Perfect Plant-Based Pumpkin Pie
By the Gracious Vegan
Finally a healthy plant-based pumpkin pie that tastes “right.” With no eggs, evaporated milk, oil, sugar, flour, or salt, this pie gives you the custardy goodness of pumpkin pie without the downsides. Serve it with my vegan whipped cream for the consummate Thanksgiving dessert.
Makes one pie
Preheat oven to 350°F. Choose a 9" metal, ceramic, or glass pie pan for the pie and two pans (any shape) for toasting the pecans, oats, and coconut.
Toast the crust ingredients. Spread out the pecans and oats in one pan and the coconut in another.
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded or small-flaked unsweetened coconut
Toast them in the oven and start checking after 2-3 minutes. The coconut can toast quickly and can burn easily. Stir or shake each time you check them. Remove the coconut when it is light golden (2-6 minutes) and the pecans and oats when they are just fragrant and a shade darker than raw (8-11 minutes). Turn off the oven.
Finish the crust. In a food processor, process the following ingredients until the mixture is fine and sticks together slightly. Transfer the mixture into the pie pan and press it into bottom and up the sides. Freeze the crust until solid (at least 45 minutes). No need to wash the food processor.
The roasted pecans, oats, and coconut
3 Tablespoons date sugar
1 teaspoon water
Make the filling and bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir the seeds and water together in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon chia seeds, ground to a fine powder in a spice blender, coffee grinder, or small blender
Separately, add the dates to the food processor and process them until they form a ball or almost form a ball.
1/3 cup Medjool dates, each cut into 3-4 pieces
Add the following ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth, 30-60 seconds. You will likely need to stop and wipe down the sides once. Spread the filling into the crust.
The chia seed mixture
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin or 1.5 cups of homemade pumpkin puree
2/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice powder, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla powder
Bake the pie for 55 to 70 minutes or until the middle of the filling is not wet to a light touch and the edges of the filling may be starting to crack.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Then chill it for at least 2 hours (but ideally at least 4). If desired, serve the pie with sweet cream.
The pie will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. It can also be frozen.
Timing: About 2 hours
Gluten-free