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:
griscelda
November 13, 2010 at 2:40 pmThis is one of those recipes I’ve been meaning to try but just never have. Well, I was making some puree from our pumpkins from out garden and had a little extra leftover, and was trying to decide what to do with it and remembered this recipe. I really wanted to make this for Thanksgiving this year and show some of the still skeptical family that vegan dishes aren’t gross or boring- so I wanted to test this one out before hand just to make sure this was a dish I wanted to take. I was NOT disappointed. In fact, I’m not really a pumpkin pie lover, for me it’s just ok, not tempting at all- but I love this recipe!! My husband loves it too!!! I think this one will pass with flying colors at the family get-together this year! Thanks so much!!!!
Audrey
November 14, 2010 at 8:47 amThis was great – I like it better than traditional pumpkin pie. I’ve been eating my “trial pie” for breakfast this week… but I promise I won’t be tired of it by Thanksgiving!
Audrey
November 14, 2010 at 8:49 amOops, one question: mine cracked all over the top, which I don’t mind at all, but it’s not as pretty as it could be. Did I bake it too long?
SusanV
November 14, 2010 at 9:31 amAudrey, you can try either lowering the temperature a little or reducing the baking time to see if that helps with the cracking. It could be that your oven runs hotter than mine. But I’m glad to hear that you liked it!
Frank's Mother-in-Law
November 16, 2010 at 7:44 amSusan,
About not using Bisquick…Isn’t Bisquick vegan? I mean, can you make
a truly vegan version of this recipe WITH Bisquick?
SusanV
November 16, 2010 at 7:57 amI know at least one version of Bisquick is vegan, maybe the reduced-fat version, so yes, you could make it with Bisquick. I was trying to avoid white flour and the fat that’s in Bisquick, so I came up with this version. (Bisquick is basically white flour, shortening, and leavening.)
A.G.
November 26, 2010 at 7:29 pmI just made this and it turned out wonderful!
I followed the instructions except used
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup (watery, leftover) butternut squash, plus 1 cup pumpkin puree
– added 4 teaspoons ground flaxseed, to try to make up for the squash being so watery
– blended in a large bowl using an immersion blender (easy cleanup)
It looked very watery in the bowl, but puffed up beautifully in the oven and after it sank, left behind a nice crust soft. It was easy to cut and remove, even when hot (no, I could not wait for it to cool!)
The only changes I might make next time is to reduce the sugar a bit, and use brown instead of white rice flour. But definitely much easier and I think healthier, than conventional pumpkin pie!
Olo
November 27, 2010 at 11:47 amMmm, I made these using flax eggs, brown rice flour and 1.5tsp pumpkin pie spice in place of the other spices. I baked in 12 muffin cups. I cooked for the same time as the original recipe. Delicious! I definitely found my new, simple and elegant go to dessert!
Tara
November 28, 2010 at 1:50 amIt’s in the oven right now! Can’t wait to try it, soooo easy too.
Hannah
December 3, 2010 at 10:05 amI made this for our late Thanksgiving feast, using 100% natural canned pumpkin and it was absolutely delicious-the spices perfectly balanced and the texture was lovely. Thank-you so much, Susan!
kensington cooker
December 20, 2010 at 12:58 pmHi Susan,
This recipe is always a big hit around my house but I have a question. I probably used sweetened soy milk in previous attempts(don’t recall), but have unsweetened on hand now. If I use unsweetened will I need to add some additional sweetening? Thank you for such an easy and wonderful treat, Kensington Cooker
SusanV
December 20, 2010 at 1:13 pmIf you liked it with sweetened soymilk, then you should probably add a little more sugar to get it as sweet as you’re used to it. Probably a tablespoon or two should be enough.
kensington cooker
January 1, 2011 at 4:14 pmJust wanted to get back to you Susan . You had suggested adding an extra tbs or two of sugar if I used unsweetened soymilk in this recipe. You hit it just right. I used one and a half and the sweetness was perfect–better I think than the cloying sort of sweet provided by sweetened soymilk. As usual, this recipe was a big holiday hit. Many thanks for the joy and good health you bring to us, and a happy 2011 to you and your family.
Kensington Cooker
Leah
March 16, 2011 at 11:41 amI LOVE this recipe. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I make it every few weeks through the cold months. I’ve made it in muffin tins and a normal pie pan. I find that whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour give a better texture that rice flour but that might just be personal preference. I tend to use 1 can of pumpkin and have used rice milk, soy milk, and almond milk; all with great results. This recipe is a keeper!
CeeCee
March 18, 2011 at 6:01 pmGreat recipe. I’m ALWAYS on the look out for vegan recipes that will appeal to the whole family. Thanks for sharing it. This one is a keeper.
Victoria
June 2, 2011 at 1:14 amThank you for this delicious recipe. I wasn’t sure it would turn out well, since I used baking soda, eggs, and yogurt (to activate the baking soda), and glutinous rice flour (accident). But the pie turned out wonderfully, just crustless.
anonymous
June 24, 2011 at 4:25 pmdo you you think butternut squash would work in this recipe?
SusanV
June 24, 2011 at 4:33 pmYes, it should work fine.
Fiona
August 23, 2011 at 4:42 amWow! Just made this pie and can’t believe it’s possible to make something without added fats taste exactly like the very best non-vegan pumpkin pie I ever used to have. This recipe is rich and decadent enough to be served at the Thanksgiving table. Since I am like your daughter and don’t like crusts (I think I read that in one of your posts) this pie is perfect. You get the best part of the pie but it still sort of feels like you have a crust because the top gets a bit firmer. I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for developing this! I know this is random but I love how you always proofread your blog for spelling, grammar, and typing errors. Most blogs are full of them but you never have any. It really puts you above the rest in my opinion.
Vicki
October 2, 2011 at 1:19 amLooks fabulous! I’m going to try it for (Canadian) Thanksgiving, now that I have adopted a plant-based whole foods diet.
Jen
October 13, 2011 at 1:44 pmThis was delicious thank you! I had to use a gluten free flour and I tried bobs red mill potato blend flour. Which made it a little more like a yogurt texture in the middle. I will have to do just rice flour. (Tried using what I had handy.) And Silk soy milk has a pumpkin spice milk out right now which added even more flavor! Delicious!
kathy hoffmanq
October 31, 2011 at 3:29 pmI was searching for a receipe for Vegan Pumpkin pie and I was shown yours. We here at Ener-G Foods get asked often for a recipe for Pumpkin Pie using our Egg Replacer. I would like to give them yours along with your name and website for them to visit. Let me know if that would be ok with you.
Kathy
Kelly
November 7, 2011 at 1:31 pmI brought this pie to work today. It does not look as nice as the photo, the top has several cracks. But my coworkers have deemed it tasty, even tho it’s vegan and gluten free. Yay! I wanted to test it on them before serving it to my family.
Jeri
November 10, 2011 at 6:59 amJust signed up for your website and it looks good so far. I will be trying out this “impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie” and have to make some changes and asking if you know of anyone who did make some changes because of having breast cancer? I already have made my vegan changes in my diet for the last 3 months and feel great. I cannot use soy products at all because of estrogen contents that would effect my cancer cells. So, I will try plain Almond Milk and no sugar (sugar feeds cancer cells too) and replace it with stevia. I will go and get egg replacer today and it seems to be ok for me. Everything esle looks good and the reviews are very encouraging. I cooked a pumpkin last night and next time want to use the cushaw instead. Thanks for the help!
Susan Voisin
November 10, 2011 at 7:43 amThe type of milk won’t matter, but you may have to experiment with the stevia to get the right amount. Good luck with the recipe and with your diet changes. I’ve heard from lots of people who changed their diets because of cancer. You might consider joining my Eat to Live group on Yahoo. It is a support group for those following Dr. Fuhrmans’s diet, which is sugar-free. You can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eat-2-Live/
Susie
November 10, 2011 at 12:14 pmI made this pie last week and it was great! Mine was drier looking than the one in the picture and was just perfect. I used rice milk instead of the soy milk, 1 teas baking powder, 1/2 teas baking soda, 2 tbls flour and 3 tbls water instead of the Ener-G egg replacer, half of the sugar, left out the vanilla and used butternut squash. It was soooo good!
Susie Baechle
November 10, 2011 at 3:00 pmI hope you don’t mind, but I adapted your recipe to fit my restricted diet & shared it on the Break Free Club forum of others who have the restricted diet. I included a link to you website to the original recipe. Here is what I shared:
Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Susie’s changes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer*
1/4 cup water*
2 tbsp. arrowroot
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup xylitol
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with coconut cooking spray. (I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie 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. (I didn’t see it rise.)
2. Put the first five ingredients in the VitaMix 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. It took me more than 2 minutes to make sure it all got mixed completely. 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.)
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack on the counter. For best results, refrigerate until chilled before eating.
Susie’s notes:
I got the original recipe from a Google search and found this at:
https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/10/and-answer-is.html
The top of mine cracked but it tasted good. I reduced the xylitol to ½ cup because one of the comments on the internet recipe said they thought it was too sweet. This wasn’t very sweet, so I may add more when I make it for Thanksgiving.
I replaced the cornstarch with arrowroot because the Break Free plan eliminates corn. One of the comments under the original recipe said that if you substituted arrowroot for cornstarch that you needed to use 2 T instead of 1T.
I used sorghum flour because that is one that I had & I thought it might have a better texture than the one that works like white flour… again, based on some of the comments under the original internet recipe.
I have never made a pie from fresh pumpkin, only from canned pumpkin, so that is what I used. I used the entire can, even though that was less than the 2 cups that were called for in the original recipe. I didn’t want to open a second can for just a little bit of pumpkin. I didn’t know how to adjust any other ingredients, so I just used the amounts they did… which may be why the top cracked & it didn’t fill the deep dish.
Also, she talked about using a food processor but I don’t have one & I figured since I was using canned pumpkin it probably wouldn’t matter… especially since the recipe said to use a blender.
I used the Pampered Chef stoneware pie pan because they said it needed to be deep. It probably didn’t need to be that deep. The only other pie pan I have is Pyrex, but it is only 7 inches across the top & not very deep, so I thought it would be too small. I sprayed it with Coconut Spray from Whole Foods.
I cooled it on a rack because I was afraid that the hot pan might burn or melt my Corian countertop if I put it on the counter like they said.
Notes
*If you don’t have Ener-G egg replacer, you can omit it and the 1/4 cup water and use any other replacement for two eggs.
**The pie will come out best if the pumpkin is very dry, so after my pumpkin is mashed, I drain all the water off completely by putting it into a cheesecloth-lined colander and letting it drip over a bowl.
***I have made this pie with white rice flour and with whole wheat, and the rice flour pie was infinitely better than the ww, which was gluey. If you use another type of flour, do so at your own risk. Check the comments to see what has worked for other people.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Nutrition Facts
Makes 8 servings, each containing 153 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 264mg Sodium; 3g Fiber.
Cyndie
November 16, 2011 at 8:53 amI made this pie last night. It came out beautiful and I think we would have loved it, except for the strong cloves taste. I am going to make it again for Thanksgiving with a much reduced/eliminated cloves. I have made lots of your recipes in the two months since I became Vegetarian. I love your blog and it has been a tremendous help with the transition. Thanks.
Heidi Fencik
November 18, 2011 at 10:26 pmJust want to say that I tried this recipe for our Omaha Forks Over Knives meet-up group this Tuesday and it got rave reviews!! One girl who “doesn’t even like pumpkin pie” loved this one!
I brought it to my friends house for lunch today and because I had made it with whole brown rice flour I could proudly serve it to her daughter who cannot have wheat gluten. They loved it too! Thank you for this impossibly good recipe!!!
Nina
November 19, 2011 at 9:23 amHello, Do you think I could substitute almond meal flour for the rice flour?
Susan Voisin
November 19, 2011 at 9:28 amI haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing that it won’t form a crust the same because almonds are more fat/protein and rice is more carbohydrates. But if you’re in the mood to experiment….
Nina
November 19, 2011 at 9:31 amI think I will go get the rice flour. This looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing. Nina
Laura Smith
November 19, 2011 at 11:32 amThis sounds good. I’m making it for Thanksgiving. I don’t eat sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’m going to try it with date sugar. I hope it works.
Thank you for all the great recipes.