Cheesecake??? Pumpkin Pie??? Chocolate??? If you just can’t decide, give this Gluten Free Layered Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache a whirl. It’s sure to please ALL taste buds!
You know that awkward moment when you realize you forgot to invite somebody to an event, whether it’s a birthday party, a play date, a baby shower…you name it? Yeah, well, I do it all the time.
Sometimes I rely on previous text message strands to send a new message to friends. All too often I assume that everyone that needs an invite is in that strand. Then oops, days later I realize I’ve forgotten someone. And then you have to decide if you suck it up and tell them you flat out forgot them, or you play dumb like, “Oh shoot, I swear I invited you!!!”
Sadly I admit that I’m a pretty good liar, so I usually go with option number two. Hmmm, great. Now you all know I’ve got skills in the deceit department and you probably shouldn’t trust me anymore. Liar, liar, pants on FIRE!!!
Random note here. Speaking of pants, I am in love with the pants I’m wearing today. And I HATE that I love them. They’re LuLaRoe and I pretty much refuse to buy anything from multilevel marketing companies. It drives me nuts when my friends are trying to sell me stuff that I really don’t need. Sorry, no offense to anyone but it really makes me bonkers. Anyway, my sweet adorable friend just gave me a pair of their pants and they are so comfy!!! I worked out in them this morning and haven’t taken them off since. Uh, is that gross???
Alrighty, back on track. What were we talking about here???
Oh yeah, forgetfulness. Hahahaha! Well, isn’t that fitting?!
So I thought I had busted out the majority of my holiday desserts before Christmas. You guys got chocolate peppermint bundt cake, cutout sugar cookies, holiday sprinkle cookies, eggnog bundt cake, and a pumpkin roll. That’s a pretty good party mix of desserts right there. Wouldn’t you say so???
And then I remembered. Somebody got left out. Feelings were hurt and tears were shed. I’m not sure I’ll ever be forgiven. The holiday parties are done and gone, and this little guy never got the chance to be baked, sliced, and served to a roomful of people anxious to try a bite.
Sorry dude…I SWEAR I POSTED YOU!!!
Well, if you have it in you to bake a pie in the middle of January, this is the pie for you. It’s a pie. Or maybe it’s a cheesecake. Or maybe it’s both. Whatever you decide it is, I’ve given it the name of Gluten Free Layered Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache.
So listen up here. This cheesecake pie has a super easy crust that calls for a pre-made gluten free flour mix. I chose to use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking mix and it turned out just great. I have used Pamela’s brand, Cup 4 Cup, and Namaste gluten free flours for other baked goods with decent results as well. I also hear Better Batter is one of the best brands out there.
Once you have your crust made, chill it, shape it, and bake it for a few minutes. Then that baby is ready to be filled. You pour in a layer of decadent cheesecake and top it with a basic pumpkin pie filling. It’s pretty much delicious. It bakes perfectly with the layers staying separate, yet both baking evenly at the same time.
After baking and cooling, top it off with a simple chocolate ganache and some toasted pecans. You will want to chill this pie overnight like a cheesecake for the best flavor, but I would let it sit out for about 15 minutes before dishing it up. You want it cool when you serve it, but not cold right out of the fridge. The ganache will be hard and the crust doesn’t taste as good if it’s too cold.
That’s okay, though. It will add extra suspense when your guests sit there drooling over this pie that they can’t eat yet. Patience people!
If you’re not a fan of nuts, but you still want some added crunch and texture, substitute the pecans for Heath candy bits for a topping. They add a great caramely flavor to the pie as well. In fact, even if you do like nuts, you can still sprinkle a few of these on top for fun. Get all wild and crazy with your cheesecake pie!
So here’s my apology: I’m so so sooooo sorry that I forgot to post this before the holidays. I meant well. I saved this recipe with every intention to post it right before Christmas so that your food tables would complete from appetizers, to salads, to main dishes, to sides, and lastly to AMAZING, beautiful desserts. I hope you all can forgive me.
And if not…well, I’ll take a pie in the face as part of my consequence. As long as it’s filled with pumpkin and cheesecake. Wink wink.
What did you end up serving for your holiday dessert?
- For the crust:
- 1⅔ cup gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 baking mix), plus more for rolling
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 stick cold butter
- 6-7 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
- For the cheesecake filling:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- dash of salt
- For the pumpkin filling:
- 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup evaporated milk or half and half
- For chocolate ganache:
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark)
- Optional toppings:
- chopped pecans
- toffee bits
- whipped cream
- Prepare pie crust by sifting together flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender until pea sized pieces form. Drizzle 5 tablespoons of water over mixture and toss with a fork until evenly distributed. Drizzle with another tablespoon of water. Mix together with hands and knead until crumbs come together and a ball forms. Add additional water only if needed (it may take a while for the dough to come together, so don't add water too quickly).
- Cover ball in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and chill in fridge for 1 hour.
- Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay plastic wrap on counter. Dust with a layer of flour on top of plastic wrap. Turn ball out onto flour. Sprinkle flour on top of dough. Cover top of dough with plastic wrap. Roll out dough between plastic wrap into a circle about ⅛" thick.
- Remove top layer of plastic wrap. Transfer crust into a 9" pie tin by gently and quickly flipping crust into pan. Peel off remaining layer of plastic wrap and carefully push crust into edges of pan. Leave ½" overhang of crust by cutting off excess. Fold edges of crust under and crimp with fingers or a fork. If pieces break, just push them back together with fingers.
- Brush crimped edges of crust with 2 tablespoons milk or half and half. Bake crust at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until slightly crisping. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins. While cooling, begin making fillings.
- For the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar and egg and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, lemon juice, ground ginger, and salt and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
- To make pumpkin filling, beat together pumpkin, egg, and sugar until smooth. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and mix until incorporated. Add evaporated milk or half and half and mix on low until smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble pie, pour cheesecake filling over slightly cooled crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Gently and slowly pour pumpkin filling over cheesecake filling so as not to disturb the cheesecake filling. Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until filling is almost set and jiggles like jell-o. Cover edges of crust with tinfoil or pie ring if getting too brown.
- Remove pie from oven and let completely cool to room temperature on cooling rack.
- Once cooled, make chocolate ganache. Pour ¼ cup heavy whipping cream into a microwave safe dish and heat for 25-30 seconds. Pour in ⅔ cup of chocolate chips and stir until smooth and melted (this should take at least a minute of stirring). Return to microwave for 15 seconds if needed and stir until smooth.
- Pour chocolate ganache over pumpkin filling and spread to edges with a spatula. Top with pecan and toffee pieces. Chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours (overnight for best results) before serving. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Store leftovers in fridge for up to 1 week.
