Velvety smooth, perfectly soft & custardy vegan pumpkin pie with a deliciously crisp pastry crust. Add to that a drizzle of decadently rich, warm caramel sauce & you have THE best fall dessert!
Would you believe that I had never tried pumpkin pie until about two and half years ago? It is not something you see often in England and it was only when we moved to Canada and experienced our first Thanksgiving that we ate it for the first time.
It was love at first bite!
At that time it was not a vegan pie. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen a vegan version for sale anywhere. That is why I decided to come up with my own version for Thanksgiving this year.
My vegan Pumpkin Pie has a crispy wholewheat pastry case, and a rich, velvety, smooth and creamy pumpkin filling. Top that with a drizzle of the most delicious caramel sauce ever and a big dollop of whipped coconut cream and you have perfection on a plate (or in a pie dish)!
It might sound like it is going to be complicated to make but I promise it’s not. The pastry is made in minutes in a food processor (you could even buy a pre-made pastry case if you like), the filling takes a minute to two in a blender and the caramel sauce five minutes tops.
This vegan Pumpkin Pie is so delicious and totally dairy and egg free. It is full of healthy ingredients yet tastes totally decadent.
Don’t, whatever you do, skip the caramel sauce….it is to die for and takes the pie to the next level. It is also the easiest caramel sauce to make EVER! I could not stop licking it off the spoon. I am lucky there was any left to drizzle over my pie at all!
A big dollop of coconut whipped cream finishes off this pie beautifully. If you have never whipped coconut cream before you might want to watch this quick video which shows you step by step how to do it.
I am dying to hear what you think of my vegan Pumpkin Pie With Caramel Sauce so please, if you make it, leave your comments below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram (@avirtualvegan) and add the hashtag #avirtualvegan so I don’t miss them. I love to see what you’re cooking!
If you love pumpkin be sure to check out my Pumpkin, Pecan & Chocolate Granola Bars, my Chocolate Tahini Pumpkin Smoothie and my Roast Stuffed Pumpkin!
Pumpkin Pie With Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
For the pastry case
- 240g | 2 cups wholewheat flour (you can sub this for white if you prefer)
- 110g | ½ cup coconut oil It needs to be very hard. If yours is soft then put it in the fridge for an hour before you make the pastry.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 - 4 tablespoons ice cold water
For the filling
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk (My tin was 400mls but if yours is one that is 398mls that will be fine too)
- 450g | 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 150g | ¾ cup coconut sugar (any other granulated sugar will work too)
- 4 tablespoons arrowroot powder (you can sub this for cornstarch if you prefer)
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see recipe notes if this is unavailable where you are)
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- 100g | ½ cup of coconut sugar (sometimes called coconut palm sugar (I have not tried this with any other sugar so I can't guarantee it will work as well if you make a sub)
- 2 tablepsoons water
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (solid measurement)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For decoration
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
Instructions
For the pastry case
- Add the flour, solid coconut oil and salt to a food processor and process until well combined. You might need to scrape down the edges with a spatula once. Do not over mix, you want it just combined.
- Gradually add your water 1 tablespoon at a time while the food processor is running. I used 4 tablespoons but yours might vary slightly. It should start balling up as it whizzes around but if you aren't sure turn it off and pull a bit out with your hands. If it is nice and soft and squeezes together easily then there is enough water. If it feels a little dry and crumbly then add a little more water.
- If you do not have a food processor then add the flour, salt and coconut oil to a chilled bowl. Rub the coconut oil into the flour as quickly as you can with your finger tips. Once it looks bread crumby gradually add the water, stirring with a knife until a dough starts to form and you can gently bring it together in your hands.
- Line your pie dish immediately, unless your kitchen is very warm and the pastry is too soft. If this is the case wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes before continuing. (I used a 9 inch dish but any similar size will be fine, it will just end up a bit deeper or shallower so you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly).
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry. Pastry made with coconut oil is a little more difficult to work with than regular pastry so if you have trouble rolling it out just put the ball of pastry into the pie dish and press it into place with your finger tips.
- Place the lined tin in the fridge and let is rest for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove from the fridge and line the pastry with some baking parchment and fill with baking beans or dried rice to weigh everything down and to stop the pastry rising.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins. Lift out the baking parchment and beans/rice and bake again for 5 minutes.
- Remove and turn the oven down to 350°F
- Leave the pastry case to cool a bit while you make the filling.
For the filling
- Add all of the filling ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Pour into the pastry case
- Place in the oven and bake. The time it takes will vary depending on how deep your pie dish is. Mine is just over 2 inches deep and my pie took 60 minutes. If yours is very shallow then it will probably only take 35 - 40 minutes. When it is ready it will visibly 'look' set but still be pretty wobbly. Remove from the oven when it reaches this stage.
- Allow to cool. Don't worry if it still feels a little loose.
- Once cool enough, refrigerate for at least 2 - 3 hours. Longer or overnight will be absolutely fine too.
For the caramel sauce
- Add the coconut sugar and the water to a pan.
- Place over a medium heat and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved and it is just starting to bubble. DO NOT STIR!! If you need to, just swirl the pan a bit. It will take 3 -4 minutes max.
- Remove from the heat and add the tahini, salt and coconut oil. Put back over a very low heat and stir very well until it is all well combined. It is normal to see a few little light flecks through it.
- Serve drizzled with warm caramel sauce and some whipped coconut cream.
Recipe Notes
As the caramel cools (or if you keep it in the fridge) it will become very thick. To loosen it up again all you need to do is warm it in the microwave for 10 - 20 seconds, or in a pan on the hob for a minute or so.
I used a 10 inch dish but any similar size will be fine, it will just end up a bit deeper or shallower so you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly I would suggest you weigh the flour and coconut oil when making the pastry if you want a perfect result.
If you cannot get Pumpkin Pie Spice where you are, it is very simple to make yourself and great for adding to all sorts of baked goods like apple pies or cakes. Here is a very simple recipe.
The pie and caramel sauce keep well in the fridge for a few days. The caramel sauce will firm up in the fridge but you can loosen it again by warming it gently either in a pan on the hob over very low heat or for a 20-30 seconds in a microwave.
Sarah Bean says
We featured your recipe in our Thanksgiving post! Feel free to share and comment 🙂 https://www.raisinghumanbeans.com/2017/11/06/thankful-for-thanksgiving-recipes-crafts-and-more/
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Sarah!
Kara says
I just put this pie in the oven but I have a lot of extra filling left over that wouldn’t fit into the crust. I followed the recipe exactly. Am I supposed to have this much left over?
A Virtual Vegan says
I don’t ever have any filling leftover. Perhaps your pie dish is a slightly different size to mine. You could bake up any leftovers in ramekins or small oven proof dishes to save wasting it then just eat it with some of the caramel sauce. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge. I hope you enjoy it and Merry Christmas!
Kat says
My filling curtled, I did use coconut cream instead of milk and flour instead of arrowroot. I just finished mixing. It tastes fine. Thought? Serve able??
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Kat, I am only just seeing this now as I have been at work all day. Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I have made this many times and never had curdling issues so it must be something to do with the ingredients that you subbed. Personally if it were me I would blend it up as smooth as possible then sieve it to get any lumpy bits out then carry on as directed. Then fingers crossed and hope for the best. The only worry I would have with replacing the milk with coconut cream is how hard it will set up after. You might find it goes a bit solid rather than custardy once refrigerated. I am sure it will still be edible and the caramel sauce is so delicious that anything would taste good covered in it anyway ;O) I hope it worked out ok in the end!
Sarah Whiddett says
This was yummy. My pastry was a bit hard, and I think that’s partly because I didn’t use a food processor. My pie was also very flat and I think it would have been better baked in an 8″ pie dish rather than a 9″ one (and maybe that’s also why my pastry was hard). I made my own pumpkin pie spice which worked out well and this is definitely gorgeous with coconut cream. The caramel sauce was lovely though it sets very quickly and I would have liked it more runny. I will make this again, for sure!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Sarah, I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed it! Pastry can get a bit hard if it is over handled or cooked for a little too long. Perhaps adjust the cooking time by 5 or 10 minutes next time and try to handle it as little as possible. With the caramel sauce, it does become very thick as it cools. That’s why I mention to serve it warm, then it is easily pourable. If it does cool down, or if you make it in advance and store it in the fridge then just warm it slightly before serving again to loosen it up. There are instructions in the notes section of the recipe for how to do this. I often make double of the caramel and keep it for pancakes, waffles etc!
Sarah Whiddett says
I know what you mean about keeping it warm, though my caramel was stiff even when it was warm. It didn’t ‘flow’ like I’d expect a sauce to. I almost certainly over-worked the pastry. I have just moved house and my food processor is still in a box somewhere! I’m missing it more and more!
A Virtual Vegan says
I would be lost without my food processor! You could add a little more water to the sauce next time to make it runnier :O)
Shannon says
Thank you for allowing me to share this in my Thanksgiving roundup – I plan to post this Friday.
Kathryn says
This is my new go to pumpkin pie recipe, picky boyfriend approved, so effin delicious! Cant wait to make it for the fam! And that sauce, my oh my, to die for! Thank you Mel!
My Desert Love Designs and Blog says
Great yummy pics and a vegan pumpkin is certainly new to me. All that coconut subbing is right up my alley. I love coconut and pumpkin combo sounds like a match made in heaven! Thanks again for giving me feedback on my social buttons. That was very considerate of you.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you and you’re welcome! ????