Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe | Easy, Homemade

This is the BEST vegan pumpkin pie recipe made with simple ingredients and easy homemade pie crust! It’s rich, creamy, flavorful and perfect to make ahead for a delicious no-fuss fall dessert that is even healthy!

Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pumpkin Pie is a very popular American dessert, and even though we do not serve it traditionally here in Germany, I am a very big fan of this cake too! Since traditional Pumpkin Pie is made with sweetened condensed milk and eggs, I made my vegan version healthier using coconut milk and just cornstarch instead of regular eggs! It’s not super sweet but perfectly sweet, made with a simple crisp sugar-free pie crust and a wonderfully creamy pumpkin filling that reminds of creamy pudding or cheesecake but it’s even healthy!

Since it’s Thanksgiving coming up I received many requests for vegan pumpkin pie recipe because it’s perfect for any Christmas celebrations in fall and winter! Anyway, I find this is not only the perfect treat for occasions but also for any other day!

Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

What is super amazing about pumpkin pie is that it contains less sugar and “healthier” ingredients than most pies like chocolate or banana cream pie. The filling is basically just made of coconut milk, pumpkin pie spice, much pumpkin purée (yay veggies!), and cornstarch as an egg substitute and thickener. I’ve also added a bit of vegan cream cheese to make the pumpkin pie creamier and more cheesecake-like but that’s just an optional ingredient. To sweeten the pie, I used a combination of maple syrup and sugar but you could also use brown sugar or coconut sugar instead.

How to make Vegan Pumpkin Pie from scratch

Step 1: Homemade Pie Crust

You can either use a store-bought pie crust but I suggest making your own with this super easy vegan recipe! To make a homemade pie crust you need only 3 ingredients – It’s flour, cold vegan butter or coconut oil, a pinch of salt and water. Just mix everything with your hands to form a smooth dough or use a food processor. Then form the dough into a disc, wrap in foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm it up. I suggest not skipping the chilling time or the dough will be too sticky and difficult to roll out.

Once the dough has chilled roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, then transfer to your pie or tart pan. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, and crimp the edges as desired. Then prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork.

Blind bake the crust (optional step)

To keep it simpler you can just fill up the unbaked pie crust and bake it, but for a crispier (less soggy) result I suggest to pre-bake (blind bake) it. Line the prepared pie crust with parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights, such as dried rice, chickpeas or beans. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Pie filling

While your crust bakes, mix together the pumpkin pie filling. All you need to do is beat the ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Then pour it into your pre-baked crust and bake your pie. Once done baking, make sure to let the pie cool completely because it will firm up as it cools like vegan cheesecake.

Perfect make-ahead recipe

Pumpkin pie is one of those recipes you can easily make a day or two ahead. You can prepare the crust and the filling in advance, refrigerate them separately, and then bake it the next day. Once baked let come to room temperature. Then refrigerate overnight so the pie has time to set before adding desired toppings.

Toppings for Pumpkin Pie

I love to serve Pumpkin Pie with fluffy whipped non-dairy or coconut cream! And since the pumpkin pie is not super sweet I also like to add some sugared cranberries as “healthier candy’s” on top. Anyway, you can really get creative with the toppings. Fresh fruit like pomegranate, a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce makes a delicious topping as well!

This Best Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie is

• Egg-free
• Dairy-free
• Can be made gluten-free
• Creamy
• Moist
• Rich in pumpkin spice flavor
• Tastes like traditional pumpkin pie
• Perfect for holidays
• So delicious!

Canned pumpkin purée or homemade?

Canned pumpkin purée is quick and easy to use and has the perfect consistency to make this pie filling recipe! But if you’re anything like me and want to use homemade pumpkin puree, make sure it is pretty thick and not too watery. I get always perfect results when roasting a Hokkaido pumpkin “Red Kuri squash” because the flesh is pretty thick when cooked in the oven as you can see in this recipe. But also sugar pie pumpkin is a good choice.

Can I substitute the coconut milk?

The secret ingredient to making the vegan filling incredibly creamy and silky smooth is using full-fat coconut milk. It’s rich, thick, creamy, and makes the best texture for vegan pumpkin pie! But if you can’t eat coconut you can substitute another non-dairy milk. However, I suggest using a non-dairy milk that is high in fat or the pie won’t be as rich.

How to store and freeze pumpkin pie

This pie will keep for 3 to 4 days when stored covered in the fridge. You can also wrap it in several layers of foil to ensure it is tightly sealed, then freeze it for up to 1 month. To thaw, remove the pumpkin pie from the freezer and keep it in the fridge 10-12 hours. Please do not thaw it at room temperature or the filling may weep, resulting in a soggy crust.

For more easy vegan pie recipes, make sure to check out the following:

• Vegan Apple Pie
• Blueberry Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Mango Cheesecake Pie
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Mini Apple Pies

If you try this Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe be sure to leave a comment and rating letting me know how it turns out! Your feedback is always super helpful for me and other readers who are planning to try the recipe. And if you take a photo of your pie or tart, please make sure to tag me on Instagram @biancazapatka #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Happy baking!

Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Author: Bianca Zapatka

This is the BEST vegan pumpkin pie recipe made with simple ingredients and easy homemade pie crust! It’s rich, creamy, flavorful and perfect to make ahead for a delicious no-fuss fall dessert that is even healthy!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Review

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Course Cake, Dessert, Pie, Tart

Servings 1 8-/9-inch Pie

You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my new Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!

Ingredients

Homemade Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 190g, or sub gluten-free flour blend
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup vegan butter 80g, chilled & cut into small pieces
• 4 tbsp cold water
• 2 tbsp non-dairy cream optional to brush the edges for shiny golden color

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin purée or 2 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree* (425g)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or sub more sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar of your choice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk *see recipe notes
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese 125g, optional
• 3 tsp pumpkin spice *see recipe notes
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 30g

Instructions 

Homemade Pie Crust

• To a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, cold cubed vegan butter, and water. Knead everything together with your hands until a smooth dough forms (or use a food processor). Then form the dough into a disc, wrap in foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm it up. (See step-by-step photos in this blog post).
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Once the dough has chilled roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, then transfer to a 8- or 9-Inch pie pan and gently press to fit. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, and crimp the edges as shown in the step-by-step photos above. Brush the edges with a little non-dairy cream for shiny color (optional).
• Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork. Line the inside with a sheet of parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights, such as rice, dried beans, or chickpeas. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

• Add the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, sugar, coconut milk, vegan cream cheese (if using), vanilla, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cornstarch to a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
• Pour the pumpkin mixture into the warm pre-baked crust, smoothing out evenly.
• Return the pie into the oven and lower the temperature to 355°F (180°C). Bake until the center is almost set, about 50-60 minutes.
• Once done, let come to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight until completely set). Serve with whipped non-dairy cream or coconut cream and decorate with sugared cranberries, pomegranate or other toppings you like. Enjoy!

Notes

• Pumpkin pie spice mix: 2 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ground ginger + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp cloves.
• Pie Crust: You can use store-bought pie crust instead of homemade crust.
• Blind baking: For a crispier result I suggest pre-baking the crust as instructed but you could also skip it. Just add the pumpkin filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake it at 400°F for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 355°F and bake until the center is almost set, about 45 minutes.
• Pumpkin purée: If using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure it has a similar consistency to canned purée (see blog post for details).
• Coconut milk: You can substitute another non-dairy milk. Just make sure it is thick and high in fat or the pie won’t be as creamy.
• Cream Cheese: It's just an optional ingredient to make the filling creamier but the pie will be also delicious if you skip it.
• The preparation time does not include the chill time for the pie crust.
• Please read my blog post for make-ahead & freezing instructions or further information about this recipe.

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

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