Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

By
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/19/22
Tested by Joan Velush
Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Chill Time: 3 hrs 45 mins
Total: 5 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie

If you're both dairy-free and gluten-free, a pumpkin pie might seem like a faraway dream, but it doesn't have to be. Standard pumpkin pie recipes usually contain evaporated milk, cream, or half-and-half, and typical pie crusts contain wheat flour and butter.

This recipe uses a gluten-free crust and coconut milk-based pumpkin pie filling that will blow you away with how close the taste and texture are to the real thing. Store-bought gluten-free pie crusts tend to contain dairy, but if you find a vegan and gluten-free version, feel free to use it instead for a quicker dessert.

Undoubtedly, the most difficult part of this recipe is the pie crust. As with any recipe that is intended for persons with allergies, make sure to read all of your ingredient labels thoroughly to ensure that there are no dairy-derived ingredients or ingredients unsafe for persons on a gluten-free diet.


“Dairy free and gluten free dessert recipes are great to have in your back pocket now that so many of us need to follow dietary restrictions. Gluten free baking takes a little more skill than traditional flour based baking but the results, at least in this case, are definitely worth it.” —Joan Velush

Dairy-Free Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie/Tester Image
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Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix

  • 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) cold dairy-free, gluten-free margarine

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 teaspoon cold water, more as needed

For the Filling:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 cup coconut milk 

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 pinch sugar, for sprinkling

  • Vegan whipped cream, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie crust ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour mix, confectioners' sugar, and salt.

    combine the flour mix, powdered sugar, and salt

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

    add butter to the flour mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Create a well in the center of the ingredients.

    Create a well in the center of the ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Add the egg and water, mixing until the dough comes together to form a soft dough. Add a little more water if needed.

    eggs and water in the well of the ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Press the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

    dough ball on a surface

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Unwrap the pie dough and place between two pieces of lightly floured (with gluten-free flour) parchment paper.

    floured dough ball on floured parchment paper

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  8. Roll out the dough between the parchment paper, pressing the dough back together with your fingers when it splits or cracks. Remove the top layer of parchment.

    roll out dough between parchment paper sheets

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  9. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared pie plate by sliding a thin cutting board under the rolled dough. Place an inverted pie plate over the dough round. Flip the cutting board and pie plate over so that the dough round drops into the pie plate. Patch any parts of the dough that fall off the rim of the pie plate with your fingers (gluten-free pie crusts crumble considerably more than traditional flour ones). Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

    form the crust in a pie plate

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Make the Filling and Bake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 F.

    pumpkin pie filling ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer or a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the pumpkin, eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt until smooth and well combined.

    pumpkin pie filling in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.

    Pour the mixture into the prepared crust

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 F. Continue to bake until a skin forms on top of the filling, and the crust is lightly golden (gluten-free crusts do not brown quite like wheat-based ones), 35 to 40 minutes more.

    baked pumpkin pie

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, then place in the refrigerator to chill completely, about 3 hours.

    pumpkin pie on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Serve cold with vegan whipped cream if desired.

    Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Warning

Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans, and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.

Tip

  • There is a benefit to allowing the pies to refrigerate for a day to soften the crust a bit and keep it from being too tough or crispy (gluten-free crusts are not as flaky as wheat-based ones). So, feel free to make this pie the day before you intend to serve it.

Recipe Variation

If you'd prefer a crispy, easy-to-make crust, try a vegan cookie crust using gluten-free cookies. Gluten-free gingersnaps are easy to find in the winter and make a flavorful crust.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
274 Calories
16g Fat
30g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 274
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 46mg 4%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 217mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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