To me, fall is synonymous with pumpkins and spice. There's just something about pumpkins, I guess, that makes people warm and cozy inside. And these pumpkin spice mooncakes are just as comforting as it sounds. Made with pumpkin, warm spices, almond flour, then filled with pre-made pumpkin pie, these pumpkin mooncakes are soft and moist almost like a bite of fall.
The mooncake crust itself is vegan and gluten-free, even great for people who are trying to find healthier fall dessert options during the holiday season. You can easily swap out the pumpkin pie filling and replace with sweetened bean paste or nuts for a totally vegan option.
Ingredients Used to Make This Pumpkin Pie Mooncakes
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Almond flour – I used blanched almond flour. But you can also make your own by blending raw or blanched, slivered almonds in the food processor and sifting them through a sieve.
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour does not substitute well, and I can’t recommend swapping coconut flour with other ingredients in this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree - I used canned pumpkin puree, which you can find in the baking aisle.
- Sugar – You can use any granulated sugar of your choice. For the lower carb, lower calorie option, you can use a sugar-free substitute such as monk fruit sweetener
- Olive Oil - For this recipe, you can use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or even regular canola oil. You can also use plant-based, dairy-free butter or regular butter instead.
Mooncake Filling
- For the filling, I used a storebought pre-made pumpkin pie which I cut into rounds using a cupcake corer. You can also use a small round cookie cutter
you can also use:
- Sweetened White Bean Paste (a.k.a. Shiro An) – fudgy and sweet, white bean paste is a perfect filling for mooncakes. If you don't want to use the pumpkin pie filling, you can use this
Recipes that Also Use Pumpkin
Equipment
The main highlight of mooncakes is their beautiful engraved patterns and shapes. Mooncake molds are readily available at different Chinese grocery stores. You can also find it online, especially on amazon. They are of premium quality and quite affordable. I got the 50g mooncake molds here
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Mooncakes
STEP 1
Prepare the filling: cut the premade pumpkin pie into rounds using a cupcake corer. You can also use a small round cookie cutter
STEP 2
Mix the dry ingredients in a clean bowl, then add the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree and oil). For best results, use hands to knead the dough until the dough comes together).
STEP 2
Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces and roll into a ball (about 20-30 grams of dough each).
STEP 3
Flatten the dough into a thin disk using the palms of your hands.
STEP 4
Cover the prepared fililng (pumpkin pie rounds) with the dough.
STEP 5
note: The covering really does not have to be perfect or smooth, because you'll be using the mooncake mold to press these rough edges into shape.
STEP 6
Use a well-greased mooncake mold to press the dough into shape. A non-stick cooking spray works well to ensure that the mold is properly greased.
STEP 7
Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the mooncakes appear dry. The bottom of the cakes should be lightly browned. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins for Pumpkin Spice Mooncakes:
There are many other types of fillings used in traditional mooncakes. Here are some ideas below:
- Lotus paste – classic! You can buy these in the refrigerated section in a Asian grocery store, or buy them online (like Amazon, here)
- Shiro-an (sweetened white bean paste) – on Amazon, here, or here's a Shortcut White Bean Paste Recipe I make when I’ve run out of Shiro An
- Koshi-an (sweetened red bean paste) – on Amazon, here
- Mung Bean paste - sweet and delightfully yellow, homemade mung bean paste is a perfect mooncake filling for those who are looking for a healthier bean paste alternative. Here's my 2-Ingredient mung bean paste recipe here
- Coffee paste : ½ cup Shiro-an mixed with 2 tsp coffee extract (click on the link to see my 2 ingredient coffee bean paste recipe here)
How to Store
- You can store these cakes covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
Final Tips
- I found that these mooncakes taste better the day after they are made. For the best flavor and texture, I recommend storing these mooncakes inside an airtight container and let them cool in the fridge for at least 8 hours before eating.
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Pumpkin Pie Mooncakes (Made with Almond Flour)
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice*
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice , or cinnamon powder
- 1 T olive, avocado or coconut oil
Filling
- 1 (8 inch) pumpkin pie ** You can also use other mooncake fillings of choice like white bean paste. Check out my ULTIMATE LIST OF MOONCAKE FILLINGS post for more ideas!
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Prepare the filling: cut the premade pumpkin pie into rounds using a cupcake corer. You can also use a small round cookie cutter.
- Keep the filling in the freezer until ready to use. Wrapping the filling with the dough later will be so much easier if the filling is pre-frozen.
- NOTE: You can also use other mooncake fillings of choice like white bean paste. Check out my ULTIMATE LIST OF MOONCAKE FILLINGS post for more ideas!**
Make the Mooncake Crust
- Mix dough ingredients in a clean bowl. For best results, use hands to knead the dough until the dough comes together)
- Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces and roll into a ball (about 20-30 grams of dough each)
- Flatten the pumpkin-almond flour dough into a thin disk using the palms of your hands.
- Cover the prepared fililng (pumpkin pie rounds) with the dough. note: The covering really does not have to be perfect or smooth, because you'll be using the mooncake mold to press these rough edges into shape.
- Use a well-greased mooncake mold to press the dough into shape. A non-stick cooking spray works well to ensure that the mold is properly greased.
- Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the mooncakes appear dry.
- For best flavor and texture, let the mooncakes cool in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours) sealed inside an airtight container. This extra step ensures that the mooncake crust to soften and become more chewy, rather than tough.
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