Custard pie was never a favorite of mine. It’s so eggy, and I always hated eggs! I made the mistake of trying a piece once thinking it would be filled with something more like pudding or vanilla doughnut filling, only to be met with a pie sliced stuffed with sweet eggy filling. But I do tend to really enjoy vegan versions of eggy dishes. I’ve had custard pie on my list for a while and just recently found the motivation to get moving after a reader requested a recipe for it. As it turned out, making custard pie without eggs wasn’t all that hard to do! I based this one off of my vegan pumpkin pie recipe, but swapped out the pumpkin for something kind of unexpected in a dessert recipe: tofu!
What You’ll Need
Silken tofu Coconut milk Organic sugar Cornstarch Vanilla Extract Salt Nutmeg Turmeric (optional, for eggy color!) Organic brown sugar Vegan pie crust
How to Make Vegan Custard Pie
This is one of the easiest pie’s you’ll ever make! First, preheat your oven and have your pie crust ready. Now stick everything else except for the brown sugar into a blender or food processor bowl. Blend it up until smooth.
Pour the mixture into your pie crust, then sprinkle the top with the brown sugar.
Pop it into the oven and bake it for about 45 minutes. It will still be a bit wobbly in the center when it’s done — don’t worry about this! The pie will continue to set as it cools. Once it’s cool, stick it into the fridge to continue setting. Serve your custard pie with some vegan whipped cream and/or fresh fruit.
You can use either a store-bought or homemade vegan pie crust for this recipe. If you use store-bought, be sure to check the ingredients, as many brands contain lard or butter. Marie Calendar’s crusts were vegan last time I checked. Can this pie be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use a vegan and gluten-free pie crust. Try this one. Shelf-life & storage: Store your leftover pie in a sealed container or wrapped tightly in plastic in the refrigerator. It should keep for about 4 days. Can you taste the coconut milk in this pie? I couldn’t, but if you hate the taste of coconut, feel free to substitute another non-dairy milk. Go for something unsweetened and with a little bit of fat in it, such as cashew or soy milk. Some tofu brands sell silken tofu in firm and soft varieties. Either will work with this recipe, but choose firm if you have the option. Why does the sugar need to be organic? Most granulated sugar in the united states is produced using animal bone char. Organic sugar is produced differently, so it’s considered vegan. For extra eggy flavor, try replacing some of the salt with kala namak (available at Indian markets). I haven’t tried this variation, as I’m not a fan of eggy flavor, but my recommendation would be to use about ¼ teaspoon kala namak (and ¼ teaspoon regular salt). What’s that whipped topping in the photos? That’s Reddi Whip almond milk whipped topping. If your supermarket doesn’t carry vegan whipped cream, try making your own from coconut cream, like I did for this vegan strawberry shortcake. Flavor variations! Try adding fruit to the filling. Layer sliced peaches, fresh (pitted!) cherries, or blueberries in your pie crust before pouring in the filling — just be sure to use an extra large pie plate and crust to accommodate for the extra volume. For a chocolate custard pie, try adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. For a spicy custard pie, add some cinnamon and cloves.
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