♡ PUMPKIN PIE (VEGAN/GLUTEN-FREE) ♡
As the holiday season approaches, the smell of pumpkin spice and cinnamon fills the air, but as a vegan in the holiday season, it might not always be as simple to find vegan-friendly desserts sold in your local grocery store.
When I first became vegan, it was easy to feel outcasted at family holiday parties because there wasn’t much to eat to enjoy a meal with everyone, unless I came prepared and brought my own food and desserts. It was awkward to sit at the table as everyone happily ate their ten types of pie, and while Whole Foods has a fantastic vegan and gluten-free pumpkin pie, the pricing is not always reasonable.
For this holiday season, I would really recommend checking out this recipe if you’re a fan of pumpkin pie! I’ve tried various recipes from Rhian’s Recipes after finding her account on Instagram and I haven’t been let down once!
Here’s the recipe straight from Rhian’s site -- I can’t wait to try this!
450 g (15 oz) tin of pumpkin purée * (shop-bought or make your own)
300 ml (1 ¼ cup) unsweetened cashew milk (or sub unsweetened almond milk or oat milk)
12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to taste (or sub a mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, or mixed spice)
3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) (or sub arrowroot)
75 g (⅔ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
75 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well, ensuring the cornflour (cornstarch) has dissolved completely
Once the mixture is mixed well, cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and gently bubbling
Depending on the consistency and texture of your pumpkin purée, it may not properly mix into your milk – if this is the case you can either transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender or use a hand-held stick blender to blend until completely smooth
Leave to cool slightly before pouring into the pastry
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl along with about 7 tablespoons of water, until it forms a firm dough – add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!
You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using
Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish (I used a 9inch/22.5cm pie dish)
You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like
Pour the filling into the pie crust just before putting in the oven (as otherwise the dough might ‘melt’)
Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown
Leave to cool completely before cutting, ideally putting the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly
Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days
*Recipe by Rhian’s Recipes (Check site for full recipe/substitution options/detailed descriptions.)