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.
Lisa says
This recipe looks great but is there a substitute I can use for the nuts? We have many food allergies in our family and finding a pumpkin pie recipe seems impossible.
Dreena says
Lisa, for this pie it would be difficult to substitute the nuts. I think I saw a vegan pumpkin pie on Food 52 last week that was coconut milk-based (and I believe it was nut-free). You might have luck with that one. 🙂
Colleen says
Is there any other nut that can be used instead of cashews? (no peanuts either! son has food allergies to these two nuts only) Hope there is one, this recipe looks wonderful!
Dreena says
Hi Colleen, I haven’t tested it with other nuts. I think almonds might be too hard, even if soaked – to puree smoothly. The only other option might be macadamia nuts, but they are a little oiler. You could try, but I haven’t tested it so cannot guarantee how it will work.
Amy says
I can’t have any kind of nuts either, but I can have seeds. Could I substitute with sunflower seeds maybe?
Dreena says
Amy, I probably wouldn’t sub sunflower seeds here, they have a fairly strong flavor that I think will be too dominant in the pie. You could *probably* sub some hemp seeds, or a combo of hemp and sunflower, but… really not sure the flavor will be great. Usually when I sub sunflower or hemp for nuts in a sweet recipe (I do a fair amount of nut-free subs in my recipes), I amp up the cinnamon and other sweet spices, and also often the sweetener. I might suggest you try a nut-free recipe, since this one has nuts in both the crust and the filling. I have a pumpkin pie recipe in ‘eat, drink & be vegan’ that might work better for you – if you have that book have a look at that one. It’s not entirely whole-foods based as this one is, but is nut-free. Hope that helps. 🙂
Christine (The Raw Project) says
This looks great, always up for trying new vegan pumpkin pie recipes. Thanks!
deb says
Do you think I could reduce the nuts a bit to save on oil and fat? What might I use instead if I used say, 1/2 cup of nuts? Any thoughts?
Andy R. says
I’ve been on a whole foods plant based diet since October 2012. I cheated last Thanksgiving and was sick for 2 days. Not doing that this year. I’m responsible for bringing a vegan dessert to the family gathering, and I have been searching for a pie recipe. This one looks great. Most others I saw use silken tofu. Do you think this is better? I bought Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie spice. Do you think I could subsitute 2 teaspoons of this for the spices? I don’t have the jar with me now to see the ingredients. Also, what is your favorite non dairy ice cream? I have not tried many, but the ones I’ve tried have not been good.
Dreena says
Good for you, Andy! That’s the thing with moving into a healthier, cleaner diet. It’s a bit of a one-way street! Body doesn’t like it when you go back. 😉 Personally, I do like this base with cashews much better. It lends a richer, more irresistible taste and texture. If you have pumpkin pie spice, for sure you can sub that. I think 1 1/2 tsp might do just fine. You can add it, and just taste the pureed filling before adding more, adjust to taste. This filling is safe to eat unbaked, so totally okay to taste-test. As for ice creams, I totally love the Coconut Bliss line, and also enjoy many of the So Delicious flavors too (from their coconut line). Recently I also tried the “Nado Moo” brand, also like that one. Test out a few, I’m sure you’ll find one or more you will enjoy. Good luck! 🙂
Andy R. says
First off, sorry for the double post. I need to be more patient. I’ll do the taste test (one of the many benefits of the vegan diet is not as much worry about food borne illnesses). I’ve haeard coconut is the way to go for dairy free ice cream. Someone also recommended DF Mavens vegan ice cream, but it is not widely available. I’ll let you know how the pie comes out!
Dreena says
Not to worry, Andy! Yes, def worth trying a few brands of ice cream, and the coconut ones are very luscious. I have a cashew-banana ice cream posted on my site here and also a peanut butter chai (that one you need an ice cream maker, but not for the banana). You can check those out too. 🙂
Dianna Ordway says
Andy, you can look on Pintrest for a raw ice cream. So far, I have found a Peppermint one but I am sure there are others….
Andy R. says
Pie was a big hit among the vegans and some non-vegans at our Thanksgiving celebration! I am going to try it again with less cashews and go for the lighter version. I also screwed up a bit and used a pie plate that was slightly too large, but it was still great! Thanks for the recipe!
Anne says
Thanks Dreena ! You are so generous.