With this easy homemade Crustless Pumpkin Pie, you get just the best part of pumpkin pie – the delicious filling – and you save a ton of calories! Win-Win!
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I love all the food, but what I look forward to the most is the pumpkin pie. Apple pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, they’re all delicious, but for me, it’s just not Thanksgiving if there’s no pumpkin pie.
Are you with me on this one?
Here’s the thing, though. I don’t really love the pie crust. I don’t hate it. I just don’t love it and would rather not have it. Don’t ask me why, but ever since I was a little kid, I would only eat the pumpkin filling and leave the crust behind (yes, I’m one of those people).
One day as I was browsing the interwebs, I saw it: no-crust pumpkin pie! Holy crow, why hadn’t I thought that myself? Pumpkin pie filling is nice and thick and firm – perfect for standing on its own.
So the first thing I did was take my favorite pumpkin pie recipe (yep – the one from the Libby’s can with just a few minor changes) and just made it without the crust. IT WORKED, and it is the best pumpkin pie ever!
The bonus is that each slice has about 100 (or even more!) less calories than a piece of pie with crust! How awesome is that? And it tastes so delicious that, even if you love crust, I’ll bet you won’t miss it one bit!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Cooking spray
- Evaporated milk
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Canned pure pumpkin
- Sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Salt
- Whipped cream (optional)
Be sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling! Those cans can look deceptively similar.
Before you buy pumpkin pie spice, check your spice cabinet. You probably already have all the ingredients you need to make a batch of my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice!
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE:
TIPS & TIDBITS:
- I used a standard 9-inch pie dish for this recipe, and it was pretty full and came right up to the rim of the dish. I had to be super careful walking it to and placing it in the oven! A deep-dish 9-inch pie dish would give you a little more wiggle room.
- You could also use a 9½-inch pie dish. The pie will be a little thinner and may cook faster, so I would suggest starting to check it for doneness a little earlier.
- I prefer using a glass pie dish. If you use a metal pie pan, especially a dark one, the pie will likely cook faster, so again, just keep an eye on it and start checking it earlier to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
- The pie is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. An alternative method is you can give the pie a gentle shake. It is done when the filling is firm around the edges and has just a very slight jiggle (kind of like Jell-O) in the center.
- There are two reasons that a pumpkin pie will crack on the top: overcooking and too-quick cooling. To avoid overcooking, make sure your oven is properly calibrated and start checking the pie at about 50 minutes in just to be sure. To properly cool your pie, let it cool completely at room temperature, uncovered, on a wire rack. Then put it in the refrigerator to chill.
- Although you could serve the pie once it has completely cooled, for the best texture and flavor, I highly recommend chilling the pie in the refrigerator for at least six hours. I usually just make my pie the day before and let it chill overnight.
Want to Put it in a Crust?
No problem! Here’s the baking instructions for the crust-lovers out there:
- Put your pie crust dough in a 9-inch pie dish (fold over and crimp the edges as desired), then pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely (about 2 hours), then serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The best way to serve this Crustless Pumpkin Pie? Keep it simple and classic. Serve it chilled with a dollop of whipped cream on each slice. The pie itself is so delicious that you really don’t want anything conflicting with those yummy flavors!
I hope you try this recipe for Crustless Pumpkin Pie and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- whipped cream, optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a standard 9-inch or a deep-dish 9-inch glass pie dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until the eggs are well combined.
- Add the pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie dish.
- Bake at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. An alternate method is to give the pie dish a gentle shake. It is done when the filling is firm around the edges and the center has just a very slight jiggle (kind of like Jell-O).
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely, uncovered, at room temperature (this will take about 2 hours).
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. I usually just let mine chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
- To make sure your pie doesn’t overcook, I suggest starting to check it at about 50 minutes.
- You could use a 9½-inch pie dish. The pie will be a little thinner and may cook faster, so start checking it earlier.
- If you use a metal pie pan, especially a dark one, the pie will likely cook faster, so start checking it earlier.
- Although you can serve the pie after it has cooled completely at room temperature, the texture and flavor really benefit from chilling in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Store any leftover pie, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Want to put it in a pie crust? Here’s the baking instructions:
- Put your pie crust dough in a 9-inch pie dish (fold over and crimp the edges as desired), then pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
- Place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely (about 2 hours), then serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Estimated calories are for the pie only and do not included whipped cream.
Leave a Reply