If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to make a pumpkin pie without a single egg or drop of heavy cream and still get that same creamy, sliceable custard texture…this is your answer. Silken tofu blended with pumpkin puree and warm spices bakes into a pie that’s every bit as rich as the classic (minus the dairy and eggs).

Pumpkin pie sliced into eight pieces, each topped with whipped cream, sits on a table with a pie server, mugs, plates, forks, and an orange napkin. — This vegan silken tofu pumpkin pie is the kind of dessert that has people asking for the recipe before they’ve finished their slice!

Silken tofu is one of my favorite kitchen tricks because nobody expects it. Texture drives perception just as much as flavor does, and silken tofu blended smooth mimics the custard-like mouthfeel of a traditional pumpkin pie filling almost perfectly.

Once it’s baked into a pie with pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice, the tofu disappears completely. What’s left is a pie that’s rich, silky, and impossible to distinguish from the version made with eggs and evaporated milk!

Notes from the test kitchen

Tapping out the air bubbles
Blending silken tofu incorporates a surprising amount of air into the mixture, and if you skip the tap-and-settle step, that air rises to the surface during baking and leaves the top of the pie cratered and uneven.

Cooling completely before slicing
Pulling the pie too early means slicing into a custard that hasn’t finished setting, and you’ll lose that clean, structured slice.

A slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sits on a plate with a fork. The rest of the pie and another slice are visible in the background.

Pumpkin pie with a missing slice, topped with whipped cream dollops, sits on a table with coffee cups, a can, a plate with pie, and a measuring spoon.

Key Ingredients

Silken tofu: The ingredient doing all the heavy lifting here. Its neutral flavor and custard-like texture when blended make it a near-perfect stand-in for the eggs and cream in a traditional filling. Make sure you’re buying silken tofu specifically, not regular firm tofu, which has a completely different texture and won’t blend smooth.
Pumpkin puree: Plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which comes pre-spiced and pre-sweetened and will throw off the whole recipe. Libby’s is a reliable, widely available choice.
Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar: Using both brings a rounder sweetness than either alone. The brown sugar in particular adds a faint molasses note that plays well with the warm spices.
Pumpkin spice seasoning: The whole flavor identity of the pie in one tablespoon. TO make your own, Combine 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves for a close match to a tablespoon of premade pumpkin spice seasoning.
Salt: Easy to skip mentally when a recipe is mostly sweet, but salt is what keeps the pumpkin and spice flavors from tasting flat. Don’t leave it out.
Deep-dish pie crust: A store-bought ready-to-bake crust keeps this recipe simple. Most store-bought crusts don’t need to be blind-baked first, but if you’re using a homemade crust, blind-baking prevents a soggy bottom once the wet filling goes in.

Overhead view of labeled bowls containing pie crust, sugar, dark brown sugar, pumpkin puree, silken tofu, pumpkin pie spice, and salt arranged on a light surface.

Got leftover?

You’ll likely have a bit of pie filling left over. Rather than waste it, pour the extra into a small glass or ramekin and refrigerate it as a simple no-bake pumpkin custard. It sets up nicely on its own with no additional baking required.

A slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon sits on a speckled plate with a fork beside it.

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Silken Tofu Pumpkin Pie

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 15

Cook: 1

Total: 1 15

Servings: slices

This vegan pumpkin pie is creamy and sliceable with silken tofu and pumpkin puree blended with warm spices. As rich as the classic with no eggs or dairy!

Ingredients

▢ 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
▢ 1 16-oz package silken tofu
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar
▢ 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice seasoning
▢ ½ tsp salt
▢ 1 deep-dish ready-to-bake pie crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
Blend: In a blender, combine 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree, 1 16-oz package silken tofu, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice seasoning, and ½ tsp salt.
Tap: Firmly tap the blender on the counter many times to remove the bubbles from the mixture.
Assemble: Pour pumpkin mixture into 1 deep-dish ready-to-bake pie crust until mixture is level with the top of the crust.
(You may have a little filling leftover. Pour it into a glass and refrigerate as a little no-bake custard!)
Bake: Transfer pie to the oven on the lowest rack. Bake at 450°F (232°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) and continue baking for 45 minutes.
Pie is finished when the crust is golden brown, and the pie is firm around the edges. It may still jiggle a little in the middle, but will continue to firm as it cools.
If crust darkens too quickly, a pie shield or foil around the edges will prevent further browning.
Cool: Let pie cool on the counter for at least one hour before slicing to allow it to fully set.
After cooling on the counter, you can loosely cover and transfer it to the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Serve: Slice into eight pieces, cleaning the knife between each slice. Serve with whipped cream!

Notes

You don’t need to blind-bake most store-bought crusts. If you’re using a homemade pie crust, blind-bake it before adding pumpkin filling to prevent the bottom from being soggy when finished

Storage: Once fully cooled, loosely cover the pie and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The custard filling is dairy-free, but it still needs to be kept cold like a traditional pumpkin pie. This pie also freezes well: wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Silken Tofu Pumpkin Pie