Walnut Pumpkin Pie

Happy Halloween!  Since it is Halloween, I have got to keep the pumpkin recipes going and what a perfect time to make a delicious pumpkin pie!

Since I do not eat a lot pretty much all of the typical Halloween candy, I figured I should make a pumpkin pie.  A no-bake, vegan, gluten free one of course!  Plus, I had to try out this recipe before Thanksgiving because I wanted to make it again for Thanksgiving if it was a success.  I am so happy it was, because this pie is filled with healthy omega-3's, vitamin A, and fiber.

Some other benefits of this pie:

1. Super easy to make, just mix everything in a blender.
2. Which means super easy to clean up, just the blender and a few measuring spoons.
3. You don't have to stay at home waiting for it to bake, just put it in the fridge and you can run errands outside the house.

This recipe was adapted from Healthy Happy Life.  She lists quite a few alternative ways to make this recipe so definitely check out the original recipe to suit your taste buds and preferences.  Here's the recipe I used:

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup gf rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil (melted)

Directions:

1. To make the crust, mix together all ingredients in a food processor until well blended and mixture holds together.
2. Press crust into a greased pie pan and set aside.
3. To make the filling, mix together almond milk and chia seeds. (This is done first to allow the chia seeds to form a gel in the almond milk.)
4. In a blender, combine pumpkin, coconut sugar, walnuts, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.  Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Add in the almond milk and chia seed mixture.  Blend until incorporated.
6. Add in the coconut oil.  (Do this quickly, and make sure the coconut oil is very warm so it does not harden too quickly in the pumpkin mixture, unless you have a vitamix and can add the coconut oil with the blender on a low setting.)  
7. Blend until everything is combined.  You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
8. Pour filling into prepared pie pan.  Smooth the filling with a spatula so it is smooth and even.
9. Place in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 4 hours, but the longer it sits the more it will firm up. (I let mine sit overnight.)

I chose to make a crustless pie.  I was never the biggest fan of the crust part of the pie, I would rather just eat the filling!  However, this pie was not the firmest and probably would have held together better with the crust, so I think next time I will make the crust too.  If you prefer no crust and want a firmer pie, try adding more coconut oil, probably about 1/3-1/2 cup.)

Walnut Pumpkin Pie before slicing!

This pie tasted so good!

What a great treat to celebrate with on Halloween!

Based on using original Silk PureAlmond Milk and cutting the pie into 8 slices:
For one slice with no crust this recipe yields approximately 228 calories and 2.5g protein.
For one slice with crust this recipe yields approximately 298 calories and 4g protein.