Get ready to fall in love! This recipe for No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie is a classic, fluffy dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds. It's got a grain-free, perfectly spiced crust and flavorful pumpkin pie filling that's made in your blender. No oven time required!
It's time for one of the all-time best fall desserts: pumpkin pie! This a holiday superstar that needs to make its way onto your fall meal plan...maybe even Thanksgiving dessert! This is a vegan, paleo, and gluten-free dessert that everyone at your table can enjoy. It's also no-bake, so you can use your oven for other dishes and have dessert on the table right after dinner! Serve it with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream and watch your friends and family swoon.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling
All you need is a blender and a couple ingredients to make this delicious, creamy pumpkin filling. It's made with a base of raw cashews and pumpkin puree. I sweetened it with pure maple syrup, which adds a natural sweetness while keeping this dessert free of refined sugar. Finally, you'll add in coconut oil, lemon, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. That's it! Blend it until it's smooth and it'll go right onto your crust.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree in Pumpkin Pie
I use my Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree in this recipe. It is the creamiest, most flavorful way to cook with pumpkin puree. The best part is that it takes so much less time to make it than people realize. It's just a pie pumpkin, some water, and your Instant Pot. I also have an oven version which is just as simple. Once the pumpkin is cooked you can easily cut it in half, easily scoop out the seeds, and then let the skin fall right off. The pumpkin flesh then gets pureed in your blender and it is just so sweet and fluffy. I love it so much better than canned which to me tastes watery, bitter and lacks fresh pumpkin flavor. Of course you can always use canned pumpkin in a pinch but I do highly recommend giving homemade pumpkin puree a try because it really is so simple and makes a huge difference in recipes like this one.
Pumpkin is packed with disease-fighting nutrients. It contains powerful antioxidants known as carotenoids that can protect cells from free radical damage. It also offers fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, folate, potassium and vitamins A, C, E and K. That gets a big jack-o-lantern smile from me!
Cashew Pumpkin Pie Filling
The creaminess for this Vegan Pumpkin Pie comes from raw cashews. These offer plant-based protein and are also incredibly nutrient dense. Cashews are an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous and zinc. This makes your filling not only creamy and fluffy but incredibly nutritious, too! Blend everything until it becomes smooth, rich, and creamy. It smells, looks, and tastes incredible! I recommend soaking your cashews in advance to make the filling as smooth and creamy as possible. Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Crust
I created this grain-free crust out of Medjool dates, raw pecans, and unrefined coconut oil. That's it! You don't need to soak the pecans that go in the crust. They'll go straight into the 7-cup food processor with the dates and coconut oil. Once pulsed, they'll form a crumbly, sweet mixture that you can press into the bottom of a springform pan. You don't need to grease or line the pan either. I like to cover the crust with a layer of parchment and use the bottom of a drinking glass to really push it down. Once it is flat I remove the parchment paper and discard. The crust works best if you use dates that are fresh and soft. Once a package is open and left in the refrigerator for a couple days the dates start to harden and they won't work as well for this crust.
Once assembled, cover your pie and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. You can put it in the freezer if you want it to set up faster, but it will need thawing time if it becomes frozen solid. This pie tastes best served straight from the refrigerator. It's a vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free dessert. This Vegan Pumpkin Pie will truly delight everyone who tries it.
More Vegan and Gluten-Free Seasonal Treats
These recipes are also refined sugar-free!
The Best Vegan & Refined Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa
Creamy Cinnamon Vanilla Fruit Dip
Pumpkin & Chocolate Swirl Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
Print
No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie (vegan + paleo + gluten-free)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2.5 cups raw unsalted cashews*
- 1.5 cups homemade pumpkin puree (or 1, 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree)
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
For the crust:
- 8 soft pitted Medjool dates (1 cup)
- 1 cup raw unsalted pecans - no soaking needed
- 2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add all filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Add all crust ingredients to a 7-cup food processor fitted with an S blade and pulse until a course mixture forms. You should be able to press the mixture between your fingers and it should stick together. Transfer to a 7.5-inch springform pan. There is no need to line or grease the pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper overtop the crust and use the bottom of a glass to pack the crust down into an even layer that covers the entire bottom of the pan. Remove the parchment paper.
- Pour the filling directly overtop the crust.
- Place the pan in your freezer for 8-10 hours until the filling is frozen solid. Release the springform pan and use a knife to separate the bottom layer from the crust. It should slide right off the bottom of the pan and onto a serving plate. Allow to thaw for 1 hour at room temperature and then slice into 8-10 slices (it is thick and rich so 10 slices will still yield satisfying portions). Place on your serving platter, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- For smooth and creamy texture, I like to serve the pie after it has sat at room temperature for at least one hour. You can serve while still frozen and it will be more like cheesecake texture. Both are delicious.
- Top pumpkin pie slices with homemade coconut whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator if you plan to enjoy within a week. Otherwise, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
Notes
*Soak the cashews in boiling hot water for at least 1 hour in advance of blending. Once soaked the cashews will measure 2 ⅔ cups (or more if you soak longer). After soaking is complete, drain, rinse and dry and add to blender. Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
To make homemade pumpkin puree place a 2.5-3 pound pie pumpkin on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Pierce a couple holes in it with a knife and bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes (cook time will depend on the size of your pumpkin - you will know it is finished cooking when the skin starts to brown). Once the pumpkin is cool, slice in half and remove the seeds and "guts" of the pumpkin. The outer skin should peel right off. If not, use a spoon to scoop the flesh of the pumpkin away from the skin. Place all the pumpkin flesh in a blender and puree using a tamper/plunger on low speed until smooth and creamy. This should make 2 cups of pumpkin puree. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also use my Instant Pot method to cook the pumpkin whole.
- Prep Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezer
Keywords: no-bake vegan pumpkin pie
Elizabeth says
Thank you for the recipe! I wanted to make a vegan pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving and couldn't pass your tasty looking recipe by when I saw a photo on Instagram! I love how it's no bake and isn't too sweet. I didn't have time to make my own pumpkin puree but the canned variety worked just fine for me. I've had a couple of refrigerated slices and might try freezing a portion next to try it out that way! Thanks again 🙂
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for letting me know! Yes, the no-bake aspect of the recipe is totally clutch for oven-heavy holidays. O do highly recommend trying the frozen version as well - it is more like cheesecake. You could even add a little lemon juice to it next time to give it that cheesecake tang.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Best, Elaine
Kylie says
Excited to try this out. Never made pumpkin pie before but I have recently had to cut out all dairy products and I'm keen to try new recipes.
I just made the base first and refrigerated while I do filling and soak the cashews. Do you think you could substitute the cashews with another nut? Or do half cashews and half another nut? I bought cashews but forgot how much I needed when at the shop. They only came in small 100g bags.
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Kylie. Great question! You could substitute raw blanched slivered almonds (unsalted and not roasted). These are different from sliced almonds which have the skin which you do NOT want here. You want a smooth neutral flavor. You could also potentially use raw macademia nuts. If you have raw sunflower seeds that could potentially work but I'm guessing you would need to use less and it might have a slight flavor. I would stick with raw cashews or the raw blanched slivered almonds if possible. Do you have enough for that? Best of luck and I hope you love the end result! Best, Elaine
Kylie says
Ok, perfect! I had a cup and half of the cashews and found a cup of almonds in the cupboard so have just blanched them and removed the skins. Now letting both nuts soak and will see how that goes.
Elaine Gordon says
Oh wow, I have never blanched almonds myself - very ambitious of you! How did it turn out for you?
Emma Eckley says
Just made this recipe! It is setting up in the freezer as a write up this review. I am doing an experiment this year at our family's Thanksgiving gathering. I am making this vegan pumpkin pie and a traditional pumpkin pie to see which the family enjoys more. I have not tried this yet but I did taste test the filling and the crust - and boy oh boy, is it tasty good. Can't wait to try a piece of the pie on Thursday.
Thanks for the recipe Elaine!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Emma! Sounds like a fun experiment and I'm excited to hear how it turns out! May the best pie win! Happy early Thanksgiving! Best, Elaine