Vegan Bunny Elle

Showstopper pumpkin pie with a fluffy, torched chickpea water meringue, silky creamy filling, and oil-free, gluten-free pie crust.

Pumpkin pie just got a whole lot more exciting! I was torn between whether to make a classic pumpkin pie or lemon meringue pie for a holiday party but then I thought, why not both! So here’s a holiday showstopper edition pumpkin pie with a fluffy, snowy, and torched meringue top.

The meringue is made from aquafaba, aka chickpea water and it’s a little bit of vegan magic. The protein and starch content in aquafaba expands tremendously in size when whipped, just like egg whites do! And as a bonus, there’s absolutely no worries for over-whipping aquafaba, unlike egg white, once aquafaba has reached a certain volume it’ll just stabilize there.

For the pie crust, you can use store bought, or make this unbelievably buttery yet healthy crust that’s gluten-free, oil-free, and dairy-free!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Torched Aquafaba Meringue

Classic pumpkin pie but with an exciting twist – an added fluffy snow cap that’s made from chickpea water meringue!

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Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 420 g steamed pumpkin without skin
• 170 ml full fat coconut milk from a can
• 200 ml maple syrup
• 35 g cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 9 inch pie crust store bought or homemade, see notes
• For the aquafaba meringue
• 250 ml chickpea water
• 1 teaspoon cream of tar tar
• 6 tablespoon caster sugar

Equipment

• Kitchen processor or blender
• Stand mixer or handheld mixer
• Kitchen torch

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F;
2. If making your own pumpkin puree, cut open your pumpkin, pull out the guts and seeds (save the seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds!), cut into small chunks and steam for 15 minutes till fork tender;
3. Measure 420 grams of steamed pumpkin flesh, without skin, add to a blender or kitchen processor;
4. Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, cornstarch and spices to the blender, blend till completely smooth and even;
5. If using my oil free gluten free crust, pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes;
6. Then add the filling mixture to the crust, return to the oven and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the surface of the filling appears solid, the very middle of the filling might still be a little wobbly, that is ok;
7. If the edges of your crust begin to get too browned, tent the edges with foil;
8. Once the pie is done baking, let it cool to room temperature then cover and transfer to the fridge to set overnight;
9. When ready to serve, add the chickpea water to your mixer bowl, use the balloon whisk and whisk on fastest setting;
10. Once the liquid appears foamy, slowly add in the cream of tar tar, keep whisking;
11. When the mixture begin to turn white and fluffy, slowly add in the sugar, little by little, whisk for a total of about 8 minutes until it reaches a perfect stiff peak;
12. Pile the whipped meringue to the center of the pie, as high as you can, then spread the meringue outward to cover the filling portion, use a small spatula to create swirls, or decorate as your like;
13. Use a kitchen torch to torch the meringue top right before serving, move the torch around to brown all the ridges and peaks;
14. Slice and serve, enjoy!

Notes

Follow this recipe to make a homemade crust that’s magically delicious, gluten-free and oil free!