This raw vegan pumpkin pie is just as delicious as a traditional pumpkin pie, but it's free of grains, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar. Easy to make in a blender, it starts with a nutty crust filled with a creamy cashew pumpkin mixture kissed with warming spices. Top it with coconut whipped cream or paleo vanilla frosting for a pretty and silky finish.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try my gluten-free pumpkin pie, vegan pumpkin pie bars, and optionally vegan pumpkin pudding.
Ever since my mom went on a raw food diet back in the early 2000s I've loved raw, vegan desserts. Exhibit A: vegan key lime pie. Exhibit B: raw chocolate tahini pudding. Exhibit C: raw lemon tart.
These are often made with good-for-you ingredients like nuts and unrefined sweeteners. But they taste so rich and creamy, I forget there's anything "healthy" about them.
Case in point: this raw pumpkin pie. This starts with a press-in crust made with almonds, pecans, maple syrup, and spices. In goes an easy filling made from soaked cashews, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, and carrot juice for extra color (or you can use water). The pie sets in the fridge until firm, and then it's ready to nom. I like to top it with coconut whipped cream or paleo vanilla frosting for a pretty finish.
I first brought this to a family holiday dinner many years ago, and even though there were more traditional desserts, this raw pie was the hit of the evening. I've made it many times since, and recently took some fresh photos of the finished pie. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
No-Bake Nut Crust
I make this pie with a nut crust to keep it simple, vegan, and paleo. For a more traditional pie, use my homemade gluten-free graham cracker crust or almond flour tart crust recipe.
- Pecans and almonds form the base of the crust. But you can use any nuts you like, such as walnuts. I like the flavor that toasted nuts add, but you can leave them raw if your prefer.
- Maple syrup and coconut oil hold the crust together. You could use another liquid sweetener, such as honey, agave, or date syrup. Try ghee or palm shortening in place of the coconut oil.
- Ginger, cinnamon, and salt add addictive flavor and a ginger cookie vibe.
Raw Pumpkin Filling
- Pumpkin puree forms the base. I like using homemade roasted winter squash puree for the best flavor, made with butternut or kabocha squash, but canned puree will work too. For a completely raw pie, use an equal weight of shredded raw squash such as butternut.
- Soaked cashews add body. You can either soak the cashews in cool water for 4-8 hours, or do a quick soak with boiling water for 1-2 hours. I wouldn't recommend subbing a different nut for the cashews, as cashews have a uniquely silky texture and neutral flavor when pureed. But you could use an equal amount of raw cashew butter by weight.
- Maple syrup adds sweetness. I prefer a darker maple syrup for a more robust flavor. Or try another liquid sweetener such as agave or honey. Both are sweeter than maple, so start with half the amount and add more to your taste.
- Carrot juice and water add moisture. I love the depth of flavor, orange hue, and natural sweetness that carrot juice adds. But if you don't have any on hand, use all water and add a little more sweetener to your taste. You can find fresh, refrigerated carrot juice at most grocery stores.
- Vanilla and salt sharpen the flavors.
- Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove give it traditional pumpkin pie vibes. You can sub 2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice if you prefer.
- Coconut oil sets the filling as it hardens in the fridge. I like the flavor of raw extra-virgin coconut oil, but you could use refined coconut oil if you want less coconut flavor. Or you could try palm oil.
Method
This pie takes about 20 minutes of active time to make. It makes one 8- or 9-inch pie or tart, serving 10 - 12.
Storage & Make Ahead Options
This pie keeps brilliantly for days in the fridge, or frozen for longer, making it an excellent do-ahead dessert. Here's how to do it:
- Assemble the pie as directed.
- Set in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Or set in the fridge for 4 hours, then cover and chill until ready to serve, up to 4 days.
- To serve, pipe whipped coconut cream or cashew frosting over the top and chill for 30 minutes to firm the topping, then serve.
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this raw, vegan pumpkin pie, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Silky No-Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Raw Vegan Crust
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
"Gingersnap" Crust:
- 2 ½ cups (270 g) raw or lightly toasted pecans, almonds, or other nuts (or a combination)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (1 ounce/30 ml)
- 1 tablespoon melted extra-virgin coconut oil (.5 ounces/15 ml)
Marbled Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 cup (120 g) raw cashews, covered in cool water and soaked 4-12 hours
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ( g) melted and warm extra-virgin coconut oil (5 ounces/150 ml)
- 1 ¼ cup roasted, pureed butternut squash (8 ounces/230 grams)
- ¼ cup carrot juice (or more water) (2 ounces/60 ml)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- whipped coconut cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Make the crust:
- In the body of a blender or food processor, pulse together the pecans, almonds, ginger, cinnamon and salt until the nuts are finely ground (but not becoming nut butter). Drizzle over the maple syrup and coconut oil, then pulse just until the mixture begins to clump together.
- Dump the crust mixture onto a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Use moistened fingers to press the crust squarely up the sides and into the bottom of the pan. Freeze the crust while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling:
- Wipe out the blender (or food processor) body, and add the soaked and drained cashews, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse until the cashews are ground. Add the water and vanilla extract, and blend on high speed until the mixture is silky smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Add the melted coconut oil and blend until just until combined. Remove 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cashew cream and set aside for the swirl.
- To the blender, add the squash puree, carrot juice, grated ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Blend on low just until combined.
Assemble the tart:
- Remove the crust from the freezer, and place on a platter or rimmed baking sheet for easy maneuverability.
- Pour the squash mixture into the crust. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved cashew cream onto the surface of the tart. Use a chopstick, toothpick, or the tip of a paring knife to gently swirl the mixture. Be careful not to over-swirl, or you will lose the definition of the swirls.
- Chill the tart until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to a day or two. If you're in a hurry, or if the tart is too soft to slice cleanly, place it in the freezer for a stint. (But defrost before serving.)
- To serve, place the tart on a large can or an inverted ramekin. Gently east off the sides of the pan, taking care not to break the crust. Use a large, sharp chef's knife, wiped clean between cuts, to cut the tart into wedges.
Andj says
Wow this tart looks incredible.I am the ONLY pumpkin lover in my family but I bet this will change some minds :-)
Alanna says
The only pumpkin lover? Madness! I guess there's no accounting for taste... Thanks for the sweet note!
Eileen says
This tart sounds amazing! OM NOM NOM etc. I don't know if I want to wait for Thanksgiving to try it out... :)
Alanna says
Haha, thanks, Eileen! In a just world, pumpkin pie would be eaten year-round rather than be relegated to a single day, so say I!
Katie @ Produce On Parade says
Wowza! This is incredible! I'll definitely have to try this one out. I love how the gingersnap crust doesn't have actual gingersnap cookies!
Alanna says
Thanks, Katie! I usually have issues with people labeling things like nut crusts "gingersnap," but I did it as an homage to Smitten Kitchen's tart, so hopefully that makes it ok. Thanks a lot for the kind words!
Giovanna Garcia says
My mouth is watering. I want this right now!
Alanna says
Aw, thanks, Giovanna!
Shu Han says
The patterns are just gorgeous. Pinning this. And love the 'gingersnap' crust- flippin brilliant.
Alanna says
Ha! Thank you, Shu Han.
Irina @ wandercrush says
Beautiful recipe and styling… you're making me want a blender upgrade along with a slice of pie. I've always wanted to try cashew-based filling, but have never gotten around to it. This could tip the scales!
Alanna says
Thank you, Irina! I'm admiring your recipes and styling, too! I'm so happy about our blender; I've been practically leaping out of bed every morning to make smoothies for breakfast. Hooray for modern technology!
janet @ the taste space says
Oh my, this is gorgeous! I love raw desserts but haven't made my own pumpkin cheesecake yet.. and with your crust, it looks impeccable. I tried a similar crust (pecans + oats + maple + cinnamon) and it was delightful even without toasted the nuts (it was so similar to shortbread) but now I want to try it with roasted nuts. Thank you for sharing! :)
Salvegging says
Serious good stuff : )
Alanna says
Thanks! :)
Sue/the view from great island says
This looks exquisite, and I've been on a pinning rampage through your site tonight!
Alanna says
Aw!! Thank you, Sue! That kinda makes my day. :)
Monet says
Hello Alanna. What a gorgeous tart. I'm pinning this right away. And I'm also pining over your blender! Thank you for sharing!
Alanna says
My pleasure, Monet! Thank you for reading, and for the kind words! That blender is seriously rocking my world. I'm hoping that the daily kale and almond milk smoothies will make up for the excessive amounts of this pumpkin tart that I've been eating. :)
Anonymous says
A must try recipe, I admit! I also didn't know butternut squash is also called pumpkin (?) Anyway, lovely presentation and picture so I think I'll try this out. My previous experimentation with vegan pumpkin tart was all right, nothing too special/ great about it. I also am on the look out for a nice blender and with so many choices/ price level, it's quite exhausted to get one that fits what I need for it to do! Thanks for the post and for sharing!
Alanna says
Hi! To answer your question, I started using the term "pumpkin" liberally, since most canned pumpkin is actually made from a variety of squash, including butternut. (Here's an article to back me up: http://www.thekitchn.com/pumpkin-pie-filling-what-is-it-69123)
Thank you for the kind words! I'm crazy about this tart and I think you'll like it, too. I also highly recommend the blender I described in this post. Here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005I72LMU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005I72LMU&linkCode=as2&tag=thebojgou-20
Thanks for reading!
megan wood says
We almost always make one of your recipes for our once a week sweet thing. We made this Sunday and it was amazing!! And it didn't make me feel like I'd eaten a sugar rock like most pumpkin pie always has. Thank you so much!
Alanna says
You do?! That makes me so happy! Thank you for the sweet note, and I'm so glad you liked the tart!
Anonymous says
Hi! just saw this post and I love the way you think! The recipe looks beautiful and I can't wait to try it. Your photography is also stunning! The photo of the ingredients is so gorgeous and I would love a copy for my wall :)
Alanna says
What a sweet note - thank you! :)
Penni says
So I am going to make this for Thanksgiving - really excited about it! Because I have an abundance of sweet potatoes, I'd like to substitute them for the butternut squash. Do you think that would work as well?
And - did your crust get soggy really quick? I would like to make this on Wednesday before the big day and I'm wondering if that will be alright.
Thanks so much for the beautiful post!
Penni Shelton
Upgrade Your Plate & Raw Food Rehab
Alanna says
Hi Penni! I think sweet potatoes should work well in place of the butternut; they tend to have less moisture, so the tart may be a bit more dense unless you add more carrot juice. I thought this tart only got better after a day or two in the fridge, so making it Wednesday should be perfect. I don't recall the crust getting soft. Please let me know how it goes!
Kristina says
Alanna, I can't eat coconut oil and your recipe looks so delicious. Do you have any substitute suggestions for the coconut oil? Butter maybe? I know it isn't vegan but couldn't think of anything else that is close.
Alanna says
Hm, that's a tough call. Butter might work - it seldom makes anything worse! You could also try avocado, though the filling might not firm up enough, so you could add some agar flakes (maybe a tablespoon?) simmered in water until they dissolve; use that water in place of the water in the recipe. And/or you could use more cashews, which will give it a firmer consistency, too. If you do dairy, you might try my pumpkin cream pie (or just the filling) that I posted last year (https://bojongourmet.com/2012/11/gluten-free-pumpkin-cream-tart.html) Let me know what you end up trying. :)
Vanessa says
I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out PERFECTLY! I followed your recipe exactly (thank you for the great instructions) and the pie was a work of art. I was so proud! And no one shunned my vegan/gluten-free confection at Thanksgiving. I always expect someone to be reluctant, but I think the beauty of this pie overcomes any doubters. I've made many recipes from your blog and I'm always inspired by your amazing photography. Thank you for doing this work. I'm going to make a full-sized raw vegan chocolate cheesecake for Christmas Eve. My cashews are soaking as I write ... And I'll be tacking some truffles this week, too! Can't wait :-). Happy Holidays!
Alanna says
Hi Vanessa! I'm so glad you made the tart and that it was a hit - that's awesome! Thank you for the glowing review and the super sweet words! That completely makes my day. :D I hope you love the truffles and cheesecake - be sure to come back and tell me how they turn out!
Maria Sisci says
" few things say "I love you" more than an industrial food processor or heavy duty stand mixer" Hahah could not agree more
Alanna says
A gal after my own heart. :)
Anonymous says
This came out amazing! It looks just like the pictures. The texture of the filling is so airy and the spice level is spot on. The only thing I did differently was to add a little extra maple syrup to the filling, about 1.5 tb. it was not quite sweet enough to my taste. Different strokes for different folks :) but we absolutely love it and will definitely make again.
Alanna says
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, and that you sweetened the filling to taste. Squashes and carrots can vary in sweetness, so they could have been the culprits. On the other hand, my main recipe tester doesn't have a sweet tooth, so maybe we can blame him? ;)
Josh says
Hey,
if I don't have access to a removable bottom tart pan, is there any alternative option I could use? or will it ruin the tart?..
thank you :)
Alanna says
Hi Josh, You could make individuals in small cups or jars (like these https://bojongourmet.com/2013/04/raw-vegan-chocolate-cheesecakes.html). Or you could try making this in a pie pan, it just might be harder to get the slices out. A springform cake pan might also work. Let me know what you end up trying. :) -A
Ingrid says
Hi Alanna!
I was wondering, could I use orange juice instead of carrot juice or wouldn't those flavors pair well?
Best,
Ingrid
Alanna says
Hi Ingrid, Hm, I'm not sure. It could be good, or the acidity might be clashy with the spices. Please let me know what you end up trying and how it goes.
Lisa Ball says
Could I make this on Sunday and freeze it for Thanksgiving on Thurs?
Alanna says
I think that would work fine! Just be sure to defrost it in enough time. It'll probably take a day in the fridge. Let me know how you like it. :)
Kera says
hello! I stumbled across this amazing recipe looking for a yummy raw pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving this week! I don't have a juicer though and wondering if I could just omit the carrot juice? Would that totally mess up the recipe? This looks delicious, can't wait to try it!!
Alanna says
Hi! You could always purchase carrot juice, or you could trade it out for a bit of water or nut milk. One reader made it with orange juice and liked it! Let me know what you end up trying. :)
Alanna says
Oh, I just thought - apple juice might work!
Megan H says
I got a last minute invitation to a dinner/late lunch. It was 5:30 am and the event was for 3pm that same day. Fortunately, I had been thinking about making this at some point, and I had everything on hand. I made your graham cracker crust for this, but swapped in gingerbread GF cookies. I realized that I had a 10" tart pan but not 9", so I used a pie pan, and I'm glad I did because even though I baked it, the crust was very crumbly and wouldn't have held up if I tried to extract it from a tart pan. My crust was also much thinner than your photos; I did it all by weight so not sure what happened there. But the important thing was that it tasted great! I pulled out my juicer for the carrot juice, and realized I should do that more often. The filling was a snap; and the marbling was fun. I had it in the frig in plenty of time for the four hour chill. Then came the hard part-coconut whipped cream. I just suck at it. I chilled the can of coconut milk, but when I opened it, a lot of it was hard and stuck at the edges of the can. I knew that wouldn't work, so I opened a can of coconut cream, not cold, and beat that with the powdered sugar and a little almond extract. I thought maybe I'm too impatient and should beat longer, and set a timer for 3 minutes. After 2 minutes I noticed there was runny ooze at the bottom and cottage-cheese-like stuff suspended in it. An internet search told me the fat and water had separated, and maybe stirring in some coconut water would help. It did, but then I had a blob of cream sitting in runny coconut water. So I strained it, got the blob into a piping bag, and had enough to pipe a cream rose in the center and then sprinkled ground walnuts around the edge. Looked great, and no one knew the struggles I had, and were extremely happy with the pie. Thank you for another fun recipe! By the way, what are those little things you have sprinkled on in your photo???
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Megan,
I'm so glad this pie was a hit - yay! The gingersnap crust sounds SO dreamy with that filling. That's interesting that the graham cracker crust turned out thin and crumbly when made with gingersnaps. Did the mixture seem more oily/wet than the pictures? I would think that gingersnaps would have more fat and sugar in them; maybe that made them weigh heavier than graham crackers and not absorb the butter as well?
I've also been there with the coconut whip! It really seems to depend on the brand. Also, one time I had the can in the back of the fridge too long and it froze, and then it would not come back together even after a long whipping. So glad you were able to make it work though!
Great question about the topping! Those are toasted buckwheat groats - they add a nice crunch!
xo, A