The secretly vegan pumpkin pie that's been requested at my family's table for 3 years straight

Three Thanksgivings ago, I brought a vegan pumpkin pie to dinner without mentioning it was dairy-free. My aunt had thirds. My cousin asked for the recipe. Nobody knew until I casually mentioned it while doing dishes, and then they insisted I must be lying.

The secret? Pumpkin pie is already 90% vegan. You're just swapping one ingredient, and it tastes better this way—lighter, spicier, with filling that actually sets instead of doing that weird jiggly thing.

This pie is part of my complete vegan Thanksgiving menu for 12 meat-eaters—see the full strategy there.

The secretly vegan pumpkin pie

Yield: One 9-inch pie (serves 8)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 store-bought pie crust (most are accidentally vegan—check the label) or your favorite vegan pie crust recipe

For the filling:

• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut cream, refrigerated overnight (Thai Kitchen or Native Forest work best)
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the coconut whipped cream:

• 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork a few times.
2. Make the filling. Open one chilled coconut cream can and scoop out only the thick cream from the top (save the liquid for smoothies). In a large bowl, whisk the coconut cream and pumpkin puree until completely smooth. Add brown sugar, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Whisk until no lumps remain. Stir in vanilla.
3. Pour and bake. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake 35-40 minutes more. The edges should be set, but the center can have a slight wobble—it'll firm up as it cools.
4. Cool completely. Let the pie cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. This step is essential—warm pumpkin pie won't slice cleanly.
5. Make the whipped cream. Right before serving, open the second chilled coconut cream can and scoop out only the thick cream into a cold bowl. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and doubled in volume. Keep cold until serving.

Why this works

Cornstarch does the heavy lifting here. Traditional pumpkin pie uses eggs as a binder, but cornstarch creates a cleaner set without that eggy texture. Coconut cream adds richness without the heaviness of condensed milk, and the spices come through more clearly.

Make-ahead: Bake this pie the day before Thanksgiving. It tastes better after sitting overnight in the fridge—the spices meld and the texture firms up perfectly. The whipped cream takes 3 minutes to make right before serving.

Storage: Covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Whipped cream lasts 2-3 days in a sealed container.

The first time I served this, my uncle spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what made it "different." He never guessed dairy-free. He just kept saying it was "cleaner" and "not as heavy."

Exactly.

This pie is part of my complete vegan Thanksgiving menu for 12 meat-eaters—see the full strategy there.