Some ladies go ga-ga for flowers, or a box of fancy chocolates. Some like sparkly hand bags (they're not called purses anymore – I just learned that). Some will swoon over a pair of designer shoes, or a fine piece of jewelry stashed in a velvet box.
But to me, few things say "I love you" more than an industrial food processor or heavy duty stand mixer. I'll take the steel of a good chef's knife over gold or platinum any day – though I'm equally happy with a set of vintage silver flatware, or perhaps some BPA-free polycarbonate.
I'm currently head-over-heels for our new blender. We'd been muddling along with an avocado-green number from several decades ago, which served us well for making our favorite nutritional yeast vinaigrette, but couldn't handle anything more serious than a few garlic cloves and some liquids. We consulted the kitchen oracle, Cook's Illustrated, for blender advice and ordered the model rated on par with the VitaMix but with a smaller price tag. Our new baby is sleek and cute, and it's been a champ so far, churning out kale smoothies every morning, almond milk every few days, and four batches of this pumpkin tart. (I had to get it just right, you know?)
This tart was inspired by a few different sources: a raw pumpkin pie I tried at Cafe Gratitude many years ago, and Comfy Belly's Raw Chocolate Cheesecake. I wanted it to look as pretty as the Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. So I made something up, and tweaked it three times to get the flavor and texture just so.
I start with a crust of pecans, almonds, coconut oil and maple syrup. A hit of salt gives the crust a crack-like addictiveness, and ginger and cinnamon add warmth. I found that toasting the nuts lightly makes the crust infinitely more flavorful.
The filling begins with a cashew cream flavored with vanilla, a bit of salt, and maple syrup. Melted coconut oil, which is solid when chilled, sets the tart to a slice-able consistency. Before adding butternut squash puree, carrot juice (to give the tart a brighter hue), and spices, I set aside some cashew cream to swirl into the top of the tart. A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and fresh ginger give the filling a classic taste which, it you're like me, will bring on a flood of positive Thanksgiving dessert memories.
I doubt that anyone would suspect this dessert of being free from dairy, gluten, eggs, and refined sugars. Thanks
to modern appliances, the filling is silky smooth – light and dense at
the same time, like a good cheesecake or a thick whipped cream.
A few things worth mentioning: Cafe Gratitude's original recipe calls for raw, grated pumpkin, but I prefer to roast and puree my own butternut squash, as butternuts tend to have more consistent flavor, and the thought of eating raw squash gives me the willies. I've given directions on how to do this in the headnote below. If you're not already a squash puree-maker, know that the process is simple. Most of the time is hands-off while the squash bakes and then cools, and extra puree can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.
Also, for this kind of dessert, it's important not to over-process the filling once the coconut oil has been added, since this can cause the coconut oil to solidify into tiny, white speckles. If this happens, the dessert will still taste fine, but it will look grainy and curdled rather than silky smooth. To avoid this fate, work quickly once you've added the oil, and blend just enough to combine. I like to stir together the squash puree, carrot juice, and spices separately to minimize the blending time.
Jay insists that this is the best dessert he's had in a long time, though he admits that his nostalgic soft spot for pumpkin desserts may have something to do with it. Clearly, the way to a man's heart is through his pumpkin dessert stomach.
And though the way to mine may be through a workhorse of a kitchen appliance, I still wouldn't turn my nose up at a bouquet of tulips or two..
More Pumpkin Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Tart
- Gluten-Free Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Creamy Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin, Rye + Chocolate Babka
More Raw/Vegan/Grain-Free Desserts:
- Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Cream Tart
- Raw, Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
- Rawish, Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Hazelnut Ganache No-Bake Brownies
- Vegan Grasshopper Pies in Jars
- Vegan Lemon Tart with Berries & Coconut Cream
- 16 No-Bake Desserts for Any Occasion
- Raw Chocolate Pudding
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this raw pumpkin pie recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
No-Bake Pumpkin Tart {vegan, paleo, raw-ish}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
"Gingersnap" Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups (270 g) raw or lightly toasted pecans, walnuts, or other nuts (or a combination)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 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
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ( g) melted and warm extra-virgin coconut oil (5 ounces/150 ml)
- 1 1/4 cup (? g) roasted, pureed butternut squash (8 ounces/230 grams)
- 1/4 cup carrot juice (or more water) (2 ounces/60 ml)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
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.
Notes
Nutrition
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!