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Healthy recipe for dairy-free pumpkin pie that tastes the same as conventional recipes. Even better, this easy nondairy version uses less sugar than those using canned evaporated milk!
If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s cheap food. I admit it. I’m a dedicated Food Snob. Perhaps it’s my French heritage. Perhaps it is all those years I actually ate cheap food and suffered the inevitable consequences of dodgy health and a crabby disposition much of the time.
Truth be told, I would rather go hungry than actually stoop to eating fast food – even in a pinch. I’ve found through painful experience, that it is infinitely better to drink some water, chew gum or whatever I have to do to get to a decent restaurant. Better yet, simply go home and get something quality to eat.
Either of these options is far better than succumbing to the temptation of the drive-through. The result of such a decision is suffering the inevitable stomach ache, headache or worse a few hours later.
I’ve found very few places that beat my own kitchen for quality, lip-smacking, “wow, that was amazing” food. It’s just not worth it to settle for less. The really ironic and highly amusing part of my Food Snob confession is that I couldn’t even boil an egg when I first got married.
My husband was the chef; he was and still is, an excellent cook. He taught me the basics, and when the kids came along, I determined to learn everything the best that I could so that my kids would really learn to appreciate, and love quality food. It is, after all, one of the finer things of life!
That being said, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, you can imagine my dismay at all the processed versions of the classic dishes that abound in the grocery store. Most folks just don’t seem to get the concept of “homemade” anymore. A can of Libby’s pumpkin pie filling is not a satisfactory stand-in for a fresh from the field, seasonal pumpkin, baked in your own oven, and pureed to the perfect degree of smoothness in your food processor.
Most standard pumpkin pie recipes also call for a can of evaporated milk. What is that stuff anyway? Brace yourselves. Evaporated milk, “also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk.
This commercial dairy creation is even more processed than pasteurized, homogenized milk if that’s possible. Evaporated milk is processed at such a high temperature that the final product is sterilized to the point where the canned version is shelf-stable for months or even years. Could one take canned, evaporated milk, add back the appropriate amount of water, add yogurt cultures and ferment into yogurt?
Absolutely not! The stuff is DEAD. It is a nutritionless, highly allergenic version of the fresh from the cow variety. Avoiding it in your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe would be a favor to both you and your guests, to say the least. Incidentally, commercial sweetened condensed milk is just as bad! In that case, you make homemade sweetened condensed milk instead.
Perfect Nondairy Pumpkin Pie!
You’re probably now thinking that making a decent quality pumpkin pie would take at least a week and cost the equivalent of what you’re spending on the turkey. Not at all! Quality can always be convenient and taste fantastic too. Try this pumpkin pie recipe on for size.
By the way, if you prefer a crustless pumpkin pie, click over to the provided link for a recipe to make pumpkin pudding.
I filmed the short video included with the recipe on how to make pumpkin pie for the Today Show on News Channel 8 here in Tampa!
Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
This easy recipe for pumpkin pie ditches the nasty evaporated milk and uses a far healthier option that results in a dairy-free dessert that all can enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups baked and pureed pumpkin preferably seasonal and organic
- 9 oz whole coconut milk
- 2/3 cup evaporated cane sugar preferably organic
- 3 eggs preferably pastured or free range
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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The best way to bake a pumpkin is to first, cut it in half, then remove the seeds and bake, skin side up, in a glass pan filled with 1 inch of filtered water at 400F for one hour). Scoop out the thoroughly softened pumpkin and puree in a food processor. Do this a few days in advance and store in the refrigerator, so making the pie on Thanksgiving morning is a 5-minute snap. Make enough so that you already have enough pumpkin puree for Christmas too. Freeze in 1 pint or quart containers for easy thawing/baking later.
Here's a video on how to make pumpkin puree if you are a more visual learner.
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Whip together pumpkin puree, sugar, coconut milk and spices in a large, glass bowl with a whisk. Add lightly beaten eggs. Mix until just combined.
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Pour into 2 standard pie crust shells.
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Bake in a 375 F/ 190 C oven for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Cool. Serve with homemade whipped cream or enjoy on it’s own.
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Refrigerate leftovers.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
To source the best, most flavorful pumpkin, check your local Farmer’s Markets. Pumpkin is a Fall crop and you can get one fresh from the field if you just ask. Any variety will do. Really. Don’t get hung up on the color or type of pumpkin. They all work fine in my experience.
Whole coconut milk is a wonderful, healthy stand-in for evaporated milk. Your pie will NOT taste coconut-y at all. Use only the thick white portion of the coconut milk and not the coconut water.
1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar and 4-6 drops of stevia may be substituted to make a lower sugar recipe if desired.
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
If you enjoy using pumpkin for baking, try these other traditionally inspired recipes:
Happy Thanksgiving, Sarah!
This only made enough for 1 pie for me. Double recipe if you’re making 2 pies!
My 10 year old son Joey and I just made this recipe. This is the second time we’ve used your video to prepare fresh pumpkin puree but he first time we used your recipe substituting coconut milk for evaporated milk. What a great idea! I sampled the raw batter and felt that I would like to add a teaspoon of sea salt. As a personal choice I also cut back on the cloves a bit. What a tasty pie! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks also for sharing that you started out on the ground level with learning to cook and prepare foods traditionally. After reading your blog and following WAPF, etc. I have had a lot of firsts in the past 6 months including learning to soak nuts and beans and to make bone broths. I really appreciate the guidance you share!
Susie
Yes you can use raw cream or half and half or even just raw milk for pumpkin pie. I usually just use milk.
Jack
I’d really like to know if I could simply use raw cream.
Hi Sarah – can I just use coconut cream? I get mine from Wilderness Family and it is great. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made these last night and they smell amazing! I couldn’t resist tasting the pie filling before baking, and I do taste a bit of coconut, but only slightly. (Big bonus for me!) I did use regular pie crusts, not deep dish, and there wasn’t enough filling for two. Since I waited last minute to bake, I don’t have any open stores near me to go to, so my family will have to get by with what I have. If they taste as amazing as they smell, I’ll be in BIG trouble!
Oh dear! I bought 3 lovely-looking organic pumpkins and baked them according to the instructions. I reserved the seeds and baked; when i touched these yesterday, I noticed a bitter taste on my hand afterwards but waved it aside as maybe the taste of unbaked pumpkins. But today, I pureed my baked pumpkins ready to bake them into a pie and the pumpkin is UNBEARABLY bitter. I tried adding some sugar to a spoonful to see if the taste would change, but no luck. It it horrible! I don’t recall ever tasting a bitter pumpkin puree, even last year when I made it from scratch as well and tasted amazing. Has anyone ever heard of pumpkin being bitter? Why would it be so? This is the strangest thing. Sadly, I am now short on time, so will probably have to make our pies from organic puree from a can “gasp!” Don’t want to risk buying another bitter pumpkin and wasting more time and money :o(.
I don’t agree with the article about the type of pumpkin not being a big deal; the various pumpkin varieties taste vastly different. I’ve tried a few kinds and my favorite are cinderella pumpkins. I’ve often seen small sugar pie pumpkins in the produce section, but they taste kind of boring to me. Whatever you do, don’t try to make a pie with jack-o-lantern type pumpkins!
Would you mind posting a good pie crust recipe? Also, I’m with Sarah on the last post regarding the coconut milk question – do you scrape the top off of the can of coconut milk and not use the water portion? I’ve never actually seen a can of coconut milk, so don’t know what it looks like. Thanks. The pumpkin pie sounds wonderful.
Hi Sarah,
Your pie sounds amazing and I would love to make it this Thanksgiving! I have one question about the coconut milk. You said to only use the thick white portion…so don’t use the entire can of the coconut milk, just scrape the top off of several cans to total 9 oz (saving the more liquidy stuff for another use)? or did you mean to make sure not to buy coconut water? sorry for not understanding!
Regarding the coconut milk:
I just made these pies. I used Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut milk. Most of the can was the cream. I did try to shake it as the can said to (silly I know), of course do not do that, but thank God it didn’t mix! You will have over 9 oz. of the cream if all cans are like that one. There is only about an inch or so of the coconut water on the bottom.