Looking for a new Thanksgiving recipe?  The combination of pumpkin and chocolate is amazing.

I am a rather traditional food kind of person.  My family tends to enjoy the familiar favorites at each holiday.  My menus rarely change for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Even when I try to add something new, my family typically wants to revert back to tradition.

One thing that my family is not very fond of is pumpkin pie.  I really like pumpkin pie, but I am always hesitant to make it on Thanksgiving because I know there will be a lot leftover (I will end up eating most of it).  So, I went to work remaking the traditional pumpkin pie into something a little bit different.  It was a grand success.  Everyone loved it.  I think this new pie will become a new tradition on each Thanksgiving.

Chocolate and Pumpkin

I have always thought that pumpkin and chocolate work together so well.  All of the traditional spices that you associate with pumpkin (ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg) bring out such a rich chocolate flavor.

So I set out to try to combine these two into a new kind of pie.  This pie has a richer and more dense feel to it than traditional pumpkin pie.  And while the pie is delicious served warm, it is amazing served completely chilled.  I recommend making this pie the day before you plan to serve it.  Allow the pie to cool completely on the counter, cover loosely with foil, and refrigerate.  I noticed that when I took the pie out of the refrigerator there was a bit of moisture on top.  I simply took a paper towel and blotted the moisture up.  This happens with tradition pumpkin pie as well.

Homemade Gluten Free Pie Crust

While I am a firm believer in making most everything from scratch, I am also a firm believer in making things easy on myself sometimes.  So instead of a homemade pie crust, I opted to use a premade gluten free pie crust.  Wholly Wholesome make a very good premade crust.  You can find it in the freezer section of your local store.

About this Recipe

•  This recipe makes two pies.
•  I call for you to warm the pumpkin, milk, and sugar on the stove.  Be sure that the mixture is sufficiently cooled before you add the eggs.  If the mixture is too warm you risk scrambling the eggs and ruining the pie.
• I added whipped topping onto the pie once it had been completely chilled and immediately before serving.
• Use good quality, dark chocolate in this recipe.  I used Ghirardelli Dark Baking Chips (65%)
• You can freeze these pies.  Allow them to completely cool prior to wrapping them securely in several layers of plastic wrap.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Pie
makes 2 pies

1 – 15 oz. can 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (I used Rodelle)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
1 & 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (I used 65% cacao)

2 premade gluten free pie crusts (I used Wholly Wholesome)

Topping:

whipped topping (I used TruWhip)
unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Rodelle)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large saucepan, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, and sugar until smooth.  Over low heat warm the mixture.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla paste and chocolate chips.  Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in the pumpkin pie spice and arrowroot starch.  Whisk until smooth.
• Remove the pot from the stove and allow to cool for several minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs.
• Add the eggs into the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely smooth and incorporated.
• Evenly distribute the mixture among the two pie crusts.
• Place the pies on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the center of the pie is set.  I did notice that the pie bubbled a bit in the early stages of the baking process.  I recommend baking on the center rack of the oven.
• Allow to cool at room temperature completely before transferring to the refrigerator to cool.
• Loosely cover the cooled pies with foil.
• To decorate I added whipped topping to a plastic piping bag with a star tip.  I added large and small dollops of cream on the top.
• Next, I placed some unsweetened cocoa powder into a handheld sifter and tapped the sides to dust the top of the pie with cocoa.
• Top with chocolate chip if desired.