The best pumpkin pie you ever ate, and it just happens to be vegan! This luscious pie is rich, custardy, and packed with pumpkin spice flavor. A must for your holiday table.
I realize I've been hitting the pumpkin ridiculously hard this year. What can I say for myself? See, there's kind of vicious cycle that starts when I crack open a can of pumpkin. I use half of it, then I need to think of a use for the other half, but I end up having to open a new can for just a tablespoon or so, and before I realize it I've posted a half dozen pumpkin recipes in one season.
But this recipe calls for exactly one can, so I guess I have no excuse. Except that I couldn't possibly let one more Thanksgiving pass without finally sharing a vegan pumpkin pie recipe.
I promise, after this, I'll take a break from pumpkin. I think.
I've had a lot of requests for vegan pumpkin pie over the years, and that's one of the reasons it had to be done. Also though, it's just really easy to make. Like, stupidly easy. Back when I was new to vegan cooking I would've thought replicating that custardy texture you normally get from eggs in a pumpkin pie would be impossible. But guys, it's the simplest thing: cornstarch.
I've been using cornstarch as an egg substitute for years (even in other types of pies), and this finally hit me. I decided to see how it would do with pumpkin, and it worked like a charm!
This pie was rich and perfectly creamy. I even fed this to a non vegan who proclaimed himself to be a pumpkin pie expert and promised to give an honest assessment. He told me it was the best pumpkin pie he ever had. Sweet!
First, you'll need to get yourself a pie crust. There are lots of store-bought pie crusts that are accidentally vegan, but I also have a killer vegan pie crust recipe that just happens to be pretty easy. The choice is yours.
Blind Bake the Crust First
Blind baking is just a fancy word for pre-baking. Some pumpkin pie recipes call for you to just fill your crust up raw and bake it, but I find it comes out much better (as in, not soggy) when you give a brief bake first.
Poke your crust with a few holes, line it with parchment paper, and fill it with pie weights, dried rice or beans. Unfortunately, if you use rice or beans you won't be able to eat them later. But you can reuse them for pie weights in the future. Tip: This is a great excuse to make more pumpkin pie.
Make the Filling
While your crust bakes, mix up the filling. All you need to do is beat the ingredients together with an electric mixer. Once it's nice and smooth, pour it into your crust and bake your pie.
See, I told you it was easy.
Let the pie cool completely before cutting it. It'll continue to firm up a bit as it does.
Tips for Making Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- This recipe calls for full-fat coconut milk. You can substitute light coconut milk or another non-dairy milk if you like, but the pie won't be as rich.
- How long will my vegan pumpkin pie keep? This pie will keep for about 3 days in the fridge. You can also seal it up and freeze it for two months or so.
- Plan ahead so your pie has plenty of time to cool and fully set. In fact, I recommend making this a day ahead and storing it in the fridge.
- I really like to serve my pie with the whipped coconut cream from this recipe. A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream makes a nice topping as well.
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Vegan Pumpkin Pie
The best pumpkin pie you ever ate, and it just happens to be vegan! This luscious pie is rich, custardy, and packed with pumpkin spice flavor. A must for your holiday table.
Ingredients
- 1 homemade vegan pie crust (or a store-bought one)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup organic brown sugar
- ⅓ cup organic white sugar
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°.
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Use a knife to poke a few holes in the bottom of the pie crust.
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Line the inside of the crust with a sheet of parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or rice.
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Place the crust into the oven and bake it for 15 minutes.
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While the crust bakes, place the pumpkin, brown sugar, white sugar, coconut milk, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt into a large mixing bowl.
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Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until fully blended, smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
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When the crust has finished baking, pour the pumpkin mixture into it and smooth out the top with a spatula.
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Place the pie into the oven and turn the temperature down to 350°.
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Bake the pie until the center is just set, about 50 minutes.
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Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely before cutting.
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Serve with whipped coconut cream or vegan vanilla ice cream.
Does using coconut milk give it a coconut flavor after baking?
I couldn't taste it. :)
I’m thinking about making this for Thanksgiving. Does it travel well? Could I make it on Tuesday to serve on Thursday?
It does keep and travel well! I think it should be just fine if you make it two days in advance. Enjoy!
Does the pie “have to have” sugar in it? Can Stevia be used?
I'm not sure if Stevia would work, but I suspect the sugar helps the pie to set. You might be better off going with something like erythritol.
Can I substitute the cornstarch with arrowroot? Also does the coconut milk give it a coconutty flavor
I think arrowroot should work, but I haven't tried, so I'm not 100% sure. Please let me know how it turns out if you try! And I couldn't taste the coconut milk at all. :)
I used tapioca starch, worked great!
Yay! Glad it worked out!
This is the best pumpkin pie ever!! Everyone loves it! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay!! I'm so glad it's a hit!!
I'm making this now and my filling is liquid! I just put it in the oven. Fingers crossed...
Hmmmm...that's odd! It should be rather thick. I hope it turned out all right!
Same thing happened to me. I had to cook it for 2 hrs and it still didn't solidify. The only thing I did differently was use cane sugar instead of white & brown. Could that have messed it up so much?!
Hmmm...that's very odd. The sugar really shouldn't make a difference. The most likely issues are measuring something wrong - particularly the coconut milk or cornstarch, or leaving the cornstarch out completely. Are either of those scenarios possible?
It still tasted delicious so no complaints on my end except for the extra long cook time. I didn't mess up the measurements-- I wonder if the pumpkin was too liquidy to start? I usually use Libby's but this time I used Trader Joe's pumpkin and it's veryyyy liquidy.
Hmmm...I haven't used Trader Joe's so I'm not sure if that's the problem, but it shouldn't be very liquidy. You can get an idea from the photos as to how thick the pie filling should be. I'm glad to hear it all turned out well though!
I'm having the same problem exactly right now! I'm also using Trader Joe's pumpkin puree. That must be the issue. I've double checked my measurements too. I'm going to add more corn starch and see if that will help. 😞
Oh, I wouldn't recommend adding more cornstarch. Cornstarch doesn't start thickening the batter until it's heated, so the amount you'd need to add to actually get a thick batter would likely be way too much and give you a really hard pie. I hope it worked out okay!
Same issue. I wish the recipe would be updated to note the variation and issue with TJ Canned pumpkin since it is such a common go to product.
Mine was not liquidy but it has been baking almost 2 hours and still not set
I was attracted to this site because it says connoisseurs vegan which is what I am as a vegan cook. I collect secret ingredients from classic cooking text and places like America's Test Kitchen. My comment about your pumpkin pie recipe, which I will try, is that if you can it is best to cut Kabocha squash into big pieces and roast under broiler then peel and puree. Plus about 1/4 cup of a baked and pureed Garnet Yam. These are the best ingredients if you're going for the best taste in the filling.
Sounds tasty - I love kabocha squash!
You can imagine my excitement when I read this recipe and realized I had EVERYTHING I needed! This recipe is delicious and one that I will make again and again. Thank you so much.
That's awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Just out this in the oven and can not wait to try it out. My daughters teacher is vegan so I figured I’d give it a try. My only changes was using fresh puréed pumpkin, and I make my own pumpkin spice. Otherwise I followed everything and the filling tastes amazing. Pretty similar to the scratch pie I’ve been making over the years
That's so nice of you to make a pie for your daughter's teacher! I hope it's a hit!
Hello! I just made this pie and it was absolutely delicious. I made it with a Graham cracker crust I bought from the store and substituted soy milk for coconut milk just because I already had it.
This is my first ever pumpkin pie I've made myself and I couldn't be happier with the result. I definitely recommend this recipe and I felt great knowing it didn't have dairy in it (I can't have milk). Huge win for my house and my husband also loved it. Thanks so much!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! I bet the graham cracker crust was awesome with this!
I love pumpkin pie! Looks absolutely amazing!
Thank you!!
I've been baking pies of all kinds and sizes for years. Is this for an 8" pie? 9"? 10"? Would you point out where that's stated....if it's not specified, I do think it should be. Thank you!
Mine was a 9 inch, but an 8 or 10 inch dish would be just fine. :)
This looks awesome. Do you know if it will freeze well or keep well in the refrigerator? Planning to make this for Thanksgiving, and I would like to make in advance. :)
It keeps very well in the fridge for about 3 days and I think it should freeze just fine. I actually have a couple slices in the freezer right now, but I haven't thawed them yet so I can't confirm!
Hi - Should I use canned coconut milk? If so, should it be refrigerated ahead of time? Do I use only one part of what separates?
This is my first Vegan Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to this recipe just don't want to mess it up :)
Hi Nicole! Yup, canned coconut milk works best in this recipe, although the kind in the carton will work as well. No need to refrigerate it. If it happens to separate on it's own just stir it together as well as you can. Enjoy!!
I’m in the process of making a vegan thanksgiving. I’m making this pie! Not even baked yet and the pie filling is perfection. Can’t taste the coconut milk. I look forward to the final product.
I hope you enjoy it!!
What if I use coconut cream vs coconut milk
I'm not sure if coconut cream will work. It might make the pie very dense!
Made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was perfect! My omnivorous family said it was more flavorful than the conventional pumpkin pie made according to the recipe on the can. I used a store-bought accidentally vegan regular (not deep dish) pie crust and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The pie set perfectly (I made it the day before and refrigerated it overnight, just in case it was runny, but it looked set right out of the oven) and there was no detectable coconut flavor. This recipe is a keeper and I will be making it again! Thanks!
I'm so glad it was a hit!! Thanks Lindsey!
This pie was excellent! If you didn’t tell anyone, they would not know it had no eggs or dairy; unless you use coconut milk “whipped cream”, the pie on its own has no discernible coconut flavor. Thank you, it’s a keeper!
I'm so glad to hear that!
I’m going to make this recipe for Xmas dinner this year. Only question is regarding the “pie weights”. Is this necessary? I’ve pre-baked store bought pie crusts before and didn’t use this method. Never heard of it, in fact. Thanks!
Interesting! I've always gotten big bubbles in my homemade crust when I tried skipping them. Perhaps with store bought crusts there's a better seal between the pan and the dough. In any event, if you're using a store bought crust and you've skipped the weights before, then I say go for it. If using a homemade crust, I'd use the weights to be on the safe side. I hope you enjoy this!
Can a 9 inch store bought frozen deep dish pie crust be used for this recipe?
It will - you might just have a little extra room inside the crust!
I've made this twice now and everyone loves it! The first time, I couldn't find a store-bought vegan pie crust, so I tried your Vegan Pie Crust (Made with Coconut Oil) recipe. I've never been able to get pie crust right, and this was no exception--came out too thick, hard, and greasy, but it tasted good. I only have deep-dish pie plates, so I quadruple the recipe to get enough custard to fill two pies. The consistency might be a touch too creamy right in the middle because of the extra filling, but it's sooo tasty! I had a little filling leftover from Thanksgiving, so I froze it and added it to the Christmas batch. Freezing seemed to change the color slightly but not the taste. So-Delicious Coco Whip topping makes it even better!
I have gotten all the ingredients today, so excited to try it! Also, would regular coconut milk work, or does it have to be a specific?
I was way to excited to try it, I'm doing this to try it out.
Regular coconut milk is ideal for this recipe. :) Full-fat means regular, as opposed to light coconut milk or the coconut milk drinks you can sometimes buy in cartons (which will also probably work, but I haven't tested the recipe with them). I hope you enjoy it!
This is amazing!!!!!! First vegan pie I have made (even thou I've been vegan for 2 years).
Yay!! So glad you like it! Thanks Elaine!
Hello, I am thinking about cooking this pie for Halloween party, but I live in Europe and they don’t sell canned pumpkin here. :( Any ideas how I can use a fresh pumpkin? Or do you think it won’t work?
You can use fresh pumpkin - you'll just need to roast and puree it first. Try this method: https://www.heynutritionlady.com/how-to-process-a-pumpkin-again/ End enjoy!
I am having the same issue as several others, followed the recipe to a T and going on 2 hours baking and still not set. This is the second attempt at making it 😭. This girl just wants pumpkin pieeeeee.
Do you have a crust recipe with this delicious recipe?
Yup! I actually had in linked in the recipe and I'm not sure why it disappeared. I just put it back. :) Here it is: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-pie-crust/ Enjoy!
I made 2 last night so yummy! I used a large (1 lb 13 oz) can and double the recipe. I used frozen crust from the store
I used 1 tsp extra of pumpkin spice but I like it a little extra. I wasn't sure if I should use coconut cream or coconut milk. (Never bought the creme So i was curious!) I bought a can of both and mixed them together and used that. The texture of the pie was perfect 🥰. I'll use the leftover cream for a curry or something. Long comment but maybe helpful for a couple readers! Thank you!!
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed them! I use coconut milk, but coconut cream should work just fine - it'll actually make the filling even richer. Thanks so much for sharing your results!
I used your recipe for the pumpkin pie part of my layered pumpkin pie cheesecake and the tastewas no different then the non vegan version. I made this for people at work that are vegan and can't have gluten or soy and they loved it. Thank you.
That sounds delicious! I'm so glad it was a hit! Thanks Jessica!
I am so excited to try this. It’s my first time baking vegan, and I already have everything I need! I will be using my homemade pumpkin purée and soy “nog”. It’s gonna be amazing! Thank you so much for this. I can’t wait to check out the rest of your stuff.
That sounds delicious! I hope you enjoy it!
Eeeep! So excited to make this tonight! Wondering though... if I use a store bought pie crust should I bake it alone for a bit or does kinda-thawed work?
I would thaw the crust completely and then bake it according to the recipe, the same as if you were using a homemade one. Enjoy!
Would I be able to use egg replacer from Bobs Red Mill instead of cornstarch? Do you know what measurements I should do? Thank you! :)
I'm really not sure as I haven't tried it. If you try it I'd use the amount that the package instructions specify for replacing 2 eggs.
I just made this recipe for tomorrow. However, the color of the filing after baking came out a bit darker than traditional pumpkin pie. How is the color after baking for this recipe? Mine was close to brown. Hopefully, it taste good.
It is normally a bit darker than traditional pumpkin pie, due in part to the brown sugar. I hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I made this pie for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It tastes amazing! We were all very impressed with the pie. Instead of coconut milk I used the cream that sets at the top of a can of coconut milk, which made the filling very thick and rich. Will definitely be keeping this recipe in my arsenal for next year. Thanks for a great recipe!
Very welcome! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Wow! So good. Easy and awesome!
Thank you! I'm so glad you like it!
I've made this three different times now and it is still just as awesome as the first. This Christmas it was the pumpkin pie for our family get together. The whole family loves it!
Yay! I'm so glad it's a hit! Thanks Christina!
Probably a silly question but do you pack the brown sugar well or do you just put it in loosely like you would the white sugar?
For those having trouble with it becoming solid, I have made a similar vegan pumpkin pie and it really needed to be in the fridge all day or overnight to make it a little more solid. But it had some maple syrup in place of all the sugar so maybe this one will take less time setting up. I am going to try it this way but while still using a frozen GF vegan pie crust from the store.
You can just spoon it into the measuring cup. It shouldn't be too loose, but there's no need to pack it. :) And thank you for the tip!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I made 2 of these for a holiday event this weekend - one for dessert for the vegan members of our group, anither for the bake sale. I made them with a gingersnap cookie crust. They were a huge hit. This weekend, I'm going to experiment with replacing the coconut milk with cashew cream (I've got family members with soy, coconut and dairy allergies, plus several of us are vegan) - if I can get it to work, I'll be making a few for Christmas. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Wonderful!! I'm so glad they were a hit! I hope your family enjoys them as well and I'd love to hear how your adapted versions turn out!
This recipe is perfect! So delicious. Made it for my husband who was craving pie but can’t have gluten. Used a store bought gluten free crust. The recipe is super quick and easy to make. We live down the road from a local pie factory so hubby is constantly tempted to cheat and have some gluten which makes him very sick. I was able to make your pumpkin pie quickly and save him from himself lol
I’ve made this recipe several times and always turns out perfectly.
Thank you!!
Forgot to click the rating! Sorries! 10 out of 5
Thank you!!!
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much Mallory!
I tried this recipe and my family devoured this pie! This is the best pumpkin pie I’ve had since becoming vegan! Even my young son loved it! It tasted amazing but more importantly it firmed up perfectly. This is now my go to recipe for pumpkin pie!!! Thank you so much :)
I made this following recipe except relplaced sugar with 6 dates that were pureed in processor with fresh cooked pumpkin and it was delicious! Hubby loved it and said it was plenty sweet. Making it again only this time using homemade oat milk and 1 Tbs of ground flax seed and only 2 Tbs of corn starch for lower fat. Also made your coconut oil pie crust too! Trying a little less oil in crust this time too - 1/3 cup oil and 1 1/4 c flour.
Forgot to rate this!
This pie is amazing! I made it last year for my fathers birthday/thanksgiving and he said it was one of the best pumpkin pies he has ever had. And he said it reminded him of his grandma's pie from when he was a child. That is huge because he never likes to give too many compliments! Hahaha...but seriously, this pie is spot on. I have added it to my yearly repertoire!
How can this be adjusted for high altitude baking?
I haven't tested the recipe at high altitude, but my best guess would be to increase the temperature by 25°F or so.
I would like to make this recipe with sweet potatoes instead. Should I alter the recipe at all?
I'd recommend using a vegan sweet potato pie recipe instead. Fortunately, I have one! https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-chai-spiced-sweet-potato-pie/
Does this have to cooked at all since all the ingredients are vegan? I tasted the filling as i was mixing it and its so good!
Good question! I actually had to look up some of the ingredients because I wasn't sure, and it turns out cornstarch shouldn't normally be eaten raw - probably due to cross contamination. I know the same is true of flour, but I'm guessing you're just referring to the filling!