Recipe By Cecelia Jenkins
Published on August 6, 2024
What we wanted: a pumpkin pie we could freeze whole. What we got: an excellent pie, frozen or not.
Time
4 hr 45 minYield
8 to 10Why This Recipe Works
When we set out to develop a recipe for a make-ahead pumpkin pie—one that we could fully bake and then freeze for up to two weeks with no negative effects—we knew a steep challenge lay ahead of us. Custard pies typically don't survive freezing because the eggs in the custard contain a lot of water and tend to split into weepy mush once frozen. During the course of testing, we discovered that substituting gelatin for the eggs was the answer. The gelatin suspended excess water in a flexible network, so the filling remained smooth and retained its structure after being frozen and thawed. Cream replaced the richness that we lost when we ditched the eggs. Since gelatin sets up in a cool environment, it also made the luscious stir-together filling no-cook. The fully baked pie crust remained crisp and flaky even after being filled, frozen, and thawed. A festive whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup and spiced with cinnamon was the crowning touch on this game-changing holiday pie.
Ingredients
Pie
Topping
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Whisk cream and gelatin in microwave-safe bowl until all gelatin looks wet (mixture will be slightly lumpy). Let mixture sit until it looks like loose cottage cheese, about 5 minutes.
- Microwave gelatin mixture until gelatin has melted, about 1 minute, whisking halfway through microwaving. Whisk until smooth and syrupy and no lumps remain. (If lumps persist, microwave in 10-second intervals, whisking after each, until smooth.)Recipe TipOnce you hydrate gelatin, you’ll need to melt it. In this recipe, we use a microwave.
- Whisk pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large microwave-safe bowl until combined. Microwave pumpkin mixture until heated to 110 degrees, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving. Immediately add gelatin mixture to pumpkin mixture and whisk to thoroughly combine.Recipe TipRemember to not add the warm gelatin mixture to the room temperature pumpkin filling. It’s why we microwave the pumpkin filling to match the temperature. Otherwise it’ll become very hard to combine.
- Pour filling into crust. Gently shake pie so filling spreads to edges of crust; let cool for 10 minutes. Spray sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray and gently press onto filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.Recipe TipTo make ahead: At end of step 4, pie can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks. To serve, completely unwrap pie and let thaw at room temperature for 5 hours. Make topping while pie thaws and spread over pie just before serving.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip all ingredients on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. (Topping can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)Recipe TipWhen making whipped cream, always begin with chilled heavy cream, otherwise it’ll be tough to set. To make things even easier, consider chilling the mixing bowl and stand mixer whisk too
- Spread topping evenly over pie. Serve.
PIE
TOPPING
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