Maple Pumpkin Pie
As the nights draw in and the days get colder, this maple pumpkin pie is all you need to embrace the Autumn months. I’ve used 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup in the crust, filling AND the topping – a perfect sweetener for the puréed pumpkin. While you can certainly buy ready-made pumpkin purée from the supermarket, I much prefer to make my pumpkin pies with real pumpkins. It makes for a far more natural tasting pie and allows the maple flavours to tickle the tongue with every mouthful!
What makes this Maple Pumpkin Pie so incredible?
It’s made with REAL pumpkins!
It has a natural taste, a delicate sweetness from the 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup AND a nice kick from the ginger-nut biscuits
There’s no need to faff around making pastry. This pie has a crumb-based crust!
It has a beautiful velvety texture
It’s served with maple whipped cream – an absolute game-changer!
3 tips for making the perfect Maple Pumpkin Pie:
Use a loose-bottomed tin. This allows for easy-release of your pie without disturbing the crust.
Don't over-bake it. You want your pie filling to be set, but with a slight wobble in the centre. It'll continue to bake after coming out the oven and will firm up once cool.
Choose 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. Since this is a key ingredient in flavouring your pumpkin pie, make sure you use 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. This means it's free of fermentation, is uniform in colour, free of sediment, cloudiness, objectionable odour or taste, is produced from 100% concentrated maple sap and has the characteristic of the maple flavour of its colour class.
Flavour variations:
Maple syrup is classed based on its colour and flavour profile. The colours and flavours will change throughout the spring harvest and range from a light, delicate taste through to a dark, strong taste. Using the correct maple syrup in recipes changes everything.
Golden. This syrup comes from maple sap harvested at the very beginning of the season and has a sweet, delicate flavour. Perfect for topping yoghurts and ice cream.
Amber. A pure, rich taste and a magnificent amber colouring, this is fantastic for vinaigrettes and desserts.
Dark. This syrup has a more pronounced caramel flavour – perfect for cooking, baking and sauces and especially good for fruity dishes.
Very dark. This syrup is harvested at the end of the season and has a rich and distinctive flavour. Beautiful for sauces and glazes.
Maple Pumpkin Pie
This maple pumpkin pie is the dream! It's made with 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, real pumpkin and warming ginger nut biscuits.
For the crust
150 g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
550 g ginger nut biscuits (crushed )
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup
For the filling
900 g butternut pumpkin (chopped)
125 ml 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup
125 ml coconut milk
2 large eggs (+ 1 egg yolk)
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
For the maple whipped cream
1 tbsp 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup
300 ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp caster sugar
Place the chopped pumpkin in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high (600-700W) for 15-20 minutes until soft and tender. Transfer to a colander to drain excess liquid and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C. / 350F. To make the crust, place the ginger nut biscuits in a large sealed sandwich bag and use a rolling pin to bash them until they resemble breadcrumbs. Place them in a bowl with the cinnamon, 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup and a pinch of salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix well.
Press the crumbs into the base and sides of a 24cm pie tin. Chill for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, whizz the softened pumpkin, 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup, coconut milk, eggs, egg yolk and spices in a food processor until smooth.
Pour into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool completely.
Pour your cream into a bowl and add the 100% Pure Canadian Amber Maple Syrup, sugar and vanilla essence then whisk until you have soft peaks.
Once your pie has cooled completely, top with the cream. Slice and serve with a little extra grated nutmeg.