our new favorite way to enjoy pumpkin pie! They’re fun to eat, great for large get-togethers, and there’s no messing with cutting a pie into wedges and fearing the whole thing falls apart as you try to plate it.

We’ll be the first to admit that these do take a little longer to put together than most of our recipes.  BUT, they’re still easy and WAY healthier than traditional pumpkin pie.  We can also attest that they are toddler, extended family, and neighbor approved.  There is no refined sugar.  They’re gluten-free and vegan.  So many wins!

The crust is crispy, the filling is gooey, and if you choose to top with whipped cream (and you totally should!), that just takes these little babies over the top.

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust

• 3/4 c. pecans

• 3/4 c. buckwheat flour (the light colored kind)

• 1/2 c. rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)

• 1/4 c. hemp hearts (I use Manitoba Harvest)

• 1/2 tsp. ceylon cinnamon

• pinch sea salt

• 1/4 c. melted coconut oil

• 3 tbs. pure maple syrup

For the filling

• 12oz. package soft silken tofu, rinsed and drained

• 2 c. pumpkin puree

• 1/2 c. pure maple syrup

• 1/2 c. coconut sugar

• 1/4 c. arrowroot powder

• 1 tbs. pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• 2 tbs. chia seeds

• Toppings: toasted pecan halves, hemp hearts, cinnamon, and either coconut or regular whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare the crusts

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 7-10 minutes, until you can smell them (if you’re topping your bites with pecan halves, put them on the baking sheet to toast now too. Just remember to keep them separate from the pecans needed for the crusts and set them aside when you remove them from the oven).

2. Grease two 24 count mini muffin tins with coconut oil and set aside.

3. Combine buckwheat flour, oats, hemp hearts, toasted pecans, cinnamon, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour in coconut oil and maple syrup and pulse again until combined.

4. Press one teaspoon of the crust mixture firmly down into each hole of the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and starting to brown around the edges, then set aside to cool. Leave oven on.

Prepare the filling

1. In the bowl of your food processor (we simply wipe ours out and reuse without actually washing), combine tofu, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Add chia seeds and pulse to incorporate.

2. Spoon pumpkin pie mixture (it will be pretty runny at this point) over prepared crusts, still in the mini muffin tins, and fill to the top.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pie filling starts to noticeably firm (they may still look soft in the center of each bite and this is normal; they will continue to firm as they cool).

4. Remove muffin tins from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely, usually about an hour.

5. To remove, carefully run a butter knife around each bite and lift out of muffin tin. Swirl with whipped cream, sprinkle with hemp hearts and cinnamon, and top with a pecan half.