Other than peach season, my family mainly pulls their pie plates off the dusty kitchen shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mom always mixes up her traditional pecan pie—and includes twice as many nuts as the original Betty Crocker recipe requires—because both feasts feel incomplete without it, but she generously grants me the liberty to play with the pumpkin.
I strictly followed the back of the classic can of Libby’s until 2 years ago when I branched out and dressed up the dessert as a layered chocolate pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust. A little adventurous again last year, I tried another blogger’s crustless version, and after receiving high praise, I decided to create my own version for last month’s Thanksgiving.
But distracted by too many other Thanksgiving treats, I ran out of time to test my recipe until the night before the feast. With baited breath and crossed fingers, I licked the spatula (yum!), watched the clock, and pulled my pie out of the oven after the top set. Despite the little crack in its surface, it looked like a stereotypical pumpkin pie—firm, glossy, and dark orange—so I nestled it into the backseat of my car and drove down to my parents’ house.
On Thursday evening, after cramming the containers of leftover turkey and sweet potatoes into the fridge, we set out fresh forks and little dessert plates alongside the pies. Following tradition, we carved the pecan first and then sliced into mine. With its tempting appearance and tantalizing smell, I excitedly slid the first bite into my mouth… And completely doused the rest of my piece with whipped cream.
Way too much spice!
Although my family gamely finished it off, I worked on perfecting it the following week so I could present it to you. After a few tweaks, I converted this Crustless Pumpkin Pie into my favorite pumpkin dessert yet!
While most recipes include a can of condensed milk for thickening and sweetness, I opted for regular skim milk and plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead to lighten the pie and lower the fat. The yogurt adds a subtle tang and creaminess while boosting the protein content too.
I originally included 4 spices in my healthy pumpkin pie, but because of its practically inedible taste, I omitted the cloves in this final version. I still maintained my “holy trinity” of pumpkin spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—but in much better proportions! A combined total of 1 tablespoon of spices was the perfect amount for my taste buds, but if yours are more sensitive, feel free to decrease each by a bit.
In honor of my mom’s new diet and my diabetic grandfather, I made this pumpkin pie gluten-free and sugar-free. Instead, I sweetened it with Splenda and Truvia. You may substitute these with regular granulated sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, and sugar in the Nutrition Information will increase accordingly.
While testing this recipe, I discovered the secret trick to creating the perfect smooth pumpkin pie top: do NOT overbake it! In the custard filling, the egg proteins are tightly coiled like little balls of string. As you heat them in the oven, they unravel and tangle up with the neighboring protein strands. After putting the pie on a wire rack to cool, those proteins contract back into their tightly coiled balls and pull their ensnared neighbors along with them. If you bake the pie for too long and give the proteins too much heat, they become too twisted with their neighbors, which creates the cracked top as they pull apart to recoil.
For a sleek smooth top, bake the pie until the edges set and the center barely jiggles when nudged. However, because this healthy pie lacks a crust to hold the filling together, the slices’ bottoms will fall apart as you slide them out of the pan! If you don’t mind a small slit in the top, baking a few extra minutes firms up the filling, which helps the pieces hold together better. (And it won’t affect the taste!)
Warm cinnamony flavors fill each forkful of this sweet Crustless Pumpkin Pie, along with the comforting hint of nutmeg and ginger. Its velvety texture easily slides down your throat, especially when topped with a dollop of luscious whipped cream, and its festive orange color practically begs you to shave off another sliver. Go on and indulge—there are only 54 calories in each slice!
After just one bite, this pumpkin pie might turn into a Christmas tradition at your house too. ♥
This creamy pumpkin pie contains the perfect amount of sweetness and spices. It’ll keep for at least a week if stored in the refrigerator. Don’t forget the whipped cream!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-round pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, yogurt, Splenda, and Truvia. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate, and bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when gently shaken. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Note: If baked for less than 40 minutes, the top of the pumpkin pie will not crack, BUT the slices will fall apart when removed from the pie plate. (There’s no crust to support their weight and hold them together!) If baked 40-50 minutes, the pie will most likely crack on top, but the flavor will NOT be affected and the slices will be firmer as well as easier to remove from the pie plate.
I am going to make this tomorrow, but I’m going to put it in a crust. Any ideas on time/temp adjustments?
I really hope you enjoy it Katy Leigh! I think you should be able to bake it as the recipe states. I’d suggest checking the pie after the first 25 minutes or so, and if the crust is browning too quickly, then cover it with aluminum foil. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
This is delcious, but 1 tbsp of vanilla is way too much. I reduced it to 2 tsp and it was still too much, esp. with a vanilla frozen yogurt topping. I think it should say 1 tsp vanilla?
Otherwise fantastic. 🙂 Thanks for the great idea. I served it topped with low fat cool whip and a thin ginger snap cookie for crunch.
I appreciate your feedback Shelley! I’m really glad you enjoyed the pie! 🙂
Hi Amy, Love your recipes! I would like to substitute the granulated Splenda for the powdered sweet leaf stevia and or the vanilla creme sweet drops that you recommended in this crust less pumpkin pie. Would you know how much of them I would need to use?
Thanks for your kind words about my recipes Kristin! I’d actually recommend using this pumpkin pie recipe of mine instead. It already uses the vanilla creme stevia, and you can easily omit the crust to make it crustless as well. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it! 🙂
Thank you for responding so quickly. The recipe you suggested sounds great. I’m making this pie for someone who’s diabetic so I can’t use the maple syrup. I already have the vanilla sweet drops and the powdered stevia so I wanted to use them instead of buying the Splenda. Any suggestions?
This is the conversion calculator that I use! I generally increase the stevia equivalent by a tad because I’ve found they aren’t as sweet as the calculator thinks they are. 😉 That’s really sweet of you (pun intended? 😉 ) to make a pie that your diabetic friend can enjoy Kristin!
Thanks for your help Amy! I really appreciate it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s my pleasure Kristin! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! 🙂
Hello!
I have granulated stevia- will that work instead of the Splenda?
Also- I don’t have truvia- is there any substitution?
I do have stevia drops as well if that can be used?
Thank you!!!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kelly! Based on the stevia products that you have, I actually recommend this pumpkin pie filling recipe of mine instead. You can just ignore the ingredients and instructions for the crust! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the pumpkin pie!
Wow!! This pie had just the right amount of spice and actually tasted so similar to the one my family loves from Costco!! I had the exact ingredients which made it even more perfect. Sooo good, I don’t even miss having the crust. Thanks for sharing 😍💗💗
I’m so glad you loved this pumpkin pie, Maya! That’s such a huge compliment — I’m honored! ♡ Thank you for taking the time to let me know!!