Growing up, I liked pumpkin pie but I didn’t LOVE it. I mean, I could definitely force it down, but pretty much what I did was scoop the filling off of the crust and mix it in a bowl with a ridiculous amount of Cool Whip. Mainly lots of creamy whipped topping with a little bit of pumpkin. (Tell me someone else did this too?!) All I know is…what happens at Thanksgiving, stays at Thanksgiving.
Until now! I have created a healthier, grown up version of the creamy pumpkin texture and flavor I loved in this no bake pumpkin pie parfait! And it’s vegan if that’s up your alley. Cashews and coconut cream stand in for my old favorite Cool Whip, and when blended with pumpkin, syrup, and spices, it takes me back, but actually even BETTER.
The only bad part of it is the waiting. Not my strong suit. Once I layer up the parfait, I refrigerate for several (6-8) hours or overnight. This allows the graham crackers to absorb the filling/moisture and become the perfect graham cake-like consistency. If you really need a fix sooner, the filling is great on its own…so maybe that can hold you over.
For soaking the cashews, just put them in a bowl, add boiling water and let them sit for at least an hour. If you planned ahead of time, you can use room temp water and let them sit overnight, but to speed things up, use boiling. This just helps make them soft and ready to become creamy in the blender.
Then add all the pumpkin filling ingredients in the blender and process until very smooth. The final step is to layer the pumpkin filling with the graham crackers, like so (note: I used a smaller dish for the demo video so yours will be bigger):
For the final topping, I crush up a few graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and sprinkle them on top. Once the dessert has set in the fridge (reminder: 6 – 8 hours or overnight!), it’s easy to cut it into squares for serving, or just spoon it straight from the serving dish to your mouth (not that I’ve done that). It makes 9 decent sized squares or 12 smaller servings.
I’m making this for Thanksgiving this year as an alternative to pumpkin pie! Who’s with me?!
This no bake (and vegan!) pumpkin pie parfait is an updated twist on the original pie and whipped topping combo, layered with cake-like graham crackers.
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked (see recipe instructions)
- 2 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 cup coconut cream (see recipe notes)
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2 sleeves cinnamon graham crackers (I use Whole Foods 365 brand)
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Regarding soaking the cashews: this helps them become softer = creamier. You can either soak them overnight in room temp water, or use boiling water and let them sit for an hour (or longer is fine too).
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Add all ingredients (except the graham crackers) to a blender and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking!
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For the layering: spread 1/3 of the pumpkin filling into an 8x8 pan. Top with a layer of graham crackers (about 6), breaking as needed to create single layer. Top with another 1/3 of the filling and another layer of graham crackers. Add the final 1/3 of the filling. Top with crushed graham cracker (I add the crackers to a plastic bag and smash them up with a spoon.)
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Refrigerate for 6- 8 hours, or overnight. Cut into squares and enjoy!
This recipe will make 9 square servings or 12 smaller servings.
For the coconut cream: you can buy canned coconut cream, or you can use the thicker portion of milk from a can of full fat coconut milk.
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