Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hr 20 mins Rest time: 1 hr Total time: 2 hrs 40 mins
Serves: 6+ people
This animal-based pumpkin pie has a pork-based crust with a creamy, nutrient-dense pumpkin-egg-milk center. Sweetened and flavored with maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and sea salt.
What you need to make Animal-Based Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- Ground pork
- Pork rinds
- Eggs
- Grass-fed ghee (or butter)
- Maple syrup (or raw honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off); Note: I recommend local or Manuka)
- Sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
For the filling:
- Pumpkin puree
- Milk (or cream)
- Eggs
- Maple syrup (or raw honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off); Note: I recommend local or Manuka)
- Vanilla
- Pumpkin spice
Equipment:
(for the full recipe, scroll to the bottom)
Substitutions
Honey can be used in place of maple syrup, but I recommend maple syrup because of how well it pairs with pumpkin.
Butter can be used in place of ghee.
How to make Animal-Based Pumpkin Pie
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Make the crust.
In your blender, crush the pork rinds to a fine powder. Set the pork rind powder aside.
Melt the ghee on your stovetop.
In your blender, mix the raw ground pork, melted ghee, maple syrup, eggs (ASHLEY20 for 20% off), and sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off) until a smooth paste forms.
Add the paste to a mixing bowl. Fold in the pork rind powder to form a dough. It should be thick and dense.
Note: if you go through tons of salt in your household like we do, check out this salt-purchasing hack that will save you money + make things more efficient. We started this last year, and I’m so happy we did!
Transfer the dough to the refrigerator for 20+ minutes to firm up.
While your dough is refrigerating, make the filling.
In your mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, milk (or cream), maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off).
Mix well until an even consistency is achieved.
Form the pie crust.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Remove your dough from the fridge and place it in your pie pan.
Form the pie crust.
Note: To form the crust, I started with the dough in the center and pushed it outward, thinning out the bottom. When I got to the edges, I used the edge of my pie pan to make the curled edges. There are tutorials online for fancy ways to make pie crust edges if that interests you. For a visual, check out the Instagram reel for this recipe.
Note: This crust bakes down, so form it taller than you want it to end up post-baking.
Note: If you make your pie crust on the thinner side (which I recommend doing), you may have some dough left over. You can freeze the leftover dough for later use, or get creative. Example: make little mini quiches with it. Use a cupcake baking pan. Fill the slots with the leftover dough, fill with your favorite breakfast toppings (egg, sausage, etc.), and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until done to your liking.
Note: DO NOT add the filling to the pie crust yet!
Bake the pie crust.
Bake the pie crust for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
Add the filling.
Once your crust is done baking, add the filling to the center.
Important note: before adding the filling, blot out/remove the fat from the center of your crust. I did not do this (you’ll see if you watch the reel), and midway through baking the full pie, I had to blot/remove the excess fat from the top of the pie. It was a pain in the butt.
Bake the pie.
Bake the pie on a low rack at 375 degrees for 60-65 minutes. When done, the center will be a bit jiggly. If you stick a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean.
Serve and enjoy!
Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving, about 30-40 minutes or so.
If there are leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Note: due to the moisture from the pie filling, the floor of the pie crust – although it has a “bready” texture – is not crunchy. However, the edges of the pie crust (if you form them high enough), are crunchy.
Tips to make the best Animal-Based Pumpkin Pie
- To form the crust, I started with the dough in the center and pushed it outward, thinning out the bottom. When I got to the edges, I used the edge of my pie pan to make the curled edges. There are tutorials online for fancy ways to make pie crust edges if that interests you. For a visual, check out the Instagram reel for this recipe.
- This crust bakes down, so form it taller than you want it to end up post-baking.
- If you make your pie crust on the thinner side (which I recommend doing), you may have some dough left over. You can freeze the leftover dough for later use, or get creative. Example: make little mini quiches with it. Use a cupcake baking pan. Fill the slots with the leftover dough, fill with your favorite breakfast toppings (egg, sausage, etc.), and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until done to your liking.
- Before adding the filling to the crust, blot out/remove the fat from the center of your crust. I did not do this (you’ll see if you watch the reel), and midway through baking the full pie, I had to blot/remove the excess fat from the top of the pie. It was a pain in the butt.
- Due to the moisture from the pie filling, the floor of the pie crust – although it has a “bready” texture – is not crunchy. However, the edges of the pie crust (if you form them high enough), are crunchy.
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
Animal-Based Pumpkin Pie
Animal-Based Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 5 oz pork rinds (pre-ground)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp ghee (or butter)
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
For the filling:
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup milk (or cream)
- 3 eggs
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
Instructions
- If you’re interested solely in the recipe, skip this bullet point and keep on reading. For those interested in sourcing nutrient-dense food, low-toxic household products, and discounts on brands that may support your AB journey, you may find value in my product guides. Head over to this page if you’d like to check them out. All are free (and always will be).
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Make the crust.
- In your blender, crush the pork rinds to a fine powder. Set the pork rind powder aside.
- Melt the ghee on your stovetop.
- Add the paste to a mixing bowl. Fold in the pork rind powder to form a dough. It should be thick and dense.
- Note: if you go through tons of salt in your household like we do, check out this salt-purchasing hack that will save you money + make things more efficient. We started this last year, and I'm so happy we did!
- Transfer the dough to the refrigerator for 20+ minutes to firm up.
While your dough is refrigerating, make the filling.
- In your mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, milk (or cream), maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off).
- Mix well until an even consistency is achieved.
Form the pie crust.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove your dough from the fridge and place it in your pie pan.
- Form the pie crust. I recommend making it thin with thick edges (since the edges crisp up).
- Note: To form the crust, I started with the dough in the center and pushed it outward, thinning out the bottom. When I got to the edges, I used the edge of my pie pan to make the curled edges. There are tutorials online for fancy ways to make pie crust edges if that interests you. For a visual, check out the Instagram reel for this recipe.
- Note: This crust bakes down, so form it taller than you want it to end up post-baking.
- Note: If you make your pie crust on the thinner side (which I recommend doing), you may have some dough left over. You can freeze the leftover dough for later use, or get creative. Example: make little mini quiches with it. Use a cupcake baking pan. Fill the slots with the leftover dough, fill with your favorite breakfast toppings (egg, sausage, etc.), and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until done to your liking.
- Note: DO NOT add the filling to the pie crust yet!
Bake the pie crust.
- Bake the pie crust for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
Add the filling.
- Once your crust is done baking, add the filling to the center.
- Important note: before adding the filling, blot out/remove the fat from the center of your crust. I did not do this (you'll see if you watch the reel), and midway through baking the full pie, I had to blot/remove the excess fat from the top of the pie. It was a pain in the butt.
Bake the pie.
- Bake the pie on a low rack at 375 degrees for 60-65 minutes. When done, the center will be a bit jiggly. If you stick a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean.
Serve and enjoy!
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving, about 30-40 minutes or so.
- If there are leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Note: due to the moisture from the pie filling, the floor of the pie crust - although it has a "bready" texture - is not crunchy. However, the edges of the pie crust (if you form them high enough), are crunchy.
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting me!
Ashley Rothstein develops tasty, whole food, animal-based recipes that include a moderate amount of “minimally toxic” plant foods. To fix her own health issues, she bounced around between the carnivore, keto, and paleo diets for a few years. After experiencing and studying each diet philosophy, she learned she feels her best by merging the three and following an animal-based diet. As a glut at heart, she likes to channel her creativity and create meals that are healthy but also satisfy her inner gluttonous spirits.
