This Homemade Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie recipe from scratch is the best pumpkin pie ever! This coconut milk pumpkin pie is 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 pumpkin pie recipe! Only fresh, wholesome ingredients {and a whole lot of love} goes into making this perfect pumpkin pie!
Really, 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 have to be vigilant , especially during the holidays. Well, never fear, I’m here to make all your dairy-free pumpkin pie dreams come true.
How do you 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!
1. 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.
- 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. Sure 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.
Pie-crust making tools
There are a few tools that I consider essential in the pie crust-making process!
- Marble Rolling Pin: You will need to roll out the dough to achieve the perfect shape and thickness!
- Pastry Cloth: Using a pastry cloth is the best, fool-proof way to roll out a pie crust! Just flour the cloth, place the dough on it and roll away! Then you can use the cloth to lift the crust and transfer it to the pie dish, which prevents any tearing during the move!
- Pie Crust Shield: In order to prevent the crust {ahem, the best part} from burning I always use a shield! It’s way easier than cutting foil to fit your pan!
- Food Processor. I mentioned above why I love making pie crusts in a food processor! If you don’t have one and don’t care to own one, a pastry cutter or fork works well to incorporate the ingredients!
Obviously you can make a crust without these things (well except for a rolling pin)…but if you anticipate there will be lots of pie-making in your future, I highly recommend checking these out!
2. 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 second photo below, after I roll the crust out I like to be 110% sure 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.
- Use a pastry cloth. I didn’t do this in this recipe, and used my hands to transfer the dough from the surface to the pie dish. However using a pastry cloth makes the whole process even easier!
- 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.
3. Make the Dairy-free pumpkin pie filling
This part is CRAZY 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!
4. Bake the pie.
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!
5. 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.
What do you serve with dairy-free pumpkin pie?
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!
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie: Ingredients and Substitutions
Let’s chat a little bit about the ingredients in this dairy-free pumpkin pie recipe!
Notes about pumpkin puree:
- Pure Canned Pumpkin puree. Please make sure to use pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)!
- Homemade pumpkin puree. You can use either 1 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!
A note on coconut milk.
Some people may be concerned that the coconut milk will cause this dairy-free pumpkin pie to taste like coconut…but that is not the case! Most recently, I served this pie to 8 adults and 4 kids and no one suspected a thing.
Even my husband, who has a serious super-taster gene for coconut (I am not joking it’s insane) couldn’t taste a hint of coconut flavor! There are a few ways you can adapt this pie…
Possible 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!
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!
Shop Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Making Essentials!
measuring cups // measuring spoons // whisk // spatula // mixing bowl // food processor // marble rolling pin // pastry cloth // pastry cutter // pie dish // pie crust shield // pie server // fall pie crust cutters
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Dairy-Free Pumpkin PIe
Ingredients
Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree)
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pie Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 TBS granulated sugar
- ½ cup earth balance vegan butter sticks chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces**
- ¼ cup ice cold water
Instructions
Make the pie Crust:
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse to combine.
- Add the vegan butter and cold water and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, begins to stick together, and holds together when pinched.
- Remove dough from processor (will be crumbly) and form into a ball.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes or overnight
Make the filling:
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
- Whisk in the pumpkin, coconut milk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add sugar, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and mix until completely combined.
Putting it together
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a pie plate and set aside.
- Roll out your pie dough on a well-floured surface (pastry cloth) to fit the size of your pie plate.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the pie plate and shape the crust how you want it to look.
- Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and cover the crust with a pastry shield
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.
- Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. It may be a bit wobbly still, but it will firm-up as it cools.
- Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours (Be patient! This is important). Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
*replace coconut milk with half and half or whole milk
**replace vegan butter with regular, salted butter
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on Nov 21, 2016. New photos, a video and more detailed instructions have been added to the post, but the recipe remains unchanged.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!
Mary
It was extremely delicious and will definitely make again. However, my pie cracked from the top and I’m wondering where could I have gone wrong? Is it possible that I’ve over whisked it?
Jazzy
This was a hit with my family! We all loved it and I’ve already been asked to make a second batch today! So glad I found this recipe. Thank you!
Crystal
Made this for thanksgiving and it was delicious!! Didn’t miss the dairy at all.
Laura
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Crystal!
Tara
This pie was so easy to make! I am not a baker, and baking actually freaks me out a bit, but the intsructions were so easy to follow. I made this pie with the dairy ingredients (milk and butter) and it was so delicious. My family requested it for Christmas too!!
Laura
I’m so glad you love it Tara! 😉
FREDERICK MACKENZIE
I made this pie a week ago, using some of the leftover pumpkin puree I had. I gotta tell you, you were spot on with this being delicious! The difference made by using the coconut milk was wonderful. And, no, you could not taste the coconut at all. I also used cultured butter when I made this, as that was what I had on hand. I’ll definitely be saving this recipe for future use and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great pumpkin pie recipe! Thank you!
Laura
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! <3
Paola
Finally – a delicious lactose-free alternative to my favourite pie. 🙂
Natalia
Made this for Thanksgiving. I was nervous to see if it would be good because I’ve tried other pumpkin pie recipes and they didn’t turn out but this pie was so good! I received a lot of compliments on it. This will always be my go to recipe now. Thank you!
Laura
Thank you Natalia! I’m so glad you all loved it!
Yessica
I made this for thanksgiving and this was the tastiest filling and best crust I’ve ever made. The crust wasn’t soggy at all, it was so buttery and the salt made it so much better than other crusts I’ve had cause it didnt just taste like flour, there was some good flavor in there. the pumpkin filling was also really good, not too sweet, perfectly spiced and it set wonderfully. Best pie I’ve never had. Will def make the crust again, I love the flavor and texture.
Polly
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!! Like eat it for breakfast today (that good!) I didn’t have coconut milk on hand, but I had cashew and it worked just fine 🙂 Thanks for sharing, this was delicious!!
Lynda Mitchell
I made this pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving. It was the best dairy-free pumpkin pie I ever made! Thank you for the recipe. I would have never guessed that Earth Balance would work as the fat in a pie crust or that full fat coconut milk could be used as a sub for condensed milk and not add a strong coconut flavor. There was no hint of coconut flavor in the pie at all.
Alisa
Tastes just like a regular pumpkin pie! Was very easy to make. I used a premade gluten free pie crust instead. Will definitely be making this again.
Carol
Would you recommend sweetened, canned coconut milk over unsweetened canned coconut milk. I made this pie with the unsweetened canned milk. I hope that it is sweet enough. I did put the 3/4 cup of brown sugar in per recipe. The canned coconut milk milk is 14% fat. So I did get the heavy fat kind. It was called Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk.
Laura
Yes! Unsweetened canned is perfect, and native forest is a great choice! Happy thanksgiving!
Alissa
Help! I accidentally used 1 can of coconut milk instead of 1 cup. The filling is very liquidy. Is it ruined?!?
Laura
Yikes, that’s about 1/2 cup more liquid than would typically be in the filling….you could try to bake it but I fear it might not set up. Or you can double the recipe and make two pies!
Linda
Hello,
Can I use Vanilla Coconut Milk ? Accidentally bought the wrong one. Think it would taste good?
Thank you for any advice.
Laura
Hey Linda! I’m sure it would taste delicious, my only concern is that you purchased refrigerated coconut milk instead of canned. The refrigerated coconut milk is usually thinner than canned. It should still work but I’d be curious what the fat content is of the coconut milk you purchased!
Lori
Hi, thanks for this! Making it tomorrow. Just curious, what size pie pan did you use?
Laura
I have used both 9″ and 10″ round pie plates with great results. If I can recall, I believe I used a 9″ plate in these photos! But I just baked it in a 10″ plate today!
Marilyn Russo
My great-niece, 6 months old, can’t have dairy or soy, and mom is still nursing, so I searched for dairy-free pies and you’re recipe popped up. Crust is in the refrigerator chilling and I’m gonna make it when I get home from work tonite and bring tomorrow. Can’t wait!! Thanks for your simple instructions and ingredients. I’ll let you know how it goes. Happy Thanksgiving from NYC!
lindsey
If i want to use butter instead is it still 1 cup? Thanks
Laura
Hey Lindsey! If you mean in the pie crust then it is 1/2 cup (the same as the amount of vegan butter called for). I usually make this with regular butter and it’s the best!
Lindsey Dirksen
I’m sorry for the pie filling I should of stated that.
Laura
Do you mean for the coconut milk? I do not recommend butter as a substitute for coconut milk! I use half and half instead of coconut milk when I make this pie and don’t need it to be dairy-free! Check out this recipe here: Classic Pumpkin Pie
Lindsey Dirksen
That is what I thought but wanted to check any thoughts on almond butter. I have terrible allergies and trying to find alternatives. I really appreciate your information.
Laura
You can try this Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (it’s basically a no-bake pumpkin pie) that uses cashews in the filling, but if you’re allergic you could use almond butter instead!
Lindsey Dirksen
Your awesome, Thanks for all your help. I can do almond butter so ill try that! Happy Holiday!
Marita kelly
Going to make this but what brand of full fat coconut milk should I get? There is so many different once I shop at Publix help!
Laura
Hey Marita! I would recommend the Thai Kitchen brand!
Maaike
Hi! I was wondering what size pie dish you used? Im doubting between two of my pie dishes! Have my crust in the fridge now, can’t wait to try 🙂 Thanks!
Laura
Hey! I have used both a 9″ and 10″ round pie plate to make this recipe!
Ellen
How about unsweetened plain oat milk instead of coconut milk?
Laura
I do not think oat milk has a high enough fat content to make the pie creamy and solid!
Anita Hagstrom
I’m just wondering if canned “full fat” coconut milk will work. Because it tends to separate (the cream all at one end of the can or another, I’m guessing I should maybe whisk it or use a mixer on it before adding it to the pumpkin??? Would love to hear comments or thoughts, this is my first attempt at dairy free.
Thanks!
Laura
Yes! I always shake it up, whisk it or blend it to incorporate the liquid into the solid! It helps if it’s at room temperature too!
Ann
Can you tell me the brand of coconut milk you used? I am having issues getting this thick enough! Thank you
Laura
I use canned coconut milk. I buy Sprouts brand or Thai Kitchen!
Jane
I made this last Thanksgiving. My grandson needs a dairy free diet. Everyone loved it! I’m not a big pumpkin pie person, but it was the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had! It’s on the “you have to make” list for this year! Thank you for sharing! Jane
Megan
Did you blind bake this crust? I didn’t on Thanksgiving last year and had a big air bubble.
Laura
I do not blind bake the crust for this pie. The filling in poured into the unbaked crust and they are baked together. Did you use this crust recipe? I have never had an issue with air bubbles, however you could try lightly pricking the crust all around with a fork before adding the filling to prevent any from forming.
Megan
No, I have a store bought dairy free crust. I’m really bad at making crust (can’t even roll it out evenly, Idk what my problem is). My niece is allergic to an enzyme in cow’s milk, so I mainly needed a milk-free filing. I had an air bubble when I didn’t blind bake a pumpkin pie one year. I have always gotten mixed messages on blind baking and I am new to pies. I am whipping up the filling as we speak.
Taylor
How long should I cook it if I am adding the filling to a premade crust? Not that your crust doesn’t look good 😉 I just need this to be as quick as possible as I’m super crunched for time.
Lisa
I doubled this recipe this week and they turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe, I’ve been looking for a good one that does not use milk but does use eggs. I made a ginger cookie crust instead of pie crust and it was so fast! I will probably be making a lot of these this season. (oh and I ran out of brown sugar so I used a little less and it was still very good, but my crust was very sweet so that probably helped)