This pumpkin pie is like no other. It’s not a custard-style pie; it’s more like an apple pie, but made with pumpkin. I know it sounds a bit wacky, but believe me when I tell you that this pie is unbelievably delicious. For those of you who don’t love the traditional custard pumpkin pies, I’ll bet you’ll like this one. It can also be easily adapted to be vegan.
So I was looking through an October Thanksgiving edition of Canadian Living Magazine a while ago. On the cover of the magazine was a photo of the most appetizing apple pie along with descriptions of all sorts of interesting fall recipes. Of course, I had to buy the magazine. As I’m nearing the end of the magazine, I come across a photo spread of the most beautiful pumpkin pie I have ever laid my eyes on. This got me thinking about Thanksgiving and fall flavours. Pumpkins and apples are both in season and everybody is in the mood for cinnamon and spice treats this time of year.
When I was thinking about which pie to make for Thanksgiving dinner, I thought why not make a pumpkin pie, the way you would make an apple pie, and see if it tastes just as good. So that’s what I did and I’m happy to report that this experiment was a total victory.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard the expression “what grows together, goes together” but I really believe that this is often the case even when you think it might not make sense. I wanted to try combining the pumpkin with apple or pear. I wondered if they would in fact taste good together, so I made a variation of this recipe that included a pumpkin layer and a pear layer and they did go really well together.
Cranberries are also available this time of year, so I candied a few, and garnished the pie with them. It added a festive touch and the tart cranberries went really well with the sweet pumpkin and pear. I added a few toasted pecans for some texture. It was SO good!
I’m so excited to share this non-traditional pumpkin pie recipe with you. You can’t go wrong with any variation. They’re all delicious. This would also be a great dessert for Christmas. If you make it, please let me know what you think.
vegan pumpkin pie
- 2 defrosted (frozen) 8" deep-dish pie shells (there are vegan options)
- 1 small baking pumpkin (4 or 5 cups thinly sliced)
- 2 tsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tsp butter or vegan butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinammon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp clove
- 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)
- the juice of 1 lemon
- 3 or 4 pears or apples, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1/4 cup pecan pieces
- 3 tbsp sugar
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Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Dock one of the defrosted pie shells with a fork so that it won't puff up too much while baking. Par-bake the pie shell in the oven at 420 degrees (or according to package baking instructions) for about 15 minutes or until light brown.
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Meanwhile carefully cut the pumpkin in half with a sharp knife. Remove the seeds. Peel half of the pumpkin with a y-shaped vegetable peeler. Slice the pumpkin into really thin ribbon-like slices (about 1 inch by 2 inches) until you have about 4 or 5 cups of thinly sliced pumpkin. The amount needed will depend on the size of your pie dish.
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In a large frying pan, gently saute the thin pumpkin slices in the oil and butter on low heat for a couple of minutes. Then add the maple syrup and bourbon. (You don't want to brown the pumpkin, just soften it a little) Stir until tender, but not falling apart.
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Remove the pie shell from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes.
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Combine the sugar and spices.
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Sprinkle 2/3 of the the spiced sugar on the pumpkin slices in the pan and stir until incorporated. Turn off the burner and let cool for 10 minutes.
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Slice the pears or apples into thin slices. Drizzle them with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. (This layer is optional)
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Put the cooled sauted pumpkin slices in the par-baked pie shell.
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Arrange the pears/apples on top of the pumpkin layer. Sprinkle the pears/apples with the remaining spiced sugar.
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Top the pears/apples with pie pastry cut outs from the other defrosted pie shell. I used fall shapes, but you can use any cookie cutter shape you like.
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Bake at 420 degrees (or according to package baking instructions) for 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry on top is golden brown.
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Garnish with candied pecans and cranberries if you like. If you skipped the fruit layer, I would recommend adding the cranberries and pecans. It offers another texture and flavour complement. Simply add 3 tbsp of sugar to a pan. Turn the burner on low heat. Roll the pecans and cranberries in the sugar until it starts to stick to the pecans and cranberries. Remove from pan. Let cool and garnish.
- You can also choose to make your own pastry, but buying your favourite frozen pie shells from the grocery store is pretty convenient.