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This easy vegan pumpkin pie is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving. It is sure to satisfy any possible fall-time dessert cravings. Top with your favorite dairy-free whipped cream!
Is it even Thanksgiving time without a homemade vegan pumpkin pie? We absolutely love it in our house and it's a staple at our holiday dinners (along with this vegan chocolate pie!)
The filling for this pie is creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of spice and sweetness! The crust is sturdy, flakey, and holds up to the filling. Absolute perfection!
Typically, pumpkin pie contains milk or cream and eggs, and the crust uses butter for that flaky texture. Like with just about anything, it's easier than you might think to make a dairy-free version. The crust recipe calls for vegan butter and in the filling, we'll be using canned coconut milk and cornstarch.
Ingredients
This pie recipe only requires simple ingredients you can find in most grocery stores.
- Vegan pie crust: I love making this homemade vegan pie crust recipe. It can be difficult to find a good storebought crust that is vegan. If you can find one, go ahead and use it!
- Canned coconut milk: Shake it up so the cream distributes throughout the milk.
- Pumpkin purée: The canned kind. Make sure you are buying purée and not pie filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Buy it at the store or make your own.
- Brown sugar and maple syrup
- Cornstarch: This is an important ingredient - it helps the filling set. You can substitute it with arrowroot powder.
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Prepare the pie crust and parbake it for 10 minutes.
Whisk together the pumpkin pie filling until smooth and creamy.
Pour the filling into the pie dish.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.
Storage
Cover any leftover pumpkin pie tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FAQ
Yes. This pumpkin pie needs time to set for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can even make it 2 days ahead. Just keep in mind that the longer the pie sits in the fridge, the less flaky the crust will be.
Absolutely. Freezing pumpkin pie is a great idea for people like me who are not hosting a big dinner this year. I doubt my husband and I will eat an entire pie (though I might be up for the challenge.)
Wrap up the pie in plastic wrap or store it in a container to avoid freezer burn. It will stay good for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge the day before you'd like to eat it.
Unfortunately, there is no way to make the "perfect pie crust" oil-free. If you crave that flakiness, the crust definitely requires the use of butter or oil. However, another great crust option is the almond crust I created for this tart recipe. The filling is oil-free so you can go ahead and make that as the recipe is written.
Parbake is another way to say "partially bake" or "blind bake". This simply helps to ensure that the crust bakes through, especially in pies containing a lot of liquid, like this pumpkin pie recipe. I recommend parbaking the pie crust in this recipe.
Absolutely! I have heard from some readers that live outside of the U.S. that they cannot find canned pumpkin in their grocery stores. Homemade pumpkin purée is a great one-to-one alternative (15 ounces.)
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- vegan pie crust single crust recipe
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare your pie crust according to these directions. Once you've added the dough to the baking pan, poke holes in the bottom using a fork. Parbake (partially bake) the crust for 10 minutes. Let cool as you prepare the filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Shake the can of coconut milk to evenly distribute the contents. Measure out 1 cup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, maple syrup, corn starch, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Make sure the pie is even by smoothing out the filling with a spoon or silicone spatula.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes on a lower rack. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie crust shield after the first 15 minutes of baking to avoid burning.
- You'll know your pie is done when it's firm on the edges, and jiggles (but doesn't look soupy) in the center. Let the pie cool on the counter for about an hour, and then let it set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Notes
- I recommend using the vegan buttery sticks from Earth Balance.
- Make sure you buy 100% pure pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Nutrition
More Vegan Pumpkin Desserts to Try:
Mackenzie says
Hi Karissa! I made this for Thanksgiving, and everyone LOVED it. My family said it is a must every year now (even the ones who do not usually like vegan food). Thank you for the incredible recipe! It really is the BEST vegan pumpkin pie.
Melissa Celino says
Do you have to use a maple syrup is it a must?
Karissa says
No, you can leave it out.
JENN says
Hello Karissa
Can custard powder be used in place of the cornstartch?
Only asking as I bought it for another vegan recipe & now looking for other places to use it.
Thanks!!
Karissa says
Hi, Jenn. I've never used custard powder but after doing a little research, I do think it will work in place of the cornstarch.
Jenn says
Thanks Karissa
Have a happy thanksgiving
Linda says
I just sent u an Instagram message...I'm making ur vegan pumpkin pie now but my filling is liquid..nor the creamy u speak of ?
I triple checked my ingredients and measurements...how could this go so wrong?
I'm looking for any options or fixes. Please.
Karissa says
Hey, Linda! Once you let it sit in the fridge it should harden up.
Jenn says
Can you clarify what a quarter pound of butter is? Like how many sticks or cups? That's an odd way to put it.
Thanks
Karissa says
A 1/4 lb of butter is a 1/2 cup.
Sam Rodriguez says
I'm about to make this but was a little confused, when it calls for the all-purpose flour do you mean 1/4 cup flour or 1 cup plus 1/4 cup flour?
Karissa says
1 + 1/4 cup flour
Capucine says
I can’t find vegan butter in the country where I live. Do you know any good school substitute?
Karissa says
Can you find coconut oil? That would be the next best thing - you could try this recipe https://foodwithfeeling.com/coconut-oil-vegan-pie-crust/
Libby F Fife says
Karissa,
The pie looks wonderful! I am looking forward to making it. I hope I didn't miss the info. though, but what size pie pan did you use?
Thanks in advance,
New Reader Libby!
Karissa says
Hi, Libby! Great question! I used a 9-inch pie dish.