What we did with Maddie's pumpkin

Mind being blown by this amazing Pumpkin Pie Rob just made. Another awesome recipe from Plant Powered Kitchen! I was doubtful since I don't really like pumpkin and it looked a bit like baby turd when he was making it...but Rob assured it was only 70% pumpkin and the other 30% contained strong spices....and there's no babies in the house so I took a punt. SO glad I did - it's DEEEEEELICIOUS! We served it with vegan icecream (frozen bananas blended with frozen berries). If you are using a whole pumpkin, you'll need to cut the pumpkin up, roast it, then puree in a blender. Totally worth the effort!

Crust:

• 2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free for a GF option)
  
• 1/2 cup pitted dates (packed)
  
• 1/3 cup almond butter (I like raw, can also use roasted)
  
• 1/8 tsp sea salt (omit if almond butter has salt)
  
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk (or more if needed to bring the crust together)
  

Filling:

• 1 can (15 oz, 398ml) pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
  
• 2/3 – 3/4 cup raw cashews (2/3 for slightly softer set, 3/4 for firmer; for this photo we used 3/4 cup)
  
• 1/3 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or soy preferred, but choice is yours)
  
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
  
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp allspice
  
• few pinches ground cloves
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder)
  
• 1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie plate (I use a glass pie plate) by lightly wiping inner surface with a dab of oil (or spray). 
• In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust. Puree until fine and crumbly. Then add the almond butter and puree for about a minute. Add the milk and pulse through until the mixture becomes sticky (it should hold together when pressed/pinched). If it’s not holding together, add a little more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it does. You shouldn’t need more than another 3-4 tsp. 
• Remove and transfer to a prepared pie plate. 
• Press mixture in with your fingers until evenly distributed around the base and up the sides of the plate.
•  In a blender (high speed works best, for regular blender you will need to blend longer and scrape down jar several times) combine all ingredients for the filling. Purée until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. 
• Pour mixture into pie crust (scrape out bowl) and gently tip back and forth to distribute evenly. 
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F (180C) and continue to bake for 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools). 
• Remove from oven, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving (can refrigerate to chill first). Serves 6-8.