This gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie is so creamy and delicious, perfectly spiced, and made without coconut milk! It brings all of the flavor and nostalgia of fall and winter feasts, but none of the cholesterol, saturated fat, dairy, eggs, or refined-sugar! It's also oil-free WFPB and includes a nut-free option. It works beautifully as a crustless pumpkin pie, too!
Pureed pumpkin is naturally dense, creamy, and rich-tasting, so it lends itself well to healthy vegan desserts. I love the warm touch of spices and vanilla and the pleasant sweetness of maple syrup in this pie.
If you're someone who appreciates healthier treats, I think you'll love this vegan pumpkin pie, too!
And if you're someone who prefers sweeter desserts, you can always make this pie a bit sweeter by adding a few tablespoons of granulated sugar to the filling (be sure to taste it first, though, because it's really good as-is).
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Side note, if you love pumpkin desserts, don't miss this easy vegan pumpkin cake!
For another healthy Thanksgiving dessert option, my vegan sweet potato pie is dreamy! Like this pumpkin pie, it's also gluten-free, oil-free WFPB, and made without coconut milk. The flavor is similar, but the filling is lighter and silkier.
Or go with my new vegan gluten-free apple pie!
Ingredients
First, Let's talk pie crust! I highly recommend this recipe: vegan gluten-free pie crust. Since sharing it 4 years ago, I've received such great feedback from people all around the world who can't believe how easy and delicious it is.
I have to agree. I mean, that vegan gluten free pie crust pretty much single-handedly turned me into a pie person!
And for Thanksgiving, one big bonus about the almond flour crust is that it holds up better overnight than traditional pastry made with flour. So feel free to prep your pies a day in advance.
Now, for the ingredients in this healthy pumpkin pie filling. It makes enough for a 1-quart, 9-inch deep dish pie plate:
- pumpkin puree - canned is easiest and contains less moisture than freshly cooked pumpkin. If you prefer to use homemade pumpkin puree, scoop the cooked pumpkin into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let it rest over a bowl until enough moisture drains away and the consistency is more dense, similar to canned pumpkin.
- non-dairy milk - I used unsweetened almond milk. Oat, cashew, soy, and coconut also work.
- rolled oats - be sure to use certified gluten-free, if needed, or sub your favorite GF flour.
- almond or cashew butter - adds a touch of richness and density to the filling since we aren't using eggs or oil. Sub coconut cream, tahini, or sunbutter if you like!
- corn starch or arrowroot - this helps the filling set.
- pumpkin pie spice - or if you don't have the spice blend on hand, use 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
- maple syrup - look for pure maple syrup.
- and pure vanilla extract
This vegan pumpkin pie recipe is fairly flexible! So feel free to taste as you go, and adjust the spices and sweetness to suit your tastes.
With pumpkin pie filling, the only thing that might cause an issue with it setting properly is a shift in the amount of starch and/or wet-to-dry ratio.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pre-bake your pie crust for 5 minutes, or follow package instructions if using a store-bought crust.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a blender. Start on low, gradually increasing to high speed. The mixture will be thick.
- Once the filling is smooth and creamy, pour into the pie crust and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the center looks just set.
- Let the pie cool, then refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Tip! Depending on the pie crust you use, you may need to cover the edges with foil or a pie shield after 25 to 30 minutes to prevent it from getting too brown. If using my gluten-free crust recipe, it will be fine uncovered.
Allergy-Friendly Options
When families and friends get together around Thanksgiving it can be challenging to accommodate everyone's different dietary requirements.
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And when I say "challenging," really what I mean is that you simply want everyone to be able to enjoy as many dishes as possible. And you definitely don't want anyone to feel left out of dessert!
If someone is allergic to coconut, for example, you don't want them to miss out on all of your tasty vegan treats! This allergy-friendly pumpkin pie can help.
Nut-Free
Just three easy swaps make this already allergy-friendly pumpkin pie nut-free, too!
- Crust - instead of my almond-flour-based vegan pie crust, try this NEW allergy-friendly pie crust recipe. It's made with sunflower seeds and is wonderfully easy! Or use your favorite homemade or store-bought pie crust that accommodates your needs.
- Nut butter - the recipe calls for just a few tablespoons of almond or cashew butter; feel free to replace this with coconut cream or a seed butter, such as tahini or sunflower.
- Milk - replace the almond milk with your favorite nut-free non-dairy milk, such as soy, oat, rice, or flax.
Seriously, how delicious does that pie crust look? It's sort of like shortbread, but gluten-free and without butter or oil!
How to Serve
If the pie is chilled, it's nice to remove it from the fridge about an hour before serving so it can warm up a bit.
For serving, a generous dollop of coconut-free vegan whipped cream is pretty much all you need for the perfect, healthy vegan pumpkin pie experience!
You also can't go wrong with maple-glazed walnuts or spiced candied pecans and a dash of cinnamon on top!
Variation: Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie
Check out this towering slice! The photo above is of one of my earlier test batches..... a DOUBLE batch.
Since this vegan pumpkin pie filling is so light and low in calories, and that's where most of the flavor is, I decided I wanted more of it. Makes sense, right?
The only issue is that my blender can't handle this much volume at once.
So I had to blend the filling in two batches, then stir those together in a bowl before adding it to the pie crust. But the little bit of extra effort was totally worth it.
With this double-decker pumpkin pie in the fridge, we proceeded to eat pumpkin pie every day until it was gone. Such a treat!
One morning I even scooped some of the filling into my bowl of oatmeal, added extra pumpkin pie spice, and enjoyed it with a cup of coffee.
Hmm, maybe I should re-name the recipe "Pumpkin Pie So Healthy You Can Eat It For Breakfast!"
Top Tip
If you're using my gluten-free pie crust, you won't need pie weights or a a pie shield. Just follow the tips in the recipe instructions, making sure the edges aren't too thick, and it will bake up perfectly in just under an hour.
Recipe Video
Tap to play the video and see how easily this vegan gluten-free pumpkin pie comes together!
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this vegan gluten-free pumpkin pie this holiday season (or any time of year). If you try it I would love to hear from you! Comment below to let us know (feel free to ask questions in the comments section, too).
If you share a photo of your pie on facebook or instagram I would love for you to tag @myquietkitchen so I can see. Happy baking!
Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie (No Coconut)
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust (oil-free) - tap for recipe - or your favorite pie crust recipe
- ¼ cup gluten-free rolled oats - or sub 3 tablespoon GF flour or almond flour
- 3 to 4 tablespoons almond or cashew butter, smooth and unsalted - omit or sub seed butter or additional oats for nut-free option
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk such as almond or oat
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons corn starch - or arrowroot starch
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (this is plain, cooked pumpkin with nothing added) - see Notes; sub sweet potato if you like
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice - see Notes
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon - plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, and pre-bake for 5 minutes. Or follow package directions if using store-bought pie dough.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a blender (oats, nut/seed butter, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, starch, pumpkin, and spices). Blend on low speed, gradually increasing to high. The mixture will be fairly thick. Stop to stir or scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Once the filling is completely smooth, pour it into the pre-baked crust and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the center looks just set. *Depending on the crust you're using, you may need to cover the edges with foil or a pie shield after 25 to 30 minutes to prevent it from getting too brown. If using my gluten-free crust recipe, the crust should be fine uncovered the whole time.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving. See Notes for serving suggestions.
Notes
- vanilla oat milk ice cream (WFPB, free from oil, coconut, refined-sugar)
- banana nice cream (WFPB, oil- and sugar-free)
- low-fat vegan whipped cream (oil-free option)
- So Delicious Coco Whip
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Elizabeth says
Thrilled that I have found my quiet kitchen! I have been vegan 7 years and have baked numerous vegan pumpkin pies. None were perfect. This pumpkin pie recipe is a keeper! It hits all the marks for a perfect pumkin pie, delicious! classic 'custard' texture, vegan with no oils nor white sugar, family LOVES it as do I! AWESOME! Finally, I no longer have to continue searching, this is hands down the perfect vegan pumpkin pie! Thank you Lori!
Sibel says
This is such a rich, creamy, delicious filling. I made it along with the GF almond flour pie crust and it was a success. It's amazing because it was my first time making the crust and this recipe made it so easy for me. I didn't have cornstarch so I used double tapioca flour and it did the trick!
Janet Clinton says
I made this as a crustless custard. It was sweet, creamy and just the right pumpkin and spice flavors. The whole family loved it.
Angela says
This looks amazing! Could I substitute peanut butter for the almond/cashew butter?
Lori Rasmussen says
Yes, if you don’t mind it having a slight peanut flavor, that will work fine.
NANCY Green says
Can I use country crock margarine in this recipe?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Nancy - I'm guessing you mean in place of the nut butter? Yes, margarine should be just fine. The filling is fairly forgiving. Enjoy!
NANCY Green says
Thank you so much
Theresa says
My husband, who was raised on pie, has deemed this the best tasting pumpkin pie he has ever had. This recipe is a winner. We used oat and macadamia nut milk, cashew butter, and homemade butternut squash purée.
ML says
I have been making this for a couple years. It is delicious!
When blending the filling, the recipe indicates the mixture will be fairly thick. Mine has never been fairly thick, it's runny. Could it be the brand of canned pumpkin I am using? Maybe it is too watery. I use organic canned pumpkin. I bake it a little longer. It does firm up with refrigeration. Any suggestions on the brand of pumpkin?
Lori says
Editing to update: You were right about the pumpkin, ML. I made this pie twice recently, using Libby's canned pumpkin for one Whole Foods 365 organic pumpkin for the other. There was a BIG difference in thickness between the two brands. The 365 organic canned pumpkin was much thicker, creamier, and the color was deeper. I'll be updating the recipe shortly to include a note.
So glad you enjoy the pie, ML. You may be right about the pumpkin. If you watch the video right above the recipe, would you say your blended filling looks thinner than that? You can see it pretty well when it's being poured.
The only other possible factors I can think of would be the type of non-dairy milk you use and how long you blend the filling. Blending longer tends to heat up the starches and thicken it.
Casey says
I’m curious which type or brand of non dairy milk everyone likes best. I’ve found that some definitely shift flavors quite a bit. Plain, unsweetened, varieties are often best, but these days there are also so many thickness and such used. Ideas?
Anne says
I made this pie 5 times this week using different size pie pans (made 2 6-inch from one batch, a 9 inch, a 10 inch, and a 9 inch deep dish twice) using the gluten free pie crust recipe on this website (works perfectly every time) and the recipe for the Healthier Pumpkin Pie (using Artisana Raw Almond Butter, Elmhurst Oat Milk for the non-dairy milk, and canned pumpkin).
My favorite was the 9 inch deep dish. I made one batch of crust and doubled the pumpkin filling, using 3/4 of the batter (thought I could make mini pies with the leftover but I ran out of steam) and baked the pie for 55 minutes. It was perfect. Followed all the instructions (refrigeration after baking is essential) so I made it again when we finished the first one. It's that good! Thank you for figuring out how to make an excellent vegan pumpkin pie without oils, fake butters, or coconut milk).
Cary says
Made this with your GF pie crust as a test run for Thanksgiving. It was a hit! My son asked why we don’t have pumpkin pie more often lol Will be a regular healthy dessert for us - thank you for the recipe!
Lily says
Delicious!! This will be my first vegan Thanksgiving and I’ve set out to try a few recipes before the big day. I was worried this would taste “healthy” if you know what I mean. But it didn’t - it just tasted GOOD! A keeper for Thanksgiving. Thank you.
Theresa says
Vegan Thanksgiving is the best. My whole family has willingly come along, and now it’s the tradition. Enjoy yours!
Barb says
Sounds good! But are you using canned pumpkin here or fresh?
Fresh, cooked pumpkin has a lot more water content than the canned pumpkin.
Lori says
Thanks for reminding me, Barb! I meant to include a note about that. Yes, with fresh you would want to drain away some liquid so it's more similar in consistency to canned pumpkin. Placing the pumpkin puree in sieve lined with a couple of layers of cheesecloth gets the job done.