Do you love that traditional pumpkin pie flavor but not the texture? Try this easy cream pie version! Creamy pumpkin filling in a flaky pie crust! Try it with a graham cracker crust for a no-bake pie!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's one of those easy recipes that everyone needs for Thanksgiving dinner or the Christmas holiday season!
- Perfect for those who don't like the texture of a regular pumpkin pie! The creamy filling of this pumpkin dessert is irresistible!
- Prepare the day before and free up your oven and time for other holiday baking!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Baked Pie Shell - You can use my favorite Pie Crust recipe to make a regular pie shell, or you can use a premade graham cracker crust to make this a no-bake pumpkin pie.
- Cool Whip - You can use Cool Whip, whipped topping, OR you can whip 1 cup of heavy cream with ⅛ cup of powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla until stiff peaks form instead. Click here for how to make whipped cream! If you choose to whip your own cream, you'll need 2 cups of whipped cream.
- Whole Milk - The milk fat is important here. Whole milk or even half and half will make a thicker set of pie. 1% or skim milk will cause this pie not to set up. You can use 2% milk in a pinch.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - This is the small, 3.4 oz box. Be sure it's the instant, not the cook-and-serve mix.
- Canned Pumpkin - Be sure you get the can that says 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie filling kind has other ingredients mixed into it. You want just pumpkin.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - Out of pumpkin pie spice? Click here for a recipe to make your own!
- Pie Plate - You'll need a 9-inch pie plate for this recipe.
How to Make Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare and bake a pie shell for a 9-inch pie. (Or buy or make a graham cracker crust)
- In a large bowl, beat the instant pudding mixes, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and whole milk together for 1 minute at medium speed.
- FOLD in the cool whip or homemade whipped cream if you prefer.
- Remember to fold, not stir, as stirring causes the whipped cream to go flat.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the cooled crust and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Slice and serve with additional whipped cream!
Recipe FAQs
Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and sometimes allspice. I use pumpkin pie spice quite a bit. I use it in my pumpkin bread recipe as well as in this pumpkin cake recipe.
Some people have expressed concern because they've been told you shouldn't eat pumpkin pie filling raw. With a traditional pumpkin pie, this would be true because of the raw eggs in the filling. This no-bake pumpkin pie filling is totally safe to eat, not cooked. You will need to make sure it is refrigerated properly, though.
Carefully cover the pie with plastic wrap. Sometimes I put toothpicks in the pie here and there to hold the plastic wrap up so it doesn't stick to the top of the pie.
This pie is good for 3-4 days if properly covered and refrigerated.
More Recipes for Pumpkin Desserts
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Pumpkin Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix 4 serving size
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 2 Cups Cold Milk at least 2%
- 1 Cup Whipped Topping
- 1 9-inch baked Pie Shell or a pre-made Graham Cracker crust
Instructions
- Prepare and bake a pie shell for a 9-inch pie. (Or buy or make a graham cracker crust).
- In a large bowl, beat the instant pudding mixes, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and whole milk together for 1 minute.
- FOLD in the cool whip or homemade whipped cream if you prefer.
- Remember to fold, not stir, as stirring causes the whipped cream to go flat.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the cooled crust and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Slice and serve with additional whipped cream!
Notes
- 2% milk will do in a pinch but won't set up as thick. Don't use 1% or skim milk because the filling won't set up at all.
- Get my recipe here to make a homemade pie crust.
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream beat to stiff peaks with ⅛ cup of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla can be substituted for the cool whip.
Nutrition
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Deb
Can condensed milk be used in this recipe?
Mindee
No, I don't think it could be.
KiMee Nicole Price
Such a good Thanksgiving pie!!
Mary kazimar
I would like to know what those different colored pieces are on top of the pie. Looks so pretty. Thank you.
mindeescookingobsession
They are leaf shaped sprinkles! Here is an amazon link to them! Leaf Sprinkles
Holly
I cant wait to make this! For the whipped topping will homemade whipped cream be ok? And I prefer making my own pudding. Do you think it would work if i let it completely cool first?
mindeescookingobsession
Yes, you can use homemade whipped cream instead. I hesitate about the homemade pudding only because I have no idea what your homemade pudding is like ingredient and structure-wise, however, that doesn't mean it couldn't work. In this recipe I used half the amount of milk that one would usually use to make the instant pudding making it much much thicker with a more concentrated flavor. The homemade pudding would have to be really really thick to hold up and not go soupy once the pumpkin is added.
Holly
Great tips thanks! I will just use store-bought instant pudding this time around and then maybe be more daring and try a homemade version next time!