Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Pie

Crust:  
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pitted dates (packed)
1/3 cup almond butter
2 T nondairy milk
1/8 t sea salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Filling:  
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup raw walnuts
1/3 cup plain unsweetened non­-dairy milk  
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or date syrup
1 t lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 375°F. degrees.
For the crust, use a food processor to process the rolled oats and dates into a fine, crumbly  texture. Add the almond butter and process for about a minute. Add the non­dairy milk and salt.  Pulse until the mixture comes together without crumbling.  If it’s not holding together, add more  non­dairy milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Transfer to a pie plate. Press mixture into pie plate evenly  around the base and up the sides. Set aside.    Now, let’s make the filling. In a blender, combine pumpkin puree, nuts, ⅓ cup non­dairy, maple  syrup, lemon juice and cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt, blend with  medium speed until smooth.  Fill pie crust and distribute filling evenly with rubber spatula.     Bake 20 minutes, until the pie is golden (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).  Transfer pie to a cooling rack. Cool completely and chill in fridge for several hours before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Dreena  Burton’s Great Pumpkin Pie recipe, which was tweaked by Jill Ann McKeever of Simple Daily Recipes, and then retweaked again by Mrs. Plant. :-)