This homemade vegan pumpkin pie has a silky, warmly spiced filling made from fresh roasted pumpkin, baked in a flaky gluten-free crust that's every bit as good as the classic. It's the dairy-free, egg-free pie that deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table.
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Let me introduce you to your new favorite pumpkin dessert. If you're a pumpkin spice lover like me, you won't be disappointed. You won't believe how easy it is to make this vegan pumpkin pie from scratch, it's way tastier than store-bought, and it's naturally gluten-free too.
The filling is rich, smooth and creamy, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. After baking, I love adding a drizzle of dark chocolate and a scatter of sliced almonds on top, not just because it looks cool, but for an extra hint of flavor too.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice flour and chickpea flour. Together they make a gluten-free crust that's tender and flaky rather than dry or crumbly. Use a fine white rice flour; chickpea flour adds structure and a nutty, golden color.
- Xanthan gum. This is what holds a gluten-free dough together so you can roll it out. A small bag of xanthan gum lasts ages, and there's no good substitute here.
- Coconut oil. Chill it until it's solid, the same way you'd use cold butter. Those little pieces of solid fat are what make the crust flaky.
- Flax egg. Ground flaxseed mixed with cold water binds the dough in place of an egg.
- Fresh pumpkin. Choose a small sugar pumpkin (sometimes sold as pie pumpkin), not a big carving pumpkin, which is watery and bland. Butternut squash works beautifully too. You can also use about 1 ½ cups of canned or homemade pumpkin puree instead.
- Soy cream. Plant-based cooking cream makes the filling rich and custardy. Full-fat canned coconut milk works too, though you may taste a hint of coconut.
- Coconut sugar. It adds a light caramel flavor that suits pumpkin. Light brown sugar or maple sugar can be swapped in one for one.
- Cornstarch. Because there are no eggs, cornstarch is what sets the filling. Arrowroot powder works in the same amount.
- Spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. If you only have ground spices, a pinch of ground cloves and ground cardamom is fine.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie
The Gluten-Free Crust
Add the rice flour, chickpea flour, xanthan gum and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Next, add the solidified coconut oil and cut it into the dry ingredients with a knife until a crumb-like texture forms.
Now add the flax egg and pour in ice cold water about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula. Once the dough comes together, form it into a ball with your hands and chill it for 15 minutes. Roll it out on a board dusted with rice flour into a roughly circular sheet about ¼ inch thick, then press it into your pie dish. Trim the excess from the edges (use the scraps to patch any tears) and prick the base all over with a fork.
The Pumpkin Filling
Roast the cubed pumpkin at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until tender. You can do this while the crust dough chills. Transfer the pumpkin to a blender or food processor with the coconut sugar, spices, cornstarch and soy cream, and blend until very smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set. Let it cool completely before slicing.
Helpful Tips
Stick to the crust recipe as written. This is my go-to gluten-free crust, and swapping in a different flour can change the flavor and texture quite a bit. If you'd rather not bother with gluten-free flours, use a different crust entirely (see the variations below) instead of changing this one.
Keep everything cold. Solid coconut oil and ice cold water are what give you a flaky crust. If the dough gets soft or sticky while you're rolling it, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Grind whole spices first. Whole cloves and cardamom pods don't always break down fully in a blender. Crush them with a mortar and pestle (use just the seeds from the cardamom pods) or use a pinch of each ground spice so you don't bite into a gritty piece.
Know when it's done. The pie is ready when it's firm to the touch in the center but not dry or cracked. It will still have a very slight wobble, and it firms up more as it cools.
Give it time to set. Without eggs, the filling relies on cornstarch and cooling to hold its shape. Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours, or chill it, before you cut it, and you'll get clean, neat slices.
Variations
- A different gluten-free crust. Try our vegan gluten-free pie crust, or use a store-bought gluten-free crust to save time. Check the label, since many contain butter or eggs.
- A regular crust. If you don't need the pie to be gluten-free, this coconut oil pie crust or our easy vegan pie crust are simpler options.
- Tart-style. Bake it in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, as in the photos, for fluted edges and easy serving.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Replace the individual spices with 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Chai-spiced. Add ¼ teaspoon each of black pepper and allspice and a little extra cardamom for a chai-inspired filling.
- Extra warm and gingery. Double the ground ginger and add a pinch of nutmeg for a spicier, more old-fashioned flavor.
Serving Ideas
Serve slices on their own, or finish them with the dark chocolate drizzle and sliced almonds shown here. For a classic look, add a big spoonful of vegan whipped cream, or go all out with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla or almond milk ice cream.
This pie is made for Thanksgiving and holiday dessert tables. If you're feeding a crowd with different preferences, bake it alongside our vegan pumpkin pie with coconut whipped cream so guests can try both. Pair it with a cup of coffee or chai for an afternoon treat.
Storing & Make-Ahead
Once it has cooled completely, cover the pie (or transfer slices to an airtight container) and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. It's a great make-ahead dessert: bake it a day or two before your holiday meal, since the filling actually slices better after a night in the fridge. You can also make the crust dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge, and roast the pumpkin up to 3 days ahead.
To freeze, chill the baked pie until firm, then wrap it (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve chilled or at room temperature. Add the chocolate drizzle and toppings after thawing rather than before freezing.
More Vegan Pies
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more vegan pies you might enjoy:
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream
- Chai-Spiced Cranberry Apple Pie
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
- Vegan Cherry Pie
- 15 Must-Make Vegan Pies
If you're here planning your holiday menu, don't miss our new Vegan Christmas and Vegan Thanksgiving cookbooks. They're packed with all my favorite holiday-worthy recipes for a plant-based feast.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Conventional oven
- Pie tin 9-inch pie dish or tart pan
Ingredients
For the gluten-free crust
- 2 cups rice flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil, solidified (chill in the freezer until firm)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoon cold water, for the flax egg
- ½ cup ice cold water
For the pumpkin filling
- 5 cup pumpkin, peeled and cubed (from a 2 to 2 ½ lb sugar pumpkin), or 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cup soy cream, or full-fat canned coconut milk
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom pods, seeds only, crushed (or a pinch of ground cardamom)
- ⅛ teaspoon whole cloves, crushed (or a pinch of ground cloves)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
PREPARE THE PUMPKIN
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Make the flax egg: stir the ground flaxseed into the 2 tablespoon cold water and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Spread the cubed pumpkin over the lined tray and roast for about 30 minutes, until very tender. (Make the crust while it roasts.)
MAKE THE CRUST
- Add the rice flour, chickpea flour, xanthan gum and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Add the solidified coconut oil and cut it into the dry ingredients with a knife until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add the flax egg, then pour in the ice cold water about 2 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula after each addition, until the dough holds together. Gather it into a ball with your hands.
- Wrap the dough and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- On a board lightly dusted with rice flour, roll the dough into a roughly circular sheet about ¼ inch thick.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish or tart pan and press it in. Trim off the excess dough around the edges (use the scraps to patch any tears), then prick the base all over with a fork.
MAKE THE FILLING
- Transfer the roasted pumpkin to a blender or food processor with the coconut sugar, ground ginger, crushed cloves, cinnamon, crushed cardamom seeds, cornstarch and soy cream. Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set and firm to the touch.
- Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours (or chill it) before slicing, so the filling can set.
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