This vegan pumpkin pie is rich, creamy and so easy to make. With just a few simple, pantry staple ingredients, this is the only recipe you need this Fall! I promise you’ll never know it’s vegan.
When planning out my Fall recipes for this year, I had originally planned to make a vegan apple pie, but then I became so obsessed with my apple crisp and over did it on the apples a bit, so decided I should do pumpkin instead!
In the past, I’ve always made pumpkin pie with canned coconut milk for the creamy factor, but this year I decided to use cashews because it not only makes the pie really creamy, but it also gives it the BEST texture. It’s nice and firm while still being soft and creamy like traditional pumpkin pie.
Plus, it’s sweetened with half maple syrup and half brown sugar for a subtle maple caramely flavor. It’s healthy, made with fewer than 10 ingredients and I promise no one will have any idea it’s vegan!
Top it off with some coconut whipped cream and I promise you’ll be the most popular person this Thanksgiving.
Traditional pumpkin pie filling is made with dairy, so it is not vegan, but this recipe is made completely from scratch so we’re in total control of the ingredients. Try my vegan pumpkin cake, almond flour pumpkin cookies or gluten free gingerbread cookies next!
How to make vegan pumpkin pie
First, add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes. To speed up the process, instead just add the cashews to a pot of water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and add to a high speed blender.
If you’re making my vegan/gluten free pie crust, you want to bake it for just 7 minutes before adding the filling. Find the instructions/recipe here.
Add all ingredients including the cashews to a high speed blender. To measure the canned coconut milk, shake the can really well to combine the cream with the liquid part, then measure.
Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. These are different!
Blend everything until completely smooth. Depending on your blender, you may need to let it run for a solid minute or so to ensure everything is well combined.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired. You may want more pumpkin spice or a bit more sugar to taste. Transfer to your prepared pie plate with your crust and spread until smooth.
Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes. The center might look a bit jiggly 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 cream and enjoy!
To make the leaf cutouts on the top of the pie, I made half a batch of extra crust, then rolled it out, used mini cookie cutters and baked them like cookies for 10 minutes at 350. At them to the top of the pie after they bake!
Prep in advance
If you’re planning your Thanksgiving menu and want to get a few things out of the way early, this is the perfect recipe for that!
I suggest letting it set in the fridge overnight anyway, so it’s best to make this a day early.
How to store
This vegan pumpkin pie stores well in the fridge for about 5 days. I usually just keep it right in the pie plate 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.
However, just to be safe and ensure the center has fully set, I do recommend storing it in the fridge.
Variations
NUTS. Unfortunately, there is no good substitute for the cashews or coconut milk, so this recipe cannot be made nut free. You can try my sweet potato pie bars instead!
SUGAR. This recipe is sweetened with a mix of granulated sugar and maple syrup. The only sub I can confidently recommend is using coconut sugar in place of the white sugar. The color will be darker, but still delicious.
In order to keep the consistency the same, I don’t recommend a sub for the maple syrup and I do not recommend subbing the granulated sugar for more maple syrup.
CORNSTARCH. I highly recommend sticking with cornstarch for best results. Tapioca and arrowroot are often good subs, but they don’t always absorb as well as cornstarch, which can lead to a very wet pie.
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Vegan Pumpkin Pie
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 batch vegan/gluten free pie crust click for recipe
- 2 ½ cups pumpkin puree about 1 1/2 cans
- 1 ¼ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons light canned coconut milk
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar I used cane, light brown also works
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 -3 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice depending on preference and brand
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes. To speed up the process, instead just add the cashews to a pot of water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and add to a high speed blender.
- If you're making my vegan/gluten free pie crust, you want to bake it for just 7 minutes before adding the filling. Find the instructions/recipe here.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add all ingredients including the cashews to a high speed blender. To measure the canned coconut milk, shake the can really well to combine the cream with the liquid part, then measure.
- Blend everything until completely smooth. Depending on your blender, you may need to let it run for a solid minute or so to ensure everything is well combined and the cashews are completely creamy.
- Taste and adjust flavors as desired. You may want more pumpkin spice or a bit more sugar to taste.
- Transfer to your prepared pie plate with your crust and spread until smooth.
- Bake, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes. The center might look a bit jiggly 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 cream and enjoy!
- To make the leaf cutouts on the top of the pie, I made half a batch of extra crust, then rolled it out, used mini cookie cutters and baked them like cookies for 10 minutes at 350. At them to the top of the pie after they bake!
Leah says
Delicious! So much better than regular pumpkin pie, creamier and less in yiur face pumpkin-y. I used a premade crust, full fat coconut milk, and 1 tbsp honey instead of sugar. Yum!!
Claire Cary says
Love it! Thank you, Leah!
Nicole Lindsay says
Does this have a coconut flavor as a result of using coconut cream? If so, is there an alternative option?
Claire Cary says
This uses light canned coconut milk, not coconut cream, which has a much more mild flavor and you shouldn’t notice it at all with all the other flavors in the pie. If you are worried about tasting it, you can sub for almond milk, but it won’t be quite as rich/creamy.
Pam Leonard says
Five stars!! The vegan pumpkin pie was a hit yesterday – simple prep, creamy consistency and delicious. I highly recommend this recipe! Thank you!!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Pam!
Marissa says
I made this with a pre-made gf crust as a shortcut and it’s sooo good! You can’t tell it’s made without eggs or dairy- I’m obsessed! Because the crusts were small, it made 2 pies! Do you think I can freeze one for later?
Claire Cary says
Yes! Freezing should be fine. Just keep it covered and let it thaw in the fridge before serving again.
Karla Pereira says
Best pumpkin pie ever!!! Thank you