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.
This is my perfect pumpkin pie! I never eat the crust (I don’t like crust, I know..weird) so I always scrape the pumpkin off the bottom 🙂 yum yum! Have a great holiday Amy!
That’s not weird at all — I usually do the same thing too! I don’t like soggy-bottom crusts, so if I eat any of the crust at all, it’ll be the flaky crimped edges. 😉 Have a wonderful Christmas with your family Kristina!
Amy, really – 54 calories? This pie looks wonderful! I’ll have to put that one on the list to make soon. I made your egg nog doughnuts this week – yummy! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
YES! Just 54! I couldn’t believe it either, but I celebrated by eating a second slice. 😉 So happy your enjoyed the eggnog donuts. Hearing that really brightened my day Kim!
My mom does not like crust, but I LOVE IT! SO with that said, she would love this!! 🙂 I’m not really a Splenda fan though, so I would probably sub Xylitol instead!
Sounds like you and your mom are a perfect pair if she lets you steal all her crust! Xylitol sounds like a great idea. I mainly opted for Splenda because it’s the sweetener my grandpa always used for his coffee and tea. 🙂
I have always cooked my pumpkin pie filling in individual desert cups ,adding a little whip topping and a gingersnap cookie on top to simulate the crust…everyone likes it !
Suzie, your gingersnap cookie twist sounds amazing!! Gingersnaps are one of my guy’s and my family’s favorite cookies. We’ll definitely try that sometime — thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
this is a great light dessert!
Thanks Dina! 🙂
OBSESSED – pumpkin the creamiest most delicious thing on the face of the planet!! Sorry ice cream, lol
Given a choice between pumpkin pie and ice cream, I almost always choose pumpkin pie too! 😉
I made this recipe and it was great! I used my homegrown pumpkin too. I just had to bake it longer then the time suggested and at a higher temp. I am going to make it again in two weeks. Can’t wait!
I’m so glad you liked it Amanda! I wish I could grow pumpkins, but I have a pretty brown thumb. 😉 I’m sure that made it taste even better!