If the holidays have you craving pumpkin pie but not the hassle of rolling out dough or tracking down a vegan premade crust, my Vegan Pumpkin Slab Pie is here to save dessert. Baked in a simple 9×13 pan, it’s perfect for feeding a crowd and skips all the pie crust fuss. With a buttery shortbread-style base and my five-star rated vegan pumpkin pie filling on top, it’s a dessert that feels classic yet totally effortless. If you’re a crust lover then this one is for you!
The crust is rich, and crumbly like a shortbread cookie (and not too sweet!) and you just press it into the pan and bake. No rolling, no chilling, no patching. Then comes the silky pumpkin filling, perfectly spiced and creamy thanks to a blend of pumpkin purée, coconut milk (or vegan heavy cream), warm spices, and a hint of nut butter for richness and smoother, firmer texture.
Top it all off with a swoop of vegan cinnamon whipped cream (you can use a plant-based whipping cream from Country Crock, Aldi, Califia Farms, Silk, or other brands) and dessert is served!
🍂 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No pie crust stress. Skip the search for vegan crusts or the struggle of rolling dough and just press, bake, and fill.
- Perfect for gatherings. Baked in a 9×13 pan, it serves 12–16 generous slices, ideal for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a cozy fall dinner party.
- Creamy, classic flavor. This uses my five-star vegan pumpkin pie recipe for the filling which is rich, and full of those nostalgic fall spices.
- Whipped cream optional (but highly recommended). A cinnamon-spiced vegan whipped cream takes this over the top.
- Easy to make ahead. This pie sets beautifully and even tastes better after a chill in the fridge overnight.
🥣 What you’ll need:
- Canned pumpkin. Check out my blog post here for my take on the best canned pumpkin brands.
- Coconut milk or vegan heavy cream. Some don’t like the taste of coconut and I’ve used vegan heavy whipping cream with great success in my recipe. Some have commented though that they don’t even taste the coconut so that’s your choice.
- Nut or seed butter. This is one of the “secret” ingredients in my recipe. I like using almond butter but really any nut or seed butter will do. I would avoid peanut butter as the flavor might be too strong. When I say “drippy” nut butter, I mean a looser smooth style not the hardened layer that often forms at the bottom of many natural kinds of nut butters.
- Potato starch. Another secret ingredient and I prefer it to cornstarch which many vegan pumpkin pie recipes use. It has less of a flavor and gives a smoother texture to the filling in my opinion but you could use arrowroot or cornstarch if need be and it will be fine.
FAQs
- Can I make this gluten free? Yes, by swapping out a 1:1 gluten free flour mix for the crust. I’ve not tested it but I’m sure it will work fine.
- Can I use another whipped topping? Of course! You can use one from a tub like So Delicious Cocowhip, Truwhip has a vegan variety or a canned non-dairy whipped topping as well. Just add a little cinnamon to it or sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top if using a canned variety.
- How do I cut these? You can cut them into squares or thinner bars. I usually start in the middle so I can eye more even cuts as I go along.
- Do I have to spread the whipped topping all over them? No! It’s the easiest method if serving them right away but you could add topping to each piece you cut individually rather than spreading it all over the top.
- How do I store these? Store leftovers in a container in the fridge. Bars without the topping can also be frozen.
My vegan pumpkin slab pie is proof that you don’t need fancy pie crusts or hours in the kitchen to serve something show-stopping. The combination of a (vegan) buttery press-in shortbread base and silky, spiced pumpkin filling creates the perfect balance of cozy and convenient and is ideal for any fall gathering.
And if you really want to make sure your pie tastes its best, check out my blog post on the best canned pumpkin brands to use in baking here. You might be surprised how much the texture and flavor can vary!
Easy Vegan Pumpkin Slab Pie
16
servings20
minutes35
minutesMy easy vegan pumpkin slab pie combines a press-in shortbread crust with a creamy, spiced pumpkin filling and cinnamon whipped cream for a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing holiday dessert.
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Ingredients
- Shortbread Crust
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) vegan butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar (or cane)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 – 15 oz canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup full fat (not lite) canned coconut milk, coconut cream or vegan heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons drippy nut butter (I used almond) or alternative seed butter
1⁄4 cup potato starch or cornstarch
- Cinnamon Non-Dairy Whipped Cream
1 cup vegan heavy whipping cream (see notes)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Directions
- Crust
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or foil. I use binder clips to make sure the parchment stays in place while baking. Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl or you can also use a food processor. Using a pastry blender or two large forks, add the butter and mix until almost combined (mixture will look sandy but should clump together when pressed between your fingers). If using a food professor, pulse until the mixture looks sandy. Test it by pressing some between your fingers. It should just come together. Don’t over mix as that will make your crust tough.
- Poor the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out as evenly as you can with your fingers. Using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press the mixture into the pan evenly until smooth and well pressed down. Use a fork to prick some small holes all over the top.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes. You don’t want to fully bake it as it will bake more later with the filling, but you want to set it a bit. You don’t want it browned so watch carefully. All ovens vary so it could take a few minutes more or less. I use convection heat that bakes quicker due to the circulating air so mine was ready in 14 minutes but you may have to bake up to 18 minutes in a regular oven. While it’s baking, prepare the filling.
- Pumpkin filling
- Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer or you can use a food processor for this step as well (my preferred method). A blender could also be used. Mix until completely smooth and well combined making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once during mixing.
- Combine
- Take the par-baked crust out of the oven and immediately pour the filling over the top and smooth out with an offset spatula or knife a spread out evenly to the edges. Return to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes until the surface looks dull and it’s slightly pulling away from the edges of the pan. The center should not jiggle when moving the pan from side to side but you also don’t want to over bake it. All ovens vary so start checking sooner than later. Cool completely for at least 3 hours in the fridge or preferably overnight.
- Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Making sure your vegan heavy cream is cold, add it the bowl of a mixer (you can use a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment or use a bad mixer). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the completely cooled pie and spread out to the edges evenly. You can sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar if you’d like for dramatic effect. Cut into squares or bars and serve.
- Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you can’t find potato starch you can use cornstarch in its place but I preferred the clean taste of potato.
- Use your favorite nut butter (I like to use almond or cashew) or if nut-free or allergic, use a seed butter like sunflower.
- You can use a pumpkin spice blend in the same amount as the other spices but I prefer adding them separately. Cloves are essential to the flavor of this pie. Using fresh spices is important so check them yearly and replace if needed. They don’t last forever.
- I’ve used coconut cream, vegan heavy whipping cream and vegan evaporated oat milk in a can all with success although I think the vegan heavy cream option is my favorite lately but those creams can be hard to find for some folks but there are brands like Silk, Country Crock, or Califia in stores and Aldi recently has had one available as well.
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Thank you! Whst is the most neutral.nut butter so the pumpkin flavor isnt diminished?
I like to use almond like I mention but cashew would work well too I would imagine!
So excited to make this, I’m going to use pumpkin seed butter!
Great idea!
What’s the reason for the almond or other butter?
Like I mention, it’s for richness and texture and really makes a difference!
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Holy moly.… Just made this pie for coworkers who claimed they hate regular piecrust, and they were blown away that it did not have dairy. I guess I will be adding this as my designated pumpkin pie recipe from now on.
Love it when people are amazed how good vegan recipes can be! Thanks so much for the great review!
Hello! Curious if anyone has tried this with tahini instead of a nut butter, similar consistency and I think it wouldn’t be overpowering. Any thoughts out there on this?
Hi there! Depending on the brand of tahini, it could work but I feel the flavor of tahini is strong and sometimes can be bitter. I would choose a sweeter alternative like cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. I think a cookie butter would actually work well too like Biscoff or a store Speculoos variety. Hope that helps!