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This no bake, Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and frozen. You’ll love the maple-cinnamon topping, too!
This is the perfect pumpkin pie recipe if you need want to make your pie ahead of time. You can either start with a fully-baked store-bought pie crust (in which case this becomes a no-bake dessert), or you can blind-bake your homemade pie crust or unbaked pie shells.
Once you assemble this easy pumpkin pie recipe, it freezes beautifully for future holiday meals. But you can also make it the same day you need it. And as long as you’re working with a pre-baked crust, it doesn’t take up any prime real estate in the oven. It just needs at least 4 hours of chilling time to properly set up.
This a fabulous pumpkin pie because the flavor is not too sweet, the texture is cool and creamy, and it’s the perfect way to end a holiday meal.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Gelatin: Look for envelopes (not sheets) such as Knox brand unflavored gelatin. The two types of gelatin are usually interchangeable, but this recipe hasn’t been tested with gelatin sheets so I don’t know for sure.
- Pumpkin purée: Seek out pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Want to make your own Fresh Pumpkin Puree? It’s easy: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Pie crust: Make your own pie crust or use a store-bought crust. To make the crust in advance, make the dough, form it into a disk shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. To use, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then roll it out. If you have the space, you can roll out your pastry dough, press it into the pie pan, and freeze it, tightly wrapped in plastic. You can bake frozen pie crust straight out of the freezer without thawing.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the topping
- In a medium bowl (microwave safe), whisk cream and gelatin until all the gelatin is wet and the mixture looks slightly lumpy. Let the mixture sit until it looks like loose cottage cheese, about 5 minutes.
- Microwave the gelatin mixture until the gelatin has melted, about 1 minute, whisking after 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth and syrupy and no lumps remain. (If you still see lumps, try microwaving for 30-second increments.)
- In a large bowl (microwave-safe), whisk together pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Microwave until heated to 110 degrees, about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.
- Immediately whisk in the gelatin mixture into the large mixing bowl until combined. Pour filling into baked crust set in a pie dish. Gently shake the pie filling so it spreads to the edges of the 9-inch pie plate. Cool 10 minutes.
- Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and gently press on top of the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Or, wrap in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks (To serve, completely unwrap the pie and thaw at room temperature for 5 hours).
To make the topping
- Using a standing mixer fit with the whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 to 3 minutes.
- Topping can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Spread topping evenly over the pie before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 pie with 8 slices (or more or less, depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, wrapped in layers of plastic wrap.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to two weeks. The day you need it, take it out and let it thaw on the counter. In about five hours or less, it will be room temperature and ready to eat.
- Whipped cream: This recipe has its own version of a maple-cinnamon whipped cream topping, but you can make regular whipped cream if you prefer that.
- Try a cracker crust: If you prefer it to a pastry pie crust, The Best Pumpkin Pie filling can certainly be poured and baked on top of Graham Cracker Crust instead.
- Spice blend: 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. You can add a pinch of nutmeg, too.
- Classic Pumpkin Pie: The Best Pumpkin Pie just so happens to be an ultra-easy dessert recipe. Start with a store-bought crust, whisk together a tasty filling, and bake.
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie: Firm, sliceable, and indistinguishable from a classic pumpkin pie, this No Bake Pumpkin Pie is made with just 6 ingredients, no baking required, and is easily made ahead of time.
- Mini Pumpkin Pies: Tiny and irresistible, these Mini Pumpkin Pies come in handy for smaller gatherings or sharing with friends and family. They’re easy, creamy, and perfectly spiced, just smaller and cuter.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake: This homemade cheesecake features a graham cracker crust topped with a rich, creamy, and warmly-spiced cheesecake filling.
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake: An even easier pumpkin cheesecake made without ever firing up your oven. It needs to chill, so this is a dream dessert if you want to get ahead on your menu.
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting: These easy Pumpkin Bars are moist, delicious, and loaded with cream cheese frosting. They are perfectly spiced without being too sweet.
- More Thanksgiving desserts: Try my Best Apple Pie or Best Pecan Pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pumpkin pie filling is made with pumpkin purée (often canned), eggs, evaporated milk, and warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Libby’s, perhaps the most popular canned pumpkin around, isn’t really pumpkin at all. Instead, Libby’s uses a proprietary variety of Dickinson squash.
It’s not mandatory to use a water bath, also known as a bain marie, when making a pumpkin pie. It is highly recommended for cheesecakes though. Without one, a cheesecake tends to brown more around the edges, end up a little drier, may fall in the center while cooling, and could crack. It’s worth the extra step to get the picture-perfect masterpiece, so the method for a water bath is built right into this recipe.
Blind-baking a pie crust means covering raw pie dough with aluminum foil or parchment paper and filling it with pie weights or dried beans. Then you bake (or par-bake) the crust. This is a common technique for cold custard pies where the filling isn’t baked such as in this recipe.
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Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For the pie:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (see note 1)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling, see note 2)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 9-inch pie crust fully baked and completely cool (homemade or store-bought, see note 3)
For the topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
To make the pie:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk cream and gelatin until all the gelatin is wet and the mixture looks slightly lumpy. Let mixture sit until it looks like loose cottage cheese, about 5 minutes.
- Microwave gelatin mixture until the gelatin has melted, about 1 minute, whisking after 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth and syrupy and no lumps remain. (If you still see lumps, trying microwaving for 30-second increments.)
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Microwave until heated to 110 degrees, about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.
- Immediately whisk in gelatin mixture until combined. Pour filling into crust. Gently shake pie filling so it spreads to the edges of the crust. Cool 10 minutes.
- Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and gently press on top of the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Or, wrap in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks (To serve, completely unwrap pie and thaw at room temperature for 5 hours).
To make the topping:
- Using a standing mixer fit with the whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
- Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 to 3 minutes. Topping can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Spread topping evenly over pie before serving.
Notes
- Gelatin: This helps the pie set up without the need for the usual custard mixture which is not freezer-friendly.
- Pumpkin purée: Seek out canned pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling). Want to make your own Fresh Pumpkin Puree? It’s easy: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Pie crust: Make your own pie crust or use a store-bought crust. To make the crust in advance, make the dough, form it into a disk shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. To use, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then roll it out. If you have the space, you can roll out your pastry dough, press it into the pie pan, and freeze it, tightly wrapped in plastic. You can bake frozen pie crust straight out of the freezer without thawing.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 pie with 8 slices (or more or less, depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Based on a recipe from Cook’s Country.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
This is such a great recipe! The filling texture is so smooth & flavorful !
Thank you Jonie, so glad you liked it! – Meggan
Just found your site yesterday . . .WOW!
Thanks Ar, hope you enjoy the recipes! – Meggan
I found this recipe when Google-ing, “Can you freeze a baked pumpkin pie?” I wasn’t sure whether I can actually freeze a pumpkin pie I’ve baked ahead of time, so I was really excited when I read the first part of this recipe. It made it sound like freezing a baked pumpkin pie is a piece of cake! (…sorry, bad analogy!) But it wasn’t until I read down in to the tiny print of the recipe that I noticed that it is a no-bake pie. It’s a really interesting idea, having a no-bake pumpkin pie, especially because, as you say, oven space is prime real estate on a day like Thanksgiving. But I am really wanting to make a baked pie. It really would have helped me if the words “No-Bake” instead of “Make Ahead” were in the title of the recipe. And it may be a bit confusing for others who are looking for information on making a baked pie ahead of time. Ultimately, though, people may just pass by this recipe not realizing that there is such a thing as a no-bake pumpkin pie and/or that “Make Ahead” here means “No-Bake”. Just a suggestion. I’ve bookmarked this recipe, though, so I can try it out sometime. After all, who can pass up a pumpkin pie that’s sweetened with maple syrup (Yumm!) and which you can make year round cos it won’t heat up your house! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, Ms. Hill! :o)
Hi Sarah, that is a really great idea! I never thought of it, but it makes perfect sense when you point it out. I definitely want to give people what they want, so by describing it accurately I have a better chance of reaching people who want a no-bake pie, as you pointed out. Thank you again for this great idea! And please, call me Meggan. 🙂 Happy holidays to you! -Meggan
My husband actually prefers this pie to the real thing; it’s silky and perfect. Thank you!
That’s amazing to hear! Thank you! 😀 -Meggan