We celebrated Friendsgiving early this year, and I offered to bring the main (Roasted Chicken), vegetables (1-Pan Garlicky Green Beans with Slivered Almonds), and dessert.
In an effort to try something new (although I do love this classic vegan pumpkin pie), I remembered earmarking a gorgeous pumpkin tartlet recipe from Amy Chaplin’s book At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen. I gave it another glance and knew it was the one.
I made a few modifications, simplified it a bit, and turned it into one big pie versus several tarts. And I must say, I’m floored by the results. Our friends immediately requested that this recipe be on the blog. The rest is history.
Let us show you how easy this 1-bowl pie really is!
This recipe is easy to make, requiring just 1 food processor and a baking pan!
How to Make Pumpkin Pie
Traditional pumpkin pies starts with classic butter-flour crust (similar to this classic Pumpkin Pie), and the filling often includes pumpkin purée, cream, eggs, sugar, and spices.
This version, however, is anything but traditional (it’s kind of our style). We’re keeping it vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened.
It starts with a salted cashew-oat crust with raw cashews, rolled oats, a couple dates, salt, and ground ginger. Next, you’ll add gluten-free flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup and pulse into a workable dough.
Press into a greased pan — we prefer this 9-inch springform pan for easy slicing and serving, but a pie pan will also work. We like using our hands at first to evenly distribute the dough, then using a drinking glass to form it into an even layer.
Next, you’ll poke a few holes in the crust and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (176 C). In the meantime, whip up your filling!
This filling is seriously dreamy and seriously simple. Blend pumpkin purée, arrowroot, maple syrup, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and full-fat coconut milk in a food processor until creamy and smooth. And voila! Pumpkin pie filling in seconds.
Next, transfer to the pre-baked (slightly-cooled) crust and bake for another 30-ish minutes, or until the crust appears golden brown and the filling is darkened in color and has a few cracks along the edges.
My favorite things about this pie are 1) it’s EASY to make, 2) the crust tastes like a cashew cookie granola bar and DOESN’T fall apart, and the filling is perfectly sweet, creamy, and spiced! Serious swoon.
The most difficult thing about this recipe? Waiting for it to cool. We wanted to eat the whole thing right away.
We hope you LOVE this pie! It’s:
- Creamy
- Crunchy
- Quick & easy to make
- Naturally sweetened
- Subtly spiced
- & Incredibly delicious
This would make the perfect pie for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving, the holidays, and beyond! It’s delicious on its own, but gets elevated with coconut whipped cream (click to see our top tips for PERFECT coconut whip every time!)
More Pumpkin Recipes
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
- Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pies (with coconut oil crust!)
- Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- 1-Pot Pumpkin Yellow Curry
- Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Pumpkin Pie (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 ¼ cups raw cashews
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten-free)
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (if not gluten-free, sub spelt or all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup scoopable (firm) coconut oil (virgin or refined for less-prominent coconut flavor // or sub avocado oil for similar result)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more as needed
FILLING
- 2 cups pumpkin purée (unsweetened // we like Libby’s brand)
- 2 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch (for thickening)
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (canned)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or sub organic brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or store-bought)
FOR SERVING optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and very lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil (or use a standard pie pan, but we prefer springform for easy serving). Set aside.
- Prepare crust by adding raw cashews, oats, dates, sea salt, and ginger to a food processor and pulsing for about 30 seconds to combine. You’re looking for a fine meal — not too chunky, not a powder (see photo).
- Next, add gluten-free flour and pulse again to combine. Then add coconut oil and maple syrup and pulse again until a dough forms. It shouldn’t be too tacky or too crumbly and should hold its shape when squeezed between your fingers (see photo).
- Transfer crust to the greased pan and use clean hands to evenly distribute. Then use a flat-bottomed object (such as a drinking glass) to form into an even, flat crust, pushing the dough up the sides to form the side crust. Then use a fork and poke the crust 6 times to create little holes in the bottom so it doesn’t puff up when baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes (this is as a pre-bake to firm up the crust) or until very slightly golden brown (no longer than 12 minutes). Then remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, prepare filling. To the same food processor (wipe clean first if you want but not necessary) add pumpkin purée, arrowroot starch, coconut milk, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Blend on high, scraping down sides as needed, until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more pumpkin pie spice for warmth or coconut sugar for sweetness.
- Add the filling to the slightly cooled crust and smooth into an even layer (see photo). Then return to oven and bake for 32-40 minutes, or until the edges of the crust appear golden brown and the top appears slightly dried out (it will still feel a little wet to the touch but will firm up more once chilled).
- Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then transfer to the refrigerator to cool uncovered to continue letting steam escape. Once cooled (~2 hours or overnight), loosely cover to keep fresh.
- Enjoy at room temperature or — our preference — chilled and topped with whipped coconut cream (optional). Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Recipe adapted from Amy Chaplin’s beautiful Pumpkin Tartlets in her book At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen (one of our favorite cookbooks).
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
lisa buchanan says
Great recipe, made it exactly to the directions and it turned out great. The center wasn’t super firm, but it cut great and tasted delicious. And yes, really, use that much ginger in the crust
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lisa! We’re glad you enjoyed it overall. We’re curious what brands of pumpkin and coconut milk you used? A thinner pumpkin purée or lighter coconut milk could cause it to take longer to bake in order to firm up.
Veronica says
Hello what can I use as an alternative to the oats for the crust. Due to an oat allergy we cannot use it.
Hi Veronica, we haven’t tried this recipe without oats but it might work to simply increase the cashews and gluten-free flour until you achieve the right texture. We also have a more traditional gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe that is oat free. Hope this helps!
Shlomit Ovadia says
This was so fun to make! I did at a bit of salt to the filling as well as more coconut sugar to make the flavor come a bit more to life. Will definitely be making again! Easy to follow instructions and super yummy.
I love finding vegan and gluten free alternatives to bring places so I can be included in the enjoyment.
Yay! Thank you for making it and sharing your experience, Shlomit! xoxo
Geoff says
Hi, I can’t have coconut milk, is there a suitable substitute?
Hey Geoff, you could use a thicker milk like cashew milk. We have a recipe for it here.
Alice says
Hi there!
I’ve made this pie twice already! We don’t have pumpkin purée in France, so I baked a butternut squash, sliced lenghwise in two halves, then I scooped the flesh out and mixed it with the rest of the ingredients. I shortened sugar and maple sirup in both crust and filling (I think I filled in something between 2/3 and half the amount you mentioned) and it turned out to be fantastic! Especially knowing that we don’t have this kind of pie here and people are not used to that, it was a grand success! Thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alice! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. xo
Beth Baird says
I cannot have coconut oil or sugar. Is there a substitute for those?
Hi Beth, avocado oil is another option for the coconut oil. For the coconut sugar, you could try more maple, but we haven’t tested it that way and aren’t sure if it will impact the texture. Hope that helps!
Oonagh says
Looks amazing! Can I half the recipe and make mini pies in a muffin tin? Any other adjustments needed to do so?
Love that idea! They would look so cute! We think it would work as long as you bake for less time. You may also want to use parchment paper to make it easier to remove them from the pan (similar to this recipe). Let us know if you try it out!
Lola says
If I want to use eggs instead of starch, would you say 1 or 2? Thank you ♥️
Hi Lola, probably 2 eggs and a little less pumpkin. However, many classic pumpkin pie recipes with eggs still include some starch (usually corn starch) for thickening. We think it might work better to use 2 eggs, reduce the arrowroot starch to 1 Tbsp, and use 1/4 cup less pumpkin. However, we haven’t tested with these modifications so can’t guarantee the result. Let us know if you try it!
Lola says
Thank you! I skipped the eggs. I have a fan assisted oven (I am in the UK) so I dropped the temp to 160C however even after 50min the knife would not come out clean. I covered it with foil and baked for another 40min at 180C. But it still did not solidify enough 😭 Not sure what i did wrong. I’ll try again.
Oh no! Sorry it gave you trouble. We wonder if the brand of pumpkin was more watery? Hopefully after cooling it’s okay!
Lola says
it is me! i did not notice the cooling instruction. i cooled it and it was much better. next time i hope to make it properly!
Oh YAY! We’re so happy it ended up turning out well! xo
Payal Doshi says
Do quick sprouted oats work as well?
We prefer a little more texture, but think it would be okay in a pinch!
Rosalie says
Our friend is allergic to nuts, is it possible to try sunflower seeds toasted instead of cashew nuts?
Thanks,
Rosalie
Hi Rosalie, Using all sunflower seeds in place of the cashews might be too strong of a flavor. We’d suggest a mix of sunflower seeds and more oats. Hope that helps!
Payal says
If I don’t have a bake pan like the one you show in the video can I use my cast iron skillet or is there someone else you would recommend?
We think cast iron might get too hot. Do you have a glass, ceramic, or metal pie pan or 8×8-inch pan?
Danielle says
Can you make the crust ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use? Approximately 2 days ahead of time. Thanks.
Hi Danielle, we think that would be okay, but it might dry out a bit. Let us know if you try it!
Coral says
I love this recipe! It turns out great every time and my kids love it too. I use baked squash (usually butternut but kabocha works great too) because canned pumpkin isn’t available where I live. Tapioca flour works great as a sub for arrowroot if you can’t find arrowroot.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Coral! xo
Mia w says
Hi. Love your recipes & haven’t made this yet. Can I use Corn starch or guar gum in place of the arrowroot starch? I what’s a good substitute. I also will probably use spelt flour cause it’s all have when I make The crust. Thanks.
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Mia! Thank you for sharing! We haven’t tried it with corn starch, but another reader reported it works well. Tapioca starch might also work. We don’t think guar gum would work. Let us know if you try it!
Christina says
This is SUCH a great recipe. I have made it three times this winter and it has been a huge success with family and friends. I’m GF and my brother is vegan so I really appreciate all the vegan GF recipes you guys put out there for awkward-to-bake-for families like mine, haha! I make this with corn starch instead of arrowroot starch and it works perfectly every time.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Christina!
Julie says
Best pumpkin pie ever – no one even knew it was vegan!
Sarah says
This pie is wonderful! I made it in a 10″ springform pan (I watched it closely) and used wonky looking coconut milk but it still turned out perfectly. It was a big hit at Thanksgiving yesterday, even with my very particular toddler. Definitely make this and definitely make some whipped coconut cream to go with it!
Emery Cowan says
Love the flavor and ingredients in this recipe! I subbed tapioca starch for arrowroot powder and amped up the spice a bit, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. The only drawback was cook time – I cooked it at 350 for over an hour and let it rest for 3-4 hours, but it still didn’t hold its form when we cut into it. It might be worth advising people that cook time may be much longer than 40 min.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Emery!
Lexi says
Could you use a high speed blender instead? TIA!
Hi Lexi, we find dates can have difficulty in a blender, so maybe just chop them up first and pulse/mix as needed? Otherwise, a blender should work!
Gabriela Aoun says
Pretty good! I thought the filling lacked a little bit of flavor, so next time I will add more spice to taste like you recommended. Also, it was just a tad runnier than I might have wanted, and I think that might have done with what coco milk I used – I did Whole Foods brand but next time I will use Thai Kitchen as I’ve found that to be a little thicker and better for baking. Two hours in the fridge was not enough to cool it/set it, I’d budget for four hours or more.
Everyone liked it and my vegan/gluten free friends really appreciated this take, so I will definitely give it another try with a couple adjustments!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Gabriela!
Cheri says
Can I use this filling with a store bought frozen gf pie crust?
If so, should I pre-bake the crust before adding the filling?
Hi Cheri, you can definitely use this filling with a store bought crust! Depending on the crust you use, you may need to par-bake it to ensure the bottom of the crust gets crisp!
Eleanor says
I’d like to try this but I don’t think pumpkin puree is available in the UK. Can pumpkin puree be made at home?
Hi Elanor! We have a recipe for how to roast a pumpkin and turn it into puree here!
Kayler says
Can I make this in advance and freeze? If so, how long does it keep in the freezer and what temp / time do you recommend for to bake when I am ready to bake and serve?
Hi Kayler, we haven’t tried baking this from frozen, we’d recommend fully preparing and baking it, then freezing and thawing at room temperature when you’re ready to serve. Hope this helps!
Berlin says
So I probably made this pie like 7 times last fall for various people and occasions and I genuinely feel like it’s one of the best pumpkin pies I have ever eaten. I’ve also received that comment from others who i’ve made this recipe for. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet, so you can really enjoy the complexities of all the different subtle flavors that come through. And man, let me tell you, the ginger powder just DOES something for me. It adds such a pleasant and unexpected pop of flavor. It’s just so good! Making this again today for my friend’s birthday; I know she’s gonna love it.
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Berlin. Thank you for sharing! xo
Netanya says
I am also wondering if there is a GF oat substitute as I am allergic to oats!
Hi Netanya, we haven’t tried this recipe without oats but it might work to simply increase the cashews and gluten-free flour until you achieve the right texture. We also have a more traditional gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe that is oat free. Hope this helps!
Brandy Bitter says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. Did I mention I LOVE this recipe? I used this recipe in the US with my non vegan family and everyone loved it. I moved to Germany and wanted to make pumpkin pie for our friends and I have to say they ask for it every single time they visit. I even made it for my daughter’s birthday party (June in Germany:-))
I would like add one comment (suggestion?). Out of the States, there is no such thing as purée pumpkin in a can so I make my own using real pumpkin cooked in the oven then processed in a food processor until it is puréed. I can’t put my finger on what makes it taste better with real pumpkin but it is soooo good. Maybe it tastes more like pumpkin?? Anyway, thank you for this recipe!!!!
Thank you for sharing, Brandy! We are SO glad you and your family enjoy it! xoxo
Michaela says
I don’t have enough cashews. Which other nuts could I substitute in?
Also, could I use more dates instead of maple syrup? If so, how many more?
Hi Michaela, we’d suggest almonds or pecans. We prefer the texture of the crust with maple syrup in it. If subbing dates, perhaps ~4 more? Let us know if you try it!
Bonnie says
We’ve made the crust with part walnuts once (as we found we didn’t have enough cashews) and it was very yummy!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Bonnie!
Tonya says
I made this for Christmas dinner after recently told to go gluten-free and dairy-free by my doctor. It was delicious! We decided we like this crust better than regular crust. So glad to find your web site! I love the ability to choose which options to eliminate. What a blessing!
We love to hear this! So glad you enjoyed this pumpkin pie, Tonya. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Bonnie says
Yes this crust is fab isn’t it? Makes those bites that are all crust actually yummy instead of something you have to put up with :)
Thank you, Bonnie, we love to hear that!
Katie says
We made this pie for thanksgiving and promptly added it to our thanksgiving recipe binder with the note, “literally the only pie recipe we’ll ever need.” It’s so good that it’s becoming a serious problem. We’ve made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Send help.
The recipe is perfection as is, but we’ve also made some variations that have been lovely. For instance, adding a heaping 1/4c. cocoa powder and some vanilla to the crust (+ more coconut oil to account for extra dryness) is absurdly good. Subbing pecans for some of the cashews is lovely. Using coconut cream in place of coconut milk in the filling is just dandy. And most importantly, using a Tetsukabuto squash roasted with coconut oil and cinnamon instead of Libby’s is THE BEST.
Thank you (and darn you) for this recipe.
Oooo wow! All those variations sound delish. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Katie! So glad (and sorry ;) that you enjoy the pie!
Hilary says
The crust was good, but we thought the pie filling was too sweet. Also, the center did not set completely. I did use Libby pumpkin. I added extra spice because I thought it bland. I ended up tossing most of it (after I nibbled the crust away).
We’re so sorry to hear you didn’t have success with it, Hilary! Other readers have enjoyed this one, so we wonder if it’s possible something went wrong? Were your spices fresh? For the filling, it sounds like it may have needed to bake a bit longer.
Ayden says
I made this pie for my thanksgiving with my whole vegan family and it was the most beautiful and simply wonderful pumpkin I’ve ever had! It’s taste and aesthetic were on point and a huge hit! Loved it so much and and I highly recommend making this recipe! It was best a day later in the fridge!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review and hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Ayden! xo
JP says
I felt it was bland. I was going to serve it tomorrow for thanksgiving, but I was majorly disappointed with the flavor. I asked my husband and mother-in-law both to try it. They agreed that it’s lacking that pumpkin pie flavor we all know and love. It’s pretty flavorless and doesn’t have that SPICE you’d expect from pumpkin pie. I tried adding more spice and sugar to bring some life to it, but it didn’t help. It’s just a very boring pie. Disappointing …
We’re so sorry that was your experience! Is it possible your pumpkin pie spice is old? Or that you’re using a pumpkin purée without much flavor? Brands can vary quite a bit and we prefer Libby’s brand for best flavor.
Maureen says
Hi
Good looking recipe! What do you think, could one sun steel cut oats in a pinch if no rolled available? Since your pulsing it into a flour? Thanks!
Hi Maureen, we aren’t sure steel cut oats would work, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know if you try it!
Megan says
Hello!! So looking forward to making this! Can I substitute light brown sugar or if I sub the coconut sugar, does it have to be brown sugar? Thanks so much!
That should work well! Hope you love it, Megan! xo