Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pies (Pumpkin Custards)

11/17/16

Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pies (or Pumpkin Custards) are one of Fall’s best gluten-free pumpkin recipes! Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy the best part of your favorite holiday dessert! Check out the video!

This recipe was originally published on November 27, 2010, and was updated with new photos and a video on November 17, 2016.

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I know I know I know…  according to Rule #987539875 in the Food Bloggers Handbook, I was supposed to post pumpkin pie recipes at least 3 days prior to Thanksgiving. Well, I would have done that except for one little thing…

OK, actually that sort of just an excuse.  I didn’t actually get to making these individual crustless pumpkin pies until the day before Thanksgiving.

And I thought of making myself a birthday cake to post. But, between the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies I found in the freezer, the diner carrot cake for Thanksgiving, the one and a half ginormous cupcakes I ate in the couple days after Thanksgiving, the gluten-free pumpkin snack cake I made, and half of a Snickers pie that I managed to consume in just two sittings, I thought the towering pile of cake and frosting that I dream of would be a bit excessive and dangerous to have in my kitchen.

And this gives me the opportunity to tell you a little story.  Because I like to let myself think that you are all interested in my silly little life. 🙂 For those of you that are – I love you! Let’s be friends!

Being born on November 27th, my birthday usually falls or within a day or two of Thanksgiving. This year is actually an unusual one, with it being so far from Thanksgiving. As a kid, since we were already getting together as a family on Thanksgiving, and often on the next day for consumption of leftovers, my family birthday celebration was usually done on Thanksgiving. So this meant my candles went in the pumpkin pie, since apple pie is not the best support system for birthday candles.  One problem…

I hated pumpkin pie. I really just wanted a Fudgie the Whale, or something. Heck, a Funfetti ice cream cake would have been awesome. But I got pumpkin pie.

Sometime later in life, I actually started liking pumpkin pie.  Not sure when, not sure why. By that time, my culinary skills were developing, so I’d no longer buy our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.  I would make it.  So I began making it, and I went to Martha for her recipe. Her filling is always perfect, though I always seem to have to bake it longer than her directions call for.

In fact, the Hubby, who claimed to never really like pumpkin pie (yeah, like he is “not really a soup person“) happily eats it every year.  Or he just wants to keep up the facade, since the first time he said he liked it was the first time he spent Thanksgiving with my family.

And he was trying to impress everyone, because he also did the dishes – first man to ever do that in our house. I’m going to keep convincing myself it is because I just make an exceptionally good pumpkin pie.

But I just could not master the crust. Crust is still a work in progress for me.  And because I don’t like pie crust, I don’t work too hard at it. I tried a gingersnap crust one year, but it was just a little too much spice with the pumpkin pie filling. After I found out about my wheat allergy, I tried baking the filling in the pie pan, without a crust.  It was just perfect for me!

So I decided to bake myself some individual crustless pumpkin pies!

If you want something crunchy with the pie, sprinkle some graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs under the filling, or over the top, to make it all fancy-like. Or go with something extra crunchy and fancy, like pumpkin creme brulee.

To make this recipe, you will need:

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Here’s the recipe for the individual crustless pumpkin pies:

5 from 2 votes

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Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pies (aka Pumpkin Custards)

Pumpkin Pie filling, baked in individual ramekins, for those that aren't crust-lovers.

Course: Dessert, Pie

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips (Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Traditional Pumpkin Pie)

Ingredients

• 1 can 15 ounces solid-pack pumpkin
• 3/4 c packed light-brown sugar
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 2 t pumpkin pie spice
• 3 large eggs
• 1 can 12 ounces evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 6-8 ramekins or custard cups in a large baking dish. Heat a pot or teapot of water to boiling, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs.
3. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
4. Add evaporated milk, and stir to combine.
5. Fill the ramekins with the pumpkin mixture. Pour the hot water in the baking dish around the ramekins.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on how many you make and how full the ramekins are), or until set in the middle.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan until cool enough to handle.
8. Remove the ramekins from the water bath. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Here are some more pumpkin pie alternatives (that happen to be gluten free) for you…

• Pumpkin Pie Pudding
• Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Maple Walnut Crust
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake Pastries

And some from my friends…

• Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse from Snixy Kitchen
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie from Love From the Oven