After Halloween, with all the pumpkin everything, I don’t know about you, but I am… NOT tired of pumpkin.  I am, however, mindful of all the candy and other junk that is around, so as we’re heading towards Thanksgiving, I’ve decided to present you with slightly healthier ways to enjoy your holiday. So let’s start with dessert.

I’m a traditionalist, and it’s not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.  A few years ago, when my Thanksgiving host became vegan just weeks before Thanksgiving, I thought I might have to break tradition.  Instead, I scrambled for a way to make the usual pie without the usual eggs, butter and milk.  Thankfully, I found a recipe that is not only an adequate substitute, but possibly better than the original.  This is my contribution to #LetsLunch, a virtual  potluck on Twitter, whose theme this month is “food to share with your family and friends.”  This pie is that type of food– a pumpkin pie that will please vegans and non-vegans alike, so you can all enjoy your holiday dessert together.  #LetsLunch is celebrating the paperback and US release of The Monday Morning Cooking Club cookbook, from our very own LetsLuncher Lisa Goldberg and her co-authors.  Congratulations, Lisa!

Vegan Maple Pumpkin Pie  adapted from Cake Duchess

Pie Crust
yields 1 8-inch pie crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup frozen Earth Balance spread
Ice water

Pie crust directions:
Put flour and salt in bowl of a food processor. Cut Earth Balance into flour. Process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drop by drop add the water, processing very briefly until it starts to clump together. The whole process would take 20 to 30 seconds. Wrap and chill the pastry for at least 1 hour.

If pastry has been chilled for a long time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling.

Lightly flour a pastry board, marble counter, or kitchen counter. Divide the pastry in half. Pat the pastry into a flat round. Lightly flour the rolling pin. Roll pastry in one direction only, turning pastry continually to prevent it from sticking to the surface.

Using pie plate as a guide, measure rolled-out pastry — it should be slightly larger than the pie plate and 1-8-inch thick. Fold rolled pastry circle in half so you can lift it more easily. Unfold, gently fitting the pastry into the pie plate, allowing pastry to hang evenly over the edge. Crimp the edges.

Pumpkin Pie Filling
one 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup non-dairy milk (coconut, soy or almond)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
vegan whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, cornstarch, salt, and spices. Mix on medium-low speed until well blended.

Pour pumpkin mixture into the unbaked pastry shell, and bake for about 60-70 minutes.

Check on the pie after 30 minutes. If crust is already a nice golden color, tent it with foil paper so it won’t brown too much during the rest of the baking. Let cool completely and then refrigerate overnight.

Here’s what the other #LetsLunchers brought to the potluck this month:

Anne Marie’s Almond Cheesecake Sammy Bites at Sandwich Surprise

Eleanor’s Surf and Turf at Be a Wok Star

Elizabeth’s Sisig Rice at Asian in America Mag

Grace’s Zha Jiang Mien at Hapa Mama

Jill’s Homemade Corned Beef at Eating My Words

Lisa’s No Ordinary Meatloaf at Monday Morning Cooking Club

Lucy’s Sweet Potatoes with Cane Syrup at A Cook and Her Books

Pat’s Red Curry Noodles at The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook

Thanks for coming by! If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share this with your friends.  

Do you have any favorite vegan or healthy dessert recipes? If so, please feel free to share your links in the comments!  Come back next week for another healthy Thanksgiving idea.