This dairy free pumpkin pie is silky smooth, creamy, and full of flavor. Best of all, it's easy to make from scratch, and you don't need any special equipment! The holidays are all about indulging and eating all sorts of comfort food. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, fresh baked biscuits and rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and more all make an appearance on dinner tables this time of year.
We all love loading up on these classics, but those of us who may be sensitive or intolerant to certain ingredients often feel left in the dust, stuck eating foods that just don't quite match up to our childhood memories.
My wife being lactose intolerant will often just 'deal' with the discomfort of loading up on dairy rich desserts for a few days, but I thought why not make a dessert she loves and can eat guilt free without having to worry about all the dairy that's usually loaded into desserts.
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Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Video
How Do You Make Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie?
It's actually really easy, and not much different than baking a regular homemade pumpkin pie. The secret to a dairy free pumpkin pie is using coconut milk instead of the sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk. You get the same creamy texture, minus the dairy of course. Not to mention coconut milk is cheaper!
Wait A Minute, Won't The Pie Taste Like Coconut?
That's the best part! You probably won't even notice it! The pumpkin puree is rich enough to mask the coconut flavor and the traditional mix of cinnamon, clove, and ginger helps bring out the pumpkin flavor while masking the coconut. If you don't tell anyone, I can almost guarantee, they won't be able to tell the difference!
In fact I love substituting coconut milk for cream in many recipes not just desserts. This curried squash soup tastes fantastic with coconut milk instead of cream or milk, as does this beef korma recipe.
Did you know you can use the thick coconut cream that settles in one end of the can and whip it up like whip cream! - Chef Markus
What About The Crust Is That Dairy Free?
Most homemade pie crust that's made from scratch includes butter (including my old fashioned pie crust) so if you are truly dairy free that recipe is out.
But you can very easily substitute shortening or lard in place of the butter to make a dairy free pie crust. I actually love baking with Tenderflake as it produces a wonderfully crisp crust!
So let's get baking! Let's start with the crust.
Making Dairy Free Pie Crust
You can make your own dairy free pumpkin pie crust with the recipe below, or use a commercially prepared dairy free pie crust. As always homemade is best though!
You'll need:
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ lb shortening or lard (Tenderflake is fantastic!)
- Pinch of salt
- 7 tablespoon ice cold water
Pie dough is best made the night before and chilled in the fridge, this allows it to set, the fat to re-solidify, and prevents the crust from shrinking during blind baking. To make the pie dough follow the instructions below. For more detailed instructions and pictures read this recipe:
- Mix the flour with the sugar and the salt so everything is evenly combined. You can do this in a bowl or a food processor.
- Cut the cold shortening into cubes and mix it into the flour mixture until crumbly. If making this in a food processor, pulse the flour mixture until the shortening is evenly crumbled.
- Add the water to the mixture and stir it gently until it forms one single mass. Don't over knead or mix the pie crust.
- Flatten the crust and wrap it in plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- On a floured countertop, roll out the pie crust until it is about ¼ I'm in thickness.
- Grease a pie pan, and transfer the crust to to pan. This is most easily accomplished by folding the crust before moving it, or rolling it up on a rolling pin.
- Gently press the pie crust into the corners of the pie pan. Pinch the outer edge of the crust together to make a fancy design, or simply trim off the excess. Cover and refrigerate the pie crust, the longer the better.
- Blind bake the pie crust just as you would when making traditional pumpkin pie. This prevents the crust from going soggy before the filling is fully baked.
As the crust blind bakes, follow the instructions below to mix the dairy free pumpkin pie filling.
Making Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Filling With Coconut Milk
You'll notice that making a dairy free pumpkin pie filling is almost identical to making 'normal' pumpkin pie filling! The only real difference is the coconut milk! You'll need:
- 2.5 cups pumpkin puree - any leftover puree can be used in these pumpkin breakfast muffins!
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 eggs - lightly beaten
- ⅔ cups brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- Pinch salt
This part is even easier than making the crust from scratch (Yay!).. If you are using a store-bought crust, you can simply blind bake it and continue with making the filling.
Crack the eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk them together until they are slightly foamy.
Add in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, and spices, and mix well until fully combined.
Slowly pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and whisk it in.
Once the pie crust has been blind baked, pour the filling into the pie shell and bake the pumpkin pie for about 60 minutes at 375 F.
Remove the dairy free pumpkin pie from the oven once the filling is fully set, and just slightly jiggly in the center.
Cool the pie on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting.
Serve the dairy free pumpkin pie with some whipped coconut cream and a cinnamon sprinkle!
Did you make this dairy free pumpkin pie? Leave a comment and star rating below, then take a picture and tag me on Facebook & Instagram: @earthfoodandfire. For more from scratch recipes follow me on Instagram & Pinterest
Recipe
Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Dairy Free Pie Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ lb shortening or lard Tenderflake is fantastic!
- 1 pinch of salt
- 7 tablespoon ice cold water
Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Filling With Coconut Milk
- 2.5 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 whole eggs lightly beaten
- ⅔ cups brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 Pinch salt
Instructions
Making Dairy Free Pie Crust
- Mix the flour with the sugar and the salt so everything is evenly combined. You can do this in a bowl or in a food processor.
- Cut the cold shortening into cubes and mix it into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. If making this in a food processor, pulse the flour mix until the shortening is evenly crumbled up.
- Add the water to the mixture and stir it gently until it forms one single mass. Don't over knead or mix the pie crust. Flatten the crust and wrap it in plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- On a floured counter top, roll out the pie crust until it is about ½ cm thick.
- Grease a pie pan, and transfer the crust to to pan. Gently press the pie crust into the corners of the pie pan. Pinch the outer edge of the crust together to make a fancy design, or simply trim of the excess. Cover and refrigerate the pie crust, the longer the better.
- Blind bake the pie crust just as you would when making traditional pumpkin pie. This prevents the crust from going soggy before the filling is fully baked.
Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Crack the eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk them together until the are slightly foamy.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, and spices and mix well until fully combined.
- Slowly pour in the 1 cup coconut milk and whisk it in.
- Once the pie crust has been blind baked, pour the filling into the pie shell and bake the pumpkin pie for about 60 minutes at 375 F.
- Remove the dairy free pumpkin pie from the oven once the filling is fully set, and just slightly jiggly in the center.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Nancy Martin
I've been looking for a new dairy free pumpkin pie recipe and this sounds delicious. I have wondered about using coconut milk, the one I used to make was soy or almond and requires gelatin to set/firm. I do have a question. Do you use the full fat canned coconut milk or the kind you buy in the carton?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Nancy, it must be full fat canned coconut milk. Not the liquid coconut milk sold as a drink.
christine bolt
Hello and thank you for the awesome recipe!!! I am looking forward to trying it out. I do wonder if there are brown sugar subs. I normally use raw honey or maple syrup but I am afraid those may make it too liquid and not firm up. Do you think raw sugar would work? thanks
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Christine,
Absolutely you can substitute honey for the brown sugar. You are correct in thinking it may go to liquidy, which is why I would suggest using only 1/3 cup of honey to substitute the 2/3 cup brown sugar. I would also suggest using 3/4 cup of coconut milk instead of the full cup.
I have to say I haven't tried this myself but the usual rule of thumb is to use half the amount of honey, and to reduce the liquid content of the recipe by one quarter.
I would love to hear back how it turns out for you!!
Chef Markus
Sarah Cummings
This sounds amazing! Trying to cut down on dairy and this is my favorite dessert . Perfect!
Emily Leary
That looks amazing. I never would have guessed that it's dairy free. And I bet it tastes so god with the coconut milk. I have gotta try this for myself
Corinna | Friendly Pantry
Love that this is dairy free! Yum!
Corinna | Friendly Pantry
Jacque Hastert
Pure genius! I would have never guessed that you could make a dairy free pumpkin pie.
Sri Mallya
Can't wait to try these dairy free version. Looks amazingly delicious. Great recipe!
Vanessa Vickery
Love pumpkin pie! Your recipe looks amazing!
Michele
Yummy! Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorite Thanksgiving staples! Love this non-dairy version. My son has problems with dairy, so this is perfect!
Karyl Henry
I've never gotten into the pumpkin craze, but I have several friends who can't get enough of it. They would love this pie, so I'm definitely sharing with them
Ruchi
My friends kid is lactose intolerant and i was looking for dairy free pie recipes for this Thanksgiving, thanks!
Daniela
I don't digest dairy well, so THANK YOU for making a dairy-free version of pumpkin pie. I love coconut milk, so I'm sure I'm going to love this pie!
Chef Markus Mueller
You're welcome Daniela! I hope you love it!
Amanda Mason
This looks amazing but I'm allergic to coconut milk! What other substitute would you suggest me using? I really want to try this!!
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Amanda, sorry to hear about your allergy! That's ok though, there is always a work around! I would recommend substituting 1 cup of almond milk or other dairy free milk option in it's place. With that I would add probably 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch to help it set up as the milk is thinner then the coconut cream. I must say I have never done this myself, so I am not sure exactly how it will turn out, but I would love to hear back from you if you try it!
Anna Hettick
This is perfect for Thanksgiving!! So nice to be able to make a favorite dessert for someone who is dairy free!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook
I can't have any dairy at all during Thanksgiving this year because my baby is allergic! This pie looks amazing and makes me excited because now I can have pumpkin pie during the holiday!
Chef Markus Mueller
Yay! (not about being allergic to dairy of course!) Glad you'll still be able to enjoy some pumpkin pie despite your babies allergy!
Kelly Anthony
The custard in this pie looks so smooth and creamy, it's hard to believe there's no dairy in there! Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe!!!
Chef Markus Mueller
You're welcome Kelly, I hope you enjoy it!
Carrie Ditton
My niece loves pumpkin pie! My niece is also lactose intolerant which means she gets sick when she eats it. This year for Thanksgiving I will be making her this pie! She will get the entire thing to herself - talk about a happy 11 year old! Pinned - Thank you for helping me making her a happy girl!
Chef Markus Mueller
Glad to hear it! I'd love to see a picture of the pie when you make it! Fell free to tag me on social media @earthfoodandfire!
Sherri
This is perfect for our family members who are dairy intolerant! I love subbing out dairy with coconut milk! Your pie looks super scrumptious! 🙂
Chef Markus Mueller
Thanks Sherri!
Anna
Love the fact this is dairy-free! Your version of the pumpkin pie looks delicious, and so neatly baked! Nothing beats a slice of this timeless classic, especially with a cuppa!
Chef Markus Mueller
Agreed!