We’ve been vegan for almost five years. In that time, I’ve been trying to find a good vegan pumpkin pie recipe. It’s the only baked good that I’ve had a hard time replicating. I’ve tried tofu versions, versions with agar, and versions with cornstarch. I really disliked the tofu version and the others were fine, but not great. Generally the taste was decent, but I had a hard time getting the pies to set up properly. I always thought it was the lack of eggs. I looked forward to the Follow Your Heart Vegan Eggs, which just came out. Since you can scramble them, I thought they would work well in pie. However, the FYH vegan eggs are still very hard to find.

Then I found the “Four Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Pie” recipe from Happy Healthy Life. This one is a keeper. Not only is it really simple, but it sets up beautifully and tastes divine. I tasted the batter before baking to adjust the spices and knew that even if it didn’t set up, it would still be delicious. The four ingredients include: pumpkin, raw cashews, maple syrup and spices (pumpkin pie spice and salt). You can definitely taste the maple, but it adds a depth of flavor that I really enjoyed. We enjoyed it so much, that I made two in one week. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own. I found this recipe and made a bunch to use regularly. I used less ginger than the recipe called for as personal preference. What’s wonderful is that you can adjust to your own personal tastes.

Pie Crust

Making your own pie crust is not very difficult and worth the effort. I no longer use butter, but have found that a mix of Earth Balance Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Shortening works just as well. Here’s a recipe for a basic pie crust.

Rolling, Moving and Crimping Pie Crusts

Watch the videos for tips on rolling out the crust, moving the crust and crimping the edges like a pro. I’m a visual learner, so watching someone do it is more helpful than reading about it.

Left Over Pie Crust

You may have left over pie dough after placing the dough in your pie pan and trimming the edges. I used to throw out these little bits until my husband suggested rolling it out again and making mini cinnamon rolls! Absolutely brilliant! Just roll out the left over dough, sprinkle with sugar (brown works nicely) and some more cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Roll up, slice into mini rolls and bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.