This vegan pumpkin pie is rich, creamy and forms its own crust as it bakes. It’s gluten free and super easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients I promise you’ll never know it’s vegan!
Pumpkin pie is not a common dessert in Ireland. Its only recently that pumpkin carving has become popular and it seems a waste not to use the pumpkin that’s left over.
Typically, pumpkin pie contains milk or cream and eggs but it’s easier than you might think to make a vegan version.
Though the inside is more like a custard than a regular pumpkin pie, a slight crust forms along the bottom and sides of the pan, so you can actually pick up a slice of this pie and eat it.
Because of this I bake it without a crust as it doesn’t need it but you can pour the filling into a pre baked pie crust if you wish.
American pumpkin pies are made with Pumpkin Pie Spice which is just a combination of Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger -that’s it!
It’s easy to make up your own blend or you can just use the spices separately. I didn’t add cloves to my pie as I do not like it.
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. All you have to do is blend the ingredients, pour, bake and enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE
Preheat oven to 180°C, 350 F, Gas Mark 4. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. A deep dish is recommended because this pie will rise during cooking but will fall back down as it cools.
Put all the ingredients in the blender, and blend well. You can also put everything in a bowl and use a stick blender. Scrape the sides a couple of times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended
Here’s what is going in the blender:
• pumpkin puree (you can also use sweet potato puree)
• apple sauce
• sugar
• brown or white rice flour
• vegan milk
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• ginger
• baking powder
• salt
• cornflour
Taste and adjust flavors as desired. You may want more spice or a bit more sugar to taste. Pour into the pie dish and bake for about 40 minutes. The top and edges should be slightly brown, but the edges should not be over-done.
Since this is a custardy pie, using the standard toothpick or knife test does not work; it will remain somewhat moist in the center, but it shouldn’t be uncooked.
The center might look a bit wobbly but it will set as it cools. You’ll know it’s done when the edges around the top have cracked a bit and it’s a uniform color.
Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge and continue to cool for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, before slicing. Serve with whipped vegan cream or vegan yogurt and enjoy!
What is Pumpkin purée? This is just pumpkin that has been cooked and blended until smooth.
You use canned pumpkin to make this easy. For one pie you need one 14oz can of pumpkin. Just be sure that the canned pumpkin you are using is not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling contains spices and thickeners which will not work in the recipe.
If you prefer to make pumpkin pureé from scratch that will work wonderfully as well. You will need 2 cups. I used my own pumpkin puree as canned pumpkin is hard to find in Ireland and very expensive.
The easiest method is to roast the pumpkin since there’s no need to peel and cube the pumpkin flesh. You simply have to cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds and pulp. So easy!
You roast the pumpkin, skin and all. Roasting concentrates the flavor of the pumpkin, removes excess liquid and produces a concentrated puree fairly similar in consistency to the canned variety. It is a little more watery than canned, but much thicker than the steamed variety.
Once cooled, scoop the flesh from the skin and run it through a food processor until it’s smooth.
Depending on the variety of squash you use, the consistency of your puree may be more watery than that of a canned puree. When making pumpkin pie, you need to strain the excess liquid by letting it sit in a fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) over a bowl for 30 minutes.
It’s as easy as that to make pumpkin puree which is handy if you live in a country where pumpkin in cans is not available but you still want to make all of the gorgeous pumpkin recipes that are all around the internet and Instagram.
I recommend making the pumpkin pie just like I have. Substitutions can be extremely tempting, but this is fool-proof and already tested so many times that you don’t need to.
Depending on the size of your pie dish, don’t fill the pie dish to the very top of the dish. It puffs up while baking, and you don’t want it to overflow. I have a 9″ pie dish that’s decently deep, so just keep that in mind.
It’s very important that your puree is dry or you will have a slimy pie. If it seems wet drain the excess liquid by letting it sit in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, whisk together vegan milk, pumpkin puree, apple sauce, sugar, corn flour, rice flour, spices, salt and vanilla extract. The corn flour acts as a binder as eggs do in a pie.
You can use white or brown rice flour for the recipe but I don’t recommend wheat flour. I’ve never tried it and I do not think it will work.
The result is a flavorful and moist, but firm, vegan pie filling.
Why is my vegan pumpkin pie darker/lighter? Pumpkins can range in color depending on the brand of canned pumpkin, what country the pumpkin is from, when it was harvested, how ripe it was, and various other reasons. As a result, your pumpkin pie may be a darker or lighter color than my photos, but not to worry, it will taste just as delicious!
After pouring the filling, bake 35-40 minutes. I know my pie is ready to come out of the oven just by looking at it and giving it a little jostle. It will be darker overall and puffed up slightly. It’s okay if the pie is a lighter color in the center. Note that a done pie will still jiggle, but it will be more firm and not sloppy. The pie will set up as it cools.
How to store
This vegan pumpkin pie stores well in the fridge for about days. I usually just keep it in the pie dish and cover it with aluminum foil.
Since this vegan pumpkin pie contains no eggs or dairy, once it has set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, you can safely leave it out at room temperature before serving
Can I Freeze Vegan Pumpkin Pie?
Absolutely. Wrap up the pie in plastic wrap or store it in a container to avoid freezer burn. It will stay good for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge the day before you’d like to eat it.
Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #aveggiecooks and tag @aveggiecooks__. I would love to see it!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch/22cm Pie
Ingredients
- 350 ml Soy milk or other non-dairy milk
- 450 grams Pureed or mashed cooked pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour (heaped tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 60 grams Brown or white rice flour
- 140 grams Apple sauce
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 150 grams Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°CGas 350 F/. Spray a 9-inch/24 cm deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. A deep dish is recommended because this pie will rise a lot during cooking but will fall back down as it cools.
- Put all gredients in the blender, and blend well. Add the pumpkin, and puree. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides a couple of times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended.
- Pour into a pie pan and bake for about 60 minutes. The top and edges should be lightly browned, but the edges should not be over-done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter. For best results, refrigerate until chilled before eating.
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