Hey everyone!  It's Christine here for Sweet-Tooth Friday!  There's no denying it now, Thanksgiving is just around the corner so I have an amazingly easy and delicious recipe for No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie!

Tofu, or not tofu

…that is the question.  Classic pumpkin pie is just another version of custard pie, so it is hard to pull off without the use of eggs.  Many vegan bakers solve this problem by using tofu.  And it works: tofu mimics the structure of the eggs while still adding fat and creaminess.

But as you know by now, I am not interested in simply making soy copies of desserts.  Plus, I was hoping for a no-bake recipe to ease your stress around Thanksgiving preparation, and I'm not into uncooked tofu!

I came across a raw recipe for pumpkin pie which was a great inspiration.  The real eureka with this recipe was the use of two ingredients: cashews and coconut oil.  Problem solved for fat, creaminess, and structure!  Both are sources of good fat, cashews have a yummy creamy taste, and the coconut oil can stay in a solid state!

Interestingly enough, the recipe I liked used carrot juice in place of pumpkin, I guess because the pumpkin rind always needs to be cooked down to be enjoyable.  I wanted the real deal, but since I'm out of my homemade puree I went with canned pumpkin instead.

The raw recipe also required the pie to be kept frozen.  To avoid this, I mixed everything on the stovetop with some arrowroot until it thickened up, and then just spread it into my crust.

Oh yes, the crust!  My gingerbread cookies from last week went the extra mile- I threw the leftovers into the food processor and turned them into a delicious press-in-the-pan cookie crust!  The version I made was just a little too crumbly for that perfect clean slice, so I have added a flaxseed paste to the recipe here to help keep things together.

The gingerbread cookies have a hearty spiciness to them so I didn't add much spice to the pie filling itself.  If you end up using another kind of cookie, I would recommend adding a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice.

No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 2 cups vegan gingerbread cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground flaxseed
• pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 2 cups (1 can) pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup cashew butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp arrowroot

Mix the ground flax seed with 2 tbsp water and stir until thick.
Combine the cookie crumbs, salt, oil, and maple syrup.  Stir in flax mixture.  Press into a greased pie plate firmly on the bottom and up the sides.  Store in freezer to chill.

In a saucepan, set the heat on low and whisk together the pumpkin, cashew butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil.  Once the coconut oil is melted, stir in the spices, salt and arrowroot.  Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and sticks to the whisk when lifted.  It should be about the consistency of peanut butter.

Spread the pumpkin filling into the chilled crust.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.  If you are storing overnight, wait for the pie to cool all the way down, then cover with plastic wrap.

YUM!  This pie is unbelievably rich and creamy!  The cashew butter is just awesome.  For vegans and non-vegans alike this will be the star on your Thanksgiving table.  I hope you enjoy this animal-free way to sweeten up your big meal!

See you next Sweet-Tooth Friday!
xoxo Christine

Related posts:

1. Sweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan Box of Chocolates
2. Sweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
3. Sweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan Jubilee Bars
4. Sweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan Millet Crispy Treats
5. Sweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan White Bean Blondies