Everything is better in mini size, right? Especially dessert. I love indulging in my own little personal pre-portioned pie. This recipe can be made well in advance and won't take up space in your oven. It is perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime you are in the mood for a fall treat. And because they are frozen, you can pop them out of your freezer whenever you are in the mood for a pumpkin spiced treat.
As you sink your teeth into your first bite you get hit with a creamy, smooth pumpkin filling followed by a chewy cookie crust. It is simply irresistible.
With only nine ingredients and no-baking, these adorable little bites are super easy to pull together. In my food processor I pulsed together the three-ingredient cookie crust. I added that mixture to a muffin tin lined with parchment paper strips. Then, in my blender I made the filling which comes from soaked sunflower seeds, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt. This is pretty simple and much healthier than typical pumpkin pie filling. I poured the filling onto the cookie crust and froze until solid.
When it is time to serve you just pop the bites out of the muffin tin. Feel free to get fancy and add a small dollop of coconut whipped cream or store-bought rice whip (see pictures). Pomegranate seeds and raw pepitas make them extra festive and pretty. I also like to add a small dusting of ground cinnamon. It is up to you though. They also taste excellent plain.
This recipe is sponsored by Bucks Natural Cookies and I use their delicious buckwheat sugar cookies as the base for the cookie crust in the pumpkin pie bites. I absolutely love their cookies because they are allergy-friendly and taste amazing. Their cookies are naturally gluten-free and made from 100% buckwheat flour that is locally-milled from buckwheat groats. Buckwheat is gluten-free, high in fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals and contains eight essential amino acids. If you would like to learn more, here is an article I wrote for The Washington Post that goes into more detail about the health benefits of buckwheat.
Bucks Natural Cookies are also free of the top eight allergens. So, just like this mini pumpkin pie recipe, their cookies are nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and soy-free. Plus, because of their dedicated facility there is no concern for cross contamination with any of the top 8 allergens.
These no-bake mini pumpkin pies are vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free which makes it wonderful for serving a crowd with varied food allergies or food sensitivities.
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it above, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your creations!
No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Pies (vegan + gluten-free + nut-free)
- Total Time: 9 mins
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These adorable mini desserts are gluten-free, nut-free and vegan (egg-free and dairy-free). You can make this recipe in just ten minutes with nine simple ingredients. It is full of pumpkin pie flavor and the filling has a creamy texture that is irresistible. Make this one ahead of time for a stress free Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 box of BUCKS Natural Cookies: Sugar Cookie Buckwheat Cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened sunflower seed butter
- 5 Medjool dates, pitted*
For the Filling
- 1 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, presoaked**
- 1 cup homemade pumpkin puree (or substitute canned)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the cookies until finely ground. Add the sunflower seed butter and dates and process again until the mixture forms into a dough like consistency. You should be able to pinch the mixture between two fingers and it should easily hold together. If not, add another date or another tablespoon of sunflower seed butter. Add this mixture to a non-stick muffin tin. You may want to cut tiny strips from parchment paper and criss-cross them in each muffin cavity to make lifting the pies easy when frozen. For each flap, I leave a little parchment paper sticking out of the muffin cavity.
- In a blender, add soaked and drained sunflower seeds, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Spoon or pour the mixture into each muffin cavity on top of the cookie crust. Fill the muffins to the top and smooth out with the back of a spoon or a mini spatula.
- Place muffin tin in freezer for 8 hours or overnight. You want them to be frozen solid.
- Just before serving, remove from freezer for a couple minutes, lift each from the muffin cavity and garnish each mini pie with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, pomegranate seeds, raw pepitas and/or ground cinnamon if desired. They are also delicious plain. This recipe makes exactly 12 mini pumpkin pies. Do not leave them out of the freezer for too long or the filling will get mushy.
Notes
* For the dates, make sure they are soft. If they have hardened you can rehydrate them by soaking them in boiling water for an hour before using. Drain and dry before using in the recipe.
** Soak the sunflower seeds in water for eight hours or overnight. You can try a quick soak with boiling water for one hour if you are in a rush although I have not tested this. Before using in the recipe, drain and rinse.
- Prep Time: 9 mins
- Category: Dessert
This recipe is sponsored by Bucks Natural Cookies. All opinions are my own.
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