So apparently it's national pumpkin cheesecake today and here I am talking about a gluten-free, vegan, and paleo carob pumpkin tart instead... Well, my friends, that's because I'm well ahead of the game, you see, and shared my pumpkin cheesecake recipe with you yesterday!
So let's talk about pumpkin and carob instead, shall we? It's a heavenly combo I was delighted to discover over the weekend! I've been really into carob and fruit combinations for a while now {like in this mango carob tart}, but never got to try it out with pumpkin and I'm glad to report the results are phenomenal. So if you're not into pumpkin cheesecakes {you're not my friend... jk}, or if you're a bit bored of the chocolate and pumpkin combo {like that's even possible... ;) }, then this carob pumpkin tart is for you!
Also, a quick note to the Paleo AIP folks -- this recipe can be very easily adapted into an AIP-friendly pumpkin pie with a few tweaks. If you're interested, see my notes at the end of the recipe.
PrintGluten-Free, Vegan Carob Pumpkin Tart
A beautiful combination of carob and pumpkin, in a lush and satisfying tart dessert. Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Paleo recipe. No refined sugar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 7" tart
- Category: Tarts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquified
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- ½ tbsp pure vanilla extract*
- 5 tbsp pumpkin puree (I used 1 15oz can pumpkin puree in total for this recipe and took the 5 tbsp from that. You can also use your own cooked pumpkin puree but make sure it’s not too runny; strain the liquid out if necessary)
- dash of salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 3 tbsp carob powder
Spiced Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 cup coconut oil, liquified
- 1 ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (or remainder of the 15oz can — see note in crust ingredients)
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract*
- dash of salt
- 1 tbsp carob powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ginger
Instructions
- Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a tart pan and set aside.
- Place all crust ingredients into a large mixing bowl, except for coconut flour, tapioca starch, and carob powder. Use an immersion blender to mix all the ingredients together until smooth (Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a blender and then transfer to a mixing bowl).
- Add in remaining crust ingredients and mix the mixture with a wooden spoon (or by hand) until mixture is uniform.
- Transfer the dough mixture into a 7" tart dish and press it down with your hands to spread it evenly throughout the pan (base and edges) until it’s shaped and molded to the tart pan shape. Use a fork to pierce some holes along the base of the crust to prevent bubbling while baking. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool a on a rack.
- To prepare the filling, place all filling ingredients in a good blender (I used my Vitamix for this) and blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into the cooled tart crust. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours (or overnight) to allow the tart to set. Enjoy!
Notes
*For AIP, use a pinch of raw ground vanilla bean instead.
Sarah C says
Thanks for the info! There are so many choices!
Min says
I tried this and the pie crust was still quite spongy after baking and cooling. Is it meant to be that way? Would it help if I stuck it into the freezer to firm up before I added the filling? Or would it firm up in the fridge when I put it in to set for 4-5 hours? Thanks
The Real Person!
Hi Min,
Sounds like maybe it just needs to bake a little longer? It is on the spongier side in general -- sort of like a bready crust. But if it's too soft, I don't think setting would help solidify it more, but baking it longer would. If it's not too late, maybe try baking it another 10 minutes or so and see what happens. The longer you bake, the firmer it will be, though just watch that the edges don't get burnt.
Kayla says
Thank you! Do you think I could replace the spices with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice?
The Real Person!
Hi Kayla. Yes, for sure! Pumpkin pie spice would work really well here. Enjoy it! :)
Kayla says
Should this recipe be made regular coconut oil or or neutral tasting coconut oil?
The Real Person!
Hi Kayla, I'd use a more neutral tasting one personally as it's not meant as the prominent flavor (unless you want it to taste coconutty). I used Nutiva (from Costco), which is an organic brand and is unrefined, but I find its flavor not as prominent as some other unrefined ones. If you're at all concerned with tasting coconut though, I'd go with neutral to be safe.
Yuliya says
Yum! This looks amazing! I'm definitely pinning :) I love that you also have the AIP version! I cannot wait to try this
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, Yulia! :) Enjoy it!