This is the best vegan pumpkin pie ever and the only recipe you’ll ever need! It’s rich, creamy, deliciously spiced and perfect for the holidays.
This vegan pumpkin pie is seriously delicious. It’s perfectly sweet, loaded with fall spices and flavors and absolutely NO ONE would be able to guess that it’s vegan.
It’s also the easiest pie you’ll ever make, especially if you use a store-bought pie crust. It’s as simple as adding your ingredients to a blender, blending it, pouring it out into your pie crust, baking it, cooling it and voilà!
Of course if you want to make your pie crust from scratch then we’ve got you covered with that too.
This pie is heaps of fun to make, comes out perfectly every time and is the perfect Thanksgiving pie.
And if you love some delicious vegan holiday pies, then check out our vegan sweet potato pie and our vegan apple pie too.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
The Crust:
- Add all purpose flour, sugar and salt to the food processor and pulse to combine.
- Now add coconut oil (must be solid, not melted) and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add ice water and pulse it to combine. It should look like a dough now and if you break off a piece and roll it in your hands it should easily roll into a ball.
- Remove the dough from the food processor, transfer to a floured surface and roll the dough into a big round ball.
- Using a rolling pin roll out the dough from side to side into a large circle that is wider than your 9-inch pie dish.
- Spray your pie dish with non-stick spray and then roll up the crust in your rolling pin (or just pick it up carefully) and carefully unroll it over the top of your pie dish. Carefully tuck the crust in along the edges of your pie dish.
- Take a scissors and trim off any excess dough but make sure that there is a little overhang over the edges of the dish.
- Place your pie crust into the fridge while you prepare your pie filling.
The Filling:
- Add canned pumpkin, coconut milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt to your blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, then just add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a hand whisk to whisk it until smooth.
- Pour this out over your pie crust and smooth down with the back of a spoon.
- Place into the oven to bake for 60 minutes at 350°F.
- Allow to cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature and then place into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
- Serve with vegan whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
THE PIE CRUST: The pie crust is made with coconut oil. The recipe is from our vegan pie crust recipe and works wonderfully as an easy, homemade option.
If you prefer a buttery crust: Check out the crust from our vegan apple pie that is made with vegan butter. If you’re using that pie crust then you can halve the recipe as the apple pie crust makes a double crust (top and bottom).
Alternatively, if you want to save time in this recipe, you can use a store-bought unbaked 9-inch pie crust.
TENTING WITH FOIL: We find it useful to tent the pie with foil after 40 minutes of baking and then place it back into the oven to bake for the final 20 minutes. This prevents the pie from over-browning. Sometimes the full 60 minutes baking time can result in some uneven browning on top of the pie and over-browning of the crust. If you have a pie crust shield then you can use that instead which will prevent the crust from over-browning. However, you may still have some uneven browning on top of your pie.
BROWNING: In these photos, we tented the pie with foil at the 40 minute mark. You can see that the browning is nice and even on top. Nonetheless, the pie when it first comes out of the oven is very dark in color, but it lightens as it cools.
In our video we didn’t tent the pie with foil and you’ll notice there is some uneven browning on top of the pie when it comes out of the oven. However, it also lightens up as it cools.
TIP: The best thing is to tent the pie with foil after 40 minutes of baking (or use a pie crust shield), or your pie crust may be over-browned.
How To Tent With Foil
Tenting with foil is to loosely cover the pie with foil in a tent like shape so that it doesn’t press down on the pie from the top. It prevents the pie and the crust from over-browning while allowing it to bake for the full 60 minutes, so that it bakes through and sets perfectly.
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
Pumpkin Purée: The easiest option is to use canned pumpkin purée. It must be plain pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.
You can also use fresh homemade pumpkin purée. We have tested it with this recipe and it works perfectly. It’s just important that you make sure your pumpkin purée isn’t too wet. It must be similar in consistency to what you would get in a can. The best way to do this is to place peeled and chopped pumpkin onto a parchment lined baking tray. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes (no oil or spices) until soft and cooked. Let it cool and then add to the food processor and process into a purée. Let the purée stand in a strainer over a bowl and let any excess water drain off before using.
Coconut Milk: This must be canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. It needs to be thick and creamy so that your pie will be the right consistency. There is no coconut flavor in the end result. If you switch this for a thinner non-dairy milk such as almond milk then your pie may be too thin and won’t set properly.
Brown Sugar: You can also use coconut sugar if you like. The sugar can also be slightly reduced if you prefer.
Maple Syrup: You can switch this with a different kind of syrup if you like. Or you can just replace it with extra brown sugar.
Cornstarch: This helps the pie to set so it is a crucial ingredient. You can possibly also use tapioca starch but you may need to use double the amount. Arrowroot (in the same quantity as cornstarch) will likely also work.
Pumpkin pie spice: I used my super awesome homemade pumpkin pie spice in this pie. You can also make your own or use a store-bought option, it will be the same either way.
Pumpkin Pie Q&A
How long should I let my pumpkin pie cool?
Let it cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Can I use fresh pumpkin purée instead of canned?
Yes you can! You just need to make sure that your freshly made pumpkin purée isn’t too wet. It should be the same consistency as what you will find in a can. To achieve this, let your homemade pumpkin purée stand in a strainer so any excess water can drain off.
Can I make it gluten-free?
The filling for this pie is already gluten-free, so to make an entirely gluten-free pie you’ll just need to use a gluten-free pie crust. You can either purchase an already made gluten-free unbaked pie crust, or you can make your own. This recipe from Detoxinista looks awesome.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Make Ahead: This is a perfect pie to make ahead of time. It needs a few hours to chill and set in the fridge anyway and overnight is even better. So if you make the whole pie the day before, then you can simply store it in the fridge. When you’re ready, add vegan whipped cream and serve.
Storing: Keep your pie stored in the fridge (covered) where it will keep for up to a week.
Freezing: It is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely and chill/firm up in the fridge as usual. Then wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, followed by foil to prevent any freezer burn and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour (145g)
- 1 Tablespoon White Granulated Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil (55g) Solid
- 4 Tablespoons Ice Water
For the Filling:
- 15 ounce Can Pumpkin Purée (425g) not pumpkin pie filling*
- ¾ cup Coconut Milk (180ml) Canned, Full Fat, Unsweetened
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar (150g)
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup (60ml)
- ¼ cup Cornstarch (32g)
- 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For Serving:
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Add all purpose flour, sugar and salt to the food processor and pulse to combine.
- Add the coconut oil (must be solid, not melted) and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add ice water and pulse it to combine. It should look like a dough now and if you break off a piece and roll it in your hands it should easily roll into a ball.
- Remove the dough from the food processor, transfer to a floured surface and roll the dough into a big round ball.
- Using a rolling pin roll out the dough from side to side into a large circle that is wider than your 9-inch pie dish.
- Spray your pie dish with non-stick spray and then roll up the crust in your rolling pin (or just pick it up carefully) and carefully unroll it over the top of your pie dish. Carefully tuck the crust in along the edges of your pie dish.
- Take a scissors and trim off any excess dough but make sure that there is a little overhang over the edges of the dish. Place your pie crust into the fridge while you prepare your pie filling.
- Prepare your filling: Add canned pumpkin, coconut milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt to your blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a blender, then just add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a hand whisk to whisk it until smooth.
- Pour this out over your pie crust and smooth down with the back of a spoon.
- Place into the oven to bake for 60 minutes at 350°F. To prevent over-browning, bring it out after 40 minutes, tent it with foil and then return to the oven for the remaining 20 minutes (*see notes).
- When you remove the pie from the oven, it will still be quite wobbly in the center, this is completely fine, it will firm up when cooling. Your pie may also be quite dark in color when first removed from the oven, it lightens up a lot when cool.
- Allow to cool on the counter and then place into the refrigerator to set completely, around 4 hours at least or overnight if possible until completely chilled and set. Serve with vegan whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- Pie Crust: You can use a store-bought 9-inch unbaked pie crust instead of making a crust from scratch if you want to save time on this recipe. It must be an unbaked crust though to work well in this recipe.
- Pumpkin Purée: The easiest option is to use canned pumpkin purée. It must be plain pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use fresh homemade pumpkin purée. We have tested it with this recipe and it works perfectly. It’s just important that you make sure your pumpkin purée isn’t too wet. It must be similar in consistency to what you would get in a can. The best way to do this is to place peeled and chopped pumpkin onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes (no oil or spices) until soft and cooked. Let it cool and then add to the food processor and process into a purée. Let the purée stand in a strainer over a bowl and let any excess water drain off before using. You will need 1 and ¾ cups homemade pumpkin purée.
- Coconut Milk: This must be canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. It needs to be rich and creamy so that your pie will be the right consistency. There is no coconut flavor in the end result. If you switch this for a thinner non-dairy milk such as almond milk then your pie may be too thin and won’t set properly.
- Brown Sugar: You can also use coconut sugar if you like. The sugar can also be slightly reduced if you prefer.
- Maple Syrup: You can switch this with a different kind of syrup if you like, or replace it with a ¼ cup extra brown sugar, or omit it altogether for a less sweet version.
- Cornstarch: This helps the pie to set so it is a crucial ingredient. You can possibly also use tapioca starch but you may need to use double the amount. Arrowroot (in the same quantity as cornstarch) will likely also work.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice or use a store-bought option, it will be the same either way.
- Tent with foil: Tent the pie with foil after 40 minutes of baking and then place it back into the oven to bake for the final 20 minutes. This prevents the pie from over-browning. Sometimes the full 60 minutes baking time can result in some uneven browning on top of the pie and over-browning of the crust. If you have a pie crust shield then you can use that instead which will prevent the crust from over-browning. However, you may still have some uneven browning on top of your pie.
- Make Ahead: This is a perfect pie to make ahead of time as it needs a few hours to chill and set in the fridge anyway and overnight is even better. So if you make the whole pie the day before, then you can simply store it in the fridge and when you’re ready, add vegan whipped cream and serve.
- Storing and Freezing: Keep your pie stored in the fridge (covered) where it will keep for up to a week. It is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely and chill/firm up in the fridge as usual. Then wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, followed by foil to prevent any freezer burn and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- This recipe was first published in November 2016. We have given it a makeover with some new photos and lots of extra tips and tricks. The recipe itself is unchanged.
Eva Palmer says
Everyone loved this, vegan and non vegan. I’m going to be busy, my son wants me to make it in multiples!
Alison Andrews says
Haha that’s awesome! Thanks so much for sharing and the great rating Eva! 🙂
Marie says
What size pie pan do you recommend?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Marie, we used a 9-inch round pie dish. 🙂
Mary says
Oh my goodness, it’s just too good and way better than a store bought one. I thought my non vegan family wasn’t going to try it but they loved it! I love this recipe it’s so simple, definitely going to make it again for Halloween thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So happy to hear this Mary. Thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂
Eric says
I found it a little too spicy but that was an easy fix. Probably nothing wrong with recipe I just don’t like that much spice. Even with all of the spice I found it much better than any non vegan pumpkin pie I’ve ever had.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Eric, so glad you still enjoyed it! And it will be great to tweak it exactly like you prefer it next time. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Maddie says
I tried this for the second time and I love it. It was addicting. I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you for this recipe.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear! Thanks for the fabulous review! 🙂
AJ says
Excellent! Our family favorite !
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful to hear that! Thanks so much AJ. 🙂
Ash says
I forgot the maple syrup! 🙁
…. it cooks fine without it but if you don’t want yours with maple syrup or date honey
I suggest you use a little less pumpkin spice ..that tablespoon (3teaspoons) turned out a little strong
Chris Durost says
Wonderful pumpkin pie! I love the homemade pumpkin pie spice, and the not-too-sweetness. I might try it with just a little less cornstarch next time.
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for posting! 🙂
Sheri says
My filling (prior to baking) seems quite runny. I notice you said that you can “smooth it out with a spoon” before baking. Mine is too liquidy to require that step. Any ideas?
Alison Andrews says
Hmmm, not sure why it would be very runny. Did it turn out all right in the end? As you can see in the video and photos, ours wasn’t very runny so I’m not sure why that would be.
Katie says
Did you steam your pumpkin? Because I’ve just steamed the pumpkin and it’s super runny.
I’ve added some extra arrowroot flour.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Katie, we used canned pumpkin purée which is more dry – I have made certain pumpkin desserts using my own homemade puréed pumpkin and it’s usually best to bake it in the oven to avoid it being too wet. Even then, you can sometimes still need to stand it in a sieve to let any excess water drip off. All the best! 🙂
Kris says
This is my go to pumpkin pie recipe but I am wondering about using Evaporated Coconut milk? I just saw this in the store yesterday and was curious if anyone has tried it with this recipe? Thanks.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Kris! So happy you like the recipe. I hadn’t heard of evaporated coconut milk until right now! I just had to look it up now. It sounds great and I think it would work well in this. It does have sugar added so I’m not sure how sweet it is, it could be that you could reduce the sugar slightly in the recipe to compensate, in case it ends up a fair bit sweeter (unless you don’t mind it a bit sweeter). All the best! 🙂
Kris says
Oh, good advice. I will cut back a little on the sugar and give it a try. I will report back in case anyone else would like to know. Thanks Alison.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome, thanks Kris! 🙂
Laura says
Hi Allison. I made this for Thanksgiving and I as well as my family loved it!
I’m making it again for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas brunch. Can I freeze the baked pie or will it keep ok in the fridge for 4 days? Happy holidays.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Laura! So glad everyone enjoyed the pie! It will definitely keep for 4 days in the fridge without a problem. Just keep it covered and ideally only add the vegan whipped cream on the day of serving (just for the best freshest result).
Amanda says
Hello!
We don’t have coconut milk. Do you think we can use almond milk?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Amanda, my worry is that almond milk is a lot thinner in consistency than canned coconut milk, so I worry that it would make the pumpkin pie a little on the watery side, it might work fine, but I’m just not sure.
Fiona says
This tasted really good 🙂 The coconut flavour wasn’t overpowering and it didn’t taste much different to a standard pumpkin pie. Thanks Alison!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Fiona! 🙂
Jeanette says
Hi. Funny…. my experience was that the filling is gummy and gelatinous. I took it out of the oven, let it rest and cool a couple of hours then we cut it. Followed directions but used half coconut sugar. What went wrong? Also there was too much filling for one pie crust.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jeanette, as per the recipe it needs to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. It has to set up properly, it sounds as if it didn’t have enough of a chance to do so.
Ash says
Tried it xD everybody loved the filling ! I did overlook it a little though about six minutes to be honest haha… no worries though it was stilll good 🙂 thanks for posting !