Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

It's that time of year again, leaves on the ground, a chill in the air and pumpkins are back in season. As well as making a great lantern, pumpkins can also be used to make delicious food from savoury soups to sweet pies like this chocolate pumpkin pie - perfect for a Halloween party or just as a sweet treat after a long walk on a cold Autumnal day.

Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Gluten-Free | Nut-Free | Dairy-Free | Vegan

Skill: Medium

Time: About 1.5 hours including time to cook pumpkin

Equipment

• 1 x loose bottom tart tin – about 8-inch or 20cm in diameter

• 1 food processor or good quality blender

• Baking paper

Ingredients

For the base

• 1/3 of a cup (about 60g) raw buckwheat groats

• 1/3 of a cup (about 30g) gluten-free oats

• 1/3 of a cup (about 25g) raw cacao powder

• 8 Medjool dates (about 150g)

• Coconut oil to grease the tin

For the middle and top layers

• 200g vegan dark chocolate

• 200g pumpkin – I used the flesh of half a small pumpkin but you can also use sweet potato or butternut squash

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• ½ a cup of coconut or oat milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp cacao powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C (gas mark 6). Slice the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds, roast in the oven for 30-40 mins until the pumpkin flesh is soft. For sweet potatoes, peel, cut into chunks and roast for 15-20 minutes or boil for 10-15 minutes until soft (roasting gives a sweeter flavour but either cooking method will work). Place the pumpkin to one side to cool.

2. While the pumpkin is cooking, line your tin with baking paper on the bottom and grease with coconut oil around the sides.

3. In a food processor grind the oats and buckwheat groats into coarse flour.

4. Add the cacao and mix to combine.

5. Add the pitted dates and blend – the mixture will appear floury but should stick together if you squish it between your fingers. If it doesn’t stick together add half a date more and blend again until it does.

6. Spoon the base mixture into the tin and using the back of a spoon or clean hands push in tightly to form the base and sides. Place the base in the freezer to set while you prepare the other layers.

7. Once the pumpkin is cooked and has cooled a little – you can put it in the fridge to cool if necessary, add it to the food processor – no need to clean it after making the base!

8. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (a bowl over a pan of boiling water).

9. To the pumpkin mix add the maple syrup, coconut/oat milk, vanilla extract, salt, cacao and half the melted chocolate – CAUTION – the bowl will be hot! And blend into a smooth mixture. Keep the remaining melted chocolate on top of the saucepan of water to keep it warm but turn off to prevent it from setting/burning.

10. Add ¾ of the blended chocolate and pumpkin mixture to the base – so it’s almost full and smooth out with the back of a spoon or spatula. Return to the freezer for about 10 minutes to set.

11. Pour the remaining melted chocolate into the leftover pumpkin mix and then pour over the top of the second layer to form a more chocolaty top layer.

12. Return to the freezer for 10-minutes to set or store in the fridge until ready to serve.