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Sweet, creamy, and cinnamon-swirled, this vegan old-fashioned sugar cream pie takes under an hour to make and is incredibly simple to pull off. If you’ve been looking for an easy summer pie, then this recipe from Sam Turnbull is for you. It comes from her vegan cookbook Craving Vegan, and you might know of her other recipes from her blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
This twist on the classic keeps everything good about the pie without the animal products. This version uses vegan butter, pie crust, and coconut milk to achieve similar results. Additionally, this recipe takes under an hour to make and is incredibly straightforward.
Read more: 15 Vegan Dessert Ideas
So, what is a sugar cream pie? An old-fashioned sugar cream pie is a classic dessert known for its simple, yet rich and creamy filling. Originating from the Midwest, particularly Indiana, this pie features a custard-like filling made from basic ingredients like sugar, cream, butter, and flour.
Unlike many pies, it doesn’t contain eggs, which gives it a unique texture. The mixture is poured into a pre-baked pie crust and baked until it achieves a golden, slightly caramelized top. The result is a smooth, velvety pie with a sweet, buttery flavor that melts in your mouth, making it a beloved treat for many generations.
So, if you’re looking for a plant-based rendition, give this recipe a go.
Read more: 20 Vegan Chocolate Dessert Ideas
Ingredients
- Store-bought vegan pie crust gluten-free if preferred
For the pie filling
- ¾ cup (185 ml) white sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cornstarch
- 1 can (13½ fl oz/400 ml) full-fat coconut milk or 1¾ cups (435 ml) vegan culinary cream
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegan butter
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
For the topping
- ¼ cup (60 ml) white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) melted vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Bake the pie crust for 10–12 minutes to partially bake it. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the pie filling
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the white sugar and cornstarch. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Dollop the butter on top (the butter will melt into the mixture as it cooks).
- Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking often, until the mixture thickens, 5–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. set aside.
For the topping
- In a small bowl, mix together the white sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Finish the pie
- Pour the prepared filling into the pie crust, filling it three-quarters full. Drizzle on the melted butter and evenly sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. (If you have leftover filling, pour it into a container and pop in the fridge for a delicious pudding.)
- Bake for 25 minutes. The pie will be bubbling and still very liquidy. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack at room temperature.
- Once cooled, move the pie to the fridge until set, about 3 hours, or overnight is best.
Excerpted from Craving Vegan by Sam Turnbull. Copyright © 2023 Sam Turnbull. Photographs by Tanya Pilgram. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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