Creamy and smooth gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin pie with a hazelnut flour or graham cracker crust! Top it with whipped coconut cream and toasted hazelnuts. This is the best pumpkin pie, hands down!
When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, I got those dialed in. They've been set for years. There's always pumpkin cheesecake mousse pie, sorghum molasses pecan pie, and vanilla bean pear persimmon pie. Each family member requests a different favorite, so I make them all and my dad finishes up the leftovers for a week after the big day.
With the smoke from the Paradise Camp Fire keeping us away from family last year, we hosted our first friendsgiving feast. To accommodate all our guest's dietary restrictions, I adapted the menu, developing this gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin pie recipe.
You won't miss the dairy or the gluten!
Traditional pumpkin pie filling uses evaporated milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half in the custard; that's how I make my delicious gluten-free pumpkin pie bars. To make a dairy-free filling, I used canned coconut milk in place of the dairy, and coconut oil in the crust rather than butter, adapted from this recipe.
This gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie is a pie for everyone. The texture is smooth and creamy with flavors that taste like fall. Topped with a dollop of whipped coconut cream, it will become a holiday staple your friends and family request year after year.
And for all you coconut skeptics, it miraculously tastes nothing like coconut. It's hard to believe a pie so luscious and creamy has no dairy!
Gluten-free flours for the crust:
I'm building on my obsession with the sweet warmth of sorghum flour, so I've used in combination with buckwheat flour to make the crust. Here I've added cinnamon, and the result of these changes tastes like a spiced holiday shortbread cookie. If you prefer something more traditional, you could use my flaky all-butter gluten-free pie crust instead.
To make the crust vegan, I've used firm coconut oil in place of butter. I recommend refined coconut oil for this recipe, which has a mild neutral flavor and won't overpower the pumpkin.
A No-Bake Version
Update 2021: I've also tested this recipe as a no-bake pumpkin pie recipe, which has become my go-to for simplicity and oven-space. For the no-bake version, increase the coconut milk, use only the egg yolks, and add corn starch. You'll make it on the stovetop like you're making pudding. See the recipe below for quantities.
Can I Bake this in a Pie Pan
If you'd like to make this pumpkin pie in a traditional pie pan, I recommend using the no-bake variation below. The no-bake version makes a bit more filling, so it easily fills a 9-inch pie pan.
Go easy on yourself and make a gluten-free graham cracker crust for this option!
Other types of crust to use for pumpkin pie
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Almond Flour Crust
If you'd rather use almond flour, here's a variation of vegan almond flour tart crust you can use.
Gluten-Free Buttery Almond Flour Crust (plant butter works)
Alternatively, if you don't need the whole tart to be dairy-free, like me, I most often bake it in a buttery tart crust, like this gluten-free tart crust.
Recipe
Creamy Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (69 g) hazelnut flour
- ½ cup (66 g) Bob’s Red Mill sorghum flour
- ¼ cup + 2.5 tablespoons (65 g) sweet rice flour , such as Mochiko - different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
- 3 tablespoons (22 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- ¼ cup (52 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 tablespoons (95 g) coconut oil, firm but room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon more for the pan (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½-2 tablespoons ice water
- ½ cup (112 g) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1-⅓ cups canned pumpkin puree, see note
- 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk, mixed well until homogenous (see note)
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (112 g) light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups full fat canned coconut milk
- 1⅓ cups canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 13.66-ounce can canned coconut cream, chilled upright in the fridge overnight for at least 24 hours, see note
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Use a pastry brush or paper towel to rub a tablespoon of coconut oil (that is soft like mayonnaise but not melted) into a thick layer on all over the bottom and crevices of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Place tart pan in the freezer while you prepare the crust.
- *You can make a hazelnut flour crust, or this gluten-free graham cracker crust. If making the hazelnut version: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the hazelnut flour, sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the remaining 7 tablespoons coconut oil and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well mixed - 3-4 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the ice water, starting with just 1½ tablespoons. Mix until the dough begins to clump together, 2-3 minutes, adding more water as needed.
- Dump the crumbs into the chilled tart pan. Press the dough evenly into the pan, starting with the sides and then moving to the bottom. Your crust should be between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick with the top edges squared off. Prick the bottom all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet, and chill in the freezer or fridge until firm, 15-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350°F. When the tart shell is firm, bake on the middle rack. If using the baked filling, bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust begins to look cooked and not moist, but not yet browning. If using the no-bake filling option, bake it for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the tart is lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and while the crust is still hot, use a cup-bottom or the back of a spoon to gently press down on the sides and bottom to help hold it together as it cools. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before adding the filling.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
Baked Filling Version
- For the baked filling version, in a large mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar with the spices. Add the eggs, pumpkin, coconut milk, and vanilla and whisk well to combine. Pour the filling through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of any clumps of coconut milk remaining.
- With the tart shell on the baking pan on the oven rack, carefully pour the filling into the par-baked pan. Gently push the tart back into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the center is set when the pan is gently jiggled.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack for at least an hour. Gently release the tart from the pan and chill for at least 2 hours.
No-Bake Filling Version
- For the no-bake filling version, Whisk together light brown sugar, corn starch, spices, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add coconut milk, pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, making sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the pot. Continue boiling for 1½ more minutes until it thickens to the consistency of yogurt.
- Pour into prepared tart crust and smooth with an offset spatula. If you have any extra filling beyond what fits in the tart pan, pour it into a dessert cup for pudding cups. Chill completely, about 2 hours.
Whipped Coconut Cream
- Just before serving, prepared the whipped coconut cream. Without tilting, open the can and spoon just the thick cream off the top into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or into a mixing bowl to whip with a hand mixer).
- Whip on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue whisking on high speed until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to use.
- Serve tart cold with whipped coconut cream.
Notes
- Coconut Oil: The coconut oil for this recipe should be solid but room temperature. If your house is particularly warm, chill the coconut oil until JUST solid but not too hard. For this recipe, you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil, and the main difference will be in the flavor of the crust. Refined coconut oil has a mild neutral flavor that is not as noticeable when baked.
- I recommend using non-organic canned pumpkin as organic canned pumpkin tends to be more watery and I have not tested to see how that interacts with the recipe.
- Coconut milk: Your coconut milk should be well-mixed until homogenous. If the cream on your coconut milk is very firm, you may need to heat it lightly until you can combine the cream with the liquid in the coconut milk. For coconut milk and cream, I recommend Native Forest, Thai Kitchens, or 365 brands. I do NOT recommend Trader Joe's coconut milk or cream as it's oily and separates into a very weird texture in recipes. If you cannot find coconut cream to whip, you can use two cans of full-fat coconut milk and skim off just the top layer, leaving the liquid behind.
- For alternative crust options, see the post above!
Dee Ann -
I would really like to try this recipe, however I need to omit the eggs. Is there a replacement for eggs that would work?
Sarah Menanix -
I would use the no-bake option and leave out the egg yolks! They aren't required for thickening the pie, but add extra richness, so can easily be left out!
Katie Stoliker -
I've not been one to often leave comments but this recipe was fabulous!! i couldn't find hazelnut flour so subbed the same amount of almond flour and it worked out great. even my brother who doesn't like pumpkin pie enjoyed it!!
Lisa -
I made the pumpkin pie for 2 gatherings and it was a hit both times! I had to cook a lot of dishes for these parties, so I wanted a dessert that was easier to prepare. I made the no-bake version of this pie recipe and paired it with Sarah's gluten-free graham cracker crust. That combination worked REALLY well. I used a can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk, like Sarah suggested, and had absolutely no issues with the texture of the pie. I loved that it's dairy free!
Tina -
I made this but It did not taste as much as pumpkin as it did the coconut milk. I was hoping to make a real nice traditional pumpkin pie. Might also was lighter than the color of what you have in your photos.
Bummer! Was really hoping this to be my winner :(.
In your recipe instructions you do not say anything regarding the coconut milk being added to the actual recipe from the can as far as omitting the water or not
Tina
Sarah Menanix -
Based on your comment, I'm suspecting you used only the cream off the top of the coconut milk, which would cause it to taste much more like coconut. This would also explain why it turned out lighter than the picture. Typically when a recipe calls for canned coconut milk, if it doesn't specify only the cream, it means to use the whole can, to mix the coconut milk until it is homogenous. I urge you to try it again using the can of mixed coconut milk (both cream and liquid parts) - I make this for every Thanksgiving and it really shouldn't taste much like coconut! I'll make an addendum to the recipe so others who aren't familiar know to use both parts of the canned coconut milk - thank you!