Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Crust

tendollarwine's Note:

I got this recipe from vegan.org and I altered the ingredients slightly. I was nervous about the crust because I never work with dough, but my friends said that the crust was actually their favorite part of the pie because it had such a nice, crumbly texture and a delicious, light taste. The filling was awesome. Exactly how I remember "real" pumpkin pie tasting. The freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg really make the difference, so don't use any pre-ground stuff!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

For the Crust

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 -8 tablespoons soymilk, cold

For the Filling

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm silken tofu
• 3/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F Set aside a 9” pie plate. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Cut in the oil, drizzling bit by bit and stirring with a fork until all of the oil is added and the flour resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle the soy milk over the flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, and mix with your hands until you form a solid dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough or to add too much liquid. It should have a drier texture, not moist or soggy.
2. Form the dough into a ball and set on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Place another piece of paper on top and roll out the dough into a circle 1-2 inches wider than the pie plate. Remove the top paper and carefully transfer the crust to the plate. Smooth out the sides, trim off extra dough, and crimp the edges of the crust. Poke all over with a fork before placing in the oven. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let cool before pouring in the filling.
3. To make filling, empty the silken tofu into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until everything is well combined. Pour into the crust and smooth out the top. Bake in a 375F oven for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[Meliska]

Pumpkin has always been my favorite pie, but this was my first attempt at making it myself. It turned out wonderfully. I made a different type of crust, since I didn't have Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, so I can't speak for that part of the recipe - but the filling was excellent. I added some vanilla for extra flavor and a teaspoon of Xantham Gum because I was concerned that the filling would be too jiggly, but otherwise I followed the recipe and am glad I did!

[Liorah]

The filling recipe worked great for Thanksgiving! I used a store-bought pareve graham-cracker crust (tastes great with pumpkin), home-cooked pumpkin (saved rest in freezer), and 2 tsp Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice, and got rave reviews! It was silky smooth and delicious, better than any 'regular' pumpkin pie I've ever had. My husband actually dropped his fork when I divulged that there was tofu in it. He never would have known! There's another one in the oven right now--I hope I don't eat it all myself!