It's time for some good ol' pumpkin pie! Serve this at any holiday table, and people will ask for more. The filling is sweetened with dates and thickened with a bit of oat flour. The pecan-date crust is like a sweet, crumbly cookie. Grab a fork and dig in!
See below for a video on how to make this crust.
Pecan-Date Pie Crust
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 1 8" crust 1x
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 ½ ounces raw, unsalted pecans (about ½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ½ ounces pitted dates (4 to 5 Medjool or 8 to 10 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
Instructions
- Place the oats, pecans, and cinnamon in a food prpcessor, and process until the texture resembles coarse flour.
- Add the dates, and process for about 1 minute, or until the mixture just begins to clump together. Add the milk and process until the mixture starts to ball up into dough (this will happen quickly).
- Form the dough into one big ball and place it on a large piece of parchment paper on top of a large cutting board or other flat surface. Press the ball flat with your hands and then place another large piece of parchment paper over the top.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set aside an 8-inch pie pan.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle that is about ⅛ inch thick. The circle should be slightly larger than the upper edge of the pie pan. (If your circle is irregularly shaped, just cut a piece of dough from another area and press it in.)
- Peel off the top piece of parchment paper and carefully invert the rolled-out crust onto the pie pan. Peel away the remaining piece of parchment paper. Gently ease the crust into the contours of the pan and lightly press into place.
- Trim away any hanging crust (don't wrap the crust over the edge of the pan since this will make it harder to cut after it's baked). You do not need to poke the crust with a knife.
- Place a piece of aluminum foil over the entire crust, loosely tucking under the corners. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 recipe (8" pie crust)
- Calories: 1072
- Sugar: 52.6g
- Sodium: 3.6mg
- Fat: 59.1g
- Saturated Fat: 5.7g
- Carbohydrates: 131.9g
- Fiber: 22.5g
- Protein: 21.2g
- Cholesterol: 0
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 to 8 (makes one 8-inch pie) 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ to ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (½ cup will result in a firmer filling)
- ¾ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- 4 ounces pitted dates (7 to 8 Medjool or 14 to 16 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
- 1 can (15 ounces) 100% cooked pumpkin (not "pumpkin pie mix") or 1 ½ cups (packed) baked pumpkin
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 prebaked Pecan-Date Pie Crust (see recipe above)
Instructions
- Grind the rolled oats into flour with a blender and then transfer to a small bowl.
- Place the nondairy milk, dates, and vanilla into the blender, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the dates can soften).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set aside your prebaked pie crust.
- Add the pumpkin to the blender with the milk, dates and vanilla, and blend until smooth.
- Add the oat flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to the blender mixture, and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides a couple times. (This will be thick, so use your blender's tamper if it has one, or you can also use a food processor.)
- Pour the pie filling into the prebaked pie crust and smooth out evenly.
- Wrap a few 3-inch-wide strips of aluminum foil around the edge of the pie crust (keeping the edges of the foil from touching the filling) to prevent the crust from overbrowning.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is a medium brown. Remove the pie from the oven and remove the foil strips. Cool completely before slicing.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe (1 slice with crust)
- Calories: 159
- Sugar: 13.5g
- Sodium: 21mg
- Fat: 5.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6g
- Carbohydrates: 26.2g
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Protein: 3.4g
- Cholesterol: 0
Above: Gently press the crust dough into the pan, pressing it up as far as you like and keeping the edge plain (as in the photo) or adding a decorative touch with the back of a fork or with your fingers.
Above: The uncooked crust is more like clay than stretchy dough, and is very easy to roll out and work with. If you have a gap in the dough while rolling, cut a piece from another area to press into the edges of the gap. It will seam together nicely. The dough should be rolled out thinly, as shown above.
Above: Protect the crust edges by gently adding a foil rim to the pie before baking. Setting it on a baking sheet helps the crust cook better.
Above: The baked pie. To create the pattern on the top, use a cake frosting spatula or similar broad knife, and hold it at the outer edge of the pie (in one place) while turning the pie pan. If you mess up, just start over.
Above: The baked pie, showing the thickness of the crust. The filling sets up nicely: not to thick or gelatinous, and not pudding-like, either.
Above: If you'd like to add a little something extra, use a rotary cheese grater to grate some walnuts or pecans on top.
Thanks, Cathy. I made this yesterday and it is delicious. However, mine turned out brown and did not look at all like your beautiful bright orange color. I will definitely make this again, but I'll cut down on the baking time. Any other suggestions?
Hi Patti, not sure. I made it yesterday too and it was more brown than the pix on the blog post. But still good. Yes, maybe just cook a bit less time. 🙂
Hi Cathy could i am into raw desserts could i make this pie raw?
Hmm, not sure! I don't know how firm it would get though. Maybe after refrigerating it it would be okay. 🙂
Just add some coconut butter or coconut oil and that will firm it up once it is refrigerated. Then you will have a raw pie. 2 Tablespoons of either should do it. I can't wait to try this pie. Looks beautiful!
Isn’t it against Dr Greger’s advise to use oil?
Can you freeze this?
Hmm, have not tested this in the freezer but I think it would be fine. 🙂
I made this for thanksgiving on the day of and it was good but not great. The next day, however, it was FANTASTIC! It tastes so much better the day after, for the future I will always make it the day before. Such a wonderful recipe though! YUM! 🙂
Husband doesn't like cinnamon and clove, so i subbed in cardamon seeds and extra vanilla, and topped with whipped coconut cream. so good! thanks!
I love cardamom! Nice substitution. 🙂
I made this for thanksgiving along with the rice lentil loaf and the mushroom gravy, it was fantastic! Thank you! Now I wonder if you could figure out how to make sos free mince pies! Btw. My pumpkin pie was not brown but looked just like the picture, your video on the crust was excellent.
Great! Thanks Gabriella! 🙂
I am back to print off the recipe again. We had this for Thanksgiving, and it was amazing! My 10 year old son is having a birthday on December 30th (turning 11), and he requested this exact pie again. Thanks for a new family favorite! He says he wants to eat this for every birthday from now on. 🙂
Too cute! Thanks for writing! 😉
I've made this pie several times and we absolutely love it. Unfortunately they didn't have canned pumpkin at Trader Joe's yesterday. I decided to try it with roasted sweet potato instead, and it turned out fantastic. Slightly different flavor but just as good. Happy New Year Cathy and thanks for all the great recipes!
Oh, good to know! Thank you! 😉
Dear Cathy,
for the crust, is it okay if i just use normal skim milk if i can't obtain the non-dairy milk? Or is non-dairy supposed to be crucial for the crust?
-beginner baker here 🙂 just got my oven 2 days ago 🙂
You can use any kind of milk. 🙂
Just made this pie. Tasted both crust and filling before baking and love it. Can't wait it try it tomorrow!
Hi Cathy! Just found your website and I'm in love! I have hypertension and am always looking for no/low sodium recipes. A quick question: when you mention non diary milk, 1) is there a certain type that "bakes better" in your opinion? 2) Do you recommend unsweetened non diary milk instead of sweetened? Thank you in advance!!
Hi Diana, I usually use soy milk, as it has a nice richness and not a lot of unnecessary ingredients. I rarely buy sweetened; if I want something sweet, I'll add dates or other fruit. 🙂
Hello! I had a question. It might be kind of silly, but I don't eat nuts or seeds, and so I was wondering if I could substitute anything with the pecans, like maybe coconut shreds? Or would that work?
That might work since it's really full of fat like nuts.
This looks wonderful! Can I also make it with freshly cooked pumpkin instead of canned? Also what kind of pumpkin is best? Butternut, Hokkaido?
I think so, but Google which type to use and how to prepare fresh pumpkin first; it needs to be drained I believe so it's not so wet.
Cathy, instead of using dates, do you ever use date sugar made from dates!? Thanku so much
No, I only use whole food sources of sweetness. Never tried date sugar. 🙂
Date sugar is simply dried, granulated dates, so it is still a whole food.
I am trying to be grain free. Any thought on substituting ground flax for the oats in the pumpkin mix? Also on what to sub for the oats in the crust?
Hi Vicki, that might work if you can grind them pretty finely (they are coarser than oats). You might also try tapioca flour or arrowroot/cornstarch to thicken instead. 🙂
Can I use something else besides pecans, I am a vegan and do not eat nuts. Would flex seed work?
Hi Vincent, maybe flax would work; they are not as high in fat, so I would be concerned that the crust would not hold together. Maybe just increasing the oats by 1/2 cup would work.
Thank you I will try it and let you know
Hi Cathy,
Is that a 9-inch pie pan you're using? And what pan material would you recommend? I have a 9-inch glass pie pan, but am wondering if another pan would work better. Looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving!
Annie
Does anyone have a substitute for pecans in the crust? (nut allergy)
Sunflower seeds may work.
What about substituting a mild-flavored bean for the pecans? Seems like that might work.
I'm pretty sure I've heard Chef AJ suggest using cooked cannellini (sp!) beans for nuts.
Has anyone made this pie deep-dish? I only have deep dish glass pie pans and I usually just cook my pies 5-10 min longer. How do I tell whether or not this pie is done? Usually, I just insert a knife and cook my pie until the knife comes out clean and I'm wondering if this pie is the same.
I have not made this deep dish, but your strategy sounds good. My pie usually has a few cracks in the top when done. Maybe make 25% more crust for the bigger pie plate.
Instead of using cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I'm using pumpkin pie spice but what measurement would I use?
I see 2 to 3 teaspoons online. I'd add 2 then taste the batter to see if it needs more. 🙂
I made this recipe last week and it is a delicious pie. Thanks for sharing it, Cathy.
I made this pie for a vegan Thanksgiving potluck that I attended today. It was absolutely delicious and got rave reviews from everyone. I think it was one of the best pies I've ever made. Thank you so much for this great recipe!!
Thanks Hillary! That is great! 😉
The only pie pan I have is a deep-dish glass one. So, I doubled both the crust and filling recipes when I made this. I ended up using approx. 1 3/4 recipe of each ( and who doesn't love extra pie filling?!). I baked the crust and pie for approx. double the amount of time but kept a close eye on it while baking.
Hi! Would love to try this crust, a few silly questions though, can i use it for other fillings as well? And can i make mini tarts in a muffin pan and use a tart tamper to press the dough in the muffin pan?
I think you could use this cooked or uncooked with any kind of filling, and tart would work too. 🙂
You use a food processor. I have baked and cooked for many years without one and done well without. I will try to work the dough with a blender.
I loved this crust recipe for an apple pie! I just noticed that I am out of pecans. Can I use walnuts instead for the crust?
I think so! 😉
I made this dish according to the recipe in the straightupfood cookbook and it was fantastic!
Yay! Thanks Miles! 😉
New cook here who did not have an electric beater, so tried to just add the pumpkin dry filler to the blender with the wet ingredients, but was too dense to really blend. Managed to create a filling - not sure how it will taste at tomorrow's dinner? Crust came out really nice though, even the raw scraps were tasty.
Hi, Cathy! Love this recipe, thank you! Instead of the parchment paper, I used two plastic cutting board sheets. They worked great! The crust peeled right off, no problem.
I'd also like to tell folks that haven't made it yet that although the recipe appears to be labor-intensive, it is actually very easy to make.
Thanks again, Cathy! Another winner! 🙂
Hi Carol, I've done that too, with the cutting board sheets. 🙂 Yes, it's kind of like making pizza: it's not hard but you do have to prepare more than one thing. Thanks!
Hi Cathy, I have tried to google this but there are so many differing answers, and Thanksgiving is almost here and I'm new to WFPB baking. I have store bought oat flour (Bob's red mill). If I use that instead of oats that I grind up myself, how much would I use to substitute for whole oats you grind? I hope this makes sense! Thank you so much
Hi Cheryl, I would just use the same amount as the whole oats. I have measured this before and it's close.
Cathy, How far ahead of Thanksgiving can this pumpkin pie be baked and still be good?
Costco is already selling pumpkin pies! But we don't want that kind! I've been making a list of some of your holiday recipes to make for Thanksgiving, but I can't imagine making everything in one day--especially when it will be my first time to make some of the recipes I've chosen.
You are amazing! Thank you for sharing the talents with which you've been blessed! We are grateful!
Lisa
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your comment! 🙂 Hmm, I wouldn't make it more than 2 days before, or else it will get too soggy in the fridge (mainly crust). You can try a test one before hand if you want to be sure. Thanks!
Can a glass pie dish work?
Sure. 🙂
Phew.. does cooking time need to be adjusted? If so, to what? Thanks! Also how do we know when it’s done?
Phew, does it need to cook longer? And we are supposed to keep the pie in the fridge if made a day early? Or do we cover it up and leave it on the counter like grocery stores do? Thanks!
I don't think it needs to cook longer. Yes, put it in the fridge after it cools and cover it. If made that morning, I would just leave it out on the counter however. 🙂
There are nut allergies in my house any other ideas forthe crust?
You could probably use a type of seed instead (maybe hemp or sunflower or a mix).
I' using only cinnamon. How much should I use?
2 teaspoons.
Hi, how long is the pie's shelf life?
I'd probably eat it within 3-4 days. 🙂
Persimmon! I just received hachiya persimmons and would love to use one in the pie for pectin and sweetness. Would I decrease or eliminate the oats? And use fewer dates?
PS The pie pan I used for my first pie was 9.5, so I made 2 times the crust recipe. The raw dough was so tasty, I plan to make extra so I can make snack bars with it next time!
I'm not sure about the pectin, but maybe just go with the 1/4 c oats to be safe (instead of 1/2 cup). I'm also not sure you'd need to decrease the dates (or if so, maybe 1 or 2) since you're also adding more volume via the persimmon?? Let us know how it goes! 😉
It worked! I used half of a hachiya and 1.4 c oats. No change to the dates measurement.
I still felt I wanted something richer, so this week I used a whole persimmon and coconut milk as my nondairy fluid. No oats.This time I baked it in a springform for a change. I doubled the thickness of the crust.
It came out just as I had hoped - richer and a bit lighter. We've been enjoying this pie for breakfast, too!
Since I roasted actual pumpkins, we got toasted pumpkin seeds and skins to boot!
Wow, way to go Peggy! 🙂
I made this (never made it before) as a pre-Thanksgiving pie trial. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out spectacularly. It rivals my mom's pumpkin pie, but hers contains butter, cows milk and cane sugar. Thank you Cathy for the great job creating and testing your healthy and super tasty recipes. Also, the crust video was extremely helpful:)
Yay, glad to hear! Thanks so much, Heidi! 🙂
I make my own oat flour. Would you happen to know how much oat flour to use for the crust?
It's the same measurement as whole. 🙂
My husband said it was the best pie he ever had!
Yay!! 🙂 Thanks so much, Ellen! Glad to hear this!