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This No Bake Pumpkin Pie is firm, sliceable, and indistinguishable from a classic pumpkin pie. It’s made with just 6 ingredients, no baking required, and is easily made ahead of time.
It took eight tries to get this No-Bake Pumpkin Pie just right. I originally hoped that a magical combination of instant pudding, an 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip, and prayers might yield the easiest Thanksgiving dessert ever, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
If you want a truly firm, sliceable pumpkin pie, you have to use gelatin. I tried to get around it, but that’s the reality. If you are looking for just a pumpkin-flavored scoop of cold mush, skip the gelatin. But, I wanted this dessert to match a classic pumpkin pie in color, flavor, and texture.
We’re also not doing the sweetened cream cheese layer here. There is no stand mixer or hand mixer required, either. This honest-to-goodness no-bake pie needs no oven, and for a holiday when oven space is scarce, I couldn’t be happier to share the recipe with you.
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.
- Instant pudding: Do not substitute Cook and Serve pudding.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Or substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Pie crust: For ease and simplicity, I use a store-bought crust here. You can absolutely make your own graham cracker crust with crushed graham cracker crumbs, butter, and powdered sugar. It’s delicious!
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small saucepan, add milk. Sprinkle gelatin over the top and let sit 5 minutes without stirring.
- Transfer the saucepan to a stove and heat over medium-low flame. Slowly heat the gelatin mixture, stirring frequently, until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add gelatin mixture and both boxes of pudding mix. Whisk vigorously until pudding has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. In a second bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
- Fold in pumpkin pie filling into gelatin mixture until evenly incorporated. Scrape into graham cracker crust and smooth the top.
- Chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This 9-inch easy pumpkin pie recipe makes about 8 slices of pumpkin pie, more or fewer depending on how you slice them.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This pie needs chilling time, so make it a day or two in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Or, try my no bake, Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie that can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and frozen. You’ll love the maple-cinnamon topping, too!
- Chocolate crust: Crush Oreo cookies for a crunchy chocolate crust beneath your creamy pumpkin pie.
- 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 one will guess this is a semi-homemade pumpkin pie!
- 6-inch pumpkin pies: Tiny and irresistible, Mini Pumpkin Pies come in handy for smaller gatherings or sharing with friends and family.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake: My best Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe 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.
- Homemade Pumpkin Pureé: Fresh Pumpkin Purée makes an incredible pie, and it’s something you can do well ahead of time, when you actually have the oven space.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Whether you carved a jack-o-lantern or just love to make your own pumpkin puree, crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are easy to make in the oven for a nice little treat you’ll be happy to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make a firm, sliceable no-bake pumpkin pie, bloom gelatin in milk. Heat until dissolved, then combine with instant pudding, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour that mixture into the crust of your choice, and chill until firm.
1. Scrub a pie pumpkin well and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds by combing through the fibrous strings with your fingers.
2. Scrape out and discard fibrous strings. If you want to save and roast the pumpkin seeds, rinse them in cold water and dry on a kitchen towel.
Cut pumpkin into quarters (5 or 6 inches wide each). Place pieces skin-side down on prepared baking sheet and roast uncovered until tender, about 1 to 1-½ hours.
3. Remove from oven and cool completely. Scrape pumpkin pulp off skin, discarding the skin. Add the pulp to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place pumpkin puree into a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and allow to drain for 60 minutes. Discard liquid.
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No Bake Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk divided
- 1 (.25 oz) packet unflavored gelatin (see note 1)
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix (see note 2)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note 3)
- 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust (see note 4)
- Whipped cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add milk. Sprinkle gelatin over the top and let sit 5 minutes without stirring.
- Transfer saucepan to a stove and heat over medium-low flame. Slowly heat the gelatin mixture, stirring frequently, until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add gelatin mixture and both boxes of pudding mix. Whisk vigorously until pudding has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. In a second bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
- Fold in pumpkin mixture into gelatin mixture until evenly incorporated. Scrape into graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
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.
- Instant pudding: Do not substitute Cook and Serve pudding.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Or substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Graham cracker crust: For ease and simplicity, I use a store-bought crust here. You can absolutely make your own graham cracker crust with crushed graham crackers, butter, and powered sugar. It’s delicious!
- Yield: This 9-inch No Bake Pumpkin Pie makes about 8 slices of pumpkin pie, more or fewer depending on how you slice them.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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.