No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 19, 2012
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes cooling and 9 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
5 ounces (142 grams) graham cracker crumbs (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warmPumpkin Filling
3 tablespoons orange juice (cold)2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)1 cup heavy cream (cold)⅔ cup sugar (4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)¾ teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 3 large egg yolks 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (1 ¾ cups), (plain, not pumpkie pie mix)Before You Begin
The crust can be baked, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature for one day. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add warm butter in steady stream through feed tube while pulsing until crumbs are evenly moistened and resemble damp sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch pie plate and spread evenly over bottom and sides; wipe out food processor bowl and reserve. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or dry measuring cup, press and smooth crumbs into pie plate (see illustration below). Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Stir orange juice and vanilla together in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice mixture and set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Combine 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and spices in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form at edges; remove from heat. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup sugar and yolks together in medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour hot cream into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with heatproof spatula, until custard is thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. (When properly cooked, custard should form slight ridge on tip of spatula when bottom of pan is scraped and spatula is lifted.) Immediately pour custard over gelatin mixture and stir until smooth and gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Puree pumpkin in food processor until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. With machine running, add remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream through feed tube in steady stream. Scrape sides of bowl and process for additional 10 to 15 seconds. Add pumpkin mixture to custard mixture and stir until completely smooth. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Chill pie, uncovered, until filling is just set, about 3 hours. Cover pie with plastic wrap and continue to chill until fully set, at least 6 and up to 24 hours. Cut pie into wedges and serve.
for the crust
for the filling
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes cooling and 9 hours chillingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
5 ounces (142 grams) graham cracker crumbs (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
Pumpkin Filling
3 tablespoons orange juice (cold)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
⅔ cup sugar (4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large egg yolks
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (1 ¾ cups), (plain, not pumpkie pie mix)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
5 ounces (142 grams) graham cracker crumbs (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
Pumpkin Filling
3 tablespoons orange juice (cold)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
⅔ cup sugar (4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large egg yolks
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (1 ¾ cups), (plain, not pumpkie pie mix)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
5 ounces (142 grams) graham cracker crumbs (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
Pumpkin Filling
3 tablespoons orange juice (cold)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
⅔ cup sugar (4 ¾ ounces/135 grams)
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large egg yolks
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (1 ¾ cups), (plain, not pumpkie pie mix)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our classic graham cracker crust provided a simple and sturdy base for our no-bake pumpkin pie recipe. We achieved the right consistency for our pumpkin pie filling recipe by choosing the right thickener: a modest amount (2 teaspoons) of gelatin that prevented the tough, rubbery texture found in pies made with too much thickener. To attain a rich, velvety texture for our filling, we gave the canned pumpkin a quick whirl in the food processor and replaced the whipped egg whites of classic chiffon-style pies with a simple custard—the yolks were necessary for a luxurious texture.
Before You Begin
The crust can be baked, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature for one day. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add warm butter in steady stream through feed tube while pulsing until crumbs are evenly moistened and resemble damp sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch pie plate and spread evenly over bottom and sides; wipe out food processor bowl and reserve. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or dry measuring cup, press and smooth crumbs into pie plate (see illustration below). Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Stir orange juice and vanilla together in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice mixture and set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Combine 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and spices in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form at edges; remove from heat. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup sugar and yolks together in medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour hot cream into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with heatproof spatula, until custard is thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. (When properly cooked, custard should form slight ridge on tip of spatula when bottom of pan is scraped and spatula is lifted.) Immediately pour custard over gelatin mixture and stir until smooth and gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Puree pumpkin in food processor until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. With machine running, add remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream through feed tube in steady stream. Scrape sides of bowl and process for additional 10 to 15 seconds. Add pumpkin mixture to custard mixture and stir until completely smooth. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Chill pie, uncovered, until filling is just set, about 3 hours. Cover pie with plastic wrap and continue to chill until fully set, at least 6 and up to 24 hours. Cut pie into wedges and serve.
for the crust
for the filling
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