If Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t include pumpkin pie then can we really even call it a celebration?
I’m kidding. Kinda. But I’m also kinda serious. I could eat pumpkin pie as the appetizer, the main dish, and the dessert. And maybe even breakfast the morning of. And with this Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie I don’t really see a problem with that!
The whole reason I set out on the sugar-free pie-making mission was to create a pumpkin pie that I would have no qualms about polishing off in one sitting. I still love my Banana Pumpkin Pie from last year, but if (when) I ate the entire thing I was consuming more coconut sugar then I should be at one time. However, in this pie there are three different fruits, only seven ingredients total, and no worries about the all natural sugars.
And the taste and texture definitely meet my high pie standards. So if you try it for Thanksgiving (or tomorrow’s breakfast), let me know if you agree!
The crust is gluten-free, fruit-sweetened, and fruit-bound. Similar to my Caramel Apple Crumble Pie crust, but with bananas this time.
Crust rolling, flipping, and filling in action…
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Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 75 minutes
Ingredients
- CRUST*
- 2 ripe bananas refrigerated overnight
- 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
- FILLING
- 1 15 oz . can of pumpkin puree
- 12–14 pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- FOR THE CRUST: In a large bowl, use your hands to “cut in” the cold banana into the flour. Keep kneading and mixing until you have a cohesive ball of dough. If it is still super sticky, you can add a little more flour.
- Roll out the crust between two well-floured pieces of wax paper.Peel off one sheet of paper. Dust the surface of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking to the pie pan.
- Flip into a 9 inch pie pan. Set aside.
- FOR THE FILLING: Blend all the ingredients on high until smooth.
- Pour into the crust.
- Bake at 425F for 15 mins.
- Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 35-40 mins.
- Let it cool, then chill for at least 8 hours before serving.
Notes
*Since posting this recipe over a year ago, I have come to dislike oat flour for pie crusts as it can make for a very chewy hard texture. I highly recommend using this almond flour crust recipe instead.
Wow Natalie! This is such an incredible recipe! I can’t believe it’s so simple to make – it looks amazing! I am so blown away by the pastry and how it’s only 2 ingredients!!!!! Speechless! The filling sounds so creamy and tasty too. Love that this is completely sweetened with fruit. Healthy dessert is the best!!! <3
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Thank you so much!!! Healthy dessert is absolutely the best, because it doesn’t have to be just dessert! I wasn’t even going for minimal ingredients, that was just an unintentional side effect 🙂
Would coconut flour work for the crust? When you say gluten free flour in general (in other recipes like the pumpkin squares for example), would coconut flour work? Thanks!
Quite the opposite unfortunately, in general you can assume that coconut flour will NOT work in place of other GF flours. It’s quite different than any other flour and is really best saved for recipes created specifically for it, especially with vegan/egg-free baking. Otherwise you will end up with a very dry crumbly mess. I don’t have a coconut flour pie crust recipe, but you could try using the base of these bars and press it into the pie pan to make a crust: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/grain-free-apple-crumble-bars/ (regular date paste will work, you don’t need the apple part) Haven’t tested it, but just an idea 🙂
This looks so amazing! I’m going to make it as a treat next week to celebrate the end of assignments! 😀
Great idea! I love that freeing feeling, it definitely needs celebrating 🙂
Daaaaang this looks good! I’ll be honest… I’ve never had pumpkin pie before.
But I’m seriously feelin’ this one!
You what!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? How can this be Leah, I am legitimately in shock! With all the wonderful pumpkin things you’ve made, never pie? You need to get on it girl!
Thanks for the recipe. Quick question on the dates. I don’t typically use dates and hove some dried ones – I’ve read that they can come in difference dryness – What did you use?
I always use medjool dates in my recipes, Natural Delights is my go to brand. But they are typically pretty moist, much more moist than regular “baking dates” so if yours seem very dry just soak them in warm water for a few hours (and drain) before using in a recipe like this!
This pie looks so delicious, Natalie! I love how you use fruits in almost every recipe!! 🙂
Thank you Sina! Dates and bananas, I just throw them in almost everything haha!
Looks so pretty Natalie! In my million pumpkin pie making trials, I was struggling to find a way to make it thicken the way I wanted, because I don’t like jiggly, too soft pumpkin pies and I thought about using dates for that firmness, but decided not to since I was afraid it would be too date-ish since I don’t like dates, but it looks like you made it work wonderfully, it looks beautiful! Definitely the healthiest pumpkin pie I’ve ever seen!
I just can’t believe all the fruits you don’t like haha! To be honest, I’m still not a fan of eating dates straight, but in here I love them. Such a more rich and interesting flavor than straight sugar in my opinion. I find it’s all about not overdoing the cornstarch. I’ve made recipes before that use like 3-4 tbsps and that’s just gross jello-like texture :p I’d love to find a way to do it with arrowroot or some other starch, but I’m still experimenting on that 🙂
I just get more and more impressed with you EVERYDAY. First the apple, now this!? I am attempting my own healthy crust this week and I’m crossing my fingers it comes out as good as yours looks! Wow. I just can’t wait to make this pie! The filling sounds incredible!!
Thank you Kaila! I’m going a little pie crazy right now, but it just works with fall flavors! I got really excited when I saw your crust on IG, crusts are tricky and I’m always looking for new ideas to try! And the mention of crustless personal pumpkin pies definitely piqued my interest too 🙂
I just found this site and omg thank you so much. No nuts anything,(serious allergies at home) must be the first. Thank you thank you.
That’s fantastic to hear Isabel, I’m so glad you found me too! I have lots of nut free recipes around here, so I hope you can find some treats that work 🙂
OMG!!!! I think that’s the best GF crust…:O You see crust is why I don’t really enjoy pie. Growing up I always remember that gross dry cheap pre-made crap. So I would just eat the filling (with cool chip on top!). That’s why my pumpkin pie I make now is all filling, nut crust. BUT with that all said…this is kinda awesome 😉 The one pie you KNOW I will be eating is pumpkin next Thursday and then the leftovers for breakfast on Friday 😉 Like this would be a pie I would gladly “take in the face” if someone were to throw it at me xoxoxo
I used to hate the crust too and a lot of crustless pies, but I’m finally starting to find some versions I like. And girl I grew up eating just the cool whip because i didn’t think I liked pumpkin, so you were still doing better than me 😀 haha It means a lot to me that I have maybe convinced your very high standards to reconsider crust! I’ll happily throw it at your face if that would help hahaha 😀 Open wide!! xoxo
Yum yum yum! I love pumpkin pie 🙂 great idea to use dates, I bet they give a delicious caramelly sweetness to the filling 🙂
You described it better than me, yes so caramelly sweet! Thanks Mel, I hope you have lots of pumpkin pie making planned for next week 🙂
This looks sooo good, Natalie! And you know how I feel about pumpkin everything already, but with fruit in there — love it all the more! I love using bananas in a crust as well, though now that I’m in my oat days, I’ll have to experiment and simplify my older recipe. You crust looks just perfect <3
Thank you Audrey! “Your oat days” hahaha! I’m glad it’s an oat era right now because I love them too (even though I didn’t use them here) and they just make things so darn easy and cheap! I think I could write a book about why I love oats, but I’ll restrain myself 🙂 And another book for pumpkin. And probably another for bananas.
… and I’d buy them all 😀
THAT right up there is INSANELY perfect! I can only imagine what you said out loud when you pulled it out of the oven!
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Hahaha you have no idea how excited I was that is worked!! Throwing all these crazy ingredients in a blender and baking it actually made pie! Thanks Gigi 🙂
Looks fab! 1) is it soft and gooey like flan or more firm. 2) I’m assuming there isn’t obvious banana flavor, is that correct?
Definitely no banana flavor! And the texture is just like pumpkin pie (or any cream pie) should be: firm enough to hold its shape when sliced, but silky once you bite in. I’ve never had flan, so I can’t really compare it to that. But the cornstarch and dates in there balance each other out so it’s not too firm or too gooey. Hope that answers you questions 🙂
It mind-blowing to me that this recipe has zero sugar and uses the power of fruit!! You are a genius
Thanks girl! I’m still a little shocked too tbh. Gotta love fruit 🙂
Yes! A new pumpkin pie recipe!
And double yes! A new video! I couldn’t be happier right now. I looove watching your videos, they are always so relaxing, inspiring and pleasing for the eyes. I love that the pie is completely fruit-sweetened. I really have to try it out, I’ve never had pumpkin pie!
Thanks girl, your sweet comments always encourage me to keep the videos up even when I think about not because of all the editing 😀 And I am totally shocked that you’ve never had pumpkin pie!!! I am realizing recently how much of an American thing pumpkin pie must be. But assuming you like pumpkin, I think you’d like it 🙂
Yum! I love the idea of a (coconut) sugar free pie since I’m totally on board with the “eating the whole thing in one sitting” plan 😀 unintended most of the time but it’s becoming a habit. Plus I love the bananas in crust, I’ve done that once and I loved how well they bond it!
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Haha I didn’t intend to get into the whole pie habit either, but by the end of last pumpkin season I would make one and just plan on having the whole thing gone in 24 hours 😀 I would absolutely devour your healthy pumpkin pie in one go as well! I love that you are a fan of the banana thing too, they are so good in all sorts of baking! Thanks Lucie <3
Your pumpkin pie crust sounds so incredibly easy, I can hardly believe it 😀 I love your video, as always – also that the pie making was not perfect. Perfect would be boring! Whenever I see cooking/baking videos where there is no mess at all, I always have to think “yeah right…”…because my kitchen usually looks like a battlefield 😉
Hahaha “a battlefield” that is a perfect description! It’s funny how we all create this idyllic little scene in our photos when that’s the farthest thing from the truth! But yes pie. I wasn’t even going for easy, but it did turn out that way! Because I’m a lazy baker without even trying 😀 Thank you for watching Kat!
I love the simple crust ingredients. Can I use whole wheat flour in place of gluten-free flour? Also, I’ve bought date sugar that I’ve been meaning to use in a recipe. Do you know the amount of date sugar needed to replace the dates?
Yep, whole wheat flour will certainly work! The date sugar is not a perfect substitute because the whole dates add thickness and binding that the filling needs. But if you want to make it work, then use about 2/3 cup of date sugar and increase the amount of cornstarch to 1 1/2 or even 2 tbsps. Alternatively, you can save the date sugar and use it in place of coconut sugar in other recipes.
I’ve gotta try this recipe!!!
Thanks so much for sharing this inspiring idea!
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I’m glad you like the recipe! Happy pie-making 🙂
Made this today for Thanksgiving (with vegan marshmallow fluff as a topping) and it was the best feeling knowing that I had a delicious, nourishing alternative for my kids to enjoy! So, a serious thank you to you Natalie for putting so much effort into creating these healthful recipes and sharing them will all of us!
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Becky your comment really touched me! That is exactly why I create and share these recipes, thank you so very much for your kind words. And marshmallow fluff sounds insanely good on top 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Hello! I just found your blog and I think I might be the happiest person alive ? I have been looking for healthy vegan recipes with dates as the sweetener. I already have 10 links saved waiting to try the recipe and i found your blog maybbbeeee 5 minutes ago. ? I have one question about this though. My sister and I can’t eat bananas (they KILL our stomachs) it is so sad! Is there anything I could use to make a pie crust like this with out bananas? We also can’t eat pineapple incase that would come up. ? Thanks so much!
Hi Ash!! I am so happy you happened upon my little corner of the internet, healthy vegan date sweetened recipes are abundant around here 🙂 Oh yikes, no bananas!?! I feel for you. But yes, the crust is easy to make banana free. Here’s my go-to banana-free crust:
1 1/2 cup of all purpose of GF flour
3 tbsps of coconut sugar (you could use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or even date syrup, just use less water)
1/2-3/4 cup of water
Add the water slowly till you get a nice ball of dough then roll it out and transfer to the pan but make sure you coat the pan in coconut oil or at least flour first or it will stick really badly.
It’s pretty much this crust recipe but made bigger: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/home/2015/06/29/strawberry-lemonade-pie
If you try any of the recipes or have any other questions or request always feel free to message me <3
Hey! i just made this recipe today at it turned out pretty good! i’m not sure if i did something wrong with the crust but after it got out of the oven the crust was rock solid! i followed the recipe to a T and i’m not sure where i went wrong! maybe i worked the dough too much? i just came here looking for some help because i really love this recipe and i want it to work so bad! i loved the taste of the filling! please help!
Hi Katelin! Since the crust is fat free, if it gets too thick it can be hard to cut through. I would recommend rolling it out as thin as possible next time and seeing if that fixes it. Really really thin, like maybe only use 1 cup flour and 1-1.5 banana. Or another quick crust recipe that I use a lot is 1 cup gf flour, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp coconut sugar. It’s obviously not refined sugar free this way, but if you roll it out really thin the texture might be better. I hope that helps!
This pumpkin pie is so so so so so flavorful and delicious, made it fir Thanksgiving! Definitely beats a regular one and the crust is soooo healthy( a little bit hard tho and you must spray some oil in the pan seriously lol) . You’re a genius Natalie love your recipes! Making cinnamon streusel bars next, oh and do you have a monkey bread recipe 🙂
I am so happy you liked it Claire!! Yes I have actually linked to a different pie crust recipe that I have found to me much flakier and richer, that oat flour one is no longer my favorite. Oat flour is just not suited for pie crusts, especially without oil. I have a monkey bread mug cake recipe that I LOVE and highly recommend here: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/vegan-monkey-bread-mug-cake/ You could probably multiply it and bake it longer to make a bigger loaf too if you like. Enjoy the bars, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday 🙂
Does the baking process (temperature and time) change with the new almond flour crust?
I would recommend baking it at 375 the whole time (1 hour) with that crust since almond flour browns much more easily than oat and you don’t want it to burn with the high temp. Hope it turns out perfect!
Thank you so much! The fam will be in for a yummy Thanksgiving treat with this recipe, I have no doubt! 🙂
Could I use tapioca or arrowroot powder instead of the cornstarch?
Yep absolutely!
So I made the filling but not the crust. One of my local health food stores make amazing gluten free vegan crust that I just can’t get enough of! So, I loved the flavor, although this came out a little soupier than I would have liked, I think next time I’ll cook just a little longer…
I have one HUGE piece of advice. If you buy pitted dates, check every single date for a pit as you drop them in the blender. I was in a hurry and only checked the first few and apparently a couple of the dates weren’t pitted. The blender chipped at them a bit and made the pieces hard to pick out… We had to eat carefully, like you would eating fish with bones. This will forever be known as my “pitty pie”.
However, the consensus was that people can’t wait to try some when it doesn’t have pits in it. Today is Thanksgiving and I might make one for Christmas!
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Hi Maja! First of all I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving and I am so happy this pie could be a part of it. Oh I can relate so much–I have stuck my hand into a blender-full of batter/filling/smoothie too many times to try and find that one pit that snuck through, I always squeeze every date before adding it even if they are “pitted”. I am so sorry that happened to you too, and yes the next one will be MUCH yummier without. As for the soupy-ness, an extra tbsp of cornstarch would help too! Thanks for the feedback and good luck living down that pie legacy🙈
Hey Natalie! I made this for a Vegan Thanksgiving dessert with the almond flour crust and it came out great! The flavor and texture were amazing! I subbed arrowroot for the cornstarch. However, the crust burned when I baked it at 375 for an hour. 🙁 What do you recommend in order for the crust not to burn? Line with aluminium foil around the outer edges of the crust? Reduce baking time? Thanks!
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Hi Kathryn! I am so happy the filling turned out well 🙂 As for the crust, what kind of pan did you use–metal or glass? And did you bake the first 15 mins at 425F and then reduce to 350F as the recipe calls for? I would try that higher temp and then reduce it method and set the timer for only 30 mins after reducing the temp so it will be 45 mins total. You run the risk of it not setting properly with a shorter bake time so maybe increase the cornstarch to 2 tbsp to make up for that. Hope that helps!
I also used the almond flour crust recipe. I did bake it at 425 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for 30 minutes. My crust started to burn after the 15 minutes at 425. The filling was good but I have a burned crust. 🙁 I did use a metal pan. What can I do next time?
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Hmm not sure why that happened, but you can try laying a piece of foil on top of the pie for the last 10-15 minutes of baking to reduce browning/burning or move your oven rack to lower in the oven so its further from the heat 🙂
I made this today and it is in the oven baking! I’m trying out recipes way ahead of time to have the Thanksgiving menu perfected for this year! I made the almond flour crust as recommended. I must say, before baking everything tasted delicious so after, it should be amazing! I’ll comment again after the final results are in!
Oooh I am so happy you tried it! I hope the final taste test is delish😋 I love your preparedness! I think I need to start testing pumpkin pies soon too…mostly just as an excuse to eat LOTS of pies ha😆
Can this be made as a crustless pie?
I don’t see why not! It might stick to the pan though, so consider spraying/oiling it first😊
Hi my pumking filling got out a little watery is the 1 time that this happen any suggestions
Hmm that’s odd, maybe try using an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to help it set better next time!
I just made this last night and I came home from class this morning and COULD NOT STOP EATING IT. Wow!! Brilliant idea for the dates. I grabbed chopped dates from the store that were slightly coated in flour (which thickened up the pie, in a good way) and the crust turned out perfect! Pumpkin pie is already too sweet for my liking so I think I’ll add the equivalent to 8-10 dates for next time, but I will be using this recipe for years to come.
Thanks!
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YAY!! I am so happy you loved it🤗 Good to know on the sweetness level, appreciate you sharing your own personal opinion too. Enjoy and I hope the next one comes out even better!
Hi! I’m wondering if there’s an alternative to the dates in the filling, and whether this recipe can be halved? The crust sounds amazing and I really want to try it!
The dates are pretty essential for this one, but I have other pumpkin pie recipes without them–what sweetener were you wanting to use? And yes you could half it yes, but for what size pan?
I’m not exactly sure but just wondering if that’s something else that would work well in place of the dates. For the pan, probably just a smaller round pan (don’t have the exact dimensions)!
Yes you can half it for a smaller pan, and the only thing that would sweeten similarly to dates would be like raisins or dried prunes but either will add more fruity flavor that may not be great with pumpkin. Just a word of warning, but experiment as you wish 🙂
What is the reason to wait sooooo long before eating it? I was hoping to make it for a evening with friends tonight but I only have 2 hours! Will it not work?
Pumpkin pie has to set and tastes best chilled in my opinion, which take quite a while after its just come out of the oven. It needs at least 4-6 hours, sorry!
Can you substitute the dates with prunes? Also the cornstarch w tapioca starch or arrowroot?
Yes and yes! The prunes will make the filling taste more fruity, but still delicious 🙂
I would really love to use this crust recipe! however I am thinking of filling it with a filling that will be kept raw. Do you have a recommendation on how long I should bake just the crust? Thank you as always!
I have almost everything I need to bake this; I am only missing the bananas. I almost never actually use a sweetened pie crust for pies of any sort. I only use a sweetened crust if I am making a tart. I think I will experiment with grinding some nuts, and see what happens! Although I might just make a tried and true whole wheat pastry flour crust with your filling!
I hope you are staying safe, healthy, and happy during the madness out there. ❤️
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Oh, I wanted to say that I asked about replacing medjool dates with deglet noor (which are about 10 times easier to find where I live, and about 3 times cheaper) a long time ago, and I usually just go by weight, since they are about 1/3 the weight of medjool. I just multiply the number of dates needed by 2.5, and soak them in slightly warm (but not hot) water for 15 minutes or so before using. I buy deglet noor in large packages at bulk prices at an international grocery store 15 minutes from my house.
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Do I risk a hard crust if I use sprouted spelt flour?
This sounds like the kind of recipe I’m looking for!
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It might be a bit chewy and tough with spelt flour since this crust is oil-free. I’d recommend using this crust recipe if you want to swap in spelt flour: https://feastingonfruit.com/sunbutter-pumpkin-pie/ It will totally work with the fruit-sweetened filling though!
This was a 10 out of 10! So delicious!
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YAY!! I am so happy you loved it, happy thanksgiving😊
I am so happy I found this recipe. I stopped adding any sugar source except for fruit many years ago, so loved using dates. Going to have this tonight for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
YAY!! I am so happy you found it Elaine, hope you love it let me know what you think🤗
The pie was delicious! We did not use the crust, because my daughter is gluten free, but the pie was really good. Thank you!
So so happy you guys enjoyed it Elaine!! And I hope you had the happiest thanksgiving 🙂
can i use oat flour for the gluten free flour?
If you just swap in oat flour the crust will turn out quite chewy, I’d try this recipe for an oat flour pie crust instead: https://feastingonfruit.com/sweet-potato-pumpkin-pie/#tasty-recipes-14996