Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe is what you want to display on your holiday dessert table! Eggless pumpkin pie recipes are cholesterol-free because they’re made without dairy and eggs. See post tips for making a gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe. Make this best vegan pumpkin pie for the holidays or any time of the year.

A slice of vegan pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream sits in front of the rest of the pie.

Does it seem impossible to make a pumpkin pie recipe vegan? I mean, that would mean pumpkin pie with no eggs. No dairy. How could it be good without those two critical ingredients?

Don’t all pies require eggs? My answer is no! Take a look at this eggless pecan pie as an example.

So, if you’re thinking of the classic pumpkin pie recipe veganized, this is the one for you.

A hand holds a spoon dropping whipped cream on a slice of pumpkin pie.

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Pie Crust — Every great pie begins with a crust, I recommend this vegan pie crust recipe. To make a gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie, use gluten-free baking flour for the pie crust.
  • Pumpkin puree — You’ll need a 15-ounce can of pumpkin.
  • Coconut milk — This recipe calls for a 15 oz can of full-fat coconut milk with at least 12+ grams of fat in the can. If you don’t have access to full-fat coconut milk, you can substitute an equal amount of silken tofu. It won’t look the same, but it will taste delicious.
  • Bown sugar — Use either light, dark, or make your own brown sugar.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Ground ginger
  • Vanilla extract.

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Using the fat from a can of coconut milk is the best way to make your pumpkin pie creamy and smooth
  • Cornstarch is a perfect thickener, making slices that stand tall and a filling you can really sink your teeth into
  • The right combination of sugar and spices creates a pie that’s sweet, but not too sweet, and full of pumpkin spice flavor.

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This pumpkin pie is easy to make. You will see from the recipe that it takes a total of 2 hours, but most of this time is passive, meaning it does not require your hands-on attention.

For example, the pie will bake for over an hour, and then it will need time after baking to cool off. So, your active time in preparation and touching the recipe is more like 20 minutes. That’s not too bad.

This recipe begins with an incredibly flaky vegan pie crust. The short answer is this — many commercial pie crust recipes include lard. Therefore, you should plan to make your own homemade pie crust, but it’s well worth the effort.

  1. Make the pumpkin filling by pulsing the pumpkin puree and fat from a can of coconut milk in a food processor.
  2. Add the sugars, cornstarch, spices, and vanilla. Pulse again until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Pour and spread the pumpkin pie custard into the prepared pie crust.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Add a pie crust shield and then bake for another 50 to 55 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for an hour (up to overnight) before serving.

Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions:

Step One: Make the Pie Crust

First, follow the instructions to make the vegan pie crust. The dough will need an hour or so to chill, so consider making the crust the day before.

In fact, I oftentimes make my pie crusts ahead of time and freeze them. It’s great to have pie dough on-hand for making pies on the fly!

Roll the chilled dough out, transfer it to the pie pan and flute the edges. Then refrigerate the crust while you move on to the pie filling.

Step Two: Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Filling

For the pie filling, add the ingredients into a food processor.

It helps to refrigerate the can of coconut milk the night before making your pie to help separate the fat from the more liquid part of the coconut milk.

Coconut milk is being poured into a food processor bowl full of pumpkin puree.

Pulse the filling in short bursts until it’s nice and smooth. Use a spatula to push down ingredients from the side of the bowl. Then pulse again.

Ingredients like coconut milk, brown sugar, and spices are in a food processor bowl.

Pour the pumpkin pie custard into the prepared pie crust and use a spatula to smooth out the top.

Pumpkin filling is being poured into an unbaked crust.

Step Three: Bake

Place the pie in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then add a pie crust shield or cover the edges of the crust with foil. This will keep the crust edges from getting too brown.

Then continue baking the pie for another 50–55 minutes, until the custard is mostly firm and the crust is a golden brown. There might be a little jiggly custard in the middle of the pie, and that’s fine. It will firm up as it cools.

In fact, you want a little jiggle in the pie because of “residual baking.” The pie will continue to bake even after being removed from the oven. That means, pulling the pie out while the center of the custard is still a little soft will prevent cracks.

A pie shell has been recently filled with pumpkin pie filling, and is waiting to go into the oven.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge. Once in the fridge, plan to chill the pie for an hour or so. Then serve it with Vegan Whipped Cream.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can make this pie the day before. Simply cover the pie and refrigerate overnight.

Marly’s Tips

If you’re using plastic wrap to cover the pie, give it a light spray of vegetable cooking spray so it won’t stick to the top of the pie. Or cover the pie with waxed paper and then cover with plastic wrap.

Is Pumpkin Pie Vegan?

A traditional pumpkin pie is more like a custard, which means it’s made with both dairy and eggs. And some crusts are made with lard, meaning they’re most definitely not vegan or vegetarian. However, this egg-free pumpkin pie recipe makes having a vegan pie so easy.

Best Pumpkin Pie, Vegan or Not

I am annoyed that this pumpkin pie recipe needs the word “vegan” in front of it. Why? Because it’s amazing. It simply is! And why should anyone care if it has an egg in it or not? The fact is, this is a delicious pumpkin pie recipe. Sure, I purposefully made it without eggs, but in my mind, it’s irrelevant. The

Anyway, if you’re looking for a pumpkin pie without eggs for your family dinner dessert table, look no more.

A slice of pie has a fork beside it and the rest of the pie is next to it too.

More Vegan Desserts

Of course, vegan pumpkin pie recipes are amazing! However, you may want more than pie on your holiday dessert table! Here are some more of the most popular vegan desserts:

A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream sits on a plate.

I hope you love this vegan pumpkin pie recipe as much as we do!

A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream sits on a plate.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Can you imagine the perfect vegan Pumpkin Pie with a high profile and the ultimate in pumpkin custard in a crispy crust? This will be your favorite pumpkin pie regardless of the fact that it's made without eggs or milk!
5 from 4 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 272kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Foolproof Vegan Pie Crust
  • 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 15 oz can full fat coconut milk* (chilled up to 2 hours or overnight)
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Roll out the vegan pie crust and place it in a pie pan. Flute the edges. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, add the pumpkin puree. Spoon out the fat from the can of coconut milk, leaving behind the watery mixture. Refrigerate the water mixture to use in a smoothie or pudding. (It helps if the can has been refrigerated because the fats are more solid when cold). It should roughly one cup of fat. Pulse this together until combined.
  • Add the sugars, cornstarch, spices, and vanilla. Pulse for several seconds. Then use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pulse again until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the pumpkin pie custard into the prepared pie crust and use a spatula to smooth the top.
  • Place the pie in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Add a pie crust shield over the edges of the crust to make sure it doesn't get too brown. Or use aluminum foil to protect the crust. Bake for another 50 to 55 minutes. The very center of the custard might still be a bit jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for an hour (up to overnight) before serving.
  • Serve with vegan whipped cream
  • Store the pie in the fridge. It will keep up to 5 days. Individual slices can be frozen and will keep up to 2 months in the freezer.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

The nutritional estimate is based on a pie crust and pumpkin pie custard.
*Coconut milk can vary regarding the amount of fat that’s in the can. Even using the same brand of coconut milk can result in different amounts of fat. You should have roughly 1 cup of the solid fat from a can of coconut milk.
Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 8273IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Enjoy!

A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top sits on a plate. The text above it reads, "Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie."

9 Responses to Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJoshua Howard Reply

    5 stars
    This pumpkin pie looks perfect! I love everything made with pumpkin. Thank you for the share!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlySara Mirales Reply

    I used canned Trader Joe’s,full fat coconut milk in the recipe and the pie never came close to being set. Even after an hour. Was wondering if you used coconut cream in the recipe? There was very little fat when i opened the can. I hope to get this right because your pie looks amazing!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Sara! Thanks for your comment. I added a note to the recipe to help clarify the coconut milk. I used Sprouts full fat coconut milk. The fat in the coconut milk does help the pie set, and the amount and texture of fat varies so much in coconut milk, that I think using Trader Joe’s (or Sprouts) coconut cream would create a more consistent result. Thanks again for your comment — it’s very helpful!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyInes Reply

    Thanks for great sounding and great looking pie recipe. I am wondering if you have tried using arrowroot starch or tapioca starch instead of cornstarch because I have to be not only GF but corn free too. Some recipes of other things say to use the same amount but others use different amounts – and I know that from experience in trying to change recipes on my own when puddings, etc. didn’t set up or became “slimy”. Just wondering if you had tried anything else.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJen

      Did you make the swap? Trying to figure out if this will work for us.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Jen! I’m not sure exactly what you’re referring to. Give me some more information and I’ll see if I can help. Thanks!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Ines. Thanks for your comment. I agree that I’ve found a difference between the use of the different starches. For this vegan pumpkin pie I would recommend arrowroot powder to be substituted for cornstarch. I typically follow the rule of 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder for every tablespoon of cornstarch. Another great option would be a agar agar. I use flakes as a thickener and it works great! For this recipe I would use 1 tablespoon of agar agar flakes. Another great option would be to add 1/2 cup silken tofu, but you would need to be sure to pulse it in a food processor to get it to smooth out. Hope this is helpful!

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyShawn Reply

    5 stars
    Who needs dairy! This pie is just as delicious as ‘old style’ pumpkin pies I’ve had throughout my life.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Thanks! So glad you loved this pumpkin pie recipe.

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