Healthy Pumpkin Pie (vegan)

A super simple pumpkin pie – one that is easy to prepare, very healthy, and tastes great – a must-have dessert for Thanksgiving!

We absolutely love this Healthy Pumpkin Pie! It’s the most ubiquitous holiday dessert served on Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and has been a family favorite for centuries. And what could be a more traditional fall dessert than pumpkin pie! Honestly, the real star and whole point of this post is the Healthy Pumpkin Pie Filling! And there are several reasons why you want to make this pie a part of your Thanksgiving Day feast this year!

1. It is one of the easiest desserts you can make.
2. It doesn’t contain any fat, refined sugar, or cholesterol.
3. It is full of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants.
4. It is healthy enough to eat for breakfast.
5. It is naturally gluten-free, plant-based, and vegan.

Let’s break each of these attributes down, shall we? I love how easy this filling is. All you need is a bowl and a whisk. Seriously, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie is one of the easiest desserts you can make. All you have to do is whisk or stir the ingredients together in a bowl, pour it into a crust or pan, and bake it. That is it. No special tools, mixers, blenders, or appliances are required – well, you do need an oven.

Second, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie filling doesn’t contain any added fat, refined sugar, or cholesterol. So how is this possible? Most pumpkin pie recipes I’ve made or seen over the years contain fatty ingredients to provide substance. Traditional pies contain eggs and evaporated milk, while vegan pies typically contain coconut milk. By omitting the eggs, dairy, and coconut milk, this pie contains only a negligible amount of fat from the pumpkin and plant milk, depending on the type used. I use plain unsweetened almond milk or my Oat + Nut Milk.

Thanks to the pure pumpkin purée, this is a nutritious fruit dessert perfect for fall family gatherings. And it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast. How can I say such things? Easy, pumpkin is full of fiber, nutrients, and powerful antioxidants.

Much like sweet potatoes, pumpkin contains a hefty dose of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A. Just one cup of pumpkin contains 245% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A. That’s a lot! According to Healthline, beta-carotene protects your skin from harmful UV rays and performs as a natural sunblock. (Healthline)

Pumpkin also contains a good amount of Vitamin C, which keeps our skin healthy and strong. It contains copper, manganese, Vitamins B2 and E, iron, and potassium. Those who eat higher levels of potassium reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke by lowering blood pressure. Pumpkin also contains 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Comprised of 94% water, pumpkin only contains 49 calories and .2 grams of fat. (Healthline) That’s incredible!

But the orange fruit doesn’t stop there. Pumpkin protects our cells from free radicals and oxidative stress through antioxidants. These powerful antioxidants also offer our bodies critical protection from sun damage and cancer, improve eye health, and decrease the ill-effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol – all while strengthening our immune system. (Healthline)

This Healthy Pumpkin Pie is also plant-based and vegan. As I’ve explained already, this pie does not contain any dairy or eggs. One “best” pumpkin pie recipe calls for three large eggs, one cup of heavy cream, and one and a quarter cups of sugar. Take out the eggs and half of the sugar, and you lose about one cup of filling.

For this reason, it’s important to bake this Healthy Pumpkin Pie in a standard nine-inch pie pan or dish. It comes down to math – there is simply less filling in this recipe than there is in a more “traditional” egg-based pumpkin pie recipe.

The key to making this successful baked pumpkin custard is the addition of cornstarch to the pumpkin purée. I like that the cornstarch does not alter or detract from the pumpkin flavor. If you can’t consume cornstarch or prefer not to use it, you can substitute arrowroot starch, just reduce the amount to three tablespoons. The texture may be slightly different, but it should work.

If you choose not to use a pie crust, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie is naturally gluten-free. Whether you follow a gluten-free diet or not, you can make your own crust, purchase a regular or gluten-free ready-made crust, or omit the pie crust altogether.

If you choose to forgo the crust, use a non-stick baking pan, a glass baking dish, or silicon pan. Be sure to chill the pumpkin pie custard in the refrigerator until set. The results are a perfectly creamy pumpkin custard. See for yourself!

Some of my photos – like the one below – show a higher pie crust in a brown glass deep dish pie pan. While a deep dish pie pan does the job, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie is more balanced if I had a regular or standard-sized pie pan. And just like that, voila! After complaining about not having a standard pie dish, my husband bought me one – one of the many reasons I adore him. Regardless of what you choose for a pie dish or crust, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie is absolutely delicious.

And finally, instead of using regular refined white sugar, which causes inflammation within our bodies, I recommend using either coconut sugar or date sugar. Both of these are more natural and healthier alternatives. In particular, coconut sugar is a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap. It’s a brown granulated sugar similar to raw sugar. And unlike regular sugar, coconut sugar retains many of the nutrients from the coconut palm, including fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, polyphenols, and antioxidants.

For these reasons, coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar. (Healthline) I also only use one-half cup of coconut sugar for this pie, though you can add more, depending on your sweetness preference.

I love that I was able to create a baked pumpkin custard that looks, tastes, and feels similar to the more traditional pumpkin pie we’ve enjoyed over the years. And it’s not just vegan and plant-based, it’s also super healthy. Indeed, this Healthy Pumpkin Pie is healthy enough to eat for breakfast. Although, we do enjoy serving each scrumptious slice with either coconut whipped cream or almond whipped cream, along with a dusting of either pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. I know there are many different options available now, but Reddi-Whip is available where we live. They offer incredibly tasty non-dairy whipped cream toppings.

Disclaimer: the Reddi-whip non-dairy topping doesn’t always get the best ratings – many report that the can doesn’t dispense the entire contents. However, the directions specifically tell you to place the bottom of the can under hot water for 5-10 seconds. It works great and is the perfect topping for a holiday treat. We’ve never had a problem. Also, please know that I don’t get any compensation for telling you that I personally use and love this non-dairy whipped topping. Pinky swear.

I hope you enjoy this Healthy Pumpkin Pie as much as I do.  I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

And don’t forget to subscribe for new recipes today!!

Ingredients

• 1 9″ unbaked vegan pie crust* (optional)
• 1 15 ounce can Pumpkin purée (a little more than 1¾ cups)**
• 1 cup plant milk
• ½ – 1 cup coconut or date sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice***
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• dash of salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 365° F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the remaining ingredients until very smooth.  Taste the filling, adjust spices, sugar, and salt, as desired.

1. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust, if using, or pan.

1. Place the pie on the center rack in the oven and tent with foil to prevent the edges of the crust from browning too quickly.
2. Bake for 60-70 minutes.  Remove the foil after 45 minutes.
3. The crust should be golden and the center may appear a little soft; the edges should look firm with some cracks.

1. Cool the pie to room temperature and place in the refrigerator uncovered for at least four hours, or until set.
2. Serve plain or with non-dairy whipped topping.  I like sprinkling a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top.
3. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

* Use your favorite pie crust or omit the crust altogether. I do not recommend a deep dish pie plate for this recipe. A standard 9 inch pie pan is the best size for this pie. It’s the right amount of filling and cooks evenly. If you’re not using a crust, you can use an 8 inch square glass or silicon pan.

** If you prefer to use fresh homemade pumpkin purée, be sure it’s similar to the consistency of canned pumpkin purée. If it’s too wet, it will need to bake longer. You may also want to add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.

***I recommend using 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to start, then adding more as desired. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, combine 1½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger, and a dash of cloves.  This will make just over 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, the perfect amount for this recipe. I have used this blend many times and it strikes the perfect balance. Some find the taste of cloves a bit much, so be careful to add only a smidge at a time.

You can make this pie in advance and freeze this pie.  Be sure to allow it to completely chill in the refrigerator. Then wrap with plastic wrap and foil. You can store it 1-3 months this way. Then thaw the pie fully in the refrigerator.