DairyFree Pumpkin Pie (with Coconut Milk)

For the pie crust:
Mix flour with sugar and salt so everything is evenly combined. You can do this in a bowl or in a food processor.

Cut cold shortening into cubes and mix into flour mixture until crumbly. If making this in a food processor, pulse flour mix until shortening is evenly crumbled up.

Add water to mixture and stir gently until it forms one single mass. Don’t over-knead or over-mix. Flatten crust and wrap it in plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

On a floured counter top, roll out pie crust until about 1/2 cm thick. Grease a pie pan and transfer crust to to pan. Gently press pie crust into corners of pie pan. Pinch the outer edge of crust together to make a fancy design, or simply trim off excess. Cover and refrigerate pie crust, the longer the better.

Blind bake pie crust just as you would when making traditional pumpkin pie (see note below). This prevents the crust from getting soggy before the filling is fully baked.

For the pie filling:
Crack eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk until slightly foamy. Add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, and spices and mix well until fully combined. Slowly pour in coconut milk and whisk it in.

Once pie crust has been blind baked, pour filling into pie shell and bake pumpkin pie for about 60 minutes at 375ºF. Remove from oven once filling is fully set and just slightly jiggly in the center.

Cool the pie on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Note: To blind bake pie crust, line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper, making sure the paper comes up the sides of the pie. Fill the parchment-lined crust at least 2/3 full with pie weights, making sure they are evenly distributed. Chill crust for at least 30 minutes to help prevent shrinkage. Then bake weighted pie crust in a preheated 375ºF oven for 25–30 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove pie crust from oven and carefully lift out parchment with the weights.