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This No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie takes all the best things about pumpkin pie, but in a light, creamy, and utterly delicious no-bake variation.
Pumpkin pie has never been my favorite Thanksgiving dessert. I think it’s because it can often be pretty bland and boring. Especially in comparison to any show-stopping pies on the dessert table like a double-crust apple pie or crunchy pecan pie.
This pie puts a new, fun spin on pumpkin pie. And, bonus: it won’t take up precious space in your oven.
The oven is valuable real estate in my kitchen this time of year. The last thing you want is to do any more mental time and temperature calculations trying to figure out just how you’ll cook everything, in what order, and at what time.
So I decided to create a no-bake pumpkin pie that would be perfect for Thanksgiving. I’m SO pleased with how this recipe turned out.
It’s light and delicate, not dense like your traditional pumpkin pie.
I truly love this No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie and I hope you will too!
How to Make No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie
The Biscoff Cookie Crust
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is the Biscoff cookie crust! Biscoff cookies (aka Speculoos cookies) are kind of a cross between gingersnaps and graham crackers and are loaded with warm comforting spices and an almost caramelized sweetness. I find them at most grocery stores or Target in the cookie & cracker aisle, but you can also grab them online here.
Crust Tips:
- Since there’s no baking involved in this recipe, it’s important to use a generous amount of butter in the crust so it won’t crumble too much as you slice it.
- Be sure to really pack the crust into the pie pan.
- I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to thoroughly press the crust into the pan.
Can I Use a Different Crust for Pumpkin Mousse Pie?
You can use gingersnap cookies, graham crackers, or digestive biscuits instead. You’ll need a scant two cups of cookie crumbs, whichever you decide to use. That’s about 15 full graham crackers. It’s much easier to swap out the cookie option if you have a scale and can use the weight measurement provided in the recipe.
Pumpkin Mousse Pie Filling Tips
- You will need an electric mixer for multiple components of this recipe. A stand mixer is ideal, but a hand mixer will work just fine.
- Be sure to use fresh spices for best flavor. If you open your spice jar and the aroma isn’t strong, it’s time to replace it.
- The filling will need to set for at least 6 hours. I usually just make the pie the night before I plan to serve it.
- TIP: Don’t use homemade pumpkin puree! It’s far too watery for this recipe. More on this just below.
What Type of Pumpkin Should I Use for Pumpkin Mousse Pie?
I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this Pumpkin Mousse Pie recipe. Do not use homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe because it will add too much excess liquid. Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling, either – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
Whipped Cream Topping for Pumpkin Mousse Pie
- Be sure to top the pie with the whipped cream no more than a few hours before serving so it looks its best.
- The whipped cream will begin to deflate and weep if topped too far in advance.
- You can also use stabilized whipped cream if you need to make this pie completely in advance or if you’re traveling with it.
- I love to garnish the pie with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, or even a sprinkle of ground Biscoff cookies, for a beautiful presentation.
Which Pie Pan Should I Use for This Recipe?
This recipe was written to use a 9-inch pie pan. Because this pie doesn’t go in the oven, the pie pan material doesn’t matter as much as it would for a baked pie. Check out my Best Pie Pan article for more info.
How to Make No-Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie Ahead of Time
Once the crust and mousse filling are made, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days covered in the refrigerator. As mentioned above, the whipped cream should be added shortly before serving for the prettiest presentation, but if you don’t mind it looking a little deflated, you can add the whipped cream up to 1 day before.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Mousse Pie?
Yes! Pumpkin Mousse Pie can be frozen before adding the whipped cream, but doing so may slightly alter the texture after thawing. Place inside an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding whipped cream and serving.
More Pie Recipes:
For the crust:
-
1
(8.8 ounce or 250 gram) package Biscoff / Speculoos cookies
-
7
tablespoons
unsalted butter,
melted
For the pumpkin mousse:
-
1
cup
heavy whipping cream,
cold
-
4
ounces
(113 grams) cream cheese,
at room temperature
-
1/4
cup
(50 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/2
cup
(122 grams) canned pure pumpkin puree
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground ginger
For the whipped cream:
-
1
cup
heavy cream,
cold
-
3
tablespoons
powdered sugar
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Make the crust:
-
Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
-
Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish.
Make the pumpkin mousse:
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
-
In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add in the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, and continue to beat until very well combined, with no pockets of cream cheese remaining, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
-
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until combined. Spread gently and evenly into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the whipped cream:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and continue to whip until medium-stiff peaks form.
-
Shortly before serving, spread the whipped cream over the pie. Sprinkle with more cinnamon to garnish, if desired. Serve.
How to Make Pumpkin Mousse Pie Ahead of Time
Once the crust and mousse filling are made, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days covered in the refrigerator. As mentioned above, the whipped cream should be added shortly before serving for the prettiest presentation, but if you don't mind it looking a little deflated, you can add the whipped cream up to 1 day before.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Mousse Pie?
Yes! Pumpkin Mousse Pie can be frozen before adding the whipped cream, but doing so may slightly alter the texture after thawing. Place inside an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding whipped cream and serving.
This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
November Baking Challenge
This recipe was the selection for the November 2019 baking challenge! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges, and how you can enter to win prizes, here. Check out everyone’s pies below:
Can I sub mascarpone for cream cheese? I don’t like the tang of cream cheese
Hi Emilee! We haven’t tried that, so we can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
Do you make the whipped cream twice? Once to mix in and once to top with?
Hi Cass! Yes, you’ll make two separate amounts of whipped cream, one to gently fold into the filling to make the mousse, and once more to top with. Be sure to read through the instructions completely before beginning, so you know how the recipe will flow. Also check out the pink tip box, above the recipe, for more tips! Happy baking 🙂
What brand canned pumpkin did you use? Consistency tends to vary with different brands.
Tessa typically uses Libby brand – learn more in her pumpkin article here!
Hi! This sounds Really good. I’m traveling this year. Can I use allspice instead of purchasing all the listed spices? Thx!
Hi Grace! Allspice is not actually a blend of spices, but rather a spice from a type of berry all on its own! I would recommend pre-measuring out the spices and taking a tiny container or small ziptop bag, to avoid having to purchase all these spices while travelling. Alternatively, pumpkin spice (which typically contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves) could probably be used in the place of these spices. We haven’t tried that, but it should work just fine. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
Do you have a replacement for cream cheese? Would vanilla pudding work?
Hi Kristen! We haven’t tried anything but cream cheese, but I’m not sure that pudding would work. You really can’t taste the cream cheese, if that helps – it just gives the mousse a nice texture and structure. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
Hi Tessa. Could I just make the pumpkin mousse in dessert cups instead of a pie. Would I just double the recipe to serve 8?
Hi Irene! We haven’t tried that, but it could work just fine! This pie serves about 12 as-written, but if you’d like larger servings, then feel free to double it. Let us know how it goes! Happy baking 🙂
This is the best recipe ever! My family loved it!!!
Made into “bars” in a 9×9 square pan. Was a big hit!
Yay! So happy that worked for you and was such a hit, Natalie!! 🙂
I made this recipe and it turned out phenomenal Thank you
I’m making this pie to take to my sister’s for Christmas Eve dinner. Can I make the whipped cream topping ahead of time and bring in a separate bowl to add later if I keep it cold while driving a short distance?
Sure, that’ll be fine!
This recipe is so involved. Took much longer than it says. The mousse was delicious. And the crust was delicious. Don’t bother putting the cinnamon, vanilla or sugar in the topping. Waste of time and doesn’t even taste good. Just use plain whipped cream and it would have tasted much better. No one liked it. The flavored whipped cream actually ruined it.
For the pie filling it states to use heavy whipping cream but for the topping it states just heavy cream. Wouldn’t I use whipping cream for both?
Hi Taylor! Heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are essentially the same thing, each has a higher fat content above 36%. Be sure to not use just whipping cream, which has a lower fat content of about 30-35%, as it won’t maintain its shape as well. I hope that helps!
What would this be like with an Oreo crust?
I’m not sure, we haven’t tried that! We suggest using gingersnap cookies, graham crackers, or digestive biscuits instead. More details can be found in the pink tip box above the recipe 🙂 If you try it with an Oreo crust, please let us know how it goes!
This is SO GOOD – I will be making it for the 4th Thanksgiving in a row. I am definitely not a baker, but I can mix ingredients with the best of ’em, so I am happy and proud to finally be able to provide a holiday dessert that everyone enjoys. Thank you!
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that, Cathy!
This was amazing! Crowd pleaser forsure everyone loved how light it was. Even with 3 different layers and was simple to make! From Canada and biscoff cookies are hard to find so I found some salted caramel cracker type cookies used that abs half graham cracker.
YUM!! The salted caramel crackers sound incredible! Happy to hear your pie was such a hit, thanks for sharing! 🙂
OH MY!! This was AMAZING!! I fudged a little and used butter instead of cooking oil to grease the pan. Needless to say that was a fail, but once we got the pie onto a plate… I will be making this every year from now on. It won’t make it through the night tonight, and there are only 4 of us eating it! Thank you so so very much for this. Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s my favorite thing to hear when you guys find a new staple recipe! So glad you loved this pie!
Great recipe. It’s exactly what I was looking for. I made it as a trial before Thanksgiving and I did it without the whipping cream on top. Tomorrow I will serve it with the cream on top as well as having maple candied pecans and walnuts on the side as an optional topping. I was thinking of candied ginger as an option too. Happy Thanksgiving!!
So glad you tried this recipe out! Happy Thanksgiving to you, Karla!
Could you make in mini pans?
I don’t see why not!
Sure!
I am arguably the worst baker in the world – just ask my friends and family. However, I have confidently and successfully made this delicious pie numerous times over the past few years. Everyone loves it. Thank you for all the yums – and for saving my reputation!
This recipe is terrible. The consistency is way too soft. It just tastes like whipped cream. It needs more substance like egg yolks or a pudding.
Easy and delicious! I doubled the recipe and made in a 9×13 pan.
Delightfully light yet full of fall flavours. I’m not even a big pumpkin fan but this pie is outstanding
Delicious. I specifically love the biscoff crust. So easy, good flavor, and no heavy pumpkin texture! I’ll definitely make this again!!
Super easy and very delicious. All the pumpkin flavor but without the heavy texture.
So delicious that I’ve made it three times this month!
My pumpkin pie averse family DEVOURED this. Super easy to makes and was a perfect light dessert to follow a heavy holiday meal! Will definitely make this again (and again).
Made this for thanksgiving, in place of the traditional pumpkin pie and it was probably the best part of the whole dinner. I’ve never attempted a pie before and this seemed like a great start, and it came out perfectly! Definitely going to come back to this recipe in the future.