Name: Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Yield: Makes two 9-inch pies, 6 to 8 servings each
Ingredients: 4 cups well-baked sugar pumpkin or butternut squash; 1 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu; 1 1/3 cups natural granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix; 2 9-inch good-quality natural pie crusts (pastry or graham cracker)

Why it works: Cinnamon and pumpkin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,744 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓

Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Makes two 9-inch pies, 6 to 8 servings each

Ingredients

4 cups well-baked sugar pumpkin or butternut squash
1 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
1 1/3 cups natural granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix
2 9-inch good-quality natural pie crusts (pastry or graham cracker)

Directions

Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

197Calories

9 gProtein

6 gFat

28 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 8 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Tofu	100g firm	76
Cracker	5 saltine crackers (15g)	66
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Cinnamon	1 tsp ground (2.6g)	6
Pumpkin	not in our table	0
Pie	not in our table	0
Pie Crust	not in our table	0
Pastry	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By epicurious. Recipe from Open Recipes.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cinnamon + pumpkintop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,744 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together30,779 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Tofu + cinnamontop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together42 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Tofu + pumpkintop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together40 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Sugar + pumpkintop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,350 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

Swap the pumpkin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, tofu, cinnamon):

Vanillafits better
Coconutfits about as well
Raisinfits about as well
Pumpkinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, tofu, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

Like knowing why a recipe works?

The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.