Hi, I am Dexter McQueen the foodie behind @thedexterousvegan. My passion for cooking, baking, photography, and movement is what inspires me to create. I enjoy the creative process of photography and cooking because it keeps the creative juices flowing and because I like to tell stories through food.

I got into baking and food photography once I became vegan because I wanted to share recipes and the creation of the dish with friends and family. I create, cook, and photograph intuitively and let it flow naturally. I hope that you enjoy this vegan pumpkin pie recipe that I have shared with the amazing people at Haven. Just a heads up the mattress is so comfortable and a great place to enjoy that last slice of vegan pumpkin pie after hosting family and friends for thanksgiving.

Sleep is so important for us because during sleep we are naturally detoxifying and allowing our brain to recharge itself so when Haven reached out to me to partner with them I was ecstatic because first off the company is great and aligns with me in so many ways, but also because the importance of sleep quality.  The first few things that got me excited about Haven was that they are fully plant-based and use anti bacterial, anti microbial, eco friendly, and renewable materials for the foam. Knowing that I will be sleeping on a plant based mattress in its most natural form for many, many years is awesome. Another great thing about Haven is that they make each mattress by the order so that helps cut down on waste and the best part is the way they give back, for every ten mattresses sold they give one away to someone in need through charitable organizations. These things are what made sense to me and a no brainer when it came to a partnership plus I get to share this awesome pumpkin pie recipe with you just in time for thanksgiving and the holidays.

Why is it important to eat vegan at thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and people to gather together over great food. It is about giving back, being thankful for what we have and spending quality time with ones we love. I couldn’t think of a better time to be vegan than Thanksgiving because being kind to all animals, the planet, and yourself is something we can all do by ditching the turkey at thanksgiving and instead trying a wholesome plant based meal. There are so many great recipes for thanksgiving and the holidays so as a vegan I know that we will not be giving up on flavour or variety just because we choose not to eat turkey. You can find so many vegan versions of all the favourites like for example this delicious vegan pumpkin pie. It is even better knowing that you are saving turkeys and not torturing or consuming animals during this time. Plus it is even more special because you can be considerate and thankful to all beings on this wonderful planet.

Now onto the vegan pie recipe that everyone has been waiting for; please bring this pie to your thanksgiving meal to share and impress everyone, you can thank me later.

The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie 

Ingredients

Pumpkin Pie Crust

2 cups sifted whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled*

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons coconut sugar**

½ cup vegan butter (or solid coconut oil with varied results)

6-8 tablespoons ice cold water (depends on the flour you are using)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

½ cup soaked cashews (soaked overnight or for a quick method see notes)

¾ cup coconut cream (full fat coconut milk see notes)

1 cup coconut water from the can

2 cups pumpkin puree

½ tablespoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon clove

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

1. To prepare the crust; make sure you chill your mixing bowl, vegan butter (cubed), and pastry cutter if you are using one. I place all of these in the freezer for 30 minutes before starting.
2. Sift flour into a mixing bowl then add salt, coconut sugar, and cinnamon to the bowl and mix to combine everything.
3. Add chilled vegan butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the flour so you end up with a crumbly coarse consistency. Don’t overwork it, just incorporate everything together.
4. Next add ice cold water as little as ½ tablespoon at a time then mix with a wooden spoon. Only add as much as you need until the dough comes together and loosely holds its shape.
5. Once the dough has formed pour dough onto your work surface and work gently with your hands, but try not to work it a lot because the heat of your hands will melt the butter. Form the dough into a ½ inch disk then wrap firmly in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
6. While the dough is chilling you can go ahead and make the filling, add all of the filling ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust spices as needed then set the filling aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and start forming the pie crust.
8. To make it easy to roll the pie crust, place the disc between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie dish. Use the clock method to roll out the crust into a circle shape, roll from the center of the disc to the 12’oclock position then roll up to the 1 o’clock position do this a few times until the crust is the size of your dish. If it cracks it is okay you can always make repairs to the crust when it is in the pie dish. But try to roll it gently.
9. To transfer the crust to the pie dish you have to remove the top layer of parchment then place the pie dish upside down onto the crust make sure it covers your dish then place one hand on top of the inverted dish and the other in the middle under the parchment paper then quickly but carefully flip it over.
10. Once the crust is in the pie dish trim off any extra and overhanging dough. Form some of the extra dough into a ball and use to gently press the crust into the dish around the inside edge of the dish. Make sure to repair any cracks with any extra dough.
11. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 60-65 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and the pie will jiggle a bit when done. Let cool then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight so it completely sets. Serve with a dollop of coconut whip cream or vegan vanilla ice cream.

Notes

• I have made this with AP flour, Italian soft wheat flour (Tipo 00), whole wheat flour, and I assume you could use a gluten free flour mix 1:1 ratio
• Quick cashew soak method: pour boiling water over the cashews until covered then let them soak for 1 hour
• Chill a can of coconut milk overnight in the fridge then separate the thick cream part from the liquid then scoop out the thick coconut cream to use for the filling
• I have made this with both vegan butter and coconut oil
• You can substitute coconut sugar with brown sugar 
• I have blind baked the shell and I feel it didn’t really change the texture or makeup of the pie.