This Date Sweetened Pumpkin Pie tastes like the classic version, only it’s made without refined sugar. Your guests will never guess the secret ingredient!
Despite the fact that this pie is sweetened with mostly fruit, you’d never know just by tasting it. You can safely bring it to Thanksgiving and get rave reviews. There’s no butter or dairy required, and homemade pumpkin pie has more flavor!
Pair it with my oat flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust for a gluten-free crust option. The dough is super easy to make from scratch, or you can rely on a store-bought option to save time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instead of using eggs, this recipe uses arrowroot starch as a binder. (Cornstarch and tapioca starch should also work similarly if you have that on hand instead.)
This option makes pie taste like the real thing, with the same texture as classic pumpkin pie. You would never know it’s sweetened with mostly dates, plus a touch of maple syrup.
To keep this pie dairy-free, it uses coconut cream, which is the solid part found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. If you don’t need a dairy-free recipe, you can use heavy whipping cream instead.
If you need another alternative, check out my easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe, which is thickened with cashews instead.
How to Make Date-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan if you haven’t already.
In a high-speed blender, combine the pumpkin puree, dates, maple syrup, coconut cream, arrowroot starch, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Secure the lid and blend until the mixture is silky smooth.
You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender to help the dates break down completely. (This recipe works best when you start with squishy Medjool dates that easily split apart with your fingers.)
Pour the blended pumpkin pie filling into the unbaked pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the pie at 350ºF for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling looks darker without jiggling, and the crust is golden.
Let the pie cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Pumpkin pie is the perfect dessert to make the night before you plan on serving it, so it can chill in the fridge overnight!
Slice and serve with whipped cream on top, if you’d like. Leftover pie can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have a store-bought bottle, you can make your own by using 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and cloves.
Yes, but the filling might not turn out quite as silky smooth. I’d start by breaking down the dates and coconut cream first, then scrape the bowl of the food processor and add in the rest of the ingredients. Process until the filling is as smooth as possible.
Yes, you can! As long as the pie is tightly covered, it should keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for at least 24 hours before you plan on serving it.
Looking for more healthy holiday desserts? Try my easy Chocolate Pie, Vegan Pecan Pie (also made with dates!), Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, or French Silk Pie for more naturally sweet ideas.
Date-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup Medjool dates , pitted (about 6 oz by weight)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut cream (the solid part in a can of chilled coconut milk)
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch (or cornstarch or tapioca)
- 1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and have a 9-inch unbaked pie crust ready to be filled.
- Add all of the filling ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides, as needed, until you can no longer see any pieces of dates in the mixture.
- Pour the filling directly into the unbaked pie crust, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is darker and has set, and the crust is golden.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for up to an hour, then transfer it to the fridge to chill for at least 2 more hours before serving. (You can also make this the night before and let it chill overnight.)
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, keeping it tightly covered.
Video
Notes
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 (16 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice Blend the filling ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an unbaked pie crust, or directly into a greased pie pan for a “crustless” pie, and bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes, then chill for 2 hours in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
If you try this healthy pumpkin pie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Hello…I love that this looks like a nice easy recipe. Do you know if it can be made a couple days in advance or even frozen well, without compromising taste or texture.
Thanks so much.
Also… I see that people are talking about having it without a crust. I don’t see that in the notes. Maybe that was the old recipe. Will this updated recipe work well without a crust? If yes, do you suggest using parchment to bake it? Thanks again.
I haven’t tested this new version without a crust (the old one that is still here below the recipe is the one I used to make crustless), but I imagine it would work as long as you grease the pan well. I use an enameled pie dish, which seems to help prevent sticking!
Thanks so much. Trying both ways and will let you know. Happy Thanksgiving.
Oh My Megan!! I made two pies last week as a test run for Thanksgiving and my Hubby polished them off saying”Best ever!” I don’t know about the older almond version, but this date version is by far the best of all the attempts I’ve made over the last 4 years to make a gluten-free, vegan pumpkin pie.. Thank you for another winner. And I can’t say enough about how easy and delicious the crust is. It just didn’t seem like it was going right as I was making it, but magically it rolled easily, peeled easily off of the parchment, and tasted buttery.
I just made this as pie filling for a pie with oa t flour crust. I sampled the flavor before cooking, taste delish! I followed this recipe as is except I used fresh pumpkin. It is cooling right now so I can’t comment on how it will serve but it seems firm and set-up fine.
I will follow up with how the family likes it after tomorrow.
I chose to use gluten free oat flower crust so it would look more traditional(picky eaters in this family, maybe I can convince them it’s not all bad that’s healthier)
I can’t wait to try this as well as your other recipies. Thanks so much
This was excellent! I thought it tasted just like what my mom used to make, but of course much healthier! Thank you!
This is so good! It was a big hit with my family! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
The GF pie crust that I bought from Trader Joe’s was pretty bad, which made it impossible for anything that I put in it to taste good, so I’m hesitant to give it a rating but wanted to make sure that no one else made the same mistake that I did. I love how little added sweetener there is to this pie and will probably try making it again. That being said, last Thanksgiving I made your crustless pumpkin pie and I continue to dream about it. From the flavor to the texture, it was absolutely perfect. It also had a heck of a lot of maple syrup in it, so that definitely helps with taste. I do wish that next year you would include single serving portions in little ramekins for the crustless pie, since serving it was a little wonky and I think people (ones who don’t have allergies and will eat anything) wouldn’t notice the missing crust as much.
Just made this for Canadian Thanksgiving and it turned out great! So delicious! I used regular deglet noor dates and tapioca starch as that’s what I had on hand but otherwise followed recipe as written. So grateful to find a vegan soy free recipe as I currently can’t have dairy or soy.
This is hands down THE best pumpkin pie ever! I made four in one weekend. I picked up Wholly Wholesome brand gf crusts from TJ’s and they turned out amazing! I am making more today to share with friends.
Hi. Wondering if this would freeze well? Just found out basically our entire family is allergic to dairy, eggs or gluten. Trying to find recipes I can make ahead of time to reduce the holiday last minute stress. 😂😉
Thanks!
It’s confusing to have most of the comments and reviews referring to a completely different pie made with almonds in the filling. Would be helpful if they were separate. This pie was really good, but felt it needed a little more richness. Would doubling the coconut cream make it too wet?
Hi Sara! I think you could safely double the coconut cream in this recipe without it getting too wet, as long as you plan on serving it chilled. I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
This recipe has made my dreams come true! Honestly, I don’t know how many years (decades?) I have gone without my beloved pumpkin pie due to food allergies. I took the plunge today and tried your recipes, because they never fail me, and I can’t stop eating the thing!!!! So good. Seriously. You have singlehandedly transformed my holiday experience with this one recipe here. Thank you!
Our pie turned out fabulous! Thanks for the great recipe- I love that it has no refined sugar and is still rich, sweet & perfect.
Oh my goodness!!! This is the most delicious pumpkin pie I have had in years. The taste is amazing! It is in my opinion much better than your old recipe. Definitely wait for it to be cold, I tried it before refridgerating and the texture was odd, but after spending the night in the fridge it’s perfect!
So easy and delicious! I used a premed crust which made this the simplest pie ever! Measure, blend, pour, bake. As Ina says, “How easy is that?!”
I made this on Thanksgiving (the updated recipe with dates) and used a gluten free and vegan frozen crust. It was perfect!!
Amazing!!! Even my husband like it. It will be a yearly holiday pie!!!
Looks delicious, but some of the metric conversion seem to be incorrect.
What can you substitute for the coconut cream?
Could you use sunflower butter instead of almond on old recipe?
Thank so much
I’m not sure about the sunflower butter, since the flavor is so much more overpowering… you might not taste the pumpkin as much with that swap. Coconut cream might be able to be swapped with another non-dairy milk, but I haven’t experimented with that yet. Let me know what you try!
I normally love Megan’s recipes, but this pie was a no 😔 The dates overpowered the pumpkin flavor and were way too heavy. Not an even remotely authentic taste which totally killed the experience.
Watch out, don’t make the mistake of using all the coconut cream in the can instead of just 1/4 cup. Read in haste…
Spot on! So delicious.
can you use an egg in the old recipe?
Sure, I think you can experiment with that!
Thanks. When you say experiment fo you meant I would need to add other additional ingredients or just try adding an egg with current recipe and see how turns out. Thanks.
I can’t wait to try this out on my American boyfriend. I’ve never even had pumpkin pie before but have always wanted to try. Thank you for a fab vegan recipe. I’m sure we’ll love it 😍
I have made this recipe every year at Thanksgiving since first seeing it in 2019. I look forward to it every year! My absolute favorite pumpkin pie ever. The flavors and textures are spot on. We always make this one and the Pecan Pie recipe as well. Your recipes are truly the best!
The search for “the” pumpkin pie is over! By far the best tasting pumpkin pie I’ve ever had! Pie set up perfectly at 45 min. Firm enough to cut into after cooling an hour, but chilled it anyway. Delicious- can’t thank you enough for this recipe.
When you say unbaked pie shell if I have a frozen crust (from trader joes) that is raw/uncooked I put it straight in there. Not a baker as you can see!
Could I use more maple syrup instead of the dates? And how much? I cannot have dates. Thanks,!
I made this without a crust because mine did not defrost in the fridge. I tasted the mixture out of the Vitamix and WOW it’s so tasty, thank you!
Hi! A long-time lover of your recipes, books and site. I’m just letting you know there’s an error in the conversion between US and metric, and in the text placement, at least on my smartphone. It converts to 28g (¹ oz) of pumpkin, when it should be 1 x *15oz* can *or fresh puree* (which appears next to maple syrup on my phone). I’m looking forward to trying this ASAP.
Thank you for catching that, Alicia!
This recipe was so delicious! I also made the crust from scratch with oat flour and everything tasted amazing! I can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving! Thanks for delicious and healthy recipes.
Hi Megan,
thank you for all of your lovely, healthy, easy to prepare GF recipes and especially for offering dates, sweetened recipes!
Would you have any suggestions as I would like to make your dates sweeten pumpkin pie with only dates as the sweetener?
I’m trying to reduce the amount of acid in my diet and maple syrup really doesn’t agree with me.
Thank you so much for your reply.
🌿🍁 Kindest regards all around,
~ Nell
Hi Nell! I think if you double the dates in this recipe and perhaps use 3/4 cup of water for blending, that could work? But I haven’t tested that myself, so it will be an experiment. Let me know if you play with the idea!