This vegan custard pie is filled with a sweet vanilla filling that's made from a surprise ingredient. So rich and creamy, you'd never guess this decadent dessert was made without eggs or dairy!
Custard pie was never a favorite of mine. It's so eggy, and I always hated eggs! I made the mistake of trying a piece once thinking it would be filled with something more like pudding or vanilla doughnut filling, only to be met with a pie sliced stuffed with sweet eggy filling.
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But I do tend to really enjoy vegan versions of eggy dishes. I've had custard pie on my list for a while and just recently found the motivation to get moving after a reader requested a recipe for it.
As it turned out, making custard pie without eggs wasn't all that hard to do! I based this one off of my vegan pumpkin pie recipe, but swapped out the pumpkin for something kind of unexpected in a dessert recipe: tofu!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Silken tofu.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat, canned coconut milk.
- Organic sugar.
- Cornstarch.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Salt.
- Nutmeg.
- Turmeric. This is totally optional, but it's nice for adding some eggy color.
- Organic brown sugar
- Vegan pie crust. You have a few options here! You can use a store-bought crust, but carefully check the ingredients for things like lard and butter. If you want to make your own crust, use a half batch of my vegan pie crust or a full batch of my coconut oil pie crust.
How to Make Vegan Custard Pie
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
This is one of the easiest pie's you'll ever make!
First, preheat your oven and have your pie crust ready. Now stick everything else except for the brown sugar into a blender or food processor bowl. Blend it up until smooth.
Pour the mixture into your pie crust, then sprinkle the top with the brown sugar.
Pop it into the oven and bake it for about 45 minutes. It will still be a bit wobbly in the center when it's done — don't worry about this! The pie will continue to set as it cools.
Once it's cool, stick it into the fridge to continue setting.
Serve your custard pie with some vegan whipped cream and/or fresh fruit.
Pro Tips
- You can use either a store-bought or homemade vegan pie crust for this recipe. If you use store-bought, be sure to check the ingredients, as many brands contain lard or butter. Marie Calendar's crusts were vegan last time I checked.
- Shelf-life & storage: Store your leftover pie in a sealed container or wrapped tightly in plastic in the refrigerator. It should keep for about 4 days.
- Some tofu brands sell silken tofu in firm and soft varieties. Either will work with this recipe, but choose firm if you have the option.
- For extra eggy flavor, try replacing some of the salt with kala namak (available at Indian markets). I haven't tried this variation, as I'm not a fan of eggy flavor, but my recommendation would be to use about ¼ teaspoon kala namak (and ¼ teaspoon regular salt).
- Flavor variations! Try adding fruit to the filling. Layer sliced peaches, fresh (pitted!) cherries, or blueberries in your pie crust before pouring in the filling — just be sure to use an extra large pie plate and crust to accommodate for the extra volume. For a chocolate custard pie, try adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. For a spicy custard pie, add some cinnamon and cloves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just use a vegan and gluten-free pie crust. Try this one.
I couldn't, but if you hate the taste of coconut, feel free to substitute another non-dairy milk. Go for something unsweetened and with a little bit of fat in it, such as cashew or soy milk.
Most granulated sugar in the united states is produced using animal bone char. Organic sugar is produced differently, so it's considered vegan.
That's Reddi Whip almond milk whipped topping. If your supermarket doesn't carry vegan whipped cream, try making your own from coconut cream, like I did for this vegan strawberry shortcake.
More Vegan Pie Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Vegan Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (12.3 ounce or 349 gram) package silken tofu
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- â…” cup organic granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch turmeric (optional, for eggy color)
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 vegan pie crust of choice, such as a half batch of my vegan pie crust recipe, or a full batch of my coconut oil pie crust recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the tofu, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and turmeric (if using) into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the tofu mixture into the pie crust, then sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
- Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, until partially set but still wobbly in the center.
- Transfer the pie to a cooling rack to cool.
- When the pie has cooled, move it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Slice and serve.
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One more comment to add 5 stars (totally spaced, lol).
I was always curious about custard pie and kind of made this one spur-of-the-moment because I assumed I was the only one in the house who would want it, but EVERYONE loved it -- even my picky kids! My kindergartener says it's her favorite food now. We usually add cinnamon or a little pumpkin pie spice to make it a little fall-flavored, but otherwise we stick to the recipe (although one time I didn't have coconut milk and had to make it with oat milk -- still worked!). I never comment on recipes but had to thank you for contributing to a family favorite. :) Will definitely return to try more pies from you!
Since discovering I had dairy/egg sensitivities, custard pie is one of the desserts I missed since altering my diet. I’m thankful for this recipe that lets me enjoy it again. It is so easy to mix together in my Vitamix. I misread the recipe and mixed in the brown sugar not realizing that is what was sprinkled on top. I thought it was cinnamon (that’s how my cousin made hers). So I sprinkled cinnamon on top and I think I’ll continue to do it this way. Love the creaminess of the pie and the taste was delicious. This will be my go to recipe for vegan custard pie.
I made this yesterday and put it in the fridge overnight. Tasted some today and it was delicious. It tastes exactly like the egg custard tart that I used to eat before I went plant based. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
The Old Fashioned Vegan Custard Pie is almost exactly like my grandma's (which she made with milk and eggs. Yum!! Great job!. I used 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 cashew milk.
If I wanted to make it a coconut custard...approximately how much coconut would you suggest?
The so much!💖
I'd use one cup! By the way, I have a coconut cream pie recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-coconut-cream-pie/ The texture of the filling is a bit different (softer, more puddingy), but I thought I'd share incase that's what you were going for. :)
I used Silken tofu, but I didn’t realize it came in different firmnesses. My grocery only carries silken OR firm/extra firm. Mine was soft silken, so I’m an hour and a half into the baking process. I wondered why it was taking so long. After I read the comments, I finally figured it out. Maybe you could add that to the recipe so that nobody else makes the same mistake I did?
Hi Jen! This recipe will work with either variety - check out the FAQ & tips section. It's actually the cornstarch that does most of the work in setting the pie. The pie continues to set after it's done baking, so you might have baked it longer than necessary.
What kind of silken tofu are you using--soft, firm, or extra-firm?
I used firm, and that's what I recommend, but any variety will work.
This pie is DELICIOUS and the recipe is so simple! Thank you for sharing this, my whole non-vegan family loved it and thought it tasted just like the classic egg version. I love that I made the whole pie in just 10 min!
Do you think that adding a fruit like blueberries would turn out alright?
I do! I've been meaning to try a version with berries myself. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!
This was so easy to make and so delicious! I’m going to make it often and probably try it with some fruit mixed in. Thanks for this winner!
Are you meant to blind bake the pie crust?
I don't blind bake the crust for this recipe, but you could for 15 minutes or so if that's what you generally prefer.
I really want to serve this on Xmas day. If I make it the day before will it keep ok or is it best to make it the same day as serving?
Thank you! :)
This pie holds up very well, so you're fine to make it a day ahead!
Do you think it would be ok to add coconut to this to make it a coconut custard pie?
Yes, and I think it sounds delicious!
I just made this. I fail at most baking, but this was not only a success - it was DELICIOUS. Thank you.
I just made this and my mom has been hanging over the refrigerator for hours. She's really picky and she absolutely LOVED it. Had 2 pieces before I hid it. Thanks for a great recipe!
I'm so excited to try this! I LOVE custard but haven't found a vegan version yet. Thanks for sharing :)
Would this recipe work using regular soft tofu. I have yet to find silken tofu where I live.
Made this today. It was so easy and delicious, and reminded me of my grandma’s custard pie from years ago. I’ll be making this again
I think so, though it might be a bit firmer and the texture might not be quite as smooth!
Hi Alissa. This looks really good. I don’t use processed oils, so vegan pie crust won’t work for me. Do you think I could bake the filling in ramekins and have the custard without the pie? I especially like the thought of fruit with it! I love SO many of your recipes...thank you!
I do think that would work! I actually made a vegan creme brulee once using a similar base, and it cooked up perfectly. The cook time might need to be lowered a bit, so keep an eye on them. Another option would be do a nut-based crust - something like this, but without the cocoa: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/black-bottom-raw-cheesecake/ I haven't tried baking the nut crust, but I think it would work. I'm glad you're enjoying the recipes!
Hi. Are you using coconut milk in the can or the ones in the carton, like other nut milks?
It's the canned variety.