Pumpkin Mousse Pie (no-bake)
This no-bake pumpkin pie is creamier and less dense than the traditional baked version. It has a lovely, airy texture and is super easy to prepare with a buttery graham cracker crust that doesn't need an oven. That's the magic of this no-bake pumpkin pie recipe. It's fantastic as a Thanksgiving dessert and other holiday season celebrations.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the pumpkin filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix o 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon mix of nutmeg and cloves
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
Whipped cream topping:
- ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
For the crumb crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) if you're baking the crust. You can opt for simply chilling it until firm.
- Have ready a 9-inch pie plate or pie pan with a removable bottom and high sides.
- For the cookie crumbs, the easiest way is to use a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Make sure there are no large pieces or that it's a very coarse crumb mixture as it will prevent the mixture from compressing well.
- By hand: mix 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, and combine everything until it resembles wet sand and no dry spots remain.
- Food processor: you can make the mixture directly in the bowl of the processor. Simply process 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, to the bowl of the processor, pulse a few times, and you have your graham mixture ready.
- Press the mixture onto the pan, starting at the edges and the angles where the base and sides join together and make sure it's compacted. This will help when removing the pie from the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden and dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
For the pumpkin filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, with ¼ cup white granulated sugar and ¼ cup light brown sugar until smooth and lump-free. You can use an electric mixer for this part.
- Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix and mix to incorporate well. Reserve.
- Beat 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold, in another large bowl until it forms medium-firm peaks.
- Add the whipped cream to the pumpkin mixture in 2 parts, mixing lightly the first time and making sure it's fully incorporated the second time. Don't overmix but make sure no streaks remain. Use a rubber spatula to integrate well.
- Fill the prepared crust, smooth the top and refrigerate the pie for several hours until firm. The pie should be served cold.
For the whipped cream topping:
- Beat ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold, with 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar in a medium bowl until firm. Be careful not to overheat it as it will start to curdle.
- Put the cream in a piping bag with a star or round tip. Pipe mounds around the pie. I like to make eight, marking each slice. Sprinkle with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
Video
Notes
No food processor? You can also make the crumbs by hand, but it takes a while and some patience. Crush the cookies with a rolling pin. It's easier if you put them in a large plastic bag, like a Ziploc bag, leaving it a bit open to let the air out as you roll.
For a no-bake pie crust: simply put the crust in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the butter to firm up. This will make it less sturdy and might crumble here and there when you cut it but worth it if you don't want to turn on the oven.
Refrigerator: this is the best way to store leftovers. Cover it with plastic wrap or in an airtight container to avoid dryness.
