Good morning! I hope you had a nice weekend. Mine was busy with schoolwork because my group project is due today, but it was rainy here in California which made being inside more tolerable.
I got some good kitchen time in on Saturday as I had a hankering for an early Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. I had really hoped to give you a killer pie recipe here today, but I cannot tell a lie, this one is not quite ready. The filling was delicious, but the crust is still a work in progress. I tried to get all crazy and add beans to the crust mixture:
Note to self: some recipes are not made better with beans.
It looked like it might work:
I liked the other ingredients I used for the crust including oats, date sugar, cinnamon, almond butter, raisins and flax meal, but I think the beans made it too heavy and not sweet enough, so I will leave them out next time.
The filling was a-ma-zing though! Here’s what the pie looked before I baked it:
Here’s the pie when it was done:
The filling ingredients were simply canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, unsweetened soy milk, dates and frozen pineapple. So simple and sweet!
Pumpkin Pie Filling
6 servings
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
10 large Medjool dates (about 1 packed cup)
1 cup frozen pineapple
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Bake in your favorite pie crust for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Alternatively, bake in oven-safe ramekins with no crust for a pumpkin pudding.
Honestly, there is no reason why pumpkin pies need sugar, milk, eggs or whatever else usually goes into them. This vegan, health-promoting filling was the bomb:
Today is the first day of Dr. Fuhrman’s Holiday Challenge so I likely won’t make this recipe again this year because I’m staying away from dried fruit for the next 6 weeks, but I’m glad I have the filling down. As I mentioned in the recipe instructions, if you wanted to make this without a crust, just bake the filling in ramekins for a delicious pumpkin pie pudding.
So this morning when I turned on my computer, I got the good news that Vegan Delish, my healthy food app, made the finals for Toque Magazine’s 2012 Food App Awards in the Health Food category!!! The winners will be announced on December 6th; Vegan Delish is the only vegan app that made the finals in any of the categories. I’m so excited…yay for vegans!
I randomly selected the 10 winners of the free download of Vegan Delish on Saturday. They were: Ali, Aria, Jeanne, Cheryl, Deb, Nancy, Alexandra, Constance, Robyn and Erika. Congrats, ladies, and please check your e-mail for the free code.
Have a fantastic Monday; I’ll be back here on Wednesday with another new post. If you want to see more pictures and random ramblings by me about such as how my cat caught a mouse this weekend, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Very cool idea to put pineapple in the filling! I bet it gives it a wicked sweetness
Pineapple and pumpkin is one of my favorite combos. This pie filling looks delicious!
Congratulations Carrie! Fantastic news, well done! I’ve never made pumpkin pie (or eaten it) but yours looks wonderful!
Thanks, Vicky!!!
Did you use canned chickpeas? I have had good luck with dried chickpeas blended into flour…I have had good luck with “buns” for burgers and banana pancakes.
I did use cooked chickpeas in my pie crust, but I love your idea to use the flour instead, Christine. I will try that next time!!!
Huh,,,I would have not thought of pineapple…brilliant…must make…thx
YUM, that filling sounds fab…. I’ve had success with a chickpea pie crust before – but I’m a bit weird and put beans in EVERYTHING
I know that about you, Lou, you’re my bean idol!
Hi Carrie! Just a quick note to say I discovered your blog as a fellow vegan, and happened to discover it the weekend before my thyroid surgery, which was yesterday. I made several of your recipes for my recovery and look forward to following your blog, and checking out your app, which is now downloading. I am home now and feeling well. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Wow, Tracy!!! I’m so glad to hear your surgery is over and you’re home now. The anticipation of the surgery was the worst part for me, now you just have to rest and recover. Did you have thyroid cancer? How are you doing?
Thanks for the response
The initial biopsy was negative but when they did the frozen section analysis it showed follicular thyroid cancer so I am really grateful I had the surgery. Two weeks out and I am feeling pretty good, except my voice which still tires easily. Thank you for an inspiring blog!
Pie looks fantastic! It’s good to try something new- like adding beans to pie crust -so you will always know what works and what doesn’t
Congrats on the food app award- I hope you win! I’ll have to find it in my app store. Thanks for sharing at Meatless Monday last week 
I hope you had a nice holiday 