Meet the GREAT Pumpkin Pie, a vegan pumpkin pie recipe that’s also soy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free!
Wait… Do we really need another pumpkin pie recipe? Why is this one special?
Indeed, there is no shortage of pumpkin pie recipes – even vegan. A quick google search will confirm that.
I’ve baked my fair share of pumpkin pies. Crusts made with graham or cookie crusts, fillings with silken tofu or chocolate, the list goes on.
But, ever since creating the Pumpkin Pie Custards in LTEV, I’ve wanted to somehow transform the recipe into a pie. It needed tweaks, to thicken and stabilize for a successful pumpkin pie made with vegan ingredients.
Plus, I wanted to develop a crust that is (1) wholesome and (2) easy (we need some breaks during the holidays).
After quite a few tests, success!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie: The Filling and The Crust
The Filling
The filling of this pie is everything to me. I can eat it on its own, even before baking (though the arrowroot powder does need to cook, but I still like tasting the blended filling).
I use my Blendtec to puree the filling, and I recommend a blender rather than a food processor. The filling just won’t get smooth enough in a food processor. You can use a standard blender, but you will need to blend it longer than using the Blendtec. (For 20% off Blendtec, link here and use code YAY-BLENDTEC).
When the filling is finished cooking, it becomes creamy and luscious, like a custard – and with just enough spice from cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The pumpkin pie spice is not overpowering.
The Crust
Then, the crust. I developed this crust as an alternative to a traditional pastry crust. It’s made with rolled oats, nut butter, and dates, and it isn’t too sweet. And, unlike a traditional pastry crust, it isn’t oily. and isn’t too sweet. You can use it for other pies you love as well, such as pecan or chocolate pumpkin pie!
But perhaps the biggest bonus of this crust is how easy it is to make. All the ingredients for the crust whiz together in the food processor, and then you simply press it into your pie plate.
So let’s get to the recipe, shall we?
And, if you love this vegan pumpkin pie, here are some other seasonal recipes you might love:
Vegan and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups rolled oats use certified gluten-free for a GF option
- 2/3 cup pitted dates packed
- 1/3 cup nut butter I like raw, can also use roasted
- 1/8 tsp sea salt omit if almond butter has salt
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk or more if needed to bring the crust together
Filling:
- 1 can 15 oz, 398ml pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2/3 – 3/4 cup raw cashews 2/3 for slightly softer set, 3/4 for firmer; for this photo we used 3/4 cup
- 1/3 cup plain or vanilla unsweetened non-dairy milk almond or soy preferred, but choice is yours
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- few pinches ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1/4 tsp rounded sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie plate (I use a glass pie plate) by lightly wiping inner surface with a dab of oil (or spray).
- In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust. Puree until fine and crumbly. Then add the almond butter and puree for about a minute. Add the milk and pulse through until the mixture becomes sticky (it should hold together when pressed/pinched). If it's not holding together, add a little more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it does. You shouldn't need more than another 3-4 tsp.
- Remove and transfer to prepared pie plate. Press mixture in with your fingers until evenly distributed on the base and a little up the sides of the plate (not fully up the sides to prevent burning of the crust).
- In a blender (high speed works best, for regular blender you will need to blend longer and scrape down jar several times) combine all ingredients for the filling. Purée until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Pour mixture into pie crust (scrape out bowl) and gently tip back and forth to distribute evenly. (Optional: cover rim of pie plate with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning of any edges of the crust.)
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F (180C) and continue to bake for 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).
- Remove from oven, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving (can refrigerate to chill first).
Notes
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This post was originally published November 2013 and updated for October 2021.
Les says
The filling tasted wonderful but i must have done something very wrong with the crust, lol. It didn’t mix well in the blender (don’t have a food processor) so I took it out of the blender and mushed it around by hand directly into the pie plate. As this was just a ‘test’ pie for x-mas I didn’t need it perfect but the crust came out so incomprehensibly bad that I’m afraid to try it again in the blender. It was SO DENSE! Like hard to chew. Maybe I put it in too thick? I’m no chef but I usually don’t have a total fail like this when *following a recipe*! Like what the heck did I DO?
Can you recommend a way to blend those ingredients in the blender? Otherwise my solution is using Gena Hamshaw’s pie crust with a flour of buckwheat groats, almond flour, and a little chia meal. After this I’m like maybe I need to go the traditional flour/solid fat route.
Dreena says
Hi Les, yes, I don’t recommend doing the crust in a blender. I specified using a food processor for the crust b/c it’s too dry/tacky for a blender – it becomes tedious and the blender will ultimately churn portions to a point of being gummy and yet not work in other parts. The filling is more dense than a pastry crust, but I think it was the working through the blender that made it particularly chewy/not workable. So, I can’t really recommend a way to do it in the blender. You can certainly use another crust for the pie, absolutely! So, if you have one that can be made in a blender (or otherwise w/o a food processor), that might be your best option. Hope that helps!
Les says
Yes, that helps – thanks! Time to invest in a food processor. There are lots of things they do better than blenders.
Erin says
What a fantastic recipe! I’ve made the filling and poured it into pre-made gluten free crusts to save time. Served it at Thanksgiving and holiday parties. It was a total success every time! This is my new favorite vegan pumpkin pie 🙂 Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!!!!
lis says
hello! i made this pie and it came out perfectly! i was wondering if i could use the crust for my pecan pie? the filling is about the same texture as the pumpkin. thanks!
Dreena says
Wonderful! Yes, I think it would be well suited for a pecan pie filling, just compare the baking temps/time – you may need to put a little foil around the crust so it doesn’t get too browned.
Uli says
hi dreena,
a big hello from germany! today we celebrated thanksgiving as we couldn’t arrange otherwise, that is an american, an irish and a german woman (me). i made your pumpkin pie and my american friend who has had many different pumpkin pies said it’s the best she’s ever had. and my irish friend and i loved it too!
i used a real pumpkin as i could not get a can of pureed pumpkin and put it through a cheese cloth to get the moisture out. amazing how much pumpkin goes into one pie!
anyway, it was really really yummy. thank you very much for the recipe!
uli
Dreena says
Hi Uli! Very cool! Such a delight to read this. 🙂 Thank you very much to you and your friends, this is quite a compliment, I’m chuffed! Good move with the the whole pumpkin too, I’m sure that helped to concentrate it down more. Thanks for the cheer, hope you enjoy the recipe over and over!
Sarah says
My friends and I have made this three times in the past ten days. It is THE BEST pumpkin pie ever. We eat dairy, but appreciate the vegan thing and try to do that as much as possible. We also fed this pie to a “regular” person (eats meat, dairy, etc) and she loved it too. It truly is the yummiest pie ever! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!
(My roommate is making another one as I type)
Dreena says
hahaha, that is the best, thank you Sarah!