This gluten-free, vegan pumpkin pie forms its own crust as it bakes. Delicious and addictive–and low-fat and only 153 calories per serving!
I asked my readers yesterday to identify a close-up photo of a food. The mystery food wasn’t a mystery to most of you: it was indeed a Pumpkin or Squash Pie. But, if I were the kind of teacher who demands exact answers (and I used to be), you would have had to have written “Impossible Fat-Free Gluten-Free Vegan Cushaw Pie” in order to get full credit.
Cushaw? What the heck is that? Well, do you remember these cute squashes?
I did a little research into cushaw squash and found that much of the pumpkin that we buy in cans is actually cushaw and its close relatives; it’s less stringy than pumpkin and makes better pies. So I feel like it’s okay to call this a pumpkin pie even though it originated from a crazy little crookneck squash called a cushaw.
So that’s the “cushaw” part of the name. What about the “impossible” part?
If you grew up with a mother who relied on Bisquick baking mix, as I did, you may remember their Impossible pies. What you did was mix Bisquick in with the pie ingredients, and as the pie baked, a sort of crust formed on the bottom and sides. I’m not too embarrassed to say that the first cheesecake I ever made was the Bisquick Impossible Cheesecake–and it was really good. Flash forward to the present when I’m looking to get rid of the most fattening part of the pie–the crust–and the idea of a vegan Impossible pumpkin pie hit me.
So I went straight to my favorite cookbook–Google–and started looking for info on Impossible pies. I no longer use Bisquick, so I wanted to see if people had made this work with flour, and I was happy to find that they had. In fact, Something in Season (website no longer available) and Bob’s Red Mill both had gluten-free versions of the pie, so I knew it could be done without Bisquick.
What remained to be seen was whether or not it could be done without oil or dairy products. I did a whole lot of substituting, but I’m happy to report that the pie was a success: Though the inside is more like a custard than a regular pumpkin pie, a slight crust formed along the bottom and sides of the pan, so you can actually pick up a slice of this pie and eat it like a piece of pizza. But it’s dangerously addictive, as shown by the fact that my husband ate about 6 pieces of it yesterday!
Update 7/30/18: My husband asked for pumpkin pie for his birthday–in the middle of summer! With no winter squash available, I made this pie with canned pumpkin, and it was a complete success. I didn’t need to make any changes to the recipe.
The only difference I could detect is that the pie made with canned pumpkin is a much darker color. It looks like any other pumpkin pie, instead of having a “squashy glow.” I’m not sure why it cracked, but I’ve heard from a lot of people who had that happen, whether they used fresh or canned. It doesn’t bother me; I think the cracks are interesting. (The pie in the photos with the white plate was made with canned; the green plated pie was made with fresh.)
So if you don’t have any winter squash available, do not hesitate to make this recipe with canned pumpkin. It’s great!
When you serve this pie, don’t feel obligated to tell your family or guests that it’s crust-free, fat-free, gluten-free, or vegan, but if they do wonder what’s left after so much is left out, tell them “Flavor, pure, delicious flavor!”
Check out all my delicious, low-fat vegan Thanksgiving recipes.
Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer see Notes
- 1/4 cup water see Notes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups pureed or mashed cooked pumpkin, cushaw, or winter squash (or canned pumpkin), see Notes
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour see Notes
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. (I used a Pyrex pan, and it came out with no sticking.) A deep dish is recommended because this pie will rise a lot during cooking but will fall back down as it cools.
- Put the first five ingredients in the blender, and blend well. Add the pumpkin, and puree. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides a couple of times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended. Pour into a pie pan and bake for about 60 minutes. The top and edges should be brown, but the edges should not be over-done. (Since this is a custardy pie, using the standard toothpick or knife test does not work; it will remain somewhat moist in the center, but it shouldn’t be uncooked.)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter. For best results, refrigerate until chilled before eating.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share:
SusanV
August 1, 2009 at 12:02 amIn May of 2010, all the comments before August of 2009 were lost. Here are some of the responses from people who tried the recipe:
4:26 PM, October 09, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Susan
What would sub for sugar and have this still work?? I don’t use sugar and don’t even have it (or salt) in the house but am interested by this.
Carla
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
How did you cook and puree the cushaw? Did you bake the cushaw or cube and cook it in water on the stove? I have a blender, but only a teeny tiny food processor (I live in a teeny apartment) and I have a potato masher. I suppose that if I had too, I could puree cooked cushaw in the blender, clean the blender, and then start the recipe.
Also, as I am gf, I wanted to thank you for making such a tasty recipe gf (and lower cal). Do you know whether it would work to substitute a self-rising gf mix (specifically, Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix) for the rice flour and baking powder. I figure that this should work since Bisquick was a pancake mix too.
Lastly, do you think it would work to substitute almond milk for the soy milk? I don’t drink cow milk and have heard that too much soy is harmful for gf folks.
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Blogger SusanV said…
Hi Anon. Here’s how I prepared the cushaw. First I cleaned it out and cut it into pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide. I put them in a steamer basket in the pressure cooker, added water up to the bottom of the steamer, and cooked them at high pressure for 3 minutes. I did a quick pressure release. You could steam them in a regular pan on the stove just until tender.
When they were cool, I peeled the skin off of the pieces, mashed them, drained off the extra liquid, and then proceeded with the recipe. The cushaw would have been too thick to puree without some other liquid and I wanted the squash to be fairly dry.
I think it would work fine with gf baking mix–I saw other recipes that used it. Also, any type of milk should work, but the richer types will work better, so I think almond milk would be fine.
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9:50 PM, October 10, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
How long would you guess it would take to steam the cushaw in a regular steamer insert-in-a-pan assuming the pieces were 1-1.5″ wide?
Yay for pureeing with simply a potato masher!
Did you use that entire huge cushaw to get the 2 cups pureed or did you have some leftover? I’m trying to gauge how large of a cushaw I need 🙂
Thanks for answering all my Q’s!
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10:18 PM, October 10, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
Hmmm…I’m not sure about the cooking time. I would allow a half an hour but check it every once in a while to see if it’s done.
This was a smallish cushaw and I had about 2 1/2 cups leftover after making the pie. So I really could have made another one, but I decided to do something else with it, which I’ll write about tomorrow. 🙂
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10:32 PM, October 10, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
What could I substitute for the cornstarch to make this corn-free? I’m dairy/gluten/corn/soy free. I plan on subbing almond or rice milk
Thanks!
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9:03 PM, October 11, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
You could use either arrowroot or potato starch, if either of those is okay with you. You just need some kind of thickener in it.
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3:35 PM, October 12, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
What type of rice flour did you use? Brown? White? Sweet? Thanks!
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9:08 PM, October 12, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
Anonymous, the rice flour I used was from an Indian market, so I think it’s white rice flour. I think any of the kind you mentioned should work.
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8:04 AM, October 14, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
This pie worked out great, substituting real eggs, Pamela’s GF flour blend, and butternut squash! Thanks so much – everyone loved it!
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10:49 PM, October 15, 2006
Anonymous Kim said…
Susan, thank you so much for this recipe! I made it last night and it turned out great!
I followed your recipe almost exactly, but used a mixture of whole wheat flour and white bread flour (it was all I had).
So easy! So delicious! 🙂
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8:57 AM, October 16, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Susan, I just want to be the latest to let you know that I made this pie, and it was delicious. I was amazed at its crust-forming abilities. I never used to like pumpkin pie as a kid, but with recipes such as yours it’s fast becoming my favorite- thank you!
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4:58 PM, November 19, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Would it make a difference that I cook with “raw sugar”? (Sugar in the Raw)
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6:47 AM, November 20, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
Raw sugar should work just fine. Just make sure it gets blended well after you add it.
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7:31 AM, November 20, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Thanks, also (I know this is defeating the purpose) would it be ok to use a homemade deep dish pie crust. Would the cooking time need to be adjusted?
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3:30 PM, November 20, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
I think it would take the same amount of time with a pie crust because you’d still want it to set completely. Just watch the crust, and if it starts to brown too much, put some foil around the edges.
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4:30 PM, November 20, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
If you wanted to make this sugar free, do you think that the Splnda would work?
I have not baked with Splenda myself, but plan to try some recipes using it.
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4:48 PM, November 21, 2006
Blogger SusanV said…
Anonymous, I hesitate to offer an opinion about using Splenda in this recipe because I haven’t tried it myself. Baked goods are always tricky to change, because if you change the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients, the timing and consistency will change, too. If you try it as an experiment, please post your results so that others will know whether or not it works. Good luck!
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5:41 PM, November 21, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
I had made this a few months ago, the flavor was dashing! so I re-did it yesterday, but with a crust this time, and the results are smashing! ;p
thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with the world.
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10:49 AM, November 22, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Well, the pie’s in the oven! I batter was sooooooo delicious!! Honestly the most delicious thing I have ever made! I used whole wheat pastry flour, raw sugar, and a handmade (vegan) whole wheat crust. Also I reccomend using a food processor instead of a blender. I couldn’t fit all of the ingredients in my blender and it wouldn’t mix it all up so I switched to the food processor. I can’t wait to eat it done tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving everone!
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8:57 PM, November 25, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Thank you so much for this recipe. When I went home this weekend, I made the pie for my family. My parents, who are not GF, loved it and finished it that night (my parents and brother are hearty eaters). I did have a difficult time with the mixing, since the blender we have is very old and looks smaller than the one in my apartment.
My father is the midwestern type who, until now, only eat four veges: white potatoes (with butter), iceberg lettuce (with blue cheese), tomatoes (with motzarella) and maybe peas if he is feeling like he needs to be healthy. Since I made this pie, my mom has made it two more times, using the rest of the first butternut and some other winter squash that was like a orange ball. We used our Vitamixer which blended the pie better; my mom thinks that the added air made it taste better too. All three pies were rapidly consumed so I thank you for showing my dad that vegetables can be yummy. (He also had some of Karina’s chili with sweet potatoes and loved her apple crisp). I have never seen him eat so much produce – thank you!!
~Michelle
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4:14 PM, November 27, 2006
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Do you have the nutritional facts for this? It looks tasty!
3:02 PM, March 07, 2007
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Blogger SusanV said…
Here’s the nutritional breakdown:
Makes 8 servings. Each contains: 153
Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 34g
Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 264mg Sodium; 3g Fiber.
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3:10 PM, March 07, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Hi,
I’m an Australian and have never tried pumpkin pie before. I decided to give this a try since it was vegan and looked so easy..and Oh my goodness, it is delicious! It tastes like a custard tart! (well, what i remember them tasting like anyway 🙂 Even my young sons, who don’t like pumpkin at all, loved this pie. One of them even asked for me to make it for his birthday desert soon.
Thanks for a fabulous recipe. I’m definitely going to check out some of your other recipes now too. Cheers, Nat.
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5:11 AM, March 15, 2007
Anonymous maycook said…
I tried the pie yesterday and wanted yo thank you for this so delicious recipe. I had a vague childhood memory of pumkin pie but never made any…with yours I found the memory and much more! I just don’t have the same crust-like aspect, maybe it needed a bit more time in the oven….anyway it was my first but won’t be my last one! (I used an egg for half of the recipe but next time, I’ll try the vegan version). You’ll find the picture and the recipe in French on my blog.
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8:57 AM, March 20, 2007
Anonymous Mili said…
Hi, I’m so glad I came across this website…
I made this recipe and was quite happy with the results (I’m terrible in the kitchen). I sub’d the sugar with Splenda and it tasted fine, but i think I might have put a bit too much baking powder in – I could taste it. Just wondering, do you have to add the salt?
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
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6:07 AM, April 09, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Hi. I made this pie tonight and it came out great. It had a nice flavor but the one thing that ruined it for us was that we thought the clove taste was too strong. So, next time, I’ll probably leave that out. Thanks for a great recipe.
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8:05 PM, May 28, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Super…deliciousssss, I cut back the sugar N omit the clove too,it was still so sweet of the pumpkin.Every one must try this..TQ Susan.U R Great.
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2:06 AM, August 29, 2007
Anonymous lushposh said…
you can find this awesome recipe here!
http://lushposh.com/blog/2007/10/11/impossible-vegan-pumpkin-pie/
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5:22 PM, October 11, 2007
Blogger Sarena Shasteen said…
I can not tell you how great this recipe is! My husband said, “It is everything I like about pumpkin pie”, and I could not agree more! Thanks for sharing such great recipes!
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7:27 PM, October 19, 2007
Anonymous alex said…
i only came across this recipe two weeks ago and i’ve already made it five times. yes, five times. test run, dinner party, birthday cake, work, and another dinner party. wonderful success.
thanks susan,
alex
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7:44 AM, October 30, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
I am a plump vegan so I sub splenda (oh the guilt) in all my baking. I buy the splenda that measures the same as sugar and always use a little less than the recipe calls for because splenda always makes it a bit sweeter than sugar. Also, when subbing flours, I always use whole-wheat pastry flour instead of just wheat. It keeps my baked goods from getting too heavy. I LOVE this recipe and have already made it twice. Thank you sooo much!
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2:51 PM, November 05, 2007
Blogger Candace said…
I made this last night and it came out great. Instead of the Ener-G I used 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 2 Tbsp Flour, 3 Tbsp Water. The color of mine came out a lot darker than the photo, though.
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1:09 PM, November 16, 2007
Blogger Margaret said…
i just want to thank you so much for this recipe. My dad has had heart disease since i was about 11 years old (i’m now 23). I’ve witnessed firsthand the struggle he’s gone through, maintaining a fat free vegan diet for his health, while keeping variety and “comfort food” in his life. He loves pumpkin pie and hasn’t had it for about 12 years. I was absolutely thrilled when i found this recipe. When i brought this home over the summer for father’s day he was like a little kid eating pumpkin pie for the first time. He was ecstatic and i was so happy I could bring him his favorite pie again. I have three in the oven right now (preparing for thanksgiving) and just wanted to say to you, Thank you SO MUCH.
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10:36 PM, November 16, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Never tasted authentic pumpkin pie before so I have nothing to compare to but I absolutely loved this. Ultimate comfort food and healthy to boot! I used less pumpkin and subbed soy flour and agave in mine. This is my new favourite food and I will undoubtedly make many more times before the winter is through. Thank you!
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4:18 AM, November 20, 2007
Blogger Polona said…
Hi Susan,
I’ve been reading your site and your blog for a few months now and I am so glad I found it. I made – watch out, new name – “Impossibly good pumpkin pie” yesterday (with butternut squash) and my kids and some visitors ate it all in like 5 min.
Thanks for all your effort, I am spreading the word about you here in Europe! Take care, Polona
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12:54 AM, November 23, 2007
Blogger Vegan Dogs said…
Well I’m pretty sure my pie wasn’t fat free, but I made a awesome tofu free pumpkin pie this year. My husband found me condensed soy milk online at vegan essentials. I made some flax eggs, 1/3 cup flax meal ( i just use bulk flax seeds in my coffee grinder) to 1 cup water, makes “9 eggs”. Added 1/3 cup of that. Added 1 tbsp of cornstarch,and my pumpkin & spices of course. My pie set, it was tasty and it was cruelty free. Happy Unturkery Day for me! and the turkeys!
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2:21 AM, November 23, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
This was my first time making pumpkin pie (or in my case, squash) and it was so easy! I made the following adjustments to keep it soy and corn-free (and also to keep from running out to the store for more ingredients), and it came out perfectly:
– vanilla rice milk, instead of soy milk
– 2 T ground flax whisked with 6 T water, instead of the Ener-G + water mixture
– arrowroot, instead of cornstarch
– 1 1/2 cups of frozen butternut squash, defrosted and pureed
– 1 t Ener-G baking powder, instead of 2 t
– 1/2 cup maple syrup, instead of 3/4 cup sugar
I baked my pie for the full one hour, but it might need a little longer next time because it didn’t brown quite as much as the picture. It still tasted spectacular! (You don’t know how long I’ve been looking for a tofu-free vegan pumpkin pie recipe!) I think next time I might try replacing the squash with sweet potato!
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1:05 PM, December 25, 2007
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Back again. I wrote the previous comment posted on 1:05 PM December 25 2007.
Just wanted to report that I tried the recipe again, but this time I used frozen sweet potatoes, defrosted and pureed. I also baked the pie for about 67 minutes, turned off the oven, then left the pie in the oven for several hours. It developed a much better “crust.”
Love this recipe!
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10:58 PM, December 27, 2007
Anonymous amy t. said…
hey there –
i just found your site & am loving it!! i’ve already tried a couple of your recipes w/ smashing success!! i’m totally excited to try this one, but can i substitute the fresh pumpkin w/ the canned pumpkin? i realize the fresh will be better, but i’m short on time… i promise to buy the best, high quality, organic stuff! thanks in advance!
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8:15 PM, January 01, 2008
Anonymous amy t. said…
hey there –
i just found your site & am loving it!! i’ve already tried a couple of your recipes w/ smashing success!! i’m totally excited to try this one, but can i substitute the fresh pumpkin w/ the canned pumpkin? i realize the fresh will be better, but i’m short on time… i promise to buy the best, high quality, organic stuff! thanks in advance!
8:15 PM, January 01, 2008
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Blogger SusanV said…
Hi Amy, go ahead and use the canned pumpkin. I’m sure it will be fine.
9:19 PM, January 01, 2008
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Blogger mustardseed said…
Wonderful. I found a use for my Tofutti. Which has been sitting around in my fridge…
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12:48 PM, June 18, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
thanks for this recipe. i am in vietnam at the moment and was trying how to take advantage of the local durians, which have similar baking properties to pumpkin. so i wanted a pumpkin pie recipe that didn’t require milk or cream (which is difficult to buy in small quantities) or tofu, which might dilute a strong durian flavor, so this recipe was perfect. i used fresh coconut milk instead of soymilk, eggs, fresh durian for pumpkin/squash and an electric mixer instead of a blender, and reduced the recipe by 8 to fit into my toaster oven. even though i accidentally let it sit for too long before baking and then baked it for too long and too hot (which might explain why it never rose) , it was deliciously addictive, like you said! it was no longer vegan, fat-free, or gluten-free like yours, but the flavor was perfect – not to sweet or rich, and the fruit flavor shone through. it actually had a texture similar to some vietnamese cakes, that are often steamed rather than baked. thanks for this!
-berkeley girl
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1:40 AM, August 10, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
If you are concerned about Glycemic Index, and you are pre-diabetic or hypoglycemic like I am,
here is a better option for you.
***barley flour can be made with a grain mill and a box of Quaker Quick cooking barley.***
(oat flour can me made the same way, or with a food processor)
EZ Pumpkin Pie
1 1/2 cups unsweetened Vanilla Almond or Soy Milk
1/2 cup egg beaters (whites or original)
1 Tbs Barley
1 tsp. Pure bourbon vanilla
! Can Libby’s Plain Pumpkin
1 / 4 cup Oat flour 1/ 4 cup Barley flour
2 tsp. Aluminum free baking powder
10-12 packets Granulated Splenda
1 Tbs Spice Islands Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp. salt
I made this pie today, and it turned out great!
You can learn a lot from vegan recipes!
– Jaymee
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2:24 PM, September 29, 2008
Anonymous erin said…
Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe!!! I made it for my husband and I and it was amazing! I am going home for Thanksgiving this year and my family is flipping out over what to fix for me to eat ( The fact that I don’t do dairy at all is what’s tripping them up)Now I can say that I am bringing the pie! What an awesome recipe!
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7:40 PM, October 21, 2008
Anonymous Ellie said…
this recipes seems perfect.
i was just wondering if for the flour i could sub soy flour and possibly oats?
also, i was wondering if orange zest would give it a negative flavor?
11:14 AM, October 26, 2008
Blogger SusanV said…
Ellie, I think orange zest would be a nice addition. I’m not sure about soy flour or oats. My experience with soy is that it gives a bitter taste. I’d try something like sorghum or buckwheat flour, instead.
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12:34 PM, October 27, 2008
Anonymous CKO said…
Susan, thanks for the great recipe! I tried a version of it tonight and it turned out well–especially given a major alteration I made. I used a 50/50 combo of sweet potatoes and carrots in place of the squash and about a generous tsp of allspice in place of the ginger, cinnamon, clove blend. Turns out yams and carrots love allspice. My pie didn’t set up well, I’m thinking I didn’t let it cook long enough because I was fearful of overcooking it, but it was tasty! I didn’t worry about it being “un-cooked” because there are no eggs in it (yay!) but I did miss the toothy-ness of a crust. I tried a few chopped walnuts on my slice to give it some texture and that gave it the texture I missed. Brava!
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10:34 PM, November 01, 2008
Blogger Jaime T said…
Thank you so much for posting this – I’m going to make this tonight so I can test it out for turkey day 🙂 I am lactose-intolerant so I can never eat more than a mouthful of pumpkin pie. Can’t wait to try this one out!! (and I’ve never liked pie crust so this is perfect) Is there any way I could use pumpkin-pie spice instead? I don’t really bake often and don’t want to buy all the different spices..
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1:33 PM, November 04, 2008
Blogger SusanV said…
Jaime, I would try using 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices listed. Hope you enjoy it!
2:03 PM, November 04, 2008
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Blogger Jaime T said…
I am eating this as I’m typing..soo good! This will definitely be made again for Thanksgiving, thanks for a great recipe!
As a side note: I used 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices in the recipe and it tastes just like pumpkin pie! Next time I make this I’ll also cut down the sugar maybe to half a cup since it’s a bit sweet.
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1:48 PM, November 05, 2008
Blogger Ashley Katich said…
hmm, I think I’m going to have to get some ener-g because I just made this with flax seed and water and the taste was a bit funny. Not as sweet as I would like. I also think I should have cooked it a few minutes longer…I love the texture though, and I’m definitely going to try to make this again!
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4:52 PM, November 08, 2008
Anonymous rebeckah said…
hi susan-
your blog is so beautiful and i’m learning so much!
i’m very excited to try this impossible pumpkin pie (and your pumpkin cheesecake) and i was wondering if there would be any reason why using sweet potatoes wouldn’t work.
thanks!
rebeckah
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9:45 PM, November 08, 2008
Blogger SusanV said…
Rebeckah, sweet potatoes are heavier and starchier, so I’m not sure if the proportions of the other ingredients would be right, but you could always give it a try and see what happens. Please report back!
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9:49 PM, November 08, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Molasses works, or honey for sugar sub…cut some liquid else where in recipe
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3:23 PM, November 10, 2008
Blogger B&M said…
OMG – DELICIOUS!!
I have been using your blog for about 2 years now for ideas and I finally have to comment! This is so amazing. My husband, who occasionally calls himself a “vegan victim” (not because the food is bad- but because I don’t tell him until after he eats it and loves it), thought this was the best Pumpkin Pie (sans crust – Who cares??) has eaten 3 slices already (and I served it for breakfast!)
A few tweaks I made were:
1 1/2 cup fat free vanilla soy milk
1 C. fresh Pumpkin puree
+ 1 C. pear puree(I had some that were getting a little too brown to just eat)
1/2c. Red Mill GF baking flour
1/4 c. V. Sugar
+ ~2 Tbl Agave
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & allspice (no salt)
I also cooked for an hour and left in oven (auto shut off) a few hrs then refrigerated before breakfast…
DIVINE!
The pears add a subtle flavor change & sweetness.
Thanks for your great recipe ideas!
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5:34 PM, November 17, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
My name is Debbie, and I’m from Salem, MA. I just made this pie tonight, and MMMMMM is it delicious! I already ate two pieces. I used Vanilla Almond Milk, and as I am not a vegan (just a plain old veggie), I used Better n’Eggs instead of the egg replacer. I think I will try the egg replacer next time though. I can’t believe I ate a quarter of a pie, and it was only 300 calories! Thanks for the fastastic recipe.
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7:02 PM, November 22, 2008
Anonymous Rebeckah said…
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan!
Last night I finally made this pumpkin pie as a test run for t-day and it is absolutely delicious! I was worried last night that I hadn’t cooked it long enough b/c it wasn’t setting up – but I think we were just too eager to taste it and didn’t let it cool long enough b/c this morning it’s holding together great – nice and custardy and just amazingly tasty! The “crust” is like a little miracle! So cool! Thanks so much for helping me keep my thanksgiving healthy this year (for the first year ever).
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1:18 PM, November 25, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
I experimented with this a bit and it didn’t work out so well– delicious but not so pretty. (Not that its the recipe’s fault, I just thought I’d share in case someone else was thinking about doing the same thing I did).
1.) I decided to try to make mini crustless pies. I did half in silicone muffin cups and half in paper cups inside a muffin tin. The silicone cups worked a bit better, but neither one was a huge success. They puffed up and then went back down, but the sides stuck and so the middle kind of sunk in and cracked open. They sort of looked like a pumpkin lava cake or something.
After cooling, though, they are delicious and have a great texture. I’ll save them in the freezer as a healthy-ish treat for myself to have over the next couple of months. (I calculated the calories and with 3 tbsp of filling, each mini pie is only about 50 calories!)
2.) I used whole wheat flour. Maybe the mini-pies would have worked better if I’d followed the directions and used a lighter flour?
Next time I open up a can of pumpkin I might try another batch with another kind of flour. If they turn out ugly again, poor me… I’ll have more mini pumpkin pies to eat all by myself.
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6:13 PM, November 26, 2008
Blogger Knit – R – Done said…
I tried this last month as a test run and my kids love it.
I’m baking it today for Tofurkey Day.
Thanks so much for all you do. Your blog makes it much easier to eat healthier and actually enjoy every bite!
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1:29 PM, November 27, 2008
Anonymous Joanna said…
I am eating this pie as I type this comment and I can definitely say that it’s the BEST pumpkin pie I’ve ever had!!! I’ve had 4 pieces in the last 24 hours haha
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3:24 PM, November 28, 2008
Blogger b_ said…
This sounds good. I wonder if it would work as well with leftover sweet potatoes.
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11:37 AM, November 29, 2008
Blogger Veronica said…
Thank you for this recipe!
I made this pie for Thanksgiving; it was fantastic! The family loved it as well. …I’ve been eating leftovers for breakfast…
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5:45 PM, December 15, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
SO DELICIOUS!! Better than the Whole Foods vegan pumpkin pie! It didn’t look so pretty (I subbed whole wheat, used 1/2 c maple syrup, 2 tsp pumpkin spice, almond milk,and the ener-g egg replacer substitution that candace posted earlier) but I don’t care because it tastes amazing. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
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4:21 PM, December 16, 2008
Blogger naomi dagen bloom said…
Through the magic of Google, came here in search of what to do with two persimmons given us. And found this pie! We loved it…you are right that it should be eaten cold.
Persimmons? One is now in freezer but the other refuses to ripen. But the recipe is going with us tommorow from New York City to Portland, Oregon, to be tasted once again. Thanks!
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8:09 PM, December 17, 2008
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Just want you to know that this recipe was my first ever successful foray into baking. It was so easy, and came out great every time. I made the following mods:
1) use eggs
2) use 1 can (1.75 cups) pumpkin with .25 cup applesauce, because a standard can has 1.75 cups and I don’t like to open a second can just for the 1/4 cup.
3) To bake, I cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of the batter, then bake that for about 10-15 minutes, until it hardens a little. Then I pour in the rest of the pie batter carefully, pouring evenly and slowly around the pan. This way I ensure that the bottom crust forms.
4) Sprinkle 1/4 cup crushed walnuts on top.
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7:13 PM, January 04, 2009
Blogger Dawn said…
This pie is really tasty! This is a marvel for someone on a diet. This recipe gave me all the satisfaction of a pumpkin pie and I can’t believe the calories. Even a vegan pumpkin pie with a crust has about three times as many calories. Amazing!!!!
11:44 AM, January 19, 2009
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Anonymous moonwatcher said…
Hi Susan!
I’ve been eyeing this pie recipe for a while, and since my son was arriving for a visit thought I’d give it a try. . .I also was eyeing Karina’s recipe, and like the idea of the buckwheat flour. So I combined your techniques (because no oil and because I had a lovely cooked squash and a blender, but not a food processor big enough) and her spicing and flour. I used oat milk, because that’s what was open, and I am surprised at how much I like it. It was delicious! I will make this again and keep tweaking as the spirit moves me, just to see what happens to taste and texture. Next time soy milk probably. Thanks for a wonderful elegant recipe. You and Karina are my virtual kitchen heroes!!
xo
moonwatcher
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11:59 AM, February 09, 2009
Anonymous Anonymous said…
Hey Susan, I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I just wanted to say thank you for all your great recipes. I just decided to make this because it’s a rainy day in London and as I had a jar of organic pumpkin puree to hand I decided to make myself something to make up for this lousy british summer! Like another poster I made these in individual silicon muffin cases and although they don’t look particularly pretty in their sunken cracked glory they taste divine straight from the oven… I couldn’t wait until they were cool!!!
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10:43 AM, July 21, 2009
Anonymous Helena said…
This recipe is gorgeous. As you pointed out they are quite custardy in the centre. Do you think you could make little banana custard ones or with stewed apple if the cornflour and rice flour were adapted accordingly? thanks x x x
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4:48 AM, July 22, 2009
Blogger SusanV said…
Helena, I don’t know, but you could always try. I would probably increase the cornstarch but keep the rice flour about the same. (It has a tendency to become gritty if you add too much.)
John
August 18, 2009 at 11:29 amoh dear susan, this is a simply miraculous recipe! one in a life time! now, the problem that arises for me is that i have everything in the house for this recipe except for the flour. luckily i have a food processor and some rolled oats. do you think i could sub oat flour? i noticed it tends to be fairly absorbent.
SusanV
August 18, 2009 at 11:41 amJohn, I haven't tried it with oat flour (just rice and whole wheat) so you would be exploring new territory. If you try it, please leave a comment telling how it came out.
I will say that whole wheat flour gave it a flavor and gluey texture that I did not like. Maybe if you use oat flour you should use a little less than the recipe calls for.
nickysrecipes
September 28, 2009 at 12:32 amHi, love the website.
I'm posting from the UK and pumpkin is slightly less commonly used here in cooking (other than the Halloween period to make 'faces'…) Forgive me for asking but please can you tell me how to cook the pumpkin?
I know this is probably like asknig how to cook toast but I've never actually cooked pumpkin before.
Thanks!
Nancy
October 19, 2009 at 4:14 pmThis is great! I was searching for a GF pumpkin pie for my son's first GF Thanksgiving. This is perfect. Thanks!
L.
November 1, 2009 at 4:01 pmThis is the first time in my life I eat pumpkin pie. How could I go without it for all these years? It's heavenly! Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I'm having a hard time leaving some slices for my flatmates, thank god it's fat-free 🙂
the singleton
November 12, 2009 at 11:38 pmLOVE this site! I'm wondering how this would taste with Mamey Sapote either as a substitute for the pumpkin or on the side as "ice cream" (just freeze, blend and serve). I just started hearing about this tropical fruit and a lot of raw foodists say it tastes a little like pumpkin and vanilla with chocolate undertones. you can wikipedia the fruit and equadorianfooddelivery.com sells it. Also… Susan, have you ever tried cooking with chia seeds? The gel from soaking them is supposed to be another good vegan egg substitute (perhaps cheaper too?) and grinding the dry seeds makes a GF flour – 20% protein and more Omega-3's than flax. http://bit.ly/1bJY8r
Anonymous
November 13, 2009 at 6:40 pmThis is my favorite pumpkin pie ever. I made it all last fall and am about to make it tonight. Thanks Susan for the great recipe.
Anonymous
November 23, 2009 at 1:10 pmFinally a tofu/soy free pumpkin pie! I can’t have soy so I plan to sub Almond Milk for the Soy Milk..can’t wait to make this!
White Haired Veg
November 24, 2009 at 3:34 pmI tried making this pie, and it is delicious! Only trouble was that it didn't really make a crust – turned out more like a custard in pie shape. I used spelt flour – maybe that's why? I also used 2 T. of flaxmeal and 4 T. of water for the egg replacement. Keep cranking out those yummy recipes!
Chandra
November 25, 2009 at 8:40 pmI made this for Turkey Day tomorrow and it is delicious!! I got creative (not really) and made mini pies with a muffin tin, because I have to do all of my baking with a toaster oven which will not hold a pie plate. They are so cute and tasty!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
veganemporium
November 27, 2009 at 5:36 pmI just made this for Thanksgiving and it was DELICIOUS! Everyone at the dinner loved it, and had no idea that it was vegan 🙂 Thanks so much for this great recipe. I'm making it for the next holiday (pumpkin pie is good with Christmas, right 😉 )
Kumquat
November 29, 2009 at 1:55 amI have tried to make this twice and neither time did I end up with a pie. The first time I subbed in Pamela's flour and had pumpkin pie soup even after adding 30 minutes to cooking time (it was tasty, though!). Second time I followed the recipe exactly, determined to get it right. It's not soup, but I never got it to a point where it could be sliced, so we just pretended like it was pumpkin pie mousse and scooped it into bowls. I have no idea how the rest of you are getting these nice pie slices. The flavor is great, though! Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes!
SusanV
November 29, 2009 at 10:25 amKumquat, I'm sorry that yours hasn't come out thick enough to slice. The one explanation that comes to me is that your pumpkin puree may be more watery than what I used. I have the best results when I drain it well through cheesecloth before using it in this recipe. You could also try doubling the cornstarch to see if that makes it stiffer. If you like it as mousse, maybe you won't mind giving it one more shot?
Barbara
December 3, 2009 at 5:21 pmI tried this recipe twice last week, learned some things the first time and then made changes and the second time was successfully served at a kid's birthday party, at their request. I wrote up a review, including my learnings, and gave it a great recommendation on my blog.
http://wildflowermorningrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/12/impossible-pumpkin-pie.html
Mia from Canada
December 7, 2009 at 10:39 amYou are amazing!!!! (once again)
I used brown rice flour and this pie was delicious! Also, I added a 1/4 cup of ground flax, which gave it a nice texture.
moonwatcher
December 14, 2009 at 1:14 pmHi again Susan!
I have truly been on a pumpkin/squash kick this year, and a few days ago I ended up with a half cup of canned pumpkin puree after making pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin raisin oatmeal cookies. . .so, I had the idea to cut this recipe in fourths, and make two little pies in pyrex pudding dishes. . .I used freshly grated ginger and nutmeg, and Wow!! these were great! Before I had used buckwheat flour as the thickener, as Karina suggests, and like that, but this time I did use the brown rice flour, and I really liked its effect too. Now I am going to have to make another big one, or a bunch more little ones!!
(Actually, too, believe it or not, this was my first time putting freshly grated nutmeg in a recipe. I have been intimidated by the impression that I thought I needed a nutmeg grater. . .but I just used my ginger grater, and it worked fine. My son and his girlfriend gave me the idea because they just use their cheese grater. It's funny when these moments occur that make you see something you thought was unobtainable is really right at your fingertips! And WOW–what a great taste–I am a convert now 🙂 )
Thanks again, this is a great recipe–happy holidays to you and yours, too.
xo
moonwatcher
HeidiTFM
December 24, 2009 at 7:52 pmJust made this (I think it's the second time, but I can't recall), and did a little addition from Susan's Pumpkin Bites by making a little topping with crystalized ginger and steel cut oats. It looks splendid!
I simply can't believe how easy this recipe is.
Anonymous
December 30, 2009 at 9:55 amGood Morning!!! blog.fatfreevegan.com is one of the most excellent innovative websites of its kind. I take advantage of reading it every day. All the best.
Anonymous
February 3, 2010 at 3:28 pmI've made this recipe three times now, twice with canned pumpkin and last night with acorn squash that I cooked. It was easy to make and delicious every time, but every time the texture and appearance were different. I don't care (since it's delicious), but I have yet to get anything that looks like your beautiful picture. It does come out of the pan with no sticking, but this last time the sides rose up so high while baking that some fell over the edge and to the bottom of the oven. It sinks right back down as it cools. Many thanks for the yummy adventure.
Jess
April 26, 2010 at 2:59 pmI made this over the weekend, and it was a resounding FLOP 🙁 I’m not sure what I did wrong, but it was not at all pie-like, not even a little bit. The thing didn’t set up, and even after 90 minutes, it was still just a pudding with chewy edges. I used sweet potatoes, regular white flour, and ‘So Delicious Coconut milk’, so I don’t know if any of those changes are what ruined it. It still tasted good, so we just pretended it was a pudding with random chewy bits. Some day I might try it again, and I’ll try using the brown rice flour and soy milk, since maybe those are the key…
SusanV
April 26, 2010 at 3:06 pmJess, sorry for your bad experience! I would guess it was the flour. When I made it with whole wheat flour, the consistency was entirely different (i.e. bad) from when I used rice flour. I think it’s the gluten, so I really recommend using gluten-free flour only for this recipe. Sweet potatoes could also be a factor, but I don’t think the coconut milk would make a difference.
April
July 23, 2010 at 1:14 pmSusan,
I have three pie pumpkins on my counter do not want to go buy a pie crust, which is what I used to do. I searched for how to make a vegan pie crust and found this recipe.
I am looking forward to giving this a try this weekend. I’ll let you know how it turns out. The reviews are good ones, so I will definitely use brown rice flour and flax as an egg replacement with almond milk.
Do you think using arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch and a natural sugar such as turbinado instead of white sugar will do fine? I think I might even experiment with using honey or agave instead of sugar. Have you tried that?
So glad I found this recipe. Looking forward to trying it.
April
SusanV
July 23, 2010 at 1:28 pmApril, I haven’t tried honey or agave–I would be afraid the moisture content would be off and the pie wouldn’t set. Arrowroot should be fine, though I think you should use only 2 teaspoons because arrowroot is a stronger thickener. Hope you like it!
kensington cooker
September 24, 2010 at 8:51 pmI love this recipe (and everybody I serve it to gobbles it up and wants seconds), but I’m not a gardener and have to admit I use canned pumpkin. I don’t know whether youwere aware of it since you grow your own, but there was a national shortage of pumpkin–some sort of crop failure–not a single can of pumpkin puree could be found in any store in town at any price, for months. It just reappeared on the shelves, so I can make impossible pie again. Yay!
Helen
October 7, 2010 at 9:19 pmI’m not a vegan, so I made this with two eggs (I have to admit I balked at the price of egg replacer – at least the stuff that is available in Canada – though it would likely outlast several cartons of eggs and be more economical in the long term). It turned out really well, even though I realized I left the baking powder out (probably a good thing I used eggs, considering that omission!) Thanks for a delicious recipe! Next time I have some extra grocery money at the end of the month, I will try it with the egg replacer!
¡Yo Soy Liz!
October 10, 2010 at 12:56 amI made the pie with a couple of substitutions not even thinking it might change the chemistry of the pie. Instead of soy milk I used half almond/half rice (thats what I happened to have) and instead of sugar I used 1/2 cup agave nectar and 1/4 cup maple syrup. I also used half brown rice flour and half sorghum (what can I say? I was going substitution craaazay tonight!) I knew things weren’t looking right when the consistency of the filling was straight up liquid in the blender–not something you would need to scrape down the sides. After popping it in the over, I read the comments on this post and sure enough, you already advised against using agave/maple.
Anyway, I ended up baking the dish for 90 minutes total and to my utter delight, my pumpkin soup had turned into the perrrrfect pumpkin pudding. Especially after it cooled–the texture is just awesome. I ate a giant bowl of it. Not too thick and not too thin. All’s well that ends well!
Ryann McQuarrie Salik
October 13, 2010 at 12:01 amYum! I made this for Thanksgiving and even my 80 year old grandpa LOVED it. Thanks for helping me trick the obstinate old people in my life once again!
Betty
October 17, 2010 at 12:36 pmI was wondering if you could use canned pumpkin for this? I know you said you needed the pumpkin to be drier…I’ve never made pumpkin pie from real pumpkins before and would love to just use the canned stuff. Thanks!
SusanV
October 20, 2010 at 8:52 amPeople have told me they make it with canned pumpkin and it turns out great. Hope you enjoy it!
heart n soul
October 20, 2010 at 7:40 amthe only impossible thing about this pie is how impossibly delicious it is, I’m hooked! I made it with the following substitutions: coconut milk instead of soya milk, banana anf flax powder (mixed with the juice of the strained pumpkin) instead of egg replacer powder, and only two spices: vanilla and cinnamon (I didn’t want it to taste the same as your pumpkin-apple butter recipe I made too:)
Superb! thank you!
Megan
October 22, 2010 at 8:14 amI’ve made this twice now: once with Mochiko sweet rice flour and once with WW pastry flour. The Mochiko is very fine– I think it didn’t have quite enough “oomph” to give structure. I’d also made that batch with rice milk.
The second time I used soy milk and WW pastry flour, and the pie seemed better congealed. I also used only scant 1/2 cup sugar because I love eating pumpkin pie for breakfast and wanted this to be a “healthful” breakfast option. Ha!
Agree with others– the most impossible thing about this is that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to stop eating it! Thanks!!
AmyLu
October 25, 2010 at 2:39 pmLove, love, love this pie! Thank you, Susan!
I made it in a pyrex casserole dish–it turned out a little thicker than yours but was delicious!
I’d like to make it in a cupcake pan to have some individual-sized treats (and even more yummy edges!). I read in the blog comments that one person did that successfully and another tried it but it flopped. Any tips for making this in a cupcake-size version?
SusanV
October 25, 2010 at 2:56 pmI will have to try it in a cupcake pan and report back to you. I made it over the weekend in a smaller pie dish, and it was nice and thick. I think I like it best that way.
Lucy
October 25, 2010 at 6:19 pmI tried this recipe on the weekend for my partners birthday- delicious! Neither of us are vegans, but I’m always on the lookout for healthy low point desserts. I used the eggs, and probably next time will ret and find an egg replacement – it was beautiful, but I think very faintly eggy tasting. Also, mine didn’t turn out loveley and orange/pumpkin coloured like yours – mine was quite a dark brown. I oven roasted the potato.
One question – the 2 cups of mashed pumpkin, is that 2 cups then mash it, or two cups when mashed? (you can put a lot more into a cup when it’s mashed).
SusanV
October 25, 2010 at 6:26 pmIt’s two cups of mashed pumpkin. I drain mine really well in a cheesecloth-lines strainer before measuring, so it’s not too wet.
Sorry yours came out brown–maybe it’s the difference in pumpkins. I made another one this weekend, and the cushaw I used was lighter, so my pie was closer to golden than orange.
Pat H
November 1, 2010 at 10:28 amHi, just wanted to report in on the impossible vegan pumpkin pie – made it yesterday. I used a 15oz can of Libby pumpkin (not quite 2 cups), made my own brown rice flour in my coffee grinder, used rice milk (didn’t have any soy milk), did use 2 eggs (sorry!) and it was fantastic. I wasn’t a big pumpkin pie fan, but now I am. It was something like a bread pudding, mousse, pie… Your recipes are great. Thank you for helping us go as lowfat and vegan as we can.
Azahara
November 1, 2010 at 11:28 amI just finished my first serving and I’m finding it really hard not to go for seconds.
It was delicious, but not very beautiful, I must say. I think my pan was too big, which resulted in the pie being way too thin. Also, it got a tad stuck and didn’t come out easily. I used a silicone mold, but no spray. I’d never had problems with silicone before, but I guess this pie was wetter than most baked goods.
Anyway, I hadn’t had pumpkin pie for 5 years and this recipe helped me satisfy my cravings. Even the smell (while in the oven) brought back memories of the many pumpkin pies I devoured while living in the States.
Thanks a lot, Susan! It won’t take me five more years to try it again.