Pumpkin pie or pecan pie for your special holiday dessert? Now, you don’t have to choose. Here’s a vegan pumpkin pecan pie that’s as beautiful to look at as it is delectable to eat.
This recipe was contributed by Hannah Kaminsky, who says, “At last, a delicious resolution to the pumpkin vs. pecan pie battle! While I have never felt that either pie was worthy of all the hype, it appears they simply needed to be combined in order to achieve their full potential. Straight pumpkin pie strikes me as monotonous in texture and flavor, while standard pecan pie tends to be tooth-achingly sweet.
However, when I brought them together in one crust, the two fillings seemed to accentuate one another’s strengths, while diminishing any negative aspects. The pecans do have a more dominant presence, but a dollop of pumpkin crème topping allows both flavors to have an equal turn in the spotlight Who says you can’t make everyone happy?”
Recipe and photos from Sweet Vegan Treats by Hannah Kaminsky © 2019, Skyhorse Publishing. Reprinted by permission.
Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Here's a vegan pumpkin pecan pie that’s as beautiful to look at as it is delectable to eat.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons plain nondairy milk
Pumpkin filling
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain nondairy milk
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pecan Filling
- 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves
- 2⁄3 cup maple syrup
- 1⁄4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed, or coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin crème
- 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1⁄4 cup vegan butter or coconut oil
- 3⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon agar powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9-inch round pie pan.
- To begin forming the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients. Follow with the nondairy milk and mix until everything comes together into a cohesive ball of dough.
- Move the dough into your prepared pie pan and press it gently into the bottom and up the sides using the palm of your hand. Flute the edges if desired. Let the crust chill in the refrigerator while you assemble the filling.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, nondairy milk, and spices. Slowly sprinkle in the cornstarch while stirring vigorously, to prevent lumps. Smooth this filling into your chilled crust and return the pie pan to the refrigerator.
- In a separate bowl, toss the pecans with the maple syrup, sugar, cornstarch, ground flaxseeds, and vanilla. Gently and evenly pour this pecan mixture over your pumpkin filling. Don’t worry if it looks like a skimpy amount; it will rise to the occasion once completed.
- Bake the pie for approximately 25 minutes, until the crust begins to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 300ºF (150ºC) and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, making sure that all the exposed crust looks fully cooked and nicely browned. If it’s darkening too quickly, cover the edges with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Let cool completely.
- To make the pumpkin crème: Combine the coconut milk, butter or coconut oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Once the butter or oil has melted, whisk in the pumpkin, arrowroot, agar, and cinnamon, beating thoroughly to incorporate without any lumps at all. Cook until thickened and bubbles begin to break on the surface, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent a skin from forming on top. If it’s still too soft to pipe around the border, let this mixture sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill and solidify. Pipe or drop dollops of the crème around the edge of your pie before serving. Cut into 8 or 10 wedges to serve.
More sweets by Hannah Kaminsky on this site:
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Sweet Vegan Treats by Hannah Kaminsky
is available on Amazon* and wherever books are sold
About Hannah Kaminsky: Hannah has developed an international following for her delicious recipes and mouthwatering food photography at the award-winning blog BitterSweet. She is the author of Vegan Desserts, Vegan à la Mode, Easy as Vegan Pie, Real Food, Really Fast, and her latest, Sweet Vegan Treats. Passionate about big flavors and simple techniques, she works in the San Francisco bay area, developing recipes and photographing food from morning to night. Visit Hannah on the web at BittersweetBlog.com.
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