Nov 9, 2023
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe – Love and Lemons

This vegan pumpkin pie recipe is easy to make with 8 ingredients! With a rich, creamy filling and flaky crust, it’s a delicious Thanksgiving dessert.


Vegan pumpkin pie


I’m making this vegan pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving this year, and I already can’t wait. I’ll never turn down a slice of pumpkin pie—it’s been my favorite Thanksgiving dessert since I was a kid. But this vegan pumpkin pie recipe takes the classic dessert to another level. The pumpkin filling has an amazing creamy texture and rich, spiced flavor. It contrasts perfectly with the crisp, flaky crust. Tasting it, you’d never guess that it’s made without dairy or eggs.

This vegan pumpkin pie recipe is easy to make with 8 simple ingredients. It needs to chill after baking, so it’s a great dish to make ahead for your holiday meal. Serve slices plain or with a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top. This vegan pumpkin pie is delicious either way!


Vegan pumpkin pie recipe ingredients


How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This vegan pumpkin pie is easy to make! You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s an overview of how it goes:

Ingredients

The recipe starts with 8 basic ingredients:

  • Canned pumpkin puree – Make sure to get pure pumpkin puree for this pie, NOT pumpkin pie filling that already contains sugar and spices. I call for 3 cups here. If you buy two cans, you’ll have about 1/2 cup leftover. Stir it into overnight oats or use it in these pumpkin pancakes!
  • Coconut cream – This canned coconut product has a higher fat content than light or full-fat coconut milk. Don’t worry—it doesn’t make the pie taste like coconut. Instead, it makes the filling rich and creamy.
  • Brown sugar – For sweetness. Light and dark both work well here! Dark brown sugar will give the pie a darker color and deeper molasses flavor.
  • Cornstarch – It helps the pie set up so that it’s firm and sliceable.
  • Pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice handy, replace it with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
  • Sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
  • And a vegan pie crust – My 4-ingredient vegan pie crust is fantastic here! If you want to streamline this recipe, feel free to use your favorite store-bought pie crust.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.


Pie filling in blender


Preparation

If you’re making your own pie crust, that will be your first step. My vegan pie dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before you roll it out, so make sure to plan ahead.

Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to a 9- or 9.5-inch pie pan. Crimp the edges, tent it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

One of the reasons that this vegan pumpkin pie is SO delicious is that the filling comes together in the blender. Blending gives it an amazing smooth and creamy texture!

To make the filling, place the pumpkin puree, coconut cream, brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.


Vegan pie crust in pie dish


Next, assemble the pie. Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust, and use a spatula to smooth the top.

Then, bake. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake on a low oven rack in a 350°F oven for about an hour, until the crust is golden brown and cracks form in the filling. The middle of the filling will still look jiggly. That’s ok!

Finally, let the pie set up. Allow it to cool to room temperature before covering it with foil or a kitchen towel and transferring it to the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving. Enjoy!


Pouring vegan pumpkin pie filling into crust


Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe Tips

  • The size of your pie plate matters. When I was developing this recipe, I wanted the slices to be nice and thick, with plenty of creamy pumpkin filling. It will fill a 9-inch pie dish right up to the top, and it fits nicely in a 9.5-inch pan too. If you’re using a smaller 8.75-inch pan, you may want to reserve about 1/2 cup of the filling. Bake it in a glass ramekin next to the pie for 20 to 25 minutes for a single-serving treat!
  • Pumpkin puree varies. I’ve tested this recipe with 4 brands of pumpkin puree: Libby’s, 365 Pumpkin Puree, Kroger, and Farmer’s Market Foods. The pie turned out well with all of them! However, the filling’s consistency varied before baking. When I made this recipe with Libby’s, 365, and Kroger pumpkin, it was very thick. With the Farmer’s Market Foods pumpkin (pictured here), it was far more liquidy. Don’t be alarmed if your filling doesn’t look exactly like the one in the picture after you blend it up!
  • Check your coconut cream. This recipe calls for a 13.5-fluid-ounce can. Some brands (i.e., Thai Kitchen) come in 13.66-fluid-ounce cans. If your can is 13.66 fluid ounces, discard 3 tablespoons of the watery liquid at the bottom of the can before adding the coconut cream to the blender.
  • Bake the pie on a low oven rack. The hottest zone of most ovens is near the bottom. Baking the pie on a low oven rack helps the bottom crust cook through without a blind bake.
  • Don’t skip the chill. It’s ESSENTIAL for helping this vegan pumpkin pie set up. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. Then, cover and chill it for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.

How to Store

This vegan pumpkin pie recipe is great for making ahead! Cover and store the baked pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.


Vegan pumpkin pie recipe


More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

If you love this vegan pumpkin pie, try one of these vegan Thanksgiving recipes next:

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Chilling Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Serves 8 to 12

This vegan pumpkin pie recipe is a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall meal! The filling has a delicious creamy texture and spiced pumpkin flavor. Make sure to chill the pie for at least 4 hours before serving so that it slices cleanly. For the best results, make it a day ahead.

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • Up to 2 days and at least 2 hours ahead, prepare the vegan pie crust according to this recipe.* Follow the instructions in the recipe to roll out the dough for one crust, then transfer it to a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Tent the crust with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

  • In a blender, place the pumpkin puree, coconut cream, brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth, working in batches as necessary.

  • Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust and use a spatula to smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet, then transfer to the low oven rack. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cracks form in the filling. It will still be jiggly in the center.

  • Allow to cool completely, then cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.

  • Slice and serve with vegan whipped cream.

*The vegan pie crust recipe yields 2 crusts, enough for 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust pies. You’ll only need one for this recipe. Store the extra dough in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Gluten-free option: Make the gluten-free pie crust from this recipe. It has a pecan base…SO delicious!
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Nov 9, 2023
Vegan Pie Crust Recipe – Love and Lemons

Learn how to make vegan pie crust! This recipe yields a tender, flaky crust that’s easy to make in the food processor and delicious in any pie recipe.


Vegan pie crust in a pie plate


This vegan pie crust recipe rivals any regular pie crust I’ve tried. It has a perfect tender, flaky texture, and it’s easy to make in the food processor with just 4 ingredients. Even beginners can pull it off!

I adapted this vegan pie crust from my all-butter pie crust, making a few minor tweaks to the recipe. For starters, I used dairy-free butter and omitted the salt because good-tasting vegan butter is always salted. Then, I reduced the amount of butter in the recipe. Vegan butter is significantly softer than regular butter, so I needed less to make a pliable dough.

It baked up beautifully into my new go-to vegan pie crust! I’m sharing my best tips for making it below. If you try this recipe, I hope you love it as much as I do.


Vegan pie crust recipe ingredients


How to Make Vegan Pie Crust

This delicious vegan pie crust recipe starts with 4 key ingredients:

Ingredients

  • Vegan butter – I’ve previously tried making vegan pie crust with coconut oil and vegetable shortening, but vegan butter yields the best results by far. Make sure to choose a type that comes in sticks—NOT a tub. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks are my favorite.
  • All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
  • Ice water – It brings the dough together. Make sure it’s very cold so that it doesn’t melt the butter!
  • Apple cider vinegar – A small splash keeps the crust nice and tender.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.


Flour and vegan butter in a food processor


Making The Pie Crust

Before you start: Make sure the vegan butter is cold from the fridge! The cold butter is key for making a crust with optimal flakiness. You want it to melt when it’s in the oven…not before!

Ok, so you have your cold butter. Let’s make the pie crust!

In a traditional pie crust recipe, you’d work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers and add ice water until the dough just comes together. Though this method can work really well, I prefer one that J. Kenji Lopez-Alt developed for Cook’s Illustrated in 2007. Here’s how it goes:

First, thoroughly combine some of the flour with the butter. Place 1 2/3 cups of the flour in a food processor. Slice the butter into thin pats and scatter them on top.

Pulse until there is no dry flour remaining. The flour and butter will start to form clumps.


Crumbly pie dough in a food processor


Then, pulse in the remaining flour. Scatter it on top of the mixture in the food processor and briefly pulse to form a crumbly dough.


Using spatula to form pie dough into ball in large glass bowl


Next, add the liquid. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in the cold water and vinegar. Use a spatula to fold and press the dough until it comes together into a ball.

  • Tip: Don’t hesitate to use your hands! Once the dough starts to come together, I often ditch the spatula and start kneading the dough with my hands to work in the last bits of dry flour.

You’re ready to chill the dough. Divide the dough ball in half. Flatten each half into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Why I Like This Method

I think it’s much more foolproof than the traditional technique. Fully combining some of the flour with the butter makes the dough far more pliable and easy to work with. The crust also comes out consistently tender, as you only develop the gluten in the second addition of flour.


Rolling out vegan pie crust with wooden rolling pin


Rolling Out The Dough

After the dough chills, you can roll it out for your desired pie recipe. This vegan pie crust recipe yields enough dough for one 9- or 9.5-inch double crust pie or 2 single crust pies.

Place the dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick, rotating the dough a quarter turn every few rolls. I also like to dust the top with flour and flip the dough over a few times as I roll it out.

  • Tip: Make sure to move the dough around as you roll it out. If you don’t rotate or flip it, it can completely stick to your work surface!

To transfer the dough to a pie dish, roll it over your rolling pin and then unroll it over the pan. Use your fingers to press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides. If you have more than a 1/2-inch overhang on all sides of the pie plate, use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to trim off the excess dough. Roll the edges of the dough under itself so that it’s in line with the edges of the pie plate. Crimp with your fingers or a fork.

Bake according to your desired pie recipe!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.


Untrimmed vegan pie crust in pie plate


Best Vegan Pie Crust Tips

  • Choose the right vegan butter. Make sure that it comes in sticks—NOT a tub. I’ve had excellent results using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in this recipe.
  • Start with cold ingredients. This helps prevent the vegan butter from melting while you form the pie dough, resulting in a flaky crust.
  • Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Since flakiness is our goal, chilling the dough is essential. Don’t cut the time short! You want the dough to be cold when you start rolling it out so that the butter melts once it’s in the oven, not before.

Make It Ahead

This vegan pie crust recipe is perfect for making ahead!

Once you form the dough into disks and wrap them up, they keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

They also freeze well. Store the vegan pie dough disks in the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer to the fridge to thaw before rolling and baking.


Vegan pie crust recipe


Favorite Pie Recipes

Use this easy vegan pie crust in any of these delicious pie recipes:

Looking for more plant-based treats? Check out these 30 Best Vegan Desserts!

Vegan Pie Crust

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This easy vegan pie crust is tender, flaky, and delicious! Make sure to use vegan butter that comes in sticks—NOT a tub—for this recipe. I’ve had great results with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. This recipe yields crust for 1 9- or 9.5-inch double-crust pie or 2 single-crust pies.

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  • In a food processor, place 1⅔ cups of the flour. Pulse to spread evenly at the bottom of the bowl. Spread the butter pats evenly on top. Pulse until the butter is well combined with the flour and the dough starts to form clumps. There should be no dry flour remaining.

  • Spread the mixture evenly in the bowl of the food processor and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup flour on top. Briefly pulse until the dough becomes crumbly.

  • Transfer the dough to a large bowl and sprinkle the water and vinegar on top. Use a spatula to fold and press the dough until it comes together into a ball. If necessary, switch to your hands to knead in the last bits of dry flour. Divide the dough ball in half and form each half into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

  • To roll out the dough: Place 1 disk of the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour, and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large circle about ⅛-inch thick. If you invert your pie plate over the dough, the circle should be 1 inch larger than the edge of the pie plate on all sides. As you work, rotate the dough a quarter turn every few rolls to prevent it from sticking to your work surface. I also like to dust the top of the dough with flour and flip it over a few times during the rolling process.

  • To transfer the rolled-out dough to your pie plate, roll it over the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. Use your fingers to press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Trim the edges of the dough so that there is a ½-inch overhang on all sides of the pie plate. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill while you roll out the top crust.

  • Repeat the rolling process with the remaining dough disk, rolling it out into a large, ⅛-inch-thick circle.

  • Assemble and bake according to your desired pie recipe.

  • Makes 1 9 or 9½-inch double-crust pie or 2 single-crust pies

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