Meet my vegan pumpkin pie – the GREAT one! It’s creamy and custardy, completely plant-based, and also gluten-free, oil-free, and soy-free. No tofu, no eggs, no coconut milk – and honestly? It’s the pumpkin pie I reach for every single holiday season.
This pie began as the Pumpkin Pie Custards in my Let Them Eat Vegan cookbook. Those custards became such a reader favorite that I was determined to transform them into a proper pie – with a filling that would thicken and slice beautifully, and a crust that was wholesome and easy. Because we all need a few breaks during the holidays!
The crust is my favorite shortcut: rolled oats, dates, and nut butter, whizzed in the food processor and simply pressed into the pie plate. No rolling, no pastry, no fuss. Let me show you why it works.\
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Custard-creamy filling with warm, gentle spice (never overpowering)
- No tofu, no eggs, no coconut milk — cashews do the creamy work
- Easiest crust ever: press-in oats, dates & nut butter — no rolling
- Gluten-free, oil-free, and soy-free, so almost everyone at the table can have a slice
- Make-ahead friendly — it actually slices better after chilling
Why This Recipe Works
- Cashews + arrowroot set the filling into a soft custard (blend it – a blender gets it smoother than a food processor)
- Two-temperature bake (hot start, gentle finish) sets the filling without over-browning the crust
- The pie finishes setting as it cools; patience is an ingredient here
Ingredients & Notes
The Press-In Oat Crust
I developed this crust as an alternative to a traditional pastry crust. It’s made with rolled oats, nut butter, and dates, and it isn’t too sweet. And, unlike a traditional pastry crust, it isn’t oily. You can use it for other pies you love as well, such as pecan or chocolate pumpkin pie!
The Cashew Pumpkin Filling
The filling of this pie is everything to me. I can eat it on its own, even before baking (though the arrowroot powder does need to cook, but I still like tasting the blended filling).
I use my Vitamix to puree the filling, and I recommend a blender rather than a food processor. The filling just won’t get smooth enough in a food processor. You can use a standard blender, but you will need to blend it longer than using a Vitamix.
When the filling is finished cooking, it becomes creamy and luscious, like a custard – and with just enough spice from cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The pumpkin pie spice is not overpowering.
Dreena’s Tips for the Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Blend the filling until very smooth; scrape down and blend again
- Press the crust up the sides only a little to prevent overbrowning
- Tent the rim with foil if the edges brown early
- Let it cool completely before slicing; chill for the cleanest cuts
- Firmer or softer set? Use 3/4 cup cashews for firmer, 2/3 cup for softer (in recipe notes)
How to Store & Make Ahead
- Make ahead: bake the day before, cool, cover and refrigerate – flavour and texture improve overnight
- Fridge: covered, 3–4 days
- Freezer: wrap the whole pie (or slices) well; freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge
- Serve chilled, at room temperature, or with vegan vanilla ice cream or her ‘lemon whipped cream’ from LTEV
Vegan Pumpkin Pie FAQs
Yes, it’s an ideal make-ahead dessert. Bake, cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. It slices more cleanly the next day, and the spices meld beautifully.
Covered in the refrigerator, 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze the whole pie or individual slices (well wrapped) for up to a month; thaw overnight in the fridge.
This filling is a softer, custard-style set by design – that’s what makes it so creamy. It finishes setting as it cools, and chilling firms it further. For a firmer set, use the full 3/4 cup cashews in the filling.
Yes, the crust is made from rolled oats, not flour. Just choose certified gluten-free oats to keep the whole pie gluten-free.
Yes. Use 1 3/4 cups (a 15 oz can’s worth) of smooth pumpkin puree – just make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, and drain it a little if it’s watery so the filling sets.
Not as written, however I often have great results with pumpkin seeds in place of cashews. Use a good quality pumpkin seed, like these, and use a touch less (about 1/2 – 2/3 cup, as pumpkin seeds fill more densely than cashews). For the crust, you can then sub with a thicker raw tahini or also pumpkin seed butter. For anoter nut-free pumpkin dessert, try my Pumpkin Pie Pudding (below) – all the flavour of the filling, no nuts.
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes to Love
Vegan Pumpkin Pie: The Recipe
Vegan and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
This vegan pumpkin pie is dreamy. The crust is buttery and nutty, the filling is a softer set than many traditional pumpkin pies, so it is irresistibly creamy. It’s a must for your holiday menus!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups rolled oats use certified gluten-free for a GF option
- 2/3 cup pitted dates packed
- 1/3 cup nut butter I like raw, can also use roasted
- 1/8 tsp sea salt omit if almond butter has salt
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk or more if needed to bring the crust together
Filling:
- 1 can 15 oz, 398ml pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2/3 – 3/4 cup raw cashews 2/3 for slightly softer set, 3/4 for firmer; for this photo we used 3/4 cup
- 1/3 cup plain or vanilla unsweetened non-dairy milk almond or soy preferred, but choice is yours
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- few pinches ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1/4 tsp rounded sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie plate (I use a glass pie plate) by lightly wiping inner surface with a dab of oil (or spray).
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In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust. Puree until fine and crumbly. Then add the almond butter and puree for about a minute. Add the milk and pulse through until the mixture becomes sticky (it should hold together when pressed/pinched). If it’s not holding together, add a little more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it does. You shouldn’t need more than another 3-4 tsp.
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Remove and transfer to prepared pie plate. Press mixture in with your fingers until evenly distributed on the base and a little up the sides of the plate (not fully up the sides to prevent burning of the crust).
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In a blender (high speed works best, for regular blender you will need to blend longer and scrape down jar several times) combine all ingredients for the filling. Purée until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
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Pour mixture into pie crust (scrape out bowl) and gently tip back and forth to distribute evenly. (Optional: cover rim of pie plate with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning of any edges of the crust.)
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Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F (180C) and continue to bake for 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).
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Remove from oven, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving (can refrigerate to chill first).
Notes
This post was originally published November 2013 and updated for November 2026.
