The most amazing Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie made with just 8 ingredients, is creamy, rich, decadent, dairy-free, gluten-free and oil-free!
VEGAN CINNAMON ROLL PUMPKIN PIE
No, 3rd time’s not a charm, that would be 4. That is what it took before I loved this vegan pumpkin pie. Would you believe that I am not really a fan of pumpkin pie? I’ve never liked pumpkin pie because I have always found it’s too strong of pumpkin flavor, too bland almost. I also cannot stand overly soggy, wet or too loose of pies. So many of them are too blob-like and fall apart when you cut into them, almost too much like pudding. Nope, give me a rich, firm filling please. That is how pie should be to me. This one is smooth and creamy, yet holds it’s shape.
It’s not very easy making perfectly round swirls. I suck at it. But, whatever, it tastes delicious and that’s all that matters. Plus, it looks really much prettier when cut….
So, I wasn’t even planning on creating a pumpkin pie recipe until I started getting some requests from you guys for one. I received emails, Facebook comments and messages and people on Instagram asking for one…..soooo I figured I better revisit pumpkin pie, but create it to be one that I would love. And let me tell you, this one I love. It has an amazing, rich cinnamon flavor, and the creamiest, dreamiest texture.
Look how dreamy, creamy the batter is after blending….
Obviously, I created a slightly different twist than most pumpkin pies out there. I got this idea to do a more richly flavored cinnamon pumpkin pie and then add a cinnamon roll style drizzle on top. I remembered my Cinnamon Roll Spice Oatmeal where I did the coconut butter cinnamon roll glaze on top and knew that would be just perfect inspiration for a pumpkin pie. This will definitely remind you of classic pumpkin pie with a cinnamon roll twist. It is sure to be a showstopper with your Thanksgiving guests.
My pumpkin pie contains a couple of ingredients that you probably have never seen in pumpkin pie before, at least I haven’t…..walnuts and sweet potatoes. The use of walnuts gives the filling the MOST amazing, buttery richness to the pie and the sweet potatoes make it creamy and have a stronger depth of flavor.
I tried two different versions of this pie, a nut-free one originally, using sunbutter and then of course, with walnuts. But after having people taste-test it for me, we all agreed that the walnut pie was infinitely better. The sunbutter was just too strong. The walnuts however, you cannot taste at all, just a buttery richness.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE?
This pie is simple to make. I created a quick photo tutorial collage for you. You basically just make your crust into the food processor and press into a sprayed pie dish. Then you blend all of the filling ingredients and smooth out the batter. Bake for about 65 minutes and let cool. You will need to refrigerate it over night, so it gets nice and set.
Hope you enjoy this Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie!
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie made with just 8 ingredients, is dairy-free, gluten-free and oil-free!
Ingredients
WALNUT CRUST
- 1 3/4 cups (185g) raw walnuts
- 6 tablespoons (48g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
FILLING
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (90g) raw walnuts
- 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- one 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
CINNAMON ROLL DRIZZLE (This was more for presentation purposes, so feel free to skip if you like)
- 2 tablespoons water or plant-based milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons (60g) liquid melted coconut butter (melt in microwave to complete liquid first, then measure)
NOTE
- You need to make this pie the day before you want to serve it so it has plenty time to cool and firm up in the fridge. It needs a full night (8 hours or so) to firm up. I have only tested this recipe with the above crust, so please don't ask me about other crusts. I don't want to give you false cooking times/directions without having tested any others. Mine only suggestion would be to follow the same directions I have listed below, with any crust, just to make sure it doesn't burn. The pie takes 65 minutes to bake, so the crust should be protected.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Have everything prepared BEFORE you start baking. The pie is super easy to make, I'm just very detailed with instructions, as always to help you. You will need foil strips for the crust, so have those ready.
- Cook your sweet potato first. To make things faster, I cooked a small, whole sweet potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes until really soft. Let it cool some before proceeding.
- For the crust, add only your walnuts to a food processor and process into a flour, which should take about 10 seconds, not long. You don't want anymore large pieces of walnuts, but don't want it to turn too wet either. Add the cornstarch, salt and cinnamon and pulse just a few more seconds to blend. Add the syrup (starting with 3 T) and pulse just until it forms large clumps. Add syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time if needed, until it has formed the large clumps as in the photo. You should be able to press the dough, and it hold, with your fingers.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees and spray a 9 inch pie dish with nonstick spray. Do not skip the spray! Press your dough into the greased dish, flat and evenly across and going up the sides. Make sure it's even around the sides and not too thin, or the edges can burn.
- For the filling, add the ingredients in this specific order[/b]. First, add the syrup and walnuts only to a high powered blender. I used my Vitamix. If you don't have one, I don't think a regular blender will be powerful enough, so I would suggest using your food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Then add the cornstarch, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Blend until the cornstarch is totally blended in. Then add the pumpkin and sweet potato and blend until completely smooth. Make sure you peel the potato and mash with a fork first, then pack a 1/4 cup and level off. You will need to scrape the sides and stir around the bottom of the blender because it will be thick and you need to make sure it's smooth. Blend again for several minutes until it becomes completely smooth and creamy, like a pudding consistency. Pour the batter onto the crust and smooth out with the back of a spoon flat and evenly along the sides.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes only (set your timer!) on the center rack and then remove to cover the crust edges of the pie (see photo). You MUST do this or the crust will burn. Remove after the 10 minutes and cover straight double-folded pieces of foil about 8 inches long, placed on top of the crust, going around the pie. Do your best to just cover the crust and not too much of the pie batter. The kind of dish I used, I simply laid them flat on top. If you have a different type of pie dish with a steeper edge, you may half to fold it over the sides. Refer to photos for example. After covering the crust, bake for an additional 45 minutes (set your timer!), that's 55 minutes total so far, then add one large loosely placed piece of foil over the whole pie. Just slip it right in there, no need to even remove the pie. This is done after the additional 45 minutes to prevent excessive browning on top. Keep an eye on it. Now, cook 5-10 more minutes with the foil on top, which will be 65 minutes total or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out basically clean. It shouldn't be covered in wet batter, but a tiny amount of batter on the very bottom of the toothpick is fine, you don't want to over-bake it, but want it set. I removed mine at exactly 65 minutes. Your oven may vary though, so check it after 5 minutes with the foil on top. It will finish slightly cooking as it cools and will firm up in the fridge. Let cool to room temperature (1-2 hours) and then chill in the fridge overnight or 8 hours. This will bring it to the complete firm, set texture.
- Keep stored in the fridge until right before ready to serve, so it stays firm.
- If making the cinnamon roll drizzle, wait until before serving the pie to drizzle on. To make, you need to do this over the stove in a small pan, as it didn't work very well in the microwave. Add the water, syrup, salt and cornstarch to the pan and whisk until smooth. Turn over medium-low heat, once just warm, add the melted coconut butter and whisk just for a few seconds until it just starts to thicken. Remove immediately and pour in a cup. Keep at room temperature until ready to use/serve the pie. I added mine to a ziplock bag and cut a tiny corner off to drizzle it on, as it's very thick. I like the So Delicious brand of "Lite" Cocowhip for the whipped cream.
Love your twist on pumpkin pie, Brandi! This is such a beautiful and delicious twist on a classical pumpkin recipe. All the ingredients are just so good, especially the walnuts, those are one of my favorite nuts. I bet it adds a nice crunch to the to the dough and filling. You really know how to make a beautiful topping with the cinnamon roll Drizzle, looks delicious and so inviting to eat the whole pan! 🙂 Gorgeous pictures as always and the dark style in those pictures, stunning!
Thank you so much Florian! You are so sweet! Thank you for the compliments. The walnuts made the filling so rich and buttery and blending them up made it richer and super smooth. It really does taste like there is butter in the pie! I tested this pie with sunbutter and even macadamia nuts (that one didn’t even make it to the oven b/c the taste was too strong, lol) and ultimately the walnuts won over the nut-free sunbutter, much moreso!
My daughter made this pie for my this thanksgiving and it was great! Definitely recommend this pie for anytime time or the year!
SO very happy to hear that it was such a hit, thank you for the awesome review!
I have been waiting very impatiently to see what sort of amazing pumpkin pie creativity you were going to pull out, but I never in a million years guessed CINNAMON ROLL pie!! Just the thought of that is heavenly, and the pictures are even more incredible! I love the sweet potato you snuck in there, blends right in and I’m sure it makes for a great texture! Your swirls look amazing, plus this pie will be sliced and devoured so fast people will barely see them 🙂 Thank you so much for giving my pie a little mention too <3 You always amaze me Brandi!
Thank you so much Natalie!! So glad you loved these pics! Yes, I had the idea a couple of months or so back and it took some work to get it right, mainly the texture. I hate soggy pies. The sunbutter was my original plan and what I intended on posting, but my taste testers, including my hubby, didn’t love the taste. SO, I knew I wanted to go back to nuts then, for a buttery taste, that the sunbutter had failed to do. The combo of the walnuts and sweet potato both solved my texture and flavor issue for the filling. WIN!
Well now you’re just teasing me here 😉 I guess everyone wins…I think I may be a pie lover with all these amazing pie recipes I’ve seen! Wooza and yum!!
Thank you Rebecca and your comment on Facebook made me laugh!
I made this pie as soon as it came out. As you all know when Brandi makes a new recipe, I stop everything I’m doing and make whatever it is because I know it will be awesome. This cinnamon pumpkin pie is no exception. It is so much better than the ordinary pie – I would expect nothing less than perfection. It’s like a hint of cinnamon roll – buttery, rich and creamy. Also, a much better and firmer texture than regular pumpkin pie that’s much of the time so mushy. There are a couple of secret ingredients that bring it up to the heavens. I could not keep my face out of the blender. My son and puppy loved the filling too. This will be your favorite pumpkin pie once you take the first taste.
You are so awesome Estee! Wow, thank you so much for making it already!! I’m so glad you loved it and I loved your pics you shared of it on Facebook and too cute about your puppy loving it too. Just wait until you taste it after it’s completely firmed up! Thank you for the feedback and for your kind words!
Im glad you didnt give up after 4 try of making this delicacy!! I love the unique twist you added to make this recipe even tastier then regular pumpkin pie! So yummy!
Thank you so much Bethany! All the trials were worth the end result, but I swear, during them I thought I’d never get it, lol.
Holy moly!!!! Ok, I remember those delicious cinnamon roll oats and I loved them!!! This certainly does look rich and heavenly. I love how different the filling is – I’m not surprised that you came up with an epic alternative to the standard pumpkin pie. I hated pumpkin pie as a kid and the only way I would eat it was if it was covered in whipped cream! But this?! This I could devour!!!
Awww thank you so much my sweet friend!! I know what you mean, I HATED pumpkin pie growing up, thought it was disgusting and too blob-like, haha! But I swear, even I loved this. It doesn’t taste like most pumpkin pies…it’s more rich and more dessert like, whereas I’ve found others to be too pumpkin-ish….for me, anyways! Thank you again!
Making a good pumpkin pie is definitely an art. My family loves it so much that I was forced to master it – haha! This is such a creative version of pumpkin pie, Brandi. Well done!
Thank you so much Linda! I know what you mean, my readers kept asking me for one, so I kind of HAD to create one, haha! Pumpkin pies are much harder to perfect without eggs than I ever thought. Plus, I’m super picky about the texture, so it took a few trials, but the final result is to die for, so it was worth it!
Soo…I think I shall come to your table for Thanksgiving. Sound good? 😉 THIS…yes.
this has got to be the BEST combo ever!!!! it’s beautiful and I can’t even imagine how delicious this was! I LOVEEE cinnamon rolls but over pumpkin pie like this I mean SERIOUSLY YUMMM!!!!
Aww thank you so much Michele! So sweet of you!! It was soo good!
I’m still giggling at our recipes lately! And pretending we lived near by so we could have one giant pie party. Of course we’d schedule a 10 mile run because we’d eat so much pie. And then follow it up with tacos. Because duh! I love this twist on the classic! Cinnamon is a winner for me, as you can tell! LOL Great job as always!
I know, we are non-identical twins, lol!! Tacos followed by pie sounds like a fantastic idea to me, lol!
Non identical twins? LOLOL!!
Where do I find coconut butter? All my husband could find at Whole Foods is Earth Balance coconut spread. Will that work?
Thanks!!!
Hi April! Coconut butter is actually at whole foods where the nut butters are. It’s not like dairy butter in the cold section. It’s simply shredded coconut puréed into a “butter”. You can leave it off if you want, it’s more for presentation, not taste. Let me know how the pie turns out!
That looks amazing! Plain old pumpkin pie is great, but with cinnamon roll flavor added? Yesss! Sounds awesome–and even better that it’s vegan, of course 🙂
Thank you so much June!
Are you on Yummly?
Yes! Here is my page! http://www.yummly.com/page/thevegan8com
This looks incredible! Love the added cinnamon goodness in here! Just the way I like it!
Thank you so much Jenn! The more cinnamon, the better, haha!
Wonderful photography with wonderful combinations!
Thank you so much, so kind of you!
We made this for thanksgiving and it was phenomenal. Awesome. Perfect. Wonderful. I could go on. And on! Best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had–and I love pumpkin pie! Yummy recipe girl!
Awww Julie, wow! What wonderful feedback!! I’m ecstatic you loved this pumpkin pie and more importantly, that it’s the best you’ve ever had! What a compliment! It is also my favorite I’ve ever had too, I’m so super picky with pumpkin pies, so I’m happy it was such a hit, thank you for letting me know!
love the drizzle on this
Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I’ve only just seen this. It looks soooooooo incredible Brandi. I am totally obsessed with cinnamon rolls, so a cinnamon roll pumpkin pie sounds like heaven. This is one amazing recipe! Deeeeelicious!!! 😀
Awww thank you so so much Harriet for your kind compliment!!
Haha I can’t do perfect round swirls either! So hard and I’ve usually had too much coffee that I just can’t keep my hands steady long enough 😉 This pumpkin pie sounds delicious! Love, love,love that you added cinnamon to it. Everything is better with cinnamon! Beautiful pictures Brandi!
Thank you so much Vanessa!
This is just so WIN on so many levels!!! Cinnamon Rolls are a classic that never go out of eating style 😀
I know I’ve said it before, but WHAT AN AWESOME idea!!! Love the combo and the drizzle on top looks delicious!
Thank you so much Anjali! So sweet of you!
this recipe looks phenomenal – so rich and flavorful! Jason wants a pumpkin pie for Christmas, this one just might be it! 🙂
It looks so good, I want it now!
Pumpkin pie all day long! This looks amazing, Brandi. I just so happen to have all of the ingredients in my pantry. Yippee!
You are a genius Brandi, I love the combo of the mashed sweet potatoes with the pumpkin puree plus the flavors are excellent!
Thank you so much Michelle, you are so sweet 🙂
Oh. My. Gosh. Brand! This is amazing !!!! I made it this morning for our family Christmas dinner tomorrow…I just had a sample to be sure it set up…there are NO words to describe the yumminess of this recipe! I’m not a pumpkin pie lover, but this…THIS !!!! Wow. I will say after 65 minutes total cook time, my toothpick came out wet, so I kept it covered, baked another 10 minutes. Toothpick still came out wet, yet the filling was pulling away from the crust, so I took it out, cooled it two hours without the cover, then refrigerated it four hours before sampling. It set up perfectly! THANKYOU for your efforts. This is perfection.
Wow Carol!! I’m so happy to read this amazing feedback! So thrilled you loved this so much! I agree too, I’m not a pumpkin pie fan, so I had to create a version I would love, so glad you loved it. Yes, some ovens take a bit longer, glad you made it work. Thank you Carol so much!
PS, it was a hit with my Carnivore family! Had some left, and introduced my Vegan friends to it yesterday after our luncheon…
they swooned!
So wonderful to hear that, thank you Carol!
I made this for Christmas and I only got a small bite (that I stole from my 3yo). I’ll have to make two next time! My neighbor (gluten free) loved the crust the most and is going to use it for all of her pies! Oh, btw, I am the only vegan in the bunch!
Oh wow, thank you so much Katy, and so sorry I missed this comment from before!!
Hey Brandi! I made your wonderful amazing pumpkin tart & used home-made Musque de Provence pumpkin puree & home- growned my pumpkin too! I am pretty new to pumpkin tarts & loved your version so much!
All of my friends & family loved every bite! I also gave them your blog adresse! xxxx
Helo Brandi,
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Concerning the Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie , do you think I could use a Springform pan to bake this pie in?
Thank you for your time,
Donna
Hi Donna! I have not tried it in a springform pan, but I would think it would work fine. It will definitely prevent the crust from burning that way, too. I’m just not sure how it will affect the cooking time since I’ve only tried it as listed above in a traditional pie pan. I would think it would take longer to bake, so just look for a clean toothpick. Let me know how it turns out!
My hubby loved this pumpkin pie–the first vegan one he has actually appreciated! I left off the swirls and fluff on top as it was already VERY rich. So tasty that I must make it for another special occasion soon. Thanks so much for making your recipes easy to follow with no oil or eggs. And most of all for making them available online. I’ve shared your website with a number of family and friends.
Thank you so very much Marilyn, so very happy to hear you all loved this pie! Thank you for sharing my site as well, that is so appreciated!
Brandi,
This pie was the hit at my Thanksgiving dinner! With my sensitivities and my nephew’s extreme allergies, we hardly get to enjoy desserts. This was so delicious and really ended the day with a sweet bang!
Thank you!
That’s so wonderful to hear Nicole! So happy you all found something that met your needs and satisfied your taste buds! Thank you so much for the lovely review and letting me know!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it! Sadly, there was not a crumb left over and had there been I would’ve eaten it with haste.
I have to tell you — my mother (not even remotely vegan but a phenomenal cook and is not one to give out undeserved praise) sent me a text later that night that said, “I was thinking about your pumpkin pie…it actually had better and more intense flavor and body than conventional pumpkin pie. It had impeccable flavor, very smooth texture, was perfectly spiced and had a wonderfully intense pumpkin flavor! In ALL honesty it was the THE best pumpkin pie I have EVER eaten.”
That was the highest praise and sealed the deal that this will be our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie from now on! Except next year, I’ll make two or three!
Hi! This looks amazing! My husband has SO many food allergies and to see this Gluten free Vegan pumpkin pie is amazing! However, he just found out he is also allergic to Walnuts! Any other nut we could use that would give a similar result? I was so excited for this until I saw walnuts, boo!
Hi Stephanie! Yes, pecans are very similar and should work! I haven’t tried it personally but these should be very similar in taste and texture!
Thank you! I will try it with pecans and let you know! I’m SO excited to try this!!!
Do you think arrowroot would be ok to use instead of cornstarch in this recipe?
Hi Michelle! I have never tested this with arrowroot, so I can’t say how it would affect the texture. I’ve found that in some baked goods arrowroot makes these more gooey/gummy and not setup as well, but not sure how it fairs in a pie. You can definitely try it but unless you are allergic to cornstarch, I would get some so it gives the best result!
This pumpkin pie is FANTASTIC !
I didn’t have corn starch so I used the same weight of tapioca starch for the filling and it was perfect!
I used a premade crust since I was testing many pumpkin pie recipes but will be making this again (and again) with the homemade crust.
This pie was by far the winner!
I skipped the cinnamon drizzle as it really doesn’t need it.
Thank you Brandi for such a delicious pumpkin pie!
Yay!! So glad to hear this one was the winner among all your taste tests! Thank you so much Robin for the lovely review!
I’m super late to this game but I’m glad I finally made it! Just finished eating this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. I did do the cinnamon icing and agree, it’s nice but most definitely not necessary. When the girls were giving their thanks they both said, “I’m thankful for this pie!”
Hi Brandi. My husband looks forward to pumpkin pie every year. He has just declared your recipe the best one EVER!! Thanks for a true winner from my food critic. 😁
Yay! Best news ever, so happy to hear that Sue, thank you for the lovely review!
Why am I just discovering this recipe?! Shame on me for passing this one by a few years ago. It was SCRUMPTIOUS, Brandi! Waaay better than traditional pumpkin pie. Frankly I never liked standard crust but the walnuts take this to another level! I won’t forget this is here next Thanksgiving but for now, I guess my hubby and I will have to devour -er- enjoy this one on our own. 😋
Thank you so much Colleen for making it!! So happy you and hubby loved it! This is my hubby’s (and mine) favorite pumpkin pie ever, as well. I normally hated pumpkin pie growing up because it was too blob-like for me, haha, so this one cured my pumpkin pie trauma, lol!