Despite the fact that this pie is sweetened with mostly fruit, you’d never know just by tasting it. You can safely bring it to Thanksgiving and get rave reviews. There’s no butter or dairy required, and homemade pumpkin pie has more flavor! Pair it with my oat flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust for a gluten-free crust option. The dough is super easy to make from scratch, or you can rely on a store-bought option to save time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instead of using eggs, this recipe uses arrowroot starch as a binder. (Cornstarch and tapioca starch should also work similarly if you have that on hand instead.) This option makes pie taste like the real thing, with the same texture as classic pumpkin pie. You would never know it’s sweetened with mostly dates, plus a touch of maple syrup. To keep this pie dairy-free, it uses coconut cream, which is the solid part found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. If you don’t need a dairy-free recipe, you can use heavy whipping cream instead. If you need another alternative, check out my easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe, which is thickened with cashews instead.
How to Make Date-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan if you haven’t already. In a high-speed blender, combine the pumpkin puree, dates, maple syrup, coconut cream, arrowroot starch, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Secure the lid and blend until the mixture is silky smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender to help the dates break down completely. (This recipe works best when you start with squishy Medjool dates that easily split apart with your fingers.) Pour the blended pumpkin pie filling into the unbaked pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the pie at 350ºF for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling looks darker without jiggling, and the crust is golden. Let the pie cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Pumpkin pie is the perfect dessert to make the night before you plan on serving it, so it can chill in the fridge overnight! Slice and serve with whipped cream on top, if you’d like. Leftover pie can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Looking for more healthy holiday desserts? Try my easy Chocolate Pie, Vegan Pecan Pie (also made with dates!), Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, or French Silk Pie for more naturally sweet ideas. If you try this healthy pumpkin pie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
