It's almost Thanksgiving! Food is such a huge part of this holiday and can be made extremely difficult for those of us that are vegan or have food allergies.
Pumpkin pie is a classic Thanksgiving dessert and replacing eggs is easier than you may think. Below are my favorite ways to replace eggs in pumpkin pie!
Believe it or not, all of those classic Thanksgiving recipes can easily be made without eggs for those with an egg allergy or those who are vegan.
If you have a newly vegan relative coming to the gathering this year, or if you yourself are egg-free. You've come to the right place!
Try out these egg and dairy-free recipes this holiday season: Eggless Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, and Vegan Stovetop Stuffing!
What is Pumpkin Pie?
Pumpkin pie is traditionally enjoyed during Thanksgiving time and is typically made up of pumpkin purée, eggs, milk, and pumpkin pie spice.
But you can easily substitute the eggs and still create a tasty holiday dessert.
A classic pumpkin pie will have a smooth texture, balanced sweetness, and nicely spiced.
Purpose of Eggs in Pumpkin Pie
Eggs are typically put in a pumpkin pie to create a creamy, rich custard texture.
If you simply leave the eggs out of your family recipe, you will end up with a very runny filling. In order for it to set, we need to replace it with a plant-based ingredient that can act as an egg.
We have a few different options that work like a charm like silken tofu or aquafaba.
While eggs are there to provide that custard texture of the pie, it also helps set it. This is where cornstarch comes in.
Cornstarch
Adding cornstarch is a MUST when it comes to replacing eggs or you'll end up with a soupy mess. Eggs help set the pie. Since we are lacking that, we have to compensate by adding cornstarch or arrowroot starch.
I recommend always adding cornstarch and an ingredient from below so you can cover your bases- you get that custard texture and make sure it sets!
Store-Bought Egg Replacers
Powder-based egg replacers are typically made of potato starch and tapioca starch.
Follow the instructions on the back of the package, which will let you know how much to use to replace an egg.
This won't add a creamy, custardy texture but it will help thicken it which is needed and important.
Coconut Milk
Canned coconut milk or coconut cream with the addition of cornstarch is a wonderful substitute for eggs when it comes to pumpkin pie.
Traditional pumpkin pie also has heavy cream, evaporated milk, or sweetened condensed milk which is a lot easier to replace than eggs.
Canned coconut milk has a high fat content and is extremely rich and creamy which will help us create that custard texture that we are after.
Regular dairy-free milk like oat milk, soy milk, and rice milk don't have the same weight as coconut milk and are not recommended.
Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is my personal favorite egg substitute for pumpkin pie. It helps create the perfect custard texture but doesn't affect the overall flavor.
¼ cup of silken or soft tofu will replace 1 egg.
This substitute is what I used in my Eggless Pumpkin Pie recipe.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the liquid that comes in a can of chickpeas. Sounds weird, but it works especially when blended. It can act as an emulsifier, leavening agent, and foaming agent because it has properties similar to those of egg whites.
3 tablespoons of aquafaba will replace 1 egg.
Cashews
When cashews are soaked and blended, it becomes very creamy and thick similar to heavy cream. The addition of cashew cream will help create a creamy, custard texture similar to how silken tofu would.
¼ cup of cashew cream will replace 1 egg.
Vegan Yogurt
Similar to silken tofu and blended cashews, vegan yogurt will create the creamy texture that we are after. I recommend going with one that is on the thicker side, not watery, and preferably unsweetened.
¼ cup of vegan yogurt will replace 1 egg.
Mashed Fruit
More pumpkin purée, mashed banana, sweet potato purée, and applesauce are wonderful egg replacers and can be added to pumpkin pie to create a creamy texture.
¼ cup of mashed fruit will replace 1 egg.
Flax & Chia Seeds
Ground flax seed and chia seeds are commonly used as an egg replacer in vegan recipes but it is last on the list for a reason. If you are in a pinch and can't use the replacements above, try to find a recipe specifically tested with flax or chia in mind.
1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water is 1 egg.
How to Choose
Which replacement you choose really depends on the particular recipe you are using. If it lacks heavy cream and eggs, you may need to choose coconut milk and silken tofu or cashew cream as well as cornstarch or a commercial egg replacer.
For best results, you want to consider the texture you are after with your egg-free pumpkin pie.
Keep in mind the reason why you would add each ingredient.
If your recipe contains one tablespoon of cornstarch but you are taking out the eggs and replacing it with a ground flax egg, you may end up with a runny disaster. In that case, I would add more cornstarch to compensate for the fact that flax eggs won't aid in setting the pie.
If you like a firm pumpkin pie, add more cornstarch.
If you like a softer pumpkin pie, add less cornstarch and choose a soft egg replacer like yogurt or silken tofu.
How to Make an Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie
The pumpkin pie filling ingredients are whipped together in a food processor or blender until a smooth texture has been achieved.
Next, roll out your favorite vegan pie dough and line a pie pan or tart pan. Add the filling and bake. You'll know it's done when it's slightly puffed and set but very slightly jiggly in the center.
You can then serve your egg-free and vegan pumpkin pie recipe and no one will miss the real eggs!
Recipe
If you want to save yourself the trouble of experimenting, try my eggless pumpkin pie recipe.
I used coconut milk, silken tofu, and cornstarch in my recipe because the combination creates the perfect texture. It adds the creaminess, the custard texture, and thickens it so it sets beautifully in the fridge.
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