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.
Alisa says
Awesome recipe!
Thanks for this amazing creation – I tweaked it to be vegan and sugar free and had it after my candida cleanse. I posted my version on my blog, hope you don’t mind – will you check it out (http://antioxidantbuzz.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/pumpkin-pie-all-pleasure-no-pain/) and I can link back to you with the credit for inspiration!
Dreena says
Hi Alisa, glad you enjoyed the pie. Yes, please link back to my post, thank you.
April says
Before I went vegan, I used to love to make pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk. It yielded a very thick creamy pie. Since becoming vegan I have tried out a few different pumpkin pie recipes, all of which were good, but didn’t taste like traditional pumpkin pie to me. Your recipe is sooo much better than any pie I have ever made, vegan or not!!! It made me so happy tonight! You’re a kitchen wizard!
I only have an 8.5″ pie plate, and when I poured the crust ingredients into it, it didn’t look like it would fit, so I ended up using an 8×11 casserole dish. It worked out just fine and I now have many pie squares to eat. 🙂
Stacey F says
Hi Dreena–
I made the pie tonight following the directions exactly, but it was still quite soft when we went to eat it several hours later. I’m guessing I need to cook about 5 minutes more? Or, perhaps a smidge more arrowroot? It doesn’t seem that others have experienced similar issues. It certainly looked done when I took it out of the oven. We still loved it. This is our favorite vegan pumpkin pie recipe so far, and I LOVE the crust!
Dreena says
Hi Stacey, I’m wondering if it might have been the consistency of the pumpkin puree. They can vary at times. The filling *is* soft, however. It’s not as firm-set as a traditional pumpkin pie. If you’d like it with that firmer consistency, I’d try adding some agar to the puree, about 1 tsp. That would firm it up some, more than arrowroot. Hope that helps, and glad you enjoyed the flavor all the same!! 🙂
Rachel Danchise says
I would love to try this, but I am allergic to tree nuts. Can I use something else instead of cashews?
Dreena says
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tested it without cashews – I would suggest almonds, but if you are allergic to tree nuts then that’s not an option. I’d probably suggest working with a different vegan pumpkin pie recipe altogether – one that uses coconut milk with the pumpkin puree, or maybe silken tofu. Those would be better options than trying to rework this filling. I think Food 52 had a vegan pumpkin pie recipe using coconut milk, you might try there first!
Terri Willoughby says
Rachel Danchise, Use Dreena’s crust and use Clean Cuisine and More (Ivy Larson’s) Pumpkin Pie Filling recipe. Her crust has pecans, but the pie is simply amazing! We refrigerate it so it can firm up, but you can serve it cold or at room temp. I plan on trying Dreena’s as well! 🙂
Dusty says
Try this one. These little bites are great.
http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-homemade-mini-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
Faye says
Hey Dreena,
I plan to make this for Christmas Day and I wondered if I could just use regular pumpkin spice (trader joes) in place of the nutmeg, allspice, cloves and cinnamon? 🙂
So excited to make this!
Faye
Dreena says
Hi Faye, yes should be fine, just adjust to taste – start with a little less than you think you’d like – always easy to add more later! Give it a taste after blending and then add pinches more to your preference. Enjoy!!