The best (and easiest) pumpkin pie is the one you don't bake

This Thanksgiving, we’re giving you permission to free yourself from the traditional pumpkin pie. Especially if you’re looking for a pumpkin dessert that’s lighter, creamier, and all-around easier to make. Introducing our new twist on an old favorite: No-Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie. 

This recipe transforms classic pumpkin pie, taking the pumpkin purée and spice blend and adding them to an airy whipped cream filling. It also swaps out the classic flaky pastry crust for a simple press-in cookie crust, so there’s no fussing with rolling pins or fretting over a soggy bottom. 

Photography by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Each element of this recipe was intentional and keeps busy home bakers in mind. In the early stages of development, recipe creator David Turner was determined to keep the ingredient list short. Amazingly, this full-flavored treat only calls for seven ingredients. (That Thanksgiving grocery list is already long enough!)

He also zeroed in on a no-bake filling, which frees up precious oven space and ensures the pie is easier to execute compared to classic pumpkin pies. Getting the perfectly cooked custard filling — not curdled or soupy — can be hard to nail. But for this pumpkin mousse, you just need to whisk some whipped cream, then fold it into a cream cheese-pumpkin purée mixture — practically failproof! After an overnight rest in the fridge, the filling has a light-as-air mousse texture, which “makes for a lighter dessert option after your Thanksgiving meal, especially if this is one of several pies you'll be sampling,” says DT.   

Photography by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Rather than a typical graham cracker crust, DT calls for Biscoff cookies, which lend a more complex layer of spiced, toasty flavor to the pie crust. “But if you want to skip the crust altogether, this recipe doubles as a pumpkin mousse recipe that you can serve in cups with whipped cream and crumbled Biscoff cookies on top,” he adds. So yes, we’re also giving you permission to completely abandon the idea of pie, if the filling is what you’re really after.

And if you’re looking to get a head start on holiday cooking (who isn’t?!) this pie is make-ahead friendly — it’ll last in your fridge for up to three days before Turkey Day.  

Still planning the rest of your Thanksgiving dessert menu? Get inspiration with our collection of New Classics: Thanksgiving Pie.  

Cover photo by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.