No Bake Pumpkin Pie (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan Options)

I remember the first time I ever tasted pumpkin pie.  I was in kindergarten and we were learning about Thanksgiving.  We were all dressed up like pilgrim boys and girls and the teacher brought in some traditional Thanksgiving foods for us to try.  One of those foods was pumpkin pie.  That is when I knew that I liked pumpkin pie and made it a staple at every Thanksgiving table as most people do.

Recently however, I think I felt like the basic pumpkin pie was getting a little boring and wanted to change it up.  This recipe was just what I needed to fall in love with pumpkin pie again.  If you are not a big fan of pumpkin pie this might just be the recipe that will change your mind.

As all of my dessert recipes are, it is sweetened with very little added sweetener.  I sweeten this pie using a super sweet ripe banana instead.  Banana and pumpkin go so well together that it is a combination worth trying.

Instead of using a traditional pie crust I went for a crust made with nuts and dates.  The crust adds such a wonderful nutty flavor to the crust and the dates adds an extra layer of sweetness.  You know how I do love my dates.  If you did want to go with a traditional pie crust for this that would work as well.

I made two versions of this because I wanted to include my vegan and vegetarian friends in my pumpkin pie experience.  The first pie I made firm by using gelatin from grass fed cows and it worked perfectly.  Gelatin can have various health benefits including supporting skin, hair, and nail growth, join recovery, tighten skin, and improve digestion.  Traditional diets from years past would often times include gelatin.  Before we moved towards more processed foods, people consumed all parts of the animals including making broth from bones.  Gelatin also contains 6 grams of protein per tablespoon and some consider gelatin a super food.

If you do not want to use the gelatin you can substitute with arrowroot starch or organic cornstarch (to avoid GMOs).  Arrowroot starch is made from the roots of the arrowroot plant and makes it a more natural thickener than cornstarch.  The arrowroot plant has a long history of being cultivated by native peoples.  Arrowroot was also used as a medicine with some believing that they could put it on wounds to draw out the toxins.  Arrowroot starch is gluten free and is easily digested.  You can find it online, in the bulk bins at a local health food store, or near the specialty flours in your local supermarket.

What are your favorite memories of pumpkin pie?  Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

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Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Author Sara

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 Cup walnuts or almonds soaked and dehydrated preferred
• 1 Cup pecans soaked and dehydrated preferred
• 1/2 Cup dates about 10
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• Filling:
• 3/4 cup coconut milk I used BPA free canned
• 1 Tbsp Grass fed gelatin unflavored (Vegan option: 3 Tbsp Arrowroot starch)
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 ripe banana peeled
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2-4 Tbsp Raw honey depending on how sweet you want it

Instructions

1. For the crust:
2. Pulse the nuts, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until crumbly.
3. Add the dates one at a time while continuing to pulse until the dates are finely chopped in with the nuts.
4. The mixture should hold together when you press it between your fingers.
5. In a pie pan, press the nut and date mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
6. Put the crust in the freezer while making the filling.
7. In a small bowl place the gelatin or arrowroot in and mix with a couple tablespoons of the coconut milk and let sit.
8. Place all the other ingredients in the food processor and run until smooth (this would make a great smoothie too).
9. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a small sauce pan and warm over medium low heat.
10. Add the hardened gelatin or the arrowroot slurry to the pumpkin, mix with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until dissolved (about 5-10 minutes).
11. Cool for a couple of minutes. (you could now just chill the mixture overnight in the fridge and have pumpkin pudding)
12. Remove the crust from the freezer and add the cooled pumpkin mixture.
13. Put in the fridge and let set overnight.

Recipe Notes

*Choose organic ingredients when possible.