- Hide menu

Pumpkin Spice Pie | Cashew-Free

LoadingFavoriteAdd to favorites

If you could taste autumn, this would be it!  I am not fibbing when I say that this raw vegan, gluten-free pumpkin spice pie is amazing! Serve this your guests on Thanksgiving and become the hit of the party. I want to see a show of hands afterward from those of you who tricked their skeptical Uncle Bob into consuming upwards of 3 slices of pie with nothing but praise.

raw vegan gluten- free cashew-free pumpkin spice pie

Back when I was in seventh grade, I took a home ec class. I wish I had fond memories of that class; I don’t. I wish that I had learned something useful from that class; I didn’t.  I do recall the time when we were going to learn how to make apple pies, though.

Just as all the kids filtered into the class, the power went out.  As the teacher left the room to find out what happened, we all made our way to our assigned cooking stations. It wasn’t long before someone spied cans of apple pie filling sitting on the counter.

We waited “patiently” for the teacher to return, but apparently, the patience of a twelve-year-old was pretty short.  Because before I knew what was happening, one of the kids opened their can of apple pie filling, and everyone dove in to retrieve a forkful of oooey-gooey apple slices.  You know that saying, “monkey see, monkey do?” Well, it wasn’t long before everyone opened their apple-pie cans and devoured them.

raw vegan gluten- free cashew-free pumpkin spice pie

The teacher returned, the lights came back on, and the apple pie filling cans were empty.  We all just stood there, dumbfounded, with the most pathetic attempted look of innocence on our faces. Needless to say, we didn’t learn how to make apple pies that day. After all, we had eaten the star ingredient! No one got detention and no one was sent to the principal’s office… I mean, really… all 25 of us wouldn’t fit in there, especially with our distended bellies.

What does this story have to do with pumpkin pie?  Not much really, but the word “pie” took me down memory lane, reminiscing back to the day when the first pie-making opportunity crossed my path. But it was an opportunity, not an experience . . . since we never got to make them!

Ingredient Run-Down

raw vegan gluten- free cashew-free pumpkin spice pieIngredients:

Yields  9″ springform pan

Crust: 

  • 1 1/2 cups raw pecans, soaked & dehydrated
  • 1 cup packed Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Filling:

  • 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned or raw
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat Thai coconut milk, canned or raw
  • 1 1/2 cups packed Medjool dates, pitted
  • 3/4 cup cold-pressed coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp sunflower lecithin powder

Raw marzipan basket weave: optional

  • 2 cups fine almond flour
  • 6 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla or maple extract

Preparation:

Crust:

  1. Combine the pecans, dates, and cinnamon in your food processor.  Mix until well blended.
    • Please be sure to not overprocess, or the nuts will release too much oil.
    • The batter should stick together when pinched between your fingers.
    • If the dates are tough and dry, rehydrate them in warm water first. Be sure to drain and hand-squeeze the excess water before adding the dates to the food processor.
  2. Press the crust evenly into the pie pan or Springform pan and set aside while you make the filling.

Filling:

  1. Place the following ingredients in the blender: pumpkin puree, coconut milk, coconut oil, dates, pumpkin spice, maple syrup, and salt. Blend until creamy smooth. I have a Vitamix and used the tamper to get all the ingredients going.
  2. Slowly add the lecithin while the blender is running, blending just until incorporated.  You want to add this last because it is a thickener.
  3. Pour the mixture into the pan over the crust and tap the pan on the countertop to bring up any bubbles that may be in the filling.
  4. Place in the freezer overnight so it sets and firms up. Take out and place in the fridge 4-6 hours before serving. This dessert will soften if left at room temp too long. I tested a slice and it was starting to soften after 30 minutes of being at room temp –69 degrees (F) which was the perfect pumpkin pie texture.
  5. Decorate before serving – if you wish.

Marzipan Basket Weave

  1. In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the almond flour, sweetener, and vanilla.  Process until the batter is smooth but be careful that you don’t process it too long… thus creating a nut butter.
  2. Roll the batter out into a 1/4″ sheet and cut long strips that are about 1/4″ wide. If the dough is rolled too thin it will break when you work with it. If that happens, just gather it back up into a ball and roll it back out.
  3. Lay 3 strips side by side, snugged up against one another.
  4. Lift the center strip up to lay a shorted horizontal piece down, return the center strip and now lift the two side pieces so you can lay a horizontal piece, return the side strips back down and repeat the process until you reach the end. I didn’t get pictures of this step… sorry about that, I was lost in learning how to do this and soon found myself in a rhythm. You can Google how to make a piece of basket weave. I couldn’t find what did, but you will understand the concept.
  5. Gently lift the basketweave strip and wrap it around the pie, pressing it slightly into the pie. I did this in two sections making it easier to handle.

 

What type of pumpkin use and how to select a good one:

I recommend “pie” pumpkins, which weigh in at 2 to 5 lbs., with flesh that is firm and sweet.  For best flavor and nutrition, look for organically grown sugar pumpkins, a variety known for its excellent sweet flavor and succulent texture.  It doesn’t matter how long the pumpkin has been stored, only that the outside is undamaged.  Look for smooth, heavy pumpkins that have no cuts or bruises.  Most importantly, look for deep, rich orange color, a sign of bioflavonoids, and thus flavor.  The stem proves a pumpkin’s quality, so it should be attached.

Some popular varieties:

You can make your pie in the following containers:

  • Standard pie pan
    • Standard pie pans make beautiful pies but can be more challenging in removing your pie.  Nut-based crusts can be a bit more crumbly than your typical baked crusts, so don’t be alarmed by this.  It doesn’t affect the taste!
  • Springform pan
    • Springform pans are by far my favorite pans.  I have a fetish for them.  I own more than a dozen of them in several different shapes and sizes.
    • Using Springform pans makes it very easy to cut your pies and serve them in perfect form.
  • Small individual cups/glasses
  •  There are many great reasons for using these.   Small cups make it easy when you are serving large groups of guests.  Nobody has to man the pie-cutting post.  Your guests can grab and go!  Portion control is another good reason.  I find that everybody is perfectly satisfied with the amount that they get.  These days we are growing very accustomed to eating more substantial portions.  But when it comes to raw foods, you tend not to need as much because the nutrients in the ingredients are much more potent, thus satisfying your body much more quickly. Also, raw desserts tend to be rich, and you definitely don’t need as much to be satisfied.  Whenever we serve desserts in cups, I always have several people telling me how much they love the individual servings.

13 thoughts on “Pumpkin Spice Pie | Cashew-Free

  1. Jennifer says:

    Hi Amie-Sue!

    I am having a blast making your recipes, especially over this holiday season…what a treat! Thank you for all you do to make these amazing recipes and pics available to all of us!

    Quick question re: this beautiful pumpkin pie. I really want to make the springform version, don’t have the pan yet ;) but wondered (from the pic) what additional icing/frosting or extra yummy, dripping layer that seems to be atop the sringform version is? How do we make that too?

    As always, thank you so much for your help!

    Blessings and much love,

    Jennifer

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Jennifer,
      I am thrilled that you are enjoying your time in testing out some of the recipes. It is my greatest pleasure to share them with you!

      For the pumpkin pie I used the raw Caramel Frosting recipe which can be found here… https://nouveauraw.com/frosting/raw-caramel-sauce-frosting/ The deep richness of the caramel flavors, coupled with the pumpkin….oooh yum! Keep me posted if you decided to make this! Have a blessed day,

      amie sue

  2. Jokuh says:

    Hi Amie Sue,

    What a lovely pumpkin pie. My guests were impressed but, as I want everything perfect….. I have a question for you. The pie went all soft on me even with the lecithin powder. I didn´t say as much to my guests but I expected a more firmer version. Do you suggest more lecithin? What can I do to get a more firmer version?

    greetings,
    Jokuh

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Jokuh…

      I am sorry that it went to soft on you. Did you use fresh or canned pumpkin? I ask only because sometimes fresh and create more liquid… it all depends on how it is pureed. So that is one area that I would look at. I wouldn’t add more lecithin. That won’t make it harder, it is more a thickener (emulsifier). Explain what soft means… did it ooze all over? Did it hold any shape? Did you chill it prior to serving? If so how long? Sorry for all the questions but they help me when it comes to helping you. haha

      amie sue

  3. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I’m going to try it as soon as my pumpkins are ready for harvest. It looks delicious.

  4. Can I ask what pumpkin pie spice includes? We don’t get this in Australia.

    • amie-sue says:

      You bet Julie…

      Ingredients for 1 tsp of pumpkin spice:
      1/2 tsp cinnamon
      1/4 tsp ground ginger
      1/8 tsp ground allspice or ground cloves
      1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

      Stir to blend.

  5. jdjacobson says:

    Amie-Sue, How would I substitute the powdered sunflower lecithin with liquid in this recipe?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *