Smooth and ultra creamy, this healthy pumpkin pie recipe does not taste healthy at all!
Homemade healthy pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is often considered a healthier choice than other popular holiday pies like pecan pie, apple pie, or chocolate cream pie.
However, many pumpkin pie recipes call for sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and a full cup of refined sugar.
In contrast, this healthier version is naturally sweetened and packed with the same spiced cinnamon pumpkin flavor as the classic holiday dessert.
Serve it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and leave all of your guests speechless. This may just be the creamiest pumpkin pie you will ever taste.
You may also like this Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie topping ideas
The healthy pumpkin pie is wonderful on its own.
But if you really want to take it to epic heights of deliciousness, top each slice with gooey vegan marshmallow fluff or homemade Coconut Whipped Cream.
Pumpkin pie plus whipped cream equals Thanksgiving in a dessert.
I can also vouch for the healthy pie topped with Coconut Ice Cream.
Healthy pumpkin pie recipe video
Above, watch the full step by step video.
Holiday healthy dessert ingredients
The filling calls for pumpkin, coconut milk, oats or flour, flax, unrefined sugar, spices, salt, and pure vanilla extract.
Pumpkin – Look for pumpkin puree as opposed to canned pumpkin pie mix. The latter already includes added sugar and spices.
Sometimes grocery stores run out of canned pumpkin puree during the holidays. If this happens, buy a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin and roast it at home.
Coconut milk – For the richest, thickest dairy free pumpkin pie, I recommend full fat canned coconut milk.
Lite coconut milk, skim milk, low calorie almond milk, or oat milk yield a thinner pie that is harder to slice. It still tastes delicious if you go with one of these substitutions.
Oats or flour – Try whole grain spelt flour, white flour, oat flour, all purpose gluten free flour, or almond flour. Coconut flour requires less, so feel free to experiment.
Rolled oats are a fantastic option with fiber, antioxidants, and other health benefits. Quick oats or instant oats can be substituted.
Steel cut oats will not thicken the pie and yield smooth results.
Flax egg – For an egg free vegan healthy pumpkin pie with no cholesterol, use ground flax. Non vegans can add one egg instead.
Spices – Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice give flavor without extra fat and calories. If you cannot find pumpkin spice, replace it with additional cinnamon.
Or make homemade pumpkin pie spice. Combine 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, and optional 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.
Refined sugar free pumpkin pie
My favorite refined sugar free options are coconut sugar and date sugar.
While they are more highly processed and lack the trace amount of nutrients present in unrefined sugars, traditional brown sugar or white sugar also work.
Use xylitol or a monk fruit erythritol blend for a pie with no sugar added.
I have not yet tried swapping the sugar for pure maple syrup or honey. If you try one of these options before I do, please let other readers and myself know how it goes.
Still craving pumpkin? Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte
Healthy pumpkin pie crust
You may use your own favorite pie crust recipe or a store bought crust.
I like the following homemade whole wheat pastry crust. Unlike many refrigerated or frozen crusts, this one is free of ingredients high in saturated fat like butter, lard, hydrogenated oil, and shortening.
Even though you are making a baked pumpkin pie, I recommend prebaking the crust first. This step ensures the finished crust will taste flaky and buttery, not soggy from the weight and moisture of the pumpkin.
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar (or xylitol)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add oil and stir. Add water as needed until it just sticks together but is not gummy. I normally need about 3 tablespoons. Press evenly into a well greased 9 inch pie pan. Put the crust into the preheated oven and immediately increase the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
The bottom of the crust will rise, so either use pie weights during baking or just press the pie crust back down afterwards. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the pumpkin pie filling.
Readers also love this holiday Vegan Pecan Pie
How to make healthy pumpkin pie
Begin by preparing your pie crust of choice. Set this crust aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using rolled oats instead of flour, blend them in a food processor or blender until they reach a fine flour consistency.
Add all remaining filling ingredients, and either blend again or stir very well in a large mixing bowl with a spoon.
Once the filling is thick and completely smooth, carefully pour it into your prepared pumpkin pie crust. If needed, use a spatula to spread it evenly into the crust.
Place the pan on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 27 minutes. The texture should still look quite underdone when time is up.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool. Once the pan is no longer hot to the touch, refrigerate it uncovered (or very loosely covered with paper towels) at least 5 hours or overnight.
During this cooling stage, the pumpkin pie will thicken considerably and set to an easily sliceable texture.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. While you can technically slice and freeze the pie, its texture will be nowhere near as creamy once thawed.
Serve to family and friends after a healthy holiday feast of stuffed butternut squash or lentil loaf, cranberry sauce, green beans, and Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup rolled oats or 3 tbsp flour of choice
- 2 tbsp ground flax or 1 egg (for flax free, try this Vegan Pumpkin Pie)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 pie crust (or use the crust recipe included above)
Instructions
- Prepare your pie crust in a 9 inch pan, then set it aside. To make the healthy pumpkin pie recipe, preheat the oven to 400 F. If using oats, blend them first into a fine flour consistency, using a blender or food processor. Then stir or blend all pie ingredients together until smooth. Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust. Bake the pie for 27 minutes on the center rack of the oven. Its texture should still look underdone after this time. Let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie to thicken and set.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Holiday Desserts
What can I use to substitute for the oats?
flour?
Katie- this pumpkin pie is very delicious. I subbed the coconut milk with Greek yogurt whole milk. I let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. I highly recommend! Thanks.
Great recipe, thank you Katie!
Such a gorgeous photo!
For your healthy pumpkin pie…..can I make my own crust? or does it have to be this one? can I use a store-bought crust? Thanks for your response..
Sure, you can use any crust.
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work out for me 🙁 It probably has to do with high altitude? I live at 8700 ft. I followed the recipe, after 5 hours of chilling the consistency was like a melted milkshake. So I tried bringing it back to room temp and baking again, at 400, this time for 40 min…still had a soupy consistency after second chilling. The other thing I did was grind my own flax seed. Do you have high altitude suggestions? Thank you, Carla
Hi! Maybe this could be a good resource to start? https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
It may be worth trying an egg in place of the flax if you are not vegan, they typically have similar properties of binding, thickening, and leavening in baked goods and it could work better in your environment?
WHat about using coconut cream for a thicker filling?
That works!
I love your recipes! However I find that they are chronically VERY underbaked. The pumpkin pie is no exception. I had to add 20 minutes to baking time. I usually have to add at least 10 minutes but more like 15-20 minutes to the baking times. I don’t like full on dough in the middle! Otherwise, your recipes are fantastic really easy and so yummy. And made with ingredients I usually have on hand.
Hmm might be a climate or elevation thing, as recipes sometimes need different cooking times and temps depending on these variables. Only other thing I can think of is have you ever calibrated your oven? Most ovens are not calibrated correctly unless it’s done by the owner, and some can be up to 20 degrees off!
Best idea is to use a thermometer and test everything you bake. It keeps from overbaking/underbaking things. I didn’t make this exact pie, I have a very similar recipe that I tried. I had to cook it longer than the person who wrote the recipe had to cook it. But I used my thermometer (175F for pumpkin) and it came out perfectly – after another 20 mins.
And as Jason said, calibrations on ovens are wonky. Best to get an under $10 oven thermometer and check out your oven temp as well.
I agree, Heather. Love the recipes, but I’m worried some will end up under baked. It seems inconsistent. And it’s not my oven —I bake a lot and never have this issue with other recipes.
If you are allergic to flax, what do you recommend as a substitute?
Try using some cornstarch (non gmo if you wish). If you do try it, be sure to report back with results! I think it should work just fine.
You can also sub or add in some arrowroot powder (1 tbs per tbs of ground flaxseed called for). It works well.
Next time, try 2 tbs of arrowroot powder instead of the flax.
If you are not vegan, egg and flax are interchangeable in most recipes. I would use one egg for this if I did not have flax on hand
Will the results change greatly if a 9 in round pan is used?
It will probably overfill a 9″ pan. So fill to within 1/2-1″ from lip of pie pan. Then take the remainder of the liquid and put in a small oven-proof container or microwave container and bake/nuke until it’s set. That’s what I’ve always done with my “extra” pie filling. YUMMY!
Hi Katie! Am wanting to make this for a thanksgiving potluck on Thursday – would doubling the recipe fill a 9×13 pan? Thanks
Hmmm it’s an interesting experiment and I don’t see why not. In general, 9×13 is double an 8×8 recipe… but not every recipe does well when doubled in exact amounts, so just keep that in mind. Hopefully (and probably) it will still work. Be sure to report back if you try!