Vegan Pumpkin Pie



Vegan Pumpkin Pie



I like to consider myself to be somewhat of a pumpkin pie aficionado. I have tasted dozens over the course of my life, and very few have ever lived up to the high expectations I have set for what I believe makes a fantastic pumpkin pie. In my opinion, the difference between a decent pumpkin pie and an outstanding pumpkin pie lies completely in the crust. Is it dry? Forget about it. The crust needs to be just as full of flavor as the filling, if not more, and able to stand on its’ own while still being delicious. Oh, it also has to be gluten free, dairy free and delicious to those who like their regular, gluten and sugar-filled pumpkin pie. Quite the laundry list, but I was up to the challenge. After all, it is my favorite dessert.

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie



Considering I may be somewhat biased to judge as far as taste goes, I decided to pull in some unbiased, non-health conscious taste testers to see if my recipe could garner the same stamp of approval a traditional pumpkin pie would get (I promised you, no lack-luster recipes, and I am sticking to it!). First up, we have my younger brother, Grant, who you could say isn’t quite the stickler that his older sister is when it comes to clean eating. After one bite, his face said it all and I could tell that he loved it. “This is incredible. Seriously. Get it away from me because I will eat the entire thing.” After several more bites, he swiftly pushed the remaining pie away, only to return to it a few times more. I never told him it was both gluten and dairy free, and he never questioned the lack of either once. As far as he knew, it was regular pumpkin pie, only better. Someone who doesn’t love pumpkin pie would be my fiance Ben. In fact, he hates it, but after a little coaxing, I was able to get him to try a slice of mine, and shockingly, he also loved it. Especially the crust, which I believe he referred to as ‘amazing.’

It’s such a common misconception that a healthier take on a recipe won’t live up to the greatness of the original, but I believe this pie proves that to be wrong in more ways then one. It just goes to show that with a little creativity, you can fool even the toughest of critics, all while providing them with a healthier version you can feel good about serving. Give it a try for yourself and let me know your thoughts.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie
 
Cuisine: dessert
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 slices
A vegan approved pumpkin pie with a gluten free, walnut pecan crust.
Ingredients
  • **CRUST:
  • 1.5 cups gluten free rolled oats, processed into flour; sifted; or purchased gluten free oat flour.
  • 1 cup raw walnut halves
  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 1/2 cup stevia in the raw granulated baking sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. ground flax
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. raw natural honey
  • 1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • **PUMPKIN FILLING:
  • 2 (15 oz) cans of 100% pure pumpkin; not pumpkin pie mix
  • 1/2 cup stevia granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (if separated, use only the white cream portion)
  • 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Butter Substitute; melted
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2.5 Tbsp. arrowroot starch
  • 2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. all spice
  • 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
Instructions
  1. Crust:
  2. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with a small amount of virgin, unrefined coconut oil and preheat the oven to 350F.
  3. In a blender, process your oats into a fine flour. If you don’t think your blender can get the oats fine enough, or to the consistency of flour, then purchase gluten free certified oat flour instead.
  4. In a food processor, add pecans and walnuts until they begin to release their oils. Make sure the chunks of nuts are finely ground, but not so fine that you create a nut butter.
  5. Transfer nut mixture into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and pour into mixture, folding it in evenly.
  6. With your hands, squeeze the dough to combine it. You should be able to form a ball the mixture. If it’s too dry, don’t be afraid to add a bit more coconut oil but only add a small amount at a time.
  7. Spoon the pecan dough onto pie dish and smooth out evenly.
  8. Press down firmly with fingers to form a crust, bringing it up along the sides, and distributing even amounts of the crust mixture along all area of baking dish.
  9. Press crust firmly to pack it together, leaving no thin or empty spaces.
  10. Prebake at 350F for 12 minutes and watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
  11. Remove from oven and cool for 10- 15 mins.
  12. ***Pumpkin Filling***
  13. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, stevia and coconut milk. Stir Thoroughly.
  14. Add in vanilla extract, arrowroot starch and melted Earth Balance, blending thoroughly.
  15. Mix in remaining seasonings and maple syrup until well blended. Add in more syrup or seasonings as desired.
  16. Scoop pumpkin filling mixture into pre-baked pie crust and gently smooth out the top with a butter knife.
  17. Place pie on middle rack of preheated oven (350F) and bake for 50-55 minutes.
  18. Remove finished pie and let cool for 1 hour.
  19. After 1 hour, place pie in the refrigerator and let it set up for a minimum of 3-4 hours before serving. If you can make it the night before, even better.
 
Notes
If possible, make this pie a day ahead as it needs time to set up in the refrigerator after baking. It needs a minimum of 3-4 hours in the fridge before it can be served. Seasonings may need to be adjusted to taste.

 

 

 

2 comments on Vegan Pumpkin Pie

  1. zosia
    December 8, 2013 at 12:04 pm (10 years ago)

    paleo?

    oats aren’t paleo

    Reply
  2. Brandie
    December 23, 2013 at 10:02 am (10 years ago)

    Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to take a look.
    I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and willl be tweeting this to my followers!

    Great blog and superb design and style.

    Reply

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