Pumpkin Tart (gluten free grain free)

With warm spices, vanilla and creamy pumpkin filling, making this pumpkin tart recipe is easier than dealing with pie dough and rolling out a pastry crust. It is just what to serve for your Thanksgiving finale. Make it a day ahead to save time on the big day when your schedule is crazy and the kitchen is busy.

What's special about this pumpkin tart and the crust is that's it's like more like a cookie crust than a pastry crust. It's called a press-in crust, and you create it with your fingers. It's super easy! Let me show you how. Then pour the creamy sweet filling into the pre-baked, gluten-free, grain-free tart crust, bake, cool and enjoy!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Like This Recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• Recipe Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• More Baking Recipes
• ⭐️Did you Make This?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Like This Recipe

• No rolling out pastry dough.
• Glunte-free and grain-free but no one wil ever guess. It's just great.
• Start a day ahead.

Recipe Ingredients

Pumpkin Tart Crust

• Almond flour: Use almond flour, not almond meal, which is coarser. You want the finer flour.
• Coconut flour: It's adds a natural sweetness and is both gluten and grain-free, plus it works well with the almond flour in baking. Coconut flour is best blended with other flours due to it's high absorbency of liquids.
• Sugar: Light brown sugar or coconut sugar both work. I've tested both.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter is pretty salty so use unsalted or "sweet" butter for this tart crust. I don't even buy salted butter, because I prefer to control the salt.

Pumpkin Filling

• Pumpkin purée: Buy pure puree, not pumpkin not pie filling. It has sugar, spices, and additives (like dextrose and "natural" flavors) that you either don't want or can control yourself.
• Cream cheese: You want the block style cream cheese, not tubs. The tubs are whipped and different in texture and the tart filling won't be the same.
• Eggs: Eggs are binders and help create a smooth, rich, custard filling.
• Maple syrup: Be sure to buy the real stuff, not the fake colored corn syrup labeled as maple syrup. I prefer the full flavor of dark maple syrup.
• Vanilla: Use either good vanilla extract or vanilla paste. Here is the vanilla I buy.
• Ground cinnamon: Adds the traditional warm spiced flavor for pumpkin pie and pumpkin tart. I prefer Celyon cinnamon. It has a lighter, sweeter flavor than Cassia cinnamon but both work. Ceylon tends to be better quality (and a little more expensive).
• Spices: You'll need ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. Allspice is a nice addition too. The amounts are small but the flavors are big.
• Sweetener: Flavored liquid stevia in pumpkin spice helps keep the sugar down and add flavor, along with the maple syrup.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

To make this you'll need a 9 ½-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and a food processor.

Substitutions and Variations

• Use pumpkin pie spice blend for the spices in the same total volume quantity.
• If you're concerned about sugar with maple syrup, you can use part or all maple flavored keto sugar-free syrup made with monk fruit.

Chef's tip on spices: Be sure your spices are fresh for the best flavor. If you've had them since last November, toss them and buy fresh. Ground spices last 6-12 months at best when stored properly in a cool dark place (so not near a hot stove).

Recipe Instructions

First make the tart crust and bake it. You can do this a day ahead and store well wrapped in plastic on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Tart Crust Instructions

Step 1: Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, and sugar together with a fork in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until it looks evenly combined and feels heavy. To test, squeeze a handful together. It should be moist and hold together like the photo.

Step 2: Pour the crust mix into the tart pan and distribute it evenly across the bottom. With your hands, build a strong edge by pressing between your fingers as you work around the fluted edge. I am right-handed so I use my left thumb and right middle and ring fingers.

Work to build it up in layers and keep moving around the tart pan. Keep working it. A nice sturdy edge will give strength to your pumpkin tart when you cut it. I've done this many times and it takes about 15 minutes. It is easy!

Step 3: When you have a nice strong edge, pat the rest firmly into the bottom of the tart pan for the base (and don't poke holes). Use your hands or the bottom of a flat glass or metal measuring cup for a firm bottom.

Step 4: Finish the crust by pre-baking (called blind baking) until golden at an oven temperature of 350°F then cooling on a wire rack. A silpat or other non-stick mat prevents the tart crust from sliding around.

For full recipe, directions and photos see seperate the tart crust post.

Pumpkin Filling Instructions

To create the pumpkin tart filling, simply puree all of the ingredients together in a food processor. Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature (very soft).

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pre-baked tart crust and bake again on the middle rack of your oven. Cool, chill and serve. The pumpkin filling looks fairly fluid, but it sets up with baking, cooling and refrigerating.

Timing will depend on your oven and whether you use convection or not. I prefer baking this tart without convection if possible.

Chef's Note on convection ovens: If you use convection and it puffs a little, it will settle as it cools. You can bake the tart a day ahead. Any cracks can be covered with whipped cream if desired.

Serving Suggestions

To garnish your pumpkin tart start with whipped cream. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks with a little vanilla extract and sweetener. Use sugar, monk fruit, honey, maple syrup, or agave. For a more keto option, use monk fruit keto syrup.

For a small amount, use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment. For larger quantities, use a standing mixed with the whisk attachment. Or use what I do, it's called a Thermo-whipper (and get N2O chargers).

Want to dress it up a bit more? Drizzle with a little melted white chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pecans, or pipe whipped cream around the inside edge and drizzle with a little maple syrup. A light dusting of cinnamon is nice too (use a small handheld strainer).

For a tangier topping, try sour cream or crème fraîche (a French-style sour cream) with the vanilla and a little sweetener. Really nice and a bit different because of the tang. You can even whisk this together by hand.

Recipe FAQs

More Baking Recipes

Next time, make the tart crust and fill it with a rich dark chocolate filling. It's delicious and your chocolate lovers will be thrilled. You can also make a savory version and fill it with ricotta cheese and tomatoes.

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