Pumpkin Pie with Pine Nut-Pecan Crust

Indigenous American nuts are the star of this vegan variation on the Thanksgiving favorite.

Serves
8
Time
4 hours

PHOTO BY LOIS ALLEN FRANK

By Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater

Published on November 22, 2023

This pumpkin pie recipe, adapted from food historian and cookbook author Lois Ellen Frank’s Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients, riffs on a U.S. holiday classic by incorporating two Indigenous ingredients: pine nuts and pecans. In the past, when there was no wild game, or a hunt was unsuccessful, both nuts provided Native communities with protein, calories, and nutritious plant-based fats. Not only does this subtly sweet pumpkin pie recipe, topped with an irresistible coconut whipped cream, nod to the cultural importance of these two ingredients, it’s also a festive addition to any autumnal holiday celebration. As an added bonus, it happens to be both vegan and gluten-free. Follow our pumpkin pie spice recipe to make your own at home.

Excerpted from Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank. Copyright © 2023. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Featured in "The Indigenous American Ingredients That Changed the Course of Food History," by Megan Zhang.

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup (3.9 oz/112g) raw pecans
1 cup (5 oz/142g) raw pine nuts
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. sunflower oil

For the filling:

One 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin purée
¾ cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup arrowroot powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the coconut whipped cream:

Two 13.5-oz. cans full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper. (Alternatively, use a pie dish coated with sunflower oil or nonstick spray.)

Step 2

Make the crust: To a food processor, add the pecans, pine nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Add the sunflower oil and pulse again until a rough dough forms. Transfer to the pan, firmly pressing the dough into an even layer along the bottom and sides of the pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden-brown and fully set, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut milk, brown sugar, arrowroot powder, and pumpkin pie spice until well-combined and no lumps remain.

Step 4

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the baked crust and tap on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is fully set and browned, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

Step 5

Make the coconut whipped cream: Open the coconut milk cans and, using a spoon, poke a hole through the solids on top. Set a fine sieve over a medium bowl and strain out the liquid, reserving any solids in the sieve. (Use the liquid within a few days, or freeze for later use. If the solids and liquid haven’t separated, scoop out and use the thickest part of the milk, usually about half the can, and save the rest for later use.) To a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or to a large bowl with a handheld mixer, transfer the coconut solids. Add the agave and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form, 2–3 minutes, then beat in the cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.