This no-bake eggless pumpkin pie recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients. Creamy coconut milk adds a tropical flare, festive ginger gives a bite, and a graham cracker crust makes this ready in a jiff! Plus, it’s vegan and could easily be made gluten-free with the right premade crust.
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Pie Ingredients
How to Make This - Step by Step
- Blend! Add all pumpkin pie filling ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. A hand blender or emulsion blender would work too. This could be done with a whisk in a large bowl, but a blender is best for achieving that smooth, silky texture pumpkin pies are known for.
- Activate! Holy Spirit activate! Holy Spirit activate! Has anyone heard that tune? No, ok well that’s what I say when I need cornstarch to activate. Cornstarch is unique in that it needs heat to get the particles to swell and absorb liquid. So, to thicken this pie filling, pour it into a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Boil & Stir! Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for at least 5 minutes or up to 10 minutes until it becomes darker in color and thicker in consistency.
- Make Pie! Pour filling into the premade pie crusts. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap or place in Tupperware with a lid and transfer to the fridge to let the pie cool for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. Just like traditional pumpkin pie, we always recommend enjoying it with fresh whip cream on top! Try whipping 1 can of the cream from a can of coconut milk or Silk Heavy Whipping Cream with 1-2 cups powdered sugar for a vegan alternative! Reddi Wip and So Delicious also have some great vegan versions now too! Vanilla ice cream would be a great addition as well!
Want to bake these? As an alternate method, we also tested baking this pie. So, if you would like to bake it instead of cooking it on the stovetop, skip steps 2 and 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the pies for 15 minutes until a nice golden brown color. Once removed, let cool on a wire rack.
Quick Facts and Common Questions
Does this meet my dietary needs?
This is a vegan pumpkin pie recipe and could easily be made gluten-free as well by using a crust like this one or a gluten-free recipe like this one. It really is the perfect pumpkin pie!
How long does this keep?
This easy eggless pumpkin pie can be kept 2 weeks in the fridge, sealed or 3 months sealed in the freezer. When storing this, it is important to keep sealed or with layers of plastic wrap because it will develop a film on the surface of the pie if left open to the air.
Does it matter which coconut milk I use?
Yes! Coconut milk from a can must be used. Unfortunately, not all are created equal. We always use Thai Kitchen and it has never failed me. There are other good brands out there, we just prefer this one! I always recommend NOT to use Trader Joe’s coconut milk (sorry, I still love TJ’s but not this) as it is always separated.
When buying one, shake the can and see if you can hear the liquid? Good coconut milk will sound dense and will be somewhat shakeable with some hardcore shaking - it should sound like you are shaking pudding. There should be minimal sounds of thinner liquid (a water-like sound).
What can you substitute eggs for in a pie?
Corn starch can be used in place of eggs in pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is a custard pie, meaning it gets its thickness from tempered eggs that cool and set thicker. Cornstarch expands when heated, and then absorbs its surrounding ingredients causing it to thicken pie in place in the absence of eggs.
What can I substitute condensed milk for in a pie?
Coconut or oat condensed milk can be used in place of regular condensed milk. Cream of coconut can also be used instead and is typically found in the drink aisle, near mixers. Condensed milk is typically sweetened and made by cooking milk and sugar under pressure.
This results in a very sweet, caramel-like flavor. Evaporated milk can be used in place of condensed milk in pie, however, additional sweeteners will need to be used to make up for the missing sweetness from condensed milk. Also, it will not have the same caramelized flavor.
How do you thicken a pumpkin pie filling?
Cornstarch, eggs, or agar agar can be used to thicken pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie is a custard pie, so traditionally it is thickened by slowly adding whisked egg yolks to the warm filling (a process called tempering). The egg yolks then solidify as if they are being cooked but are not scrambled, resulting in a stable pie filling.
Cornstarch and agar agar are both powders that expand when heated making room to absorb surrounding liquid. Once absorbed and cooled, the liquid is now trapped in tiny pockets of air from the cornstarch or agar agar, therefore creating a thick and creamy filling.
Substitution Options
*All substitution options are a 1:1 substitution unless noted otherwise.
100% Pure Pumpkin Puree: Only pure pumpkin will do! You could also roast and puree your own fresh pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin puree if you're feeling ambitious.
100% Pure Maple Syrup: Coconut sugar, agave, brown sugar, or honey can be substituted.
Coconut Condensed Milk: Regular sweetened condensed milk can be used but it will not be vegan any longer. Typically this can be found in the baking section or ethnic section of the grocery store.
Pumpkin Pie Spice and Ginger: Apple pie spice could be used or you could make your own pumpkin spice from this recipe. 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon nutmeg could also be used. For ginger, fresh, minced, or ground dry ginger can be used. Check out this site for conversion rates for each. In general, 1 tablespoon fresh is equivalent to ¼ teaspoon ground or dried.
Corn starch: Arrowroot powder could be used in place of cornstarch. Since this is an eggless pumpkin pie, the corn starch acts as the egg substitute and thickening agent. Cornstarch is the custard filling secret ingredient, so don't skip out on this or arrowroot starch!
Pure Vanilla Extract: Vanilla bean paste, vanilla beans, vanilla powder, or vanilla imitation extract can be used. When using vanilla beans, a little bit goes a long way!
Coconut Milk - Full Fat: Heavy cream could be used for this but it will not be vegan. Silk Heavy Whipping cream may also be used here, but it hasn’t been tested. You could also use two cans of coconut cream as a sub. Just make sure whatever you use is full-fat coconut milk or cream.
Premade Graham Cracker Crusts - Mini: Any of your favorite premade graham cracker crusts, pie shell, or pie dough can be used! A homemade pie crust can certainly be used, as well. We used Kebbler brand whose ingredients make it a vegan pie crust but be cautious of checking labels since many are not processed in vegan-certified facilities.
Fun Fact!
Cornstarch is cool. That’s a fun fact. But really, have you ever mixed cornstarch and water to make a solid and a liquid? Well - now you can! When the mixture is pressed quickly, it seizes up and when gently pressed, the molecules relax and act as a liquid.
For baking purposes, corn starch molecules swell when heated. This swelling allows them to absorb moisture and thus as a thickening agent. It is also why it can be found in things such as deodorant and dry shampoo. (Source)
Try these other delicious recipes!
Apricot Vanilla No-Churn Vegan Ice Cream
Recipe
Eggless Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 11.25 oz can of sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup maple syrup *or honey
- 13.66 oz can of coconut milk *full fat
- 1 12 pack of mini graham cracker crust pies
Instructions
- Add all pie filling ingredients to a blender
- Blend until smooth
- Pour into sauce pan and turn stove top to medium heat
- Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil until it becomes darker in color and thicker in consistency, usually for at least 5 minutes or up to 10 minutes.
- Pour filling into the premade pie crusts. Cover with plastic wrap or place in tupperware with a lid and transfer to the fridge to set for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Top with whipped cream or your other favorite toppings and enjoy!
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