Sugar Free, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pudding Pie – SCD

Due to the fact that Vancouver switched off summer last week and turned on Autumn, I’ve started hunting the shelves of the store for pumpkin pie to no avail. I mean you can already get a Halloween costume and fruit cake so why not pumpkin pie? And no, I don’t have a Costco card. As I’ve mentioned before my father struggles with some serious health issues when it comes to what he’s able to eat (see previous post) and year after year my dad sits there at the Thanksgiving table watching as we all down our big slices of pumpkin pie. Sadly I watch him eat a bowl of plain yogurt and fruit and I must admit I’ve snuck him the odd bite or two when mum’s not looking.

My SCD carrot cake seems to be a big success when I see how many hits that recipe gets every day. I decided that I would try a decadent pumpkin pie for those of you out there struggling with SCD who are looking for something tasty in this upcoming season. This pie has a thick pudding like filling and a crispy almond crust. Enjoy!

Sugar Free, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pudding Pie – SCD

Ingredients:

3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 can of organic pumpkin puree
1/2 orange zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg
1/2 cup honey or agave
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Blend butter till smooth and creamy. Add honey and egg to butter and blend well.

Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In three parts SIFT in the mixture, blending in just till incorporated.

Add zucchini and pumpkin. This cake has a long bake time as it is quite dense. Put into a well greased 8 inch square pan, or grease round 9 inch cake pan. Bake 350 F for 45 to 60 min. Just keep checking as you don’t want it to go too dark on top. 55 minutes has worked for me.

After cake has cooled, with a fork and clean hands begin to break apart the cake into small crumbs. Mix it all around so the consistency is even. Set aside.

Gluten Free SCD Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees.
Light mix egg, vanilla and honey. Add almond flour and then the melted butter.

Place into a pie plate and evenly press the crust around. Get it as even as possible and don’t spread it too thin on the upper crust as it will burn.

Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let crust cool for 10 minutes.

Scoop pumpkin mix into the crust and softly spread it around and then press it down firmly with the backside of a spoon.

And that’s it! you could preheat it in the oven for 10-15 minutes covered with foil just before eating… I drizzled mine slice with a little honey. Delicious!

PS. This is my new cooking sidekick Jonah. She’s just over 5 months old now and loves watching me cook!

Sugar Free, Gluten Free & Vegan Carrot Cake – SCD

For Father’s day this year I decided to make a my dad a treat. He struggles with SCD or Specific Carbohydrate Diet due to long term digestive problems. It is a very strict diet. From the book Breaking The Vicious Cycle… “Some general guidelines are, no grains (i.e. rice, wheat, corn, oats, etc.), no processed foods, no starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes, yams, etc.), no canned vegetables of any kind, no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners other than honey and saccharin, and no milk products except for homemade yogurt fermented for 24 hours, prepared according to the instructions in the book.” These guidelines make it pretty darn hard to make anything decadent and sweet for a special occasion… or does it? This recipe is one I have adapted from the book. It is beyond moist and sweet and is easily made vegan (except the frosting). It holds together pretty well as gluten free cakes usually crumble apart. Perfect for those struggling with Crohn’s disease, SCD or Celiac disease. One note: making it vegan I found it to be much more crumbly. It’s very hard to get anything gluten free to not fall apart. Still tasted good though. If your diet allows it, add 1 teaspoon of xanthum gum and that should help.

Sugar Free, Gluten Free & Vegan Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cups coconut flour
1 3/4 cups finely shredded carrots
1 ripe banana mashed
1/2 – 3/4 cup honey (1/2 cup agave for vegans)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (vegans use vegan margarine)
1 egg (vegans use 1 1/2 tbsp egg replacer with 2 tbsp warm water)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Blend butter till smooth and creamy. Add honey and eggs to butter and blend well.

Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In three parts SIFT in the mixture, blending in just till incorporated.

Add carrots and banana. You can add raisins, and nuts if you like as well. This cake has a long bake time as it is quite dense.Put into a well greased 8 inch square pan, or grease round 9 inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.

Bake 350 F for 45 to 60 min. Just keep checking as you don’t want it to go too dark on top. 55 minutes has worked for me.

Sugar Free Frosting

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of fresh homemade yogurt
honey to taste (a few tablespoons)
vanilla bean
1 tablespoon coconut butter
1 teaspoon coconut flour

This must be started the day before making the cake.

Take a sieve and double line it with paper towel or cheese cloth. Place sieve over bowl and pour the yogurt in. Cover and let sit in your fridge overnight to drain. You will find the next morning a thick dense sour cream in the morning.

Melt the coconut oil and let it cool a bit before adding to the yogurt along with the honey and scrapings of the vanilla bean (you could use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla). Pop this mixture back in the fridge. The coconut oil with firm up as it cools down.

Frost the cake just before eating it. Yum! My dad loved it and I love my dad… xox *d

(This frosting is obviously not vegan. I’m not sure if soy yogurt would work but it could be worth a try.)