A decade ago, a reader named June emailed me asking for a good dairy-free soy-free pumpkin pie recipe. Unfortunately, all of the tried-and-true recipes she found were vegan versions made with tofu.
I had received this request so many times during the holidays that I knew I had to come up with a reliable milk-free and soy-free recipe before the next Thanksgiving. And after several rounds of pumpkin pie trials, I created a recipe that my family thinks is one of the most delicious pumpkin pies they have ever tasted, dairy-free or not. And many of you agree! Since I first posted the recipe, way back in 2009, this dairy-free soy-free pumpkin pie has become a beloved recipe in so many households.
Today I’m giving this post a big update with some new photos that I recently took and several reader tips. But the time-tested recipe remains untouched.
This is The Best Dairy-Free Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie
This delicious recipe for dairy-free soy-free pumpkin pie uses everyday ingredients and is a great make-ahead option. We now consider it a staple on our Classic Dairy-Free Thanksgiving Menu.
As a kid, I remember how the famous Libby’s Pumpkin Pie recipe would leave a soggy crust when stored overnight. But this recipe keeps a nice firm crust, allowing the filling to firm up and the flavor to develop as it chills in the refrigerator. In fact, Tony and I actually prefer this pie after a night of refrigeration.
For additional dairy-free holiday dessert options, you can enjoy more of my recipes in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. Need it now? Go Dairy Free is also available in all major eBook formats.
Reader Feedback: Dairy-Free Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie
You can read tons of comments on this post, but many of you left feedback on our social media or on my other blog (where I originally posted this recipe). Here are some of those comments, which include answers to many of your questions!
How Does It Taste?
I have been making this recipe since I went dairy free over 5 years ago. I have had people who don’t like pumpkin pie love this recipe. ~ Anna
This is by far my family’s favorite! been using thus recipe for several years now. its amazing! ~ Summer
My daughter is severely allergic. We have this every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone can’t believe it is not dairy. ~ Michael-ann
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!!! Thanks again .. I’m headed for another slice right now! ~ Trinidy
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. ~ Susan
This is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had! ~ Katy
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! ~ Becky
I wanted to make a pumpkin pie that would also satisfy my guests who are not dairy-free, and this recipe was absolutely PERFECT. I will make this time and time again! For gluten-free, I did use the pecan crust recipe from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook though, which I thought was a great compliment. ~ Sharon
We made this pie, two of them actually, for a group of people. We are gluten and dairy free, and one of our friends sons is soy free as well. Every single person said it was the best pumpkin pie they ever tasted! I am back to make it for Thanksgiving today! ~ Lisa
But Can You Taste the Coconut?
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! ~ Amy
Can I Make It Sugar-Free?
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. ~ Adelaide
Did You Try Any Other Modifications?
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 cornstarch. The texture was absolutely identical to traditional pumpkin pie. Can not wait to make this again (and again, and again, and again…)!!! ~ Kim
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 I used 3 large eggs in mine. ~ Deb
I tried this recipe with EnerG egg replacer, and it worked fine. I also used soymilk instead of coconut milk, since I am allergic to dairy and eggs, but not soy. Usually my pumpkin pies are a little watery, so I used just a little less milk than it called for (between 3/4 and 1 cup). I thought it was very flavorful pie, and although it didn’t stand up quite the way a pie with eggs does, it was close enough that the filling didn’t leave the crust when I served it. THANK YOU for this lovely recipe, I’ll probably use it for years to come. ~ Victoria
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. I used 3 eggs and 1/2 tsp of cornstarch. My husband said it was even better than “regular” pumpkin pie. ~ Carol
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.
For an egg-free and vegan soy-free pumpkin pie, several readers have had good luck substituting a powdered egg replacer like Ener-G for the eggs. I also recommend aquafaba as a substitute. The egg-free version rises up a little less.
- 1½ cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons oil (your baking oil of choice)
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (see egg-free note above for vegan option)
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup regular, full-fat, canned coconut milk (see Notes below)
- Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the flour, add the oil and water, and stir until it forms dough.
- Press the dough into a 9-inch pie pan.
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or allspice, cloves and salt.
- 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 your 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). For the firmest pie, refrigerate it for 4 hours or more before serving.
Spice Cheat: In a pinch, you can substitute the spices with 1½ to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
For More of My Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!
257 Comments
I use Annies gluten free graham crackers..crush them in my blender..then add 6’ish T of Earth Balance Sweet Cinnamon culinary spread…..no need to melt..just out of the container..into the blender with the crushed graham cracker..then spread it into the pie plate and back at 375 for 7 min or till it is firm..Great crust for many tofu pies as well…
Marvelous, thanks for sharing Diana!
Does a frozen pie crust need to be defrosted for this recipe to work? I am using a frozen, whole-wheat pie crust tomorrow and trying this out.
I would defrost it and/or use per the instructions on the package. They should have instructions for baking with the pie and baking before it.
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Question: Can this recipe be modified to use a fresh pumpkin instead? Someone gave me this basketball-sized pumpkin after it had been used for a holiday decoration (We don’t celebrate that particular holiday, being Jewish) and I can’t think what else to do with it but make pies, or else cut it up and throw it in the soup like I usually do with butternut squash.
(My daughter (7) is the only one in the family who must be dairy-free due to a milk protein allergy, but we tend to avoid cooking dairy stuff for the rest of the family so she doesn’t feel left out.)
Hi Shalom, I believe a couple people commented that they did use fresh pumpkin, but keep in mind that you want to use sugar pie pumpkin for baking. It sounds like yours may be a large decorative pumpkin, which isn’t as great for baking. And don’t worry, EVERYONE will love this pie, not just your daughter.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful!! I used the crust recipe for my apple pie as well, and it got rave reviews. I used pastry flour, rather than all purpose, and the crust was light and flakey. I will definitely be using both the crust and the pie recipe many times to come!
Marvelous! Glad it was a hit Sheri. Was it a double crust apple pie by chance?
Yes, double crust. I rolled the crust for the top crust. So stinkin’ easy it was ridiculous! I’ve never had any luck with traditional pie crusts, and am totally thrilled to have found one that even I can’t mess up. Oh, I used the crust for our turkey pot pie on Sunday as well 🙂 Thank you so much for a truly awesome recipe!
Fantastic! I greatly appreciate the feedback Sheri and am so happy it’s been working out well for you in many recipes!
This is delicious! I found premade frozen gluten & dairy free crusts and they worked perfectly! A perfect filling!
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed the pie Melissa!
Thank you for this recipe, I found a similar one last year but lost it, It is waiting in my kitchen for Thanksgiving tomorrow as my mother-in-law has many allergies (even had to replace the egg) . A lot of ones I have found in the past are tofu based (which aren’t as yummy) or cashew based (which caused my daughter an ER visit) so I am happy for a normal tasting non allergen one…
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With a dairy-allergic husband to consider, I just whipped up 3 of these pies for the impending holiday (using homemade crusts). The filling tastes fantastic, though it concerns me it wasn’t the least bit liquidy going into the pans like traditional pumpkin pie; more like a squash puree. I did use the called-for amount of full-fat coconut milk and didn’t substitute any ingredients. I wouldn’t necessarily be on the alert except your pie looks smooth on top, whereas mine are baking away with the ridges from my spatula still visible. I’m curious how I will test for doneness when, without a liquidy center to begin with, the pies won’t necessarily “set.” :/
Thank you for developing recipes for those of us obviously inept at such things! 😉
That is a little strange that you couldn’t pour it in. Was your coconut milk liquid when you added it or mostly a thick, spoonable cream? It should be mostly liquid at room temperature, even though it is full-fat. Coconut cream or a couple brands (like So Delicious Culinary) can be quite thick, even at room temperature. If using one of those, I would heat the coconut milk just slightly to get it to full liquid form before adding. This will allow for a smooth pie that will still thicken nicely when it chills. I hope you enjoy the pies Hannah!
How far in advance will this keep in the fridge? Can I make it Tuesday and serve it for Thanksgiving on Thursday? Thanks! My little allergy guy is very excited to finally try pumpkin pie!!!
Hi Katie, good question – it should keep as well as any standard pumpkin pie. That said, I’ve never made this recipe more than a day in advance so I don’t want to make promises on two days! However, we always enjoy any leftovers (if there are any!) the next day.
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Can you sub cashew milk for the coconut milk?
Hi Candace, milk beverage is very watery compared to full-fat coconut milk, so I don’t recommend it. That said, I believe some others have used milk beverage and liked it in this pie (it won’t set up quite as rich and firm), check the comments to see if that is the case. You can also make your own cashew cream instead – blend 1/2 cup cashews (can pre-grind the cashews) with 1/2 cup water and strain to remove any little bits. I think that will yield richer results if you want to go the cashew route.
The recipe calls for egg, is there a substitute I could use instead of egg (allergy to egg)? Like, water and ground flax seed or something? any idea how it would affect the texture/taste?
Hi Dawn, there are many reader suggestions in the comments of this post for making the pumpkin pie egg-free (several people have trialed it and left their suggestions).
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WOW ʝust the recipe I was lookng for. Came herе bƴ searching the web!
I wanted to thank you for this wonderful recipe!! I made this last Thanksgiving and it was a hit with my sisters who believed desserts are best made with milk- based ingredients. This year I finally made it for my coworkers since they always bring in food for us all to have. Now, I grew up eating Brazilian food and I am still learning how to make traditional American dishes, so, I was nervous my coworkers may doubt my cooking. But it was a hit!! Thank you!! I cannot want to continue to learn more! Now everyone always bug me to make the pumpkin pie for them and I have to make for it my family at least every other month.
That is so wonderful Kelly! I aim to please dairy and dairy-free eaters alike with recipes! 🙂
I have had this recipe bookmarked for a couple of years, but finally made it this year for Thanksgiving. It is a hit! This will be a pie I make every year going forward. Thanks so much!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
I commented on this recipe 2 years ago and have been making this pie ever since. Today is Thanksgiving day and I am thankful for what you have given me, Alisa! This recipe changed my perspective completely…. for so many years I just accepted that I would never be able to eat certain foods for the rest of my life. Not so! There are so many possibilities, you just need to be creative. Alisa, thank you again for opening my mind to that!!
My pie notes:
1. DON’T SKIMP ON THE CRUST!! The filling is fantastic, but a great crust puts this pie over the top!
2. I don’t recommend doubling for multiple pies. It takes a few more minutes per pie, but ensures consistent flavor and texture for each one.
3. The amount of coconut milk used mostly affects the quantity of filling. I’ve used a little less for a smaller pie shell and a little more for bigger ones. Taste and texture were still great!
Aw, I am so honored to be a part of your thankful wishes Bri! Love the tips, thanks for sharing these 🙂
Hello!
My boyfriend has to be dairy free and he loves pumpkin pie,… But with a graham cracker crust.
I have a recipe for the crust (mix, form, chill) but I need to bake it for 8-10 minutes. How much should I adjust the baking instructions? Or would reducing the cook time affect the setting drastically?
Hi molly, sorry, I didn’t see your email sooner! Crusts baked without filling always bake in 10 minutes or so. You should not pre-bake, but bake with the filling in it for the full time. To prevent the edges from browning too much, you can tent them – but yes, you do need to bake the filling for the full time!
Question about the coconut milk: do you use the entire can including the liquid? Or do you just use the cream at the top?
Hi Angie, I use coconut milk. I would specify in the ingredients or the instructions if you were supposed to use coconut cream. Just give the can a shake for this recipe!