This Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie is fragrantly spiced, rich and creamy and has a flaky, crispy and buttery crust. The pastry crust can be pressed in with your fingers, so there's no need for a rolling pin or floured surface, there's no pre-baking required and there's no need to chill the pastry beforehand. It's also refined sugar free, and perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan – use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.
- Stir well.
Tip: Ensure the cornflour (cornstarch) has dissolved completely.
- Once the mixture is mixed well, cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and gently bubbling - you might want to use a balloon whisk to make this easier, though a spoon and some elbow grease should do the trick.
Tip: Depending on the consistency and texture of your pumpkin purée, it may not properly mix into your milk - if this is the case you can either transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender or use a hand-held stick blender to blend it until completely smooth.
- Leave the filling to cool slightly before pouring into the pastry.
- Combine all ingredients for the pastry dough in a glass mixing bowl.
Tip: Add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!
- Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
Tip: You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust just before putting in the oven - otherwise the dough might 'melt'.
- Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before cutting, ideally putting the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly.
Substitutions you can make
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: I used cashew milk, but almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk etc all work well.
- You can use store-bought pumpkin purée or make your own.
- If you can’t get hold of pumpkin purée, you can substitute it with butternut squash purée.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- The cornflour (cornstarch) can be replaced with arrowroot.
- You can replace the gluten-free flour in the pastry crust with rice flour.
- You can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour if you’re not gluten-free.
- If you’re not into pumpkin, you can make sweet potato pie instead!
How long does this Pumpkin Pie keep for?
This Pumpkin Pie does taste best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
More vegan pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Creamy Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta
- Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
- Chickpea Pumpkin Biryani
- Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi Soup
- Pumpkin Chestnut Risotto
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make this recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 450 g (15 oz) tin of pumpkin purée * (shop-bought or make your own)
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cup) unsweetened cashew milk (or sub unsweetened almond milk or oat milk)
- 12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to taste (or sub a mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, or mixed spice)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) (or sub arrowroot)
For the pastry:
- 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil
- 75 g (⅔ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 75 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
- 7 tablespoons water
Instructions
For the filling:
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well, ensuring the cornflour (cornstarch) has dissolved completely.
- Once the mixture is mixed well, cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and gently bubbling.
- Depending on the consistency and texture of your pumpkin purée, it may not properly mix into your milk - if this is the case you can either transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender or use a hand-held stick blender to blend until completely smooth.
- Leave to cool slightly before pouring into the pastry.
For the pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl along with about 7 tablespoons of water, until it forms a firm dough - add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!
- You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using.
- Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish (I used a 9inch/22.5cm pie dish).
- You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust just before putting in the oven (as otherwise the dough might 'melt').
- Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before cutting, ideally putting the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly.
- Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Anonymous
30 minutes in the oven? Really?
Rhian Williams
Yes, or until crust is firm!
Maria
This was amazing - really easy to make and the press-in crust is a great idea!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Richard
I'm sorry this may a stupid question.
I have a fresh pumpkin ready to be cut open, is the inside, what you call the pumpkin puree? or do you make a puree with something added to it?
Rhian Williams
Hi, no problem! You can make pumpkin purée by boiling, steaming or roasting your pumpkin and blending up the cooked flesh until it becomes a smooth purée. Alternatively you can just buy ready-made pumpkin purée from the shop! Hope that helps!
Maria
can we sub or leave out the oil?
Rhian Williams
Hm I'm not completely sure, it might be tricky as it's pretty essential for the pie crust. Maybe you could use almond butter or a few tablespoons of aquafaba? Would love to hear how you get on if you try anything!
Georgina Robertson
What can you replace the almond meal with
Rhian Williams
Ground walnuts!