Mandy Moore's Pumpkin Pie Should Be Your New Pilgrim Rick Tradition

Mandy Moore may have risen to fame as a teen pop icon of the early 2000s, but today she's best known as Rebecca Pearson, matriarch of the famous Pearson family on NBC's hit drama "This Is Us." On the TV show, Moore's role as mother to children Kevin, Kate, and Randall is one that is as heartwarming as it is touching. She and husband Jack devote their lives to the three kids, so it's no surprise that when things go awry on a Thanksgiving road trip, they improvise and Jack entertains the children dressed as a character called "Pilgrim Rick" complete with a tall, buckled pilgrim's hat (via FanFest).

When it comes to real life, Moore is just as wholesome, sharing her favorite recipe for a Thanksgiving Day staple, pumpkin pie, which has become a tradition in her kitchen. "I'm such a sweets person, and I can make a delicious gluten-free pumpkin pie that everyone can enjoy," she said (via Real Simple).

Mandy Moore first tried out the gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe she found on Sweet Laurel's blog for Thanksgiving 2016, and it was such a hit that she decided to revisit the dish the following year. The recipe calls for hazelnut or almond flour in lieu of regular flour and features a filling made from pumpkin puree, almond or coconut milk, and maple syrup, among other ingredients (via Real Simple).

One Elite Daily writer Sarah Ellis, who is also gluten-free, tried out the recipe in 2019 and was pleasantly pleased with the results, stating, "I was impressed. First, the crust is 100% nutty-savory without a hint of sweetness ... I ... appreciate[d] how it balanced out the sweet filling. And speaking of the filling, it is fabulous ... It tastes quintessentially fall: comforting, rich, and warm."

Back on "This Is Us," flash-forward to the future and Jack has passed, but the tradition of Pilgrim Rick lives on with his sons who don the hat each Thanksgiving and reenact their father's rendition of the character for the family (via FanFest). And with a crowd-pleasing pumpkin pie recipe as creatively delicious as Mandy Moore's, it's safe to say that special Thanksgiving customs are not only a part of her television persona, but a credit to her ability to build holiday traditions in real life.