Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Take your fall feasts to the next level with a homemade vegan pumpkin pie! It’s made with kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin for its rich flavor and firm texture.

This Southern-style vegan pumpkin pie is a can’t-miss dessert for your Thanksgiving table. The combination of spices adds the traditional flavor, while vegan sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess. No dairy needed!

This unique recipe uses roasted kabocha squash, also called Japanese pumpkin. It offers a more robust flavor and texture similar to sweet potato, with an intense dark orange color.

Kabocha holds its shape well when cooked, making it an excellent option for this eggless pie.

Ingredient Notes

• Cooked kabocha squash or pumpkin – canned or homemade will work equally well.
  For a homemade recipe, follow these steps for whole roasted kabocha squash, peel, and use as directed. Use any extra to make these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins.

• One frozen vegan pie crust – store-bought, or try my homemade pie crust recipe. Prepare it ahead of time as directed, place it in a 9-inch pie plate and freeze. For a flakier crust, try my Vegan Flaky Pie Crust Recipe.

• Full-fat coconut milk – ideal for making dairy-free sweetened condensed milk. Light or reduced-fat coconut milk will not provide good creaminess.

• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vegan butter or margarine
• Salt
• Vanilla 
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon

• Mixed baking spice or pumpkin spice – often consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, allspice and cloves.
• Cornstarch – a great replacement for eggs that helps thicken the pie.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make vegan condensed milk:

1. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stovetop, add the full-fat coconut milk and sugars to the pan, and stir.

2. Bring the coconut mixture to a boil at medium heat, then immediately decrease to a low simmer. The mixture should reduce by half and thicken; be sure to stir occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat.

Blind-bake the pie shell:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the unbaked vegan pie dough shell from the freezer, and use a fork to prick holes across the bottom of the shell. 

2. Place the pie pan on a baking tray and line the inside of the pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill the shell with desired pie weights (granulated sugar works as an excellent pie weight in a pinch). Bake it for 30 minutes or until browned.

3. Carefully remove the paper or foil and pie weights and set the shell aside to cool completely.

Make the pumpkin pie filling:

1. Combine the cooked pumpkin or kabocha squash, vegan butter, salt, spices, and cornstarch in the saucepan with the vegan condensed milk. 

2. Mix thoroughly with an immersion blender or by hand. The immersion blender method will give smoother results. If you prefer, add all ingredients to a stand blender or food processor and blend.

Fill and bake the pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Once the oven has preheated, add the pumpkin pie filling to the cooled pie crust and smooth the top.

2. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling in the middle of the pie has been set.

3. Allow the pie to cool for about one hour before slicing and serving.

Notes & Substitutions

• Instead of making dairy-free condensed milk from scratch, you can use 1 cup/300g of canned vegan condensed coconut milk, skipping the first step.

• Substitute a gluten-free, vegan pie crust if desired. The pie filling is already gluten-free, so you will not need to make any alterations!

• You can also purchase pumpkin purée, but keep in mind that some brands may add extra water. Also, different types of pumpkin or squash naturally have varying moisture levels. Add more cornstarch as needed.

• Try serving this delicious dairy-free pumpkin pie with vegan whipped cream or even vegan vanilla ice cream!

Key Tips

• If using a store-bought pie crust, check the directions, as not all will require the blind-baking process.

• Covering the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil can keep the crust from browning too quickly. Remove the foil in the last five minutes of baking. 

• Be sure the crust has cooled completely before adding the pumpkin pie filling – this will ensure the crust stays crisp, tender and won’t become soggy.

Storage

Pumpkin pie is best eaten within a day of preparation and cooking. If you need to store any leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. Wrap the pie pan tightly with plastic wrap to keep it fresh. 

FAQs

What is kabocha squash?

Kabocha squash is also known as a Japanese pumpkin, and they are small, round squashes with a dark green exterior.

They stay sweet and creamy rather than becoming soggy during cooking, unlike other types of squashes. It is a very versatile squash, and in savory dishes, the skin is edible.

It has been described as having a honey-like sweetness with a deep, nutty flavor.

Can I substitute other kinds of plant-based milk in this recipe?

If you can’t have coconut, you could try making the condensed milk with oat milk. However, the consistency might not be the same.

Coconut milk is ideal as it thickens properly into homemade vegan condensed milk due to its fat content. Dairy-free condensed milk can be substituted in place of homemade.

Which types of pumpkin or squash are best for pie?

Some winter squash varies that are good for pie include buttercup, butternut, kabocha and sugar pie pumpkin.

More Vegan Pie Recipes

• Pecan Pie
• Apple Pie
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Blueberry Pie

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 45 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs

Total: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Calories: 319kcal

Print Pin Rate

Take your fall feasts to the next level with a homemade dairy-free pumpkin pie! Made with sweetened condensed coconut milk and kabocha squash.

Author: Jhanelle Golding

Equipment

• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Pie weights
• Saucepan

Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.

Ingredients

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Vegan Condensed Milk:

• ▢ 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
• ▢ ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

Pumpkin Pie:

• ▢ 1 9-inch frozen homemade vegan pie crust, or store-bought
• ▢ 1 lb (500 g) cooked pumpkin or kabocha squash, I used Roasted Kabocha Squash
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (14 g) vegan butter (not unsalted)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mixed baking spice, or pumpkin spice
• ▢ 4 tablespoon (24 g) cornstarch

Instructions

Make the vegan condensed milk:

• Add the coconut milk and sugars to a heavy-bottom saucepan and stir.
  1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk ,½ cup (110 g) brown sugar ,¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• Bring to a boil on medium heat then immediately decrease to a low simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce by half and thicken. Remove the pan from the heat.

Blind-bake the pie shell:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the unbaked pie shell from the freezer and prick with a fork.
  1 9-inch frozen homemade vegan pie crust
• Place the pie dish on a baking tray and line the inside with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with your desired pie weights (I used sugar).
• Bake for 40-45 minutes. Carefully remove the paper or foil with weights. The base should not look wet. Set the crust aside to cool.

Make the pumpkin pie filling:

• Add the cooked pumpkin or kabocha squash, vegan butter, salt, vanilla, spices and cornstarch to the saucepan with the vegan condensed milk.
  1 lb (500 g) cooked pumpkin or kabocha squash ,1 tablespoon (14 g) vegan butter (not unsalted) ,¼ teaspoon salt ,2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla ,¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ,¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ,½ teaspoon mixed baking spice ,4 tablespoon (24 g) cornstarch
• Mix to combine by hand or with an immersion blender for smoother results. You can also blend the ingredients in a stand blender or food processor.

Fill and bake the pie:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• When preheated, add the filling to the cooled pie crust and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling is set in the middle.
• Cool the pie for about one hour before slicing.

Notes

• Replace the coconut milk and sugars with one cup/300g/250ml of vegan condensed milk and skip the first step.
• Check the instructions for store-bought pie crust as some may not require the blind baking step.
• Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil to limit them from browning too quickly. Remove the foil in the last five minutes of baking.
• Make double the filling for a deep-dish pie.

• Substitute a gluten-free, vegan pie crust if desired. The pie filling is already gluten-free, so you will not need to make any alterations!

• You can also purchase pumpkin purée, but keep in mind that some brands may add extra water. Also, different types of pumpkin or squash naturally have varying moisture levels. Add more cornstarch as needed.

• Try serving with vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Tried this recipe? Upload a photo in the comments below!If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a rating. It really helps the blog.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 8826IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian