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This Pumpkin Custard Pie has a delicious pecan & date crust and is the perfect healthy dessert to bring to a holiday meal!
This post was updated with new photos in 11/2019.
I love pie. I know it can be hit or miss with some people, but it’s a hit for me. As a child, I actually requested blueberry pies instead of birthday cakes for a solid 3+ consecutive years. I don’t know if my toddler friends enjoyed that…but I certainly did!
While there aren’t any blueberries in this holiday pie, it still tastes pretty damn delicious.
I never really ate Pumpkin Pie as a child, but as I mature and my taste buds have evolve, the spicy-sweet flavors of this dessert have continually grown on me.
However, the importance I place on healthy, whole foods has increased as well, and pie does not usually fall in this category. Until now, that is! This pie is free from oil, gluten, and refined sugars, all without sacrificing taste.
I know there can be a battle between Pumpkin and Pecan pies during this time of year…so I thought, what the heck, let’s just combine them! So we have a Pecan, Oat, & Date Crust, plus the classic Pumpkin Pie filling. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Please note that this recipe is titled “Pumpkin Custard Pie.” Because I did not use any flour in this recipe the pie itself does have a softer, more velvet-y texture. Personally, I think that’s a great thing! If you would like your pie to be thicker, simply refrigerate before serving.
A Few Final Thoughts:
- To make this recipe Nut Free, feel free to substitute the Pecans with Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds.
- It is very important that you let this pie cool completely before slicing, so please don’t skip this step! Otherwise it may be too runny.
- I used Soy Milk to make this recipe, as it has a creamier texture and mouth feel. You can use Almond Milk, but it probably won’t be as satisfying. Coconut milk would also be a great option, if you like the flavor of coconuts!
If you’re looking for more holiday recipes, you may also love my Fluffy Vegan Cornbread or Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share on social, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl on Instagram or Facebook! It truly warms my heart to see your lovely recreations 🙂
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Pecan & Pumpkin Custard Pie
This Pumpkin Custard Pie has a delicious pecan & date crust and is the perfect healthy dessert to bring to a holiday meal!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Pecan Pie Crust:
- 1 cup (113 g) quick or rolled oats, gluten-free if necessary
- 1 cup (115g) raw pecans or pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup (108 g) medjool dates, pitted
- pinch of salt
For the Pumpkin Custard Filling:
- 1 15-ounce (425 g) can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
- 1 1/2 cup (350 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup (29 g) non-gmo cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 packed cup (151 g) medjool dates, pitted
Instructions
For the Pecan Pie Crust:
- Cover the pitted dates with hot water and let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Note: You will only need to soak the dates for the pie crust in this recipe; do not soak the dates for the filling.
- In the meantime, blend the oats in a food processor or high speed blender for 30 to 40 seconds, until they form a fine flour. Add the pecans and salt, then process until smooth.
- Add the drained dates to the food processor and pulse until a well-combined, sticky dough forms. Transfer the mixture into a greased pie pan and press down evenly to form the crust. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust, to prevent “bubbles” from forming.
For the Pumpkin Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Add all ingredients, except for the cornstarch and dates, into a large pot. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
- While the pumpkin mixture is heating up, prepare a “slurry” by adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the cornstarch in a small bowl. Gently mix together until a thick liquid has formed; you don’t want any clumps in this!
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering pumpkin mixture and cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Transfer this mixture to a blender or food processor, add in the remaining dates, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. The pie may look slightly uncooked when you take it out of the oven, but it will set as it cools. Let cool completely before slicing and serving as desired.
Notes
- Pecans may be substituted with almonds, walnuts, or shredded coconut for a nut-free option
Keywords: vegan pumpkin pie, healthy pumpkin pie, pumpkin pecan pie, pumpkin custard pie, sugar free pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie oil free, pumpkin pie with dates
Hey Caitlin! Would I be able to sub a regular crust and still use this filling recipe? My blender broke this week and I’m not sure I’ll have a new one before thanksgiving!
Sure! Just follow the instructions on your premade crust!
Hi 🙂 was just wondering if this will still taste as good if I make it the night before and serve it the next day after storing in the fridge overnight? Thanks so much
That should work perfectly! Just make sure you let it cool before putting it in the fridge!
Hi! i want to use the crust from this recipe for a different pie filling, but i would need to bake it for a extra 25 minutes. would the crust burn?
it should be fine, though i would cover the edges with tin foil to be safe
Can I use coconut flour instead of oats?
No, that will not work
Just made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing!! It was just the right amount of sweetness, can’t wait to make it again!!
★★★★★
Woo! 🙂
Had to bake mine an extra 20 minutes or so – turned out too runny but, could also be because I live in Colorado.
★★★★
Hey! I just did the filling part of this recipe and it’s just great! I just find the filling too runny (?) and I think I will but a bit more cornstarch next time.. ? Maybe I put too much pumpkin puree this time, I could have done that…
Have a great day, thanks for your work.
xoxo
★★★★
Hi Caitlin,
We are 6 weeks into WFPB No Oil eating, and I just discovered you! OMG everything looks so good, cant wait to try EVERYTHING! I have one question, this recipe calls to oil the pie tin. Since we are no oil, would lining it with parchment instead still work? Thank you in advance for your response:)
Hi Sabra! You could try parchment paper, though I am not sure that would work. You only need a negligible amount of oil to grease the tin (it would hardly contribute to the overall nutrition facts)
Thanks I used roughly 2 cups. I made this yesterday … such a healthy and delicious treat. For anyone using fresh pumpkin I would recommend using less plant milk because admittedly the custard was slightly on the runny side but very good nonetheless. Thanks! 🙂
You’re welcome, Mich!
Can you please tell me how much pumpkin I need in grams or cups? I wish to use fresh. Thanks!
15 oz is approximately 425.243 grams 🙂
Hi! how big is your pie pan?
Hi! It’s a standard pie pan, so around 9″ across
ah ok! also, how would you store this & for how long does it store well? does it freeze well?
hi caitlin! Can I use tapioca starch instead of corn starch?
★★★★★
Hi Lara, I have not tested this recipe with tapioca starch, but I believe it will work
Loved it! I made one for Thanksgiving. I was the only vegan, but everyone who tried it said it was really good. It got eaten, so I made another for myself!
★★★★★
That’s awesome, Cheryl!
Family approved! Thanks, Caitlin, for another easy to follow and clever recipe.
Yay! I’m glad it was a hit 🙂
Im making this for my thanksgiving dinner on Thursday! What did you use in place of whip cream? it looks yummy!
Hi Rosalie, I used a vegan whip cream! Whole Foods sells some made from rice and coconut, and Trader Joes has a coconut whipped cream too! I also really like Coco Whip, but that is more of a whipped topping, and comes in a tub 🙂
I love that the pie crust is so easy to make, as is the filling! In fact, I already have all of the ingredients for this entire recipe! YAY!
just made this now!! amazing recipe. i’m obsessed
★★★★★
Yay!!! So good, right?!
Could I swap the dates in the filling with maple syrup or something? I’m not a big fan of dates, so I’m worried it’ll be too much with dates both in the crust and filling ^^”
Hi Sophie, the dates act as a thickener in the pie filling, so I would not recommend substituting them with a liquid sweetener.
I used a mixture of dates and maple syrup, mine turned out well!
★★★★★
The maple and dates sounds great Thanks Aurora
I can never find canned pumkin puree in the UK… Is is possible to use alternative such as sweet poato for this recipe?
★★★★★
Yes! You can make your own sweet potato mash, or use butternut squash as well if you have access to that!
How much is it in Cups?:)
That’d be a little over 1 3/4 cups.
Omg this looks so good! Will definitively try this one out. What did you put on topi? I don’ know what that white cream is but it seems delicious 🙂
★★★★★
It was a vegan whipped cream! I’d recommend a coconut variety 🙂
I make the coconut milk whipped cream I get Wegmans brand yummy thanks