Vegan Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie Made Without Tofu

I can remember the first Thanksgiving that I experienced after making the decision to eat a plant-based lifestyle. It was full of questions, mistakes, and tofu-based dishes. Needless to say, I was feeling down that Thanksgiving would never be the same, but years later and a promise to myself that I could veganize all of my favorite dishes without the use of tofu, and I have found my way around the plant-based kitchen using whole foods ingredients. This year I am happy to share with you my vegan pumpkin pie, sans the tofu egg replacement! Pumpkin pie shouldn't be made with tofu, and now it doesn't have to be.

Tofu doesn't go in every dish

There are many egg substitutes used in vegan baking, but it seems the most commonly used one, in vegan pumpkin pies, is tofu. I have a love/hate relationship with tofu and cringe whenever I see baking recipes using it as an egg substitute. Fed up with the plethora of tofu-based pumpkin pies, I made a promise that I would perfect a tofu-free vegan pumpkin pie for this Thanksgiving, and I have done it!

Skip the tofu and use Aquafaba

I bet you're saying, "aqua-what?" right about now. Don't worry, that's exactly what I thought the first time that I learned about aquafaba too. For those of you new to this amazing ingredient, aquafaba is the liquid produced during the process of cooking beans, specifically, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas). It was discovered in 2015, that this liquid we all used to throw away, mimics eggs in many baking recipes! After that, the blogging community was set aflame with recipes of macrons, meringue pies, and more, utilizing aquafaba as their main egg white substitute. While the best results are yielded with homemade aquafaba, the liquid in the garbanzo bean cans works just as well in a pinch. The best part? Unlike many vegan substitutes, aquafaba does not leave any weird tastes in your mouth! Your non-vegan friends won't be able to tell the difference!

Spice it up with Mountain Rose Herbs Pumpkin Pie Spice

There are a lot of different pumpkin pie spices on the market, and they are not all created equal! One of the secret ingredients to my world famous pumpkin pie is Mountain Rose Herbs' Pumpkin Pie Spice blend! My friends over at Mountain Rose Herbs sent me a whole pound of their organic pumpkin pie spice blend, knowing just how many things I wanted to put it in! I love that all of their herbs used in their spice blends are certified organic, mixed in a zero-waste facility, and mixed with love! Their additions of all-spice and cardamom really take the flavor up a notch and will make your pumpkin pie stand out among all the other ones at your family dinner! 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

INGREDIENTS

• (1) 16 oz container organic pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Aquafaba (the strained liquid from canned garbanzo beans)
• 12 oz. homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk 
• (1) 9-inch vegan pie crust

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
2. For a faster denser pie: In a blender, combine pumpkin puree, aquafaba,  sweetened condensed coconut milk, salt, and spices. Pulse until completely mixed together.
3. For a lighter pie: beat aquafaba in a stand mixer (or with an electric hand mixer) until stiff peaks are formed. About 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly beat in sweetened condensed coconut milk, and continue beating for 1 more minute. In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, spices, and salt until combined. Gently fold in the beaten aquafaba and stir until just combined.
4. Pour pie filling into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes. Check the center with a knife/fork for doneness.
5. Allow the pie to cool thoroughly on a rack, before enjoying! Do not speed up the cooling process in the fridge or freezer, as that can result in a pool of condensation on top of the pie!
6. Don't forget to enjoy with a dollop of homemade coconut milk whipped cream!