Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

This Homemade Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie recipe is seriously delicious! This coconut milk pumpkin pie is creamy, perfectly sweet and loaded with cozy fall spices - a must-make Thanksgiving dessert.

This is the best pumpkin pie recipe you will ever eat, and it just so happens to be dairy-free!

Even better, you won't find any processed ingredients (like sweetened condensed milk) in this from-scratch dairy-free pumpkin pie recipe!

The holidays can be tough for people who can't eat dairy. Every creamy dreamy casserole and dessert is loaded with the white stuff - milk, half and half, cream, butter, etc.

And while some of us can throw caution to the wind and splurge one (or two) days out of the year, others who are severely allergic to dairy have to be vigilant , especially during the holidays.

Well, this recipe will make all your dairy-free pumpkin pie dreams come true.  (Also check out this healthy sweet potato casserole, vegan pumpkin cheesecake and these cute mini vegan pumpkin pies)!

Dairy-free pumpkin pie: Ingredients & substitutions 

• Coconut milk:
  • Dairy-full substitution: If you do not have a problem eating dairy, this pie is also delicious when coconut milk is substituted for whole milk or half and half!
  • Dairy-free substitution:  You can substitute coconut milk with dairy-free creamer (unsweetened). I do not recommend using almond milk because it is much thinner and less rich than coconut milk.
• Vegan butter:
  • Dairy-free substitution: If you don't have access to vegan butter, substitute it with vegetable shortening.
  • Dairy-full substitution: Again , if you do not need to avoid dairy, regular butter can be used in place of vegan butter!
• All-purpose flour: for a gluten-free pie crust, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the regular all-purpose flour!
• Pumpkin puree. Please make sure to use pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)! You can use either a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree or about 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree. If using homemade, I recommend straining it in a coffee filter over a fine mesh strainer to remove any excess water.

Other than this I do not recommend any other substitutions. And, as always, this pie is best when following the recipe exactly as it's written!

How to make Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie 

Let's start by breaking down how to make this coconut milk pumpkin pie recipe step-by-step! This dairy-free pumpkin pie is made completely from scratch, but don't let that intimidate you! It's super easy and is ready to toss into the oven in no time!

Make the Dairy-Free Pie Crust

When baking any pie recipe with homemade pie crust, it's important to start by making the pie crust first, because it needs to chill. Here are a few notes about making a perfect pie crust (see this comprehensive post on making the best homemade pie crust - just use dairy-free ingredients. It also includes my list of pie-crust making tools)

Use cold ingredients. Prepare ice water by measuring out cold water and tossing an ice cube (or two) in it. Chop up the vegan butter and put it in the freezer while you measure out the rest of the ingredients. Those little pockets of vegan butter make the crust extra flaky and delicious.

Use a food processor. you can do it by hand and use a pastry cutter, but a food processor makes the process so easy. The only thing to note here is that you will want to add all of the ingredients (including water) before processing, because you do not want ot over-process the pie crust.

Form a circle by hand. Once the crust ingredients form a ball in the food processor (see below), remove them and combine the rest by hand. Shape it into a relatively thin, flat circle and wrap with plastic wrap. This will make rolling a breeze.

Chill. once the crust is wrapped in plastic wrap, put it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight. If chilling overnight I recommend putting it in another airtight container like a plastic bag or Tupperware.

Roll the pie crust

After the crust has chilled for at least one hour, pull it out and put it on a well-floured surface. Here are a few tips to make rolling easier:

Use a heavy rolling pin to roll out the crust! I have had this marble rolling pin for 11 years and couldn't live without it. It applies the perfect amount of pressure to the chilled crust to make it roll easily.

Measure the crust with the pie plate. As you see in the photo below, after I roll the crust out I like to be certain it will fit in my pie plate. So I recommend holding the pie plate over the crust circle just to be sure that it will fit. There needs to be a little extra dough overhang so that you can make a nice crust edge.

Pinch the edges. Start by folding the crust and making a nice edge around the pie dish. Then, use your thumb and pointer finger to pinch the edges of the crust and make a nice design.

Chill again (if the filling isn't made). Next, it's time to make the dairy-free pumpkin pie filling, and while that is happening wrap the crust in plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator. If you already have the filling made before the crust is rolled, then you do not need to chill the crust again.

Make the Dairy-free pumpkin pie filling

This part is very easy. The filling is made in just one bowl with a whisk! There really aren't any specific tips I can give you to make this process go more smoothly, except that you should definitely mix the wet ingredients together first, and then add the dry!

I do recommend using a wire whisk to make this dairy-free pumpkin pie filling to ensure that there are no lumps of brown sugar or spices left in the batter!

Bake

Once the filling is made, remove the crust from the refrigerator, pour it in and bake. I highly recommend using a pie crust shield, or a piece of tin foil that you cut to fit the edges of the pie. Otherwise the crust on the edges will almost definitely burn before the filling is cooked!

Let it cool

This coconut milk pumpkin pie needs to cool for at least two hours (preferably longer). If you like to serve your pumpkin pie cold, then after an hour or so, transfer the pie on a wire cooling rack to the refrigerator.

Serve

I recommend serving this dairy-free pumpkin pie with some dairy-free whipped cream, whipped topping, or vanilla ice cream. I added a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top and a little pie crust cutout for fun!

Store

Store any leftover pie in an airtight container int he refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Freeze

This pie freezes really well! There are 2 ways to freeze this recipe:

1. Freeze the entire pie. Simply bake and chill the pie, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving. 
2. Freeze individual slices. If you have a few leftover slices you want to freeze, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze them. Then, once they're frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. 

Recipe FAQs

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What can I make with pumpkin? 

I have lots of delicious ideas for you if you're looking to make something with pumpkin, besides this dairy-free pumpkin pie of course!

• Make a loaf of the BEST pumpkin bread ever! 
• This pumpkin pie is the BEST and it's made completely from scratch. 
• Pumpkin baked oatmeal is one of our favorite fall breakfasts! 
• Baked pumpkin donuts are another yummy breakfast for special days!
• This no-bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake is great if you have people in your family with food allergies! Also this paleo pumpkin bread, these paleo pumpkin muffins, and these mini vegan pumpkin pies!
• Make a batch of this pumpkin coffee creamer. It's healthy and delicious! 

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