Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie Perfection
Was that dairy-free AND soy-free I said? Yes, I just couldn’t bear another tofu pumpkin pie recipe, so this year I went for a soy-free version that is oh so easy and delicious. Even better, both the filling and the crust use everyday pantry ingredients. Okay, hopefully you don’t keep eggs in your pantry, but you get the idea.
Speaking of eggs, I did attempt to make this pie egg-free / vegan using Bryanna’s recipe as a guide, but no go. The cornstarch-y texture and taste were both too “off” for our tastebuds. However, some good ol’ Ener-G eggs may do the trick. I have never used them, so I can’t vouch, but if you want a tofu-free, egg-free pumpkin pie, it may be worth a test!
If you do use eggs in baking, I can attest that this pumpkin pie recipe is a definite winner. It tastes fantastic and is a great make-ahead option. Growing up, I remember how the famous Libby’s Pumpkin Pie recipe would leave you with a soggy crust when stored overnight, but this recipe keeps a nice firm crust, and refrigerating it allows the flavors to meld … actually both my husband and I preferred it after a night of chilling …
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie
This recipe is Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, and optionally Gluten-Free. See my notes above on egg-free / vegan.
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg or Allspice
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 15-ounce Can Pumpkin Puree
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk (this is the stuff sold in the Asian section of most grocers – I use the full-fat version, but have received feedback from people that the Lite canned version works well too)
- 1 Unbaked Pie Shell (see below for my regular or whole wheat recipe, or for a gluten-free option, try this recipe, substituting soy-free Earth Balance for the butter)
Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
Combine the sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or allspice, cloves and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar mixture, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the coconut milk.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350ºF and continue to bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. It may be a bit wobbly still, but it will firm-up as it cools.
Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours (Be patient! This is important). Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Easy Peasy Pie Crust
- 1-1/2 Cups All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I used ww pastry flour, and it was still excellent)
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 6 Tablespoons Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Cold Water
Combine all of the ingredients, and press the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Fill and bake as directed above.
Yields 8 dee-licious slices
Blog Events:
- I submitted this post/recipe to the Holiday Food Fest – Fall Dessert edition at Hoosier Homemade.
- I submitted this recipe (the gluten-free crust version!) to A Gluten-Free Holiday – Desserts at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
123 thoughts on “Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie Perfection”
THANK YOU!! Made this last night and it turned out absolutely amazing, it was my practice run before thanksgiving which this year will be entirely dairy/soy free so i can eat everything!!!(breastfeeding and the little mans allergic).
thanks again..i’m headed for another slice right now!
Glad you like the recipe Trinidy! Now I’m craving pumpkin pie. May need to make it again myself.
I hope youer whole family adores it.
Going to make this for Thanksgiving!
Hi, looks yuuumy! the link to Bryanna’s recipe is not working, was it by chance flax “eggs” or chia “eggs”. Just curious. thanks, tracy
Thanks for the heads up Tracy, I fixed the link. Bryanna’s version uses cornstarch for the egg. I don’t think a flax or chia egg would work well, since binding isn’t the issue with the pie (it’s cohesive enough from the pumpkin itself) but rather firmness and “fluff.”
Im so excited to try this! I’m dairy free due to an allergy that appeared out of no where after a pregnancy. So, this is my first thanksgiving and I’m trying to make a traditional dinner, without a very traditional ingreadient…milk!! I’m looking forward to not having to sacrifice my pie!!
Could I make this pie with soy milk? My severly milk allergic son has never had coconut milk before.
Rachel, I haven’t tested it with soymilk, so I can’t guarantee. It should work okay, but won’t be as rich and may not thicken as well. That said, I’ve seen many recipes for pumpkin pie that use soymilk, and I have successfully made this recipe with both full fat and lite coconut milk.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegtable oil or vegtable shortning?
Crystal, I assume you are referring to in the crust? If so, any baking oil in general should work as they all have similar profiles (14g of fat per Tablespoon). It may just cause slight variation in flavor, which could always be good, depending on the flavor you like! I would recommend an extra-light or light olive oil though, extra-virgin olive oil can have a strong, grassy flavor that doesn’t always go with delicate baked goods.
I made this in a Manna From Anna Pie crust and it looks great! I also made my egg-free version and we’ll see which wins out. Yummy!
-Sea
For the first time ever my dairy allergic daughter was able to eat pumpkin pie! And she loved it, as did everyone else who ate it. I tweaked it just a bit by adding an extra egg white and about a 1/2 TBS of corn starch. The texture was absolutely identical to traditional pumpkin pie. Can not wait to make this again (and again, and again, and again…)!!!
I have made these twice and rave reviews. And shared it with Kim who commented above! I too tweaked it some and subbed 3/4 cup coconut crystals for the white and brown sugar and used 3 large eggs in mine. so wonderful to have dairy free without the soy since I can’t have either!!
Thanks so much!!
just curious as to why would you add eggs to this recipe?
Eggs help to make it lighter, less dense. See the post and the comments for egg-free notes / tips. They are included!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been bummed out for a long time about all the pre-made pumpkin pies at the grocery store, since they always have milk even when the fruit ones don’t. I made this for Thanksgiving and it was perfect! Tasted just like the ones with milk I used to be able to eat, and my husband loved it too.
I substituted stevia for the white sugar, and it worked perfectly. Next time I’ll try substituting it for all the sugar to see how that goes. Now I just have to find a good one with soy for family gatherings, since my sister-in-law is allergic to coconut, and my niece might be too. Thank again!!!
I just want to say, “Thank you” AGAIN! This recipe is just AMAZING!!! I have made it 5 times in the last year! It’s past New Year’s, but, I don’t care. This pie is SOOO good and soo guiltless (I use xylitol sweetener). I also tried stevia. The taste was great, but it did cause the pie to pull away from the crust. Thank you thank you! 🙂
That’s so awesome Adelaide! Glad you have been enjoying it. Thanks so much for the feedback on the xylitol and stevia. These are two sweeteners I’ve been experimenting with lately, but I’m still a newbie, so it’s great to know what has worked!
I have a can of Libby’s pumpkin pie filling I bought on accident (thought it was pure pumpkin) and I was wondering what your adjustments would be to use that in this recipe. Libby’s website says you just add eggs and milk, so I think it’s just got sugar and spices already.
Hi Angie, I’ve never used pumpkin pie filling, so I wouldn’t know exactly, but it sounds like your assessment is right – you can probably omit the sweetener and spices.
I did just that and it was delicious! I can’t wait to make it with pure pumpkin. The mix was so good before I added the eggs I was tempted to drink it!
Yum! So glad it worked out well!
I know it’s been a while since you posted this but I was wondering if Almond milk could work the same as coconut milk?
Hi ruthanne, see the comment section here for successful subs that others have made. I haven’t tested it with a low fat milk alternative like almond milk, so I can’t guarantee. It should work okay, but won’t be as rich and may not thicken as well. That said, I’ve seen many recipes for pumpkin pie that use lowfat milk, and I have successfully made this recipe with both full fat and lite coconut milk.
My daughter is 21 and never been able to enjoy pumpkin pie and that was her wish this Thanksgiving. Thanks to your recipe it made 2 pies. Iused 3 eggs and 1/2 tsp of cornstarch.
My husband said it was even better than “regular” pumpkin pie.
Thanks
Wow, that’s a vote of approval! Glad your whole family enjoyed it Carol!
This may be a dumb question, but how much can you taste the coconut? I’m just wondering if I’m going to be able to sneak it by my in-laws for Thanksgiving. I was thankful to find this recipe as my son and I are dairy and soy sensitive.
Mistie, nope. You can’t taste it a bit. No one but my father is dairy-free in my extended family, and they all love it. I get the same response from viewers who use this recipe.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try it!
Do you use the canned coconut milk or the cartons of coconut milk (I have O So Delicious in the regular and unsweetened varieties)? Have you tested all of these milks and, if so, what is the difference. I noticed that you use lite or regular in the canned variety (or so I presume) with no difference. Many thanks; so looking forward to trying this!
Rosemary
Rosemary, I think it is noted in the recipe. I use the canned full-fat coconut milk. You can see the comments from others who have used a lite version. It won’t set up quite as well with a lite coconut milk (I don’t recommend using the stuff in the carton, it’s basically 2% milk – but that’s just me!), but will still be rich and tasty.
So glad you posted this recipe. I have been on a soy- and dairy-free diet for 7 mos due to intolerances in breastfed baby, and I was very worried I’d have to miss out on pumpkin pie (my favorite) this year. Cannot wait to try this over and over and over again, and the pie crust recipe should come in handy for other fillings. Thank you!
This is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had!
Aw, that’s fantastic Katy!
I’m so excited to make this pie! I’m soy and dairy free because I breastfeed my daughter and she’s intolerant of both.
I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I have a lot on my plate. You say it’s even better sitting over night, but have you made it ahead even earlier than that? Or have you ever made just the crust ahead of time and either froze it or covered and chilled it? Just trying to get as much done ahead of the big day as possible 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Jennifer, I’m not a very experienced person with freezing recipes. If you have been able to freeze pies / crusts in this manner in the past, then it should work with this recipe, too!
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. My son has serious food allergies (Milk, soy, nuts, eggs) and this recipe I think is going to rock the family’s world. We’re doing our first fully allergen free thanksgiving/christmas this year. I’m so glad to see so many good reviews, and see that some others have used the ener-g egg replacer with success in this recipe.
Sarah, there are additional helpful comments (including egg-free trials) on these posts, too:
http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/11/05/dairy-free-soy-free-pumpkin-pie/
http://www.godairyfree.org/ask-alisa/ask-alisa-do-you-have-a-good-pumpkin-pie-recipe-that-is-milk-free-and-soy-free
I did make a gluten free, soy free, dairy free pie last year from a different recipe. The flavor was great, but the consistency was lacking for me. I’m excited to try this one. I do recall using the canned coconut oil, but it still didn’t seem thick enough, but it was with Libby’s canned pumpkin (maybe that’s thinner than just canned pumpkin). It’s very hard to find dairy free that’s also soy free—thank you!
Terese, I recommend using full-fat canned coconut milk for best results (not the lite stuff!). I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My young son was in tears when he thought that his new dairy-free diet wouldn’t allow him to eat his favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.
I admit I’m asking this question awfully late in the game – Trader Joe’s had lite coconut milk in the can and coconut CREAM in a can. But no full fat coconut milk. I bought both. Planning to use the cream in this recipe but figured I’d ask on the off chance you’re out there right now… Thanks!
Amy, I have a can of that coconut cream, but haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t quite know the texture. Off hand, I would say that the coconut cream should work quite well. If it looks completely solid, then you could always use part lite coconut milk, part coconut cream. Good luck!
Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Worried when I opened the can and realized it was half waxy solid and half liquid, but a few minutes with the contents and a hand-mixer, and I had something creamy that could have become whipped cream in more time. Stopped there and added a cup to the pumpkin mixture, and the pie was fantastic. Didn’t taste like coconut – all pumpkin pie. Making another one tomorrow to use my 2nd “Wholly Wholesome” pie crust (from Whole Foods). Thanks again for the recipe!
Wonderful! I looked at the nutrition facts on the can and it is just a wee bit fattier than regular coconut milk, so it should be insanely similar, and it sounds like it was. Looking forward to trying it out and glad you liked the pie recipe!
Has anyone tried this recipe with 4 egg whites instead of 2 eggs? I’ve made it before following the recipe and it was great, so I’m afraid to change it, but am cooking for someone who is trying to avoid egg yolks. Any feedback would be very helpful!!
I had one commenter state that they did this once and it worked out well with the egg whites. Glad you like the original recipe!
hi! I’m just wondering if I could substitute the sugar with honey and/or stevia?
It’s just the sweetners I already have on hand, but I’m not sure if the liquid honey would substitute for it as it’s not crystal.. but maybe if I did some honey and then a few stevia packs?
Thanks!
Hi Corinne,
I couldn’t say if that would work without testing first. Typically liquid sweeteners have different results than granulated and both the honey and stevia would introduce different flavors. I would feel safer recommending coconut sugar (ground into a fine powder) as a sweetener substitute.
Hi I was wondering if you could substitute coconut milk with just water? We don’t eat anything processed or canned so I’m looking for some alternatives. Thanks
Hi Jennifer, no, water would not be a suitable substitute. You can make your own coconut milk if that is the route you are taking. The pie needs fat and body. Water is just, water.
Same here -If you find a substitute please tell me
I don’t want to use milk or soy
Karl, this recipe doesn’t use milk or soy, it’s dairy-free and soy-free as the title says.
I saw your reply to another comment that soy milk may work, although it might not be as rich. And you’ve mentioned it needing the fat of the coconut milk (although lite works as well). How about rice milk? Would that be fatty enough? I’m stuck due to volunteering to make a pumpkin pie for my son’s day care. My dairy allergic daughter will be out of school next week, so she’ll be at the day care…yet I cannot make anything with tree nuts due to kids with nut allergies there. Any suggestion?? I have a vegan (tofu) pumpkin pie recipe, but really don’t want to go that route if I don’t have to.
Hi Kristen, I would check with the school on coconut specifically. This quick post should help you out – http://www.godairyfree.org/ask-alisa/ask-alisa-can-the-nut-allergic-use-coconut-based-dairy-alternatives
Rice milk is even more watery than soy milk, so it definitely won’t be as rich, and I don’t want to promise that it will work. But, if you are using eggs, I think it should still set-up. Truthfully, pureed silken tofu would be a better substitute, but I completely understand not wanting to swap for soy – that’s the whole point of this pie recipe 🙂
If you do end up trialing the rice milk, it would be great if you could give us a quick comment back on if it works well. If the only issue is richness (and it does actually set up) it is probably great for kids since they tend to like sweet best, and aren’t usually as into the fatty, creamy stuff like us adults!
Finally, a dairy free pumpkin pie that tastes great!! I tried three different dairy free recipes last year and they were all disasters. I used coconut cream instead of milk and it was perfect.
Glad it worked out well for you Susan!
When making this pie with coconut milk does it give it a coconut flavor at all? Is there anything that can be used in place of coconut milk? Thank you
Never had a single report of it tasting like coconut at all, and my family can’t tell.
Thank you for this recipe. I cook, but don’t bake often, and yesterday was the first time I made a pumpkin pie, using this recipe. I love pumpkin pie and this was delicious. I have a possibly novice question: this recipe filled two pies for us, but I don’t see any note about that on the recipe. Is that correct? Is that common with pie recipes?
It just makes 1 pie for us Liz! Perhaps your pie shells were smaller or maybe we just fill ours up nice and full!
Thanks. I think the shells were small. Hope to make our own crust next time. Again, thanks for the recipe. We’re dairy free and my older daughter is soy free too, so this was a great find.
I have made your pumpkin pie recipe for the last two years and it’s a big hit! In fact, we prefer it to the traditional recipe! Thanks!
I’ve been using this recipe for years, and I misplaced my paper copy, so I’m super glad it’s still here! Thanks for the recipe, and thanks for keeping it up. 🙂
Of course! We’ll eventually forward it to my main site, but you won’t miss a beat with it 🙂
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