Pumpkin Pie (WFPB, vegan, GF)

Spending the morning baking with my 2 oldest children making our favorite pumpkin pie recipe with some edits.  This is not a low sugar recipe but the fresh pie pumpkin pulp is loaded with fiber.  Fiber helps mitigate insulin spikes which is why the saying at our dinner table is "fiber first".  We identify the highest fiber foods on our plate and try to consume them first.   97% of Americans eat a fiber deficient diet*.  Given the tremendous amount of health benefits of fiber consumption (binds to toxins, excess cholesterol, estrogen & removes them, reduces the risk of leading killers, etc.), this Thanksgiving I'm thankful for fiber!  And we will be eating this pie after lots of fiber-fueled dishes such as green bean casserole, roasted brussels sprouts, and a mashed sweet potato recipe.  

Updated recipe:

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups rolled oats (used certified gluten-free if needed)
1/2 cup pitted dates (packed)
1/3 cup almond butter (we used sunflower butter)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (omit if almond butter has it)
2 tablespoons plant-based milk

Filling
1 can pumpkin purée or 2 cups cooked pie pumpkin flesh
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup plain unsweetened plant-based milk (increase this amount as needed for blender to mix if using fresh pie pumpkin)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie plate by putting down parchment paper. In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust. Purée until fine and crumbly. Then add the almond butter and purée 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. The parchment paper makes this process a bit difficult so using a light spray of oil as per the original directions can be followed in lieu of the parchment.  

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). Serve as is or with vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Serves 6-8.

* Fiber overview: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/fiber/
For more: www.feelplantiful.com