The older I get, the healthier I’m determined to eat.
I don’t know if it’s really age related, but there’s definitely anecdotal evidence for it.
I’ve managed to replace sugary afternoon snacks with green smoothies in the summer, and last fall, I even started making a healthy pumpkin smoothie to replace Bluebell’s way too delicious Pumpkin ice cream.
But… sometimes, you just need the real thing. I don’t think you have to be 100% on the health train 100% of the time, and neither do you have to be “here for a good time not a long time” all the time. There’s a balance to be struck.
Maybe it’s something like 80% healthy, 20% here for a good time.
But one thing I am 100% certain of is this pumpkin crunch is here for a good time.
A really good time.
A tickle the tastebuds with amazing pumpkin spice flavors and butter toasted pecans with crunch cake in between good time.
I’ve made this recipe for family, dinner parties, and church and everybody except the family members who insist that pumpkin is gross no matter what you do to it (we’ve subsequently kicked them out of the family. …okay fine, just kidding). loves this stuff.
Gluten-Free pumpkin crunch cake isn’t the kind of recipe you can just… not like.
Especially when the mornings are getting cool, leaves are starting to fall, and you’re just craving something with that coveted pumpkin spice flavor in your mouth.
This spring, my husband planted a fairly large pumpkin patch. I really don’t think he meant to fill it all with pumpkins, but he ran out of butternut squash seeds before he ran out of pumpkin seeds, so over the last week, he’s been harvesting wheelbarrows of pumpkin, and I’ve been roasting and puréeing some of them with intention of freezing the purée for later.
so far though, we’ve eaten it all before it hits the freezer bags though.
There’s still a couple wheelbarrows full sitting right outside my kitchen door, so we have plenty to work with, and Gabe’s working on creating a Texas version of a root cellar (nobody has cellars or basements around here) to keep them in through at least the first part of the winter.
We’ll see how that goes.
Regardless, I’m still planning to freeze a bunch so I don’t have to go through the roasting process anytime I get a wild hair to make pumpkin crunch, or honey-sweetened pumpkin cheesecake, or anything else pumpkin related.
But honestly, I didn’t expect the fresh roasted pumpkin to taste so good straight out of the oven, so yeah. Nothing’s on the freezer shelf yet.
Anyway, back to the recipe. The knock your socks off, recipe that you will definitely want to share with all your fall party guests!
It’s also ridiculously good with a mug of pumpkin spice hot chocolate.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crunch Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Topping:
- 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
- 2 cup or 1 can of pumpkin purée
- 1 can (12.0z) evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º
- Combine first four ingredients of topping and stir to combine well
- Set aside
- Beat filling ingredients together
- Pour into a greased 9x13 inch cake pan
- Sprinkle with dry topping mix - The pumpkin layer will be thin, and you’ll be worried the topping will sink right in, but it won’t
- Sprinkle with pecans
- Top with melted butter - try to spread cover all of the topping with the butter
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until it’s starting to turn brown on the edges
- Let cool before serving
- Serve plain, with whipped toping, or vanilla ice cream. So good!
- Enjoy!
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