Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Our family’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert has a pumpkin filling on the bottom and is sprinkled with cake mix, pecans, and drizzled with butter.  It’s absolutely wonderful with real whipped cream on it!  So it was one of the first Thanksgiving recipes I converted to be gluten free.  I tried it with the Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix the fist time I made it, and it turned out well, but I had to buy two of the mixes in order to fill a 9″x13″ pan, which is really expensive.  So last year I modified a homemade cake recipe that goes on a dump cake and used it with my pumpkin pie crunch.  Interestingly, it gradually absorbed the pumpkin and eventually had the texture of a pumpkin coffee cake after several days, but it was still so good.  Whether you use a store bought mix or the homemade cake mix recipe below, this recipe is sure to be a hit!

Filling:
14 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. evaporated milk or almond milk
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt

Cake Mix (or use a boxed 9″x13″ yellow cake mix):
2 c. gluten free flour blend
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. vanilla powder (or add 1 tsp. vanilla extract to the melted butter)

Topping:
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans (I use the “cookie pieces” or bits that come pre-chopped)
1 c. melted butter or dairy free margarine

In a large mixing bowl, stir together pumpkin filling ingredients until smoothly blended.  Pour filling into a greased, 9″x13″ pan.  In a separate bowl, mix together cake mix.  Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top of filling.  Scatter nuts over cake mix.  Melt butter (and add vanilla, if needed).  Drizzle melted butter over nuts, moistening as much cake mix as possible (to avoid fights with your husband over who gets the yummy pieces where the butter pooled).

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until set and golden.  Cool at least one hour in pan on a wire rack before serving.  Serve with whipped cream.  Store leftover dessert in the refrigerator, if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers.