This is the dessert you'll be craving all holiday season! Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding has a short ingredient list and it's quick to make, but it's full of pumpkin flavor and warm spices!
My kids absolutely love it when I make a batch of pudding for them. This Pumpkin Pie Pudding is so delicious I usually make enough to share with the kids and save some for the grownups. It's a vegan dessert pudding made with raw cashews, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, and my favorite spice of the season: pumpkin pie spice! Catch me doing a happy dance in the kitchen whenever this is on the dessert menu!
It can be made with all pantry ingredients so you can whip it up anytime.
Refined-Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Pudding
I sweetened this Pumpkin Pie Pudding with pure maple syrup. This is my favorite sweetener to use in so many dishes. It keeps your favorite treats free of refined sugar while adding a totally yummy sweetness. It's one of those items that has a permanent spot on my shopping list because I use it for everything!
Dairy-Free Pudding with Raw Cashews
The creaminess for this pumpkin pudding comes from raw cashews which offer plant-based protein and are also incredibly nutrient dense. Cashews are considered an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous and zinc.
I buy raw, unsalted cashews in the bulk section of my grocery store and store them in my refrigerator in a large mason jar that is airtight. In the refrigerator cashews can last up to six months. They can actually last up to a year if you store them in your freezer.
For more information on cashews, check out my complete guide on Cashews Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
I do recommend soaking them for at least one hour in boiling water in advance so that when you blend them they get super creamy. No one wants gritty pudding! Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Homemade Pumpkin Puree
As with all of my pumpkin recipes, I used my Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree. Canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!) will work just fine here, but I promise that making your own pumpkin puree is easier than you think and the taste is phenomenal! It truly just takes a pumpkin, some water, and time in the Instant Pot. My toddler son even tastes the difference! He'll eat homemade puree by the spoonful but spits out the canned stuff. I agree with him, too. The canned pumpkin puree tastes more bitter to me and can oftentimes be watery. Homemade pumpkin puree is sweet, fluffy, creamy and has incredibly fresh authentic pumpkin flavor. It is so good and totally worth it in recipes like this where pumpkin is the star ingredient.
Toppings for Pumpkin Pudding
I love having a couple topping options! These are totally optional but add some great flavors to your dessert. Try Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream, ground cinnamon, or Homemade Maple Candied Pecans.
This Pumpkin Pie Pudding recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly, peanut-free, soy-free, and free of refined sugars! It's a dessert you can feel great about and serve to everyone at your table this holiday season.
More Vegan and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes:
Both savory and sweet… and all refined sugar-free!
Homemade Pumpkin Puree (oven method) Homemade Pumpkin Puree (pressure cooker method)
Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins
PrintVegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the dessert you'll be craving all holiday season! Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding has a short ingredient list and it's quick to make, but it's full of pumpkin flavor and warm spices!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw soaked cashews*
- ½ cup homemade pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Optional toppings: homemade coconut whipped cream, ground cinnamon and/or homemade maple candied pecans
Instructions
- Add the soaked cashews, homemade pumpkin puree, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides if needed and blend again to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. I typically start on the lowest speed and then gradually increase the speed of the blender to the highest speed to achieve perfectly creamy results.
- Taste and add more maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon if desired. It will be warm from blending at this point.
- Pour the mixture into four small bowls and cover and place in your refrigerator for a couple of hours (2-4 hours should be enough). This will allow the pudding to thicken and chill.
- Serve well chilled with homemade coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. This pumpkin pie pudding also pairs well with my homemade maple candied pecans. Enjoy within one week.
Notes
You can substitute the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree.
You can substitute a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree but I highly recommend using homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. It makes a huge different in this recipe. It will be sweeter, creamier and thicker with homemade pumpkin puree. You can make homemade pumpkin puree in your Instant Pot or in your oven.
* Read more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
Penny says
Delicious. Store didn’t have Pie Pumpkin so used Acorn squash. Made your whipped cream and maple pecans as well and so good! Will make again for certain. Thank you!
Elaine Gordon says
Thanks, Penny! Yea they tend to run out this time of year! I'm sorry! But great substitution idea! You can also substitute butternut squash, honeynut squash or even sweet potato (orange or purple sweet potato). So glad you liked the whipped cream and maple pecans! They all go so well together. And my quick and easy granola :). Enjoy!