Classic Gentle Chef Pumpkin Pie
A favorite Autumn and Winter treat and perfect for celebrating the holidays. Vegan pumpkin pies are often made with tofu as a replacement for the evaporated milk and eggs. Although I use tofu frequently and successfully in eggless egg recipes and desserts, I find its undertaste to be rather noticeable and distracting in pumpkin pie. Therefore my goal was to create a pumpkin pie using a creamy cashew base which allows the flavor of the pumpkin and the warm spices to predominate.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8people | 20minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 75minutes |
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Ingredients
- 19-inch 1 nine-inch vegan graham cracker pie shell or basic pastry crust
- 1/2cup whole raw cashews2.5 oz. by weight
- 1cup non-dairy milk
- ¾cup light brown sugarpacked
- 2TBSP unmodified potato starchcornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- ½tsp ground ginger
- ¼tsp ground cloves
- ¼tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼tsp fine sea salt
- 1can pumpkin purée15 oz.
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water in the refrigerator for about 8 hours to soften and hydrate. To expedite the soaking process, pour boiling water over the cashews and let soak for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a high-powered blender. Add the non-dairy milk and process for 2 full minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until completely smooth. The mixture will be quite thick, so occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula and stir the contents back down into the blades as necessary. Use a tamper tool if provided with your blender.
- Spoon the mixture into the pie shell and smooth the surface with a spatula or large spoon. Don’t worry about a few swirl marks as they will minimize when the pie cools. Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean (do not exceed 60 minutes).
- Note: The surface of the pie will appear dry after baking; this will resolve once cooled and chilled.
- Remove the pie and cool completely on a wire rack (until the underside of the pie plate no longer feels warm). Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled and firm before slicing and serving. Try to avoid laying the plastic wrap in direct contact with the surface of the pie as moisture condensation will result. The pie can also be chilled in a large, sealable storage container.
- Top individual slices with a dollop of non-dairy whipped cream, if desired.