Pumpkin pie has never been my favorite Thanksgiving dessert. I think it’s because it can often be pretty bland and boring. Especially in comparison to any show-stopping pies on the dessert table like a double crust apple pie or crunchy pecan pie.
So this year I decided I want to put my own spin on pumpkin pie. I had already done a Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe which was definitely a crowd pleaser, but it requires at least an hour in the oven.
I don’t know about you, but the oven is valuable real estate in my kitchen this time of year. The last thing you want is to do any more mental time and temperature calculations trying to figure out just how you’ll cook everything, in what order, and at what time.
(Oh how I wish I had a double oven!)
So I decided to create a no-bake pumpkin pie that would be perfect for Thanksgiving. I’m SO pleased with how this recipe turned out. Everyone who has tasted it has loved it. I could eat a slice just about every night!
It’s light and delicate, not dense like your traditional pumpkin pie. I’m obsessed!
No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie Recipe Tips
How to Make Biscoff Cookie Crust
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is the Biscoff cookie crust! You know those cookies you often get on the plane? They’re kind of a cross between gingersnaps and graham crackers and are loaded with warm comforting spices and a kind of caramelized sweetness. I find them at most grocery stores now in the cookie & cracker aisle. They’re called Speculoos cookies at Trader Joe’s.
Since there’s no baking involved in this recipe, it’s important to use a generous amount of butter in the crust so it won’t crumble too much. Be sure to really pack the crust into the pie pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to make easy work of this.
Biscoff Cookies Substitutions
You can use gingersnap cookies, graham crackers, or digestive biscuits instead. You’ll need a scant two cups of cookie crumbs, whichever you decide to use. That’s about 15 graham crackers. It’s much easier to swap out the cookie option if you have a scale and can use the weight measurement provided in the recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Mousse Pie Filling
The filling is composed of a mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and pure canned pumpkin puree. You will need an electric mixer for multiple components of this recipe for best results! Be sure to use fresh spices for best flavor. If you open your spice jar and the aroma isn’t strong, it’s time to replace it.
The filling will need to set for at least 6 hours. I usually just make the pie the night before I plan to serve it. At this point the pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
TIP: Don’t use homemade pumpkin puree! It’s far too watery for this recipe. Learn more about homemade vs. canned pumpkin puree here.
How to Make Whipped Cream for Pie
Nothing is better than homemade whipped cream, and in this recipe the stuff just really completes the pie! Be sure to top the pie with the whipped cream no more than a few hours before serving so it looks its best. The whipped cream will begin to deflate and “weep” if topped too far in advance. However, if you’re not too picky you can add the whipped cream up to 1 day before.
You can also use stabilized whipped cream if you need to make this pie completely in advance or if you’re traveling with it.
I love to garnish the pie with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, or even ground Biscoff cookies, so it makes for a beautiful presentation.
More Pie Recipes:
For the crust:
-
1
(8.8 ounce or 250 gram) package Biscoff / Speculoos cookies
-
7
tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
For the pumpkin mousse:
-
1
cup
heavy whipping cream, cold
-
4
ounces
(113 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
-
1/4
cup
(50 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/2
cup
(122 grams) canned pure pumpkin puree
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground ginger
For the whipped cream:
-
1
cup
heavy cream, cold
-
3
tablespoons
powdered sugar
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Make the crust:
-
Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
-
In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish.
Make the pumpkin mousse:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
-
In a clean large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add in the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger and continue to beat until very well combined with no pockets of cream cheese remaining.
-
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until combined. Spread gently and evenly into prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the whipped cream:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and continue to whip until medium-stiff peaks form.
-
Just before serving, spread the whipped cream over the pie. Sprinkle with more cinnamon to garnish, if desired. Serve.
This pie can be frozen before adding the whipped cream and any toppings are added, but doing so may slightly alter the texture after thawing. Freeze in an airtight container for up to one month, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding whipped cream and toppings.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
November Baking Challenge
This recipe was the selection for the November 2019 baking challenge! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. See the entries below:
I had to keep myself from licking all the filling off the bowl…so good! I browned the butter in the crust and I think it adds a really nice nutty flavor to it. Thank you for your recipes Tessa!
The homemade whipped cream really knocks it out of the park!
Made this wonderful pie for thanksgiving. Everyone loved how light the mousse was. Definitely a hit!
So easy to make! And very yummy!
Loved this pie! I made it the day before Thanksgiving and it was perfect. No baking required helps save oven space for other holiday dishes. Loved the addition of cinnamon to the whipped cream topping and the biscoff crust. Will make this again for sure!
Everyone loved this pie! It is a great recipe to make if you are looking for a lighter alternative to pumpkin pie! It is also super easy to make with the cookie crust and the no bake filling!
This recipe was so fun and easy to make! I wanted something that didn’t have the traditional pie crust on it (not a fan) and I love Biscoff cookies so this was perfect! The flavors all go together wonderfully and it was a huge hit.
Made this pie for Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it! A light and delicious dessert is exactly what is needed after a huge Thanksgiving Day meal.
This was a hit at my house. Great and easy recipe. I couldn’t find Biscoff cookies so just used shortbread instead. Delicious
Easy and delicious! Be warned: with filling lighter than air you can put down several slices of this in less than a minute
This pie was a big hit at our Thanksgiving day dinner. There were no leftovers and it was gone in no time. It was a nice change from traditional pumpkin pie. I’ll definitely be making it again!
It went so quickly. I used a handful of pumpkin spice cookies with speculoos for the crust.
Made this for Thanksgiving & it was a hit! A lighter alternative to regular pumpkin pie (but yummier).
This No bake pumpkin mousse pie was so easy to make and it tasted AWESOME. I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. I would definitely make this again.
Loved the cinnamon mixed w the whipped cream. Should have added the cream and then tossed it back in the fridge for a few minutes after its initial 6+ hour chill, but it was still delicious. Would totally recommend.
I made two of these for Thanksgiving for my family’s and my in-laws house. Everyone loved the pumpkin mousse! The homemade whipped cream is so worth it compared to store bought! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Amazing flavor and was so easy to make! Shared at a family potluck and several people asked for the recipe
Thank you Tessa!
I love the spices in this! The crust also makes this so much more flavorful than pumpkin pie!
Made this for Thanksgiving. Bought the biscoff cookies at Walmart since we do not have a Tader Joe’s near us. I also used cool whip instead of making the whipped topping. That was the only thing I changed. My family loved it and now our new favorite. I am going to make every year. Thank you for a simple recipe and delicious pie.
This pie is so, so delicious, my kids loved it, I loved it, it’s a winner! By the way, after making this pie, I had the perfect amount of canned pumpkin to make Tessa’s Pumpkin Coffee Cake, also delicious!
I thought this tasted better than my usual pumpkin pie. It took a lot of restraint to actually put the filling into the pie crust and not just eat the whole darn bowl! I will definitely make this again.
BEST OF THE BEST! Soo good!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit among the pumpkin lovers in my family!
This was really fun and easy to make. It was an amazing addition to our Thanksgiving desserts!
This no bake pumpkin mousse pie is so easy to make, nice and light, and the perfect holiday pie! I love the Biscoff cookie crust and the cinnamon whip cream topping.
This is such a yummy and simple recipe! My kids LOVE it so much I have to make two. Biscoff cookies for crust is the best. The cinnamon whipped cream makes the perfect topping. I want to put it on all my pies. Excellant recipe ❤️❤️
Delicious. I used fresh pumpkin and still turned out well
It was the lightest fluffiest pumpkin pie I’ve ever had!
I love Biscoff cookies so the crust was my favorite part! Would definitely make this again!
I made this with homemade pumpkin I had in my freezer. It was very light and airy. I made it with gingersnaps as the crust, I liked that flavor. My pie didn’t have a strong pumpkin flavor, which I liked. I would make this recipe again.
Such a great straightforward recipe. Perfect when you want a taste of the holidays but don’t want anything too heavy. The cookie crust is perfect.
I make this every year for Thanksgiving, and it is amazing!!
Y’all! I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, but this is the BEST alternative. It’s light and full of flavor, without the overpowering pumpkin taste. I will be making this again today and tomorrow for my Friendsgiving and Family Thanksgiving.
So easy and so yummy! If you like pumpkin pie flavor without the heavy texture this recipe is for you!!
This was light in both flavor and texture – a welcome departure from traditionally heavier Thanksgiving desserts. I took it to work and it was a huge hit. The flavors were just right and it was delicious without being too sweet.
Such a great recipe! Definitely a new family favorite!
This pie Is delicious! Definitely a new family favorite!
So delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
Love all the different textures and combination of flavors in this recipe!!
Delicious! The Biscoff cookie crust really makes this an outstanding dessert.
Delicious! The Biscoff cookie crust really makes this a stand out dessert.
I really loved this (so much that I made it two days in a row)! I messed it up a little the second time, and it was STILL delicious! Even my slightly picky kid ate it, so that’s a total win 🙂
It was good, not too sweet. I bet it would be good as a layered trifle and crust crumbled.
This pie is very easy to make and very light. The Biscoff cookie crust is delicious and its where the pie gets its flavor. I found I was wishing for a stronger pumpkin flavor and more substance in the filling. However, I made it for my 18 year old daughter’s party and I heard someone say how good the pie was. Different tastes for different preferences. Thank you Tessa for a great crust recipe which I will use again.
This is a very easy to make, very light pie. The Biscoff crust is delicious and it is what gives this pie its flavor. I found I was wishing for a stronger pumpkin flavor and a little more substance in the filling. However, I made it for my 18 year old daughter’s party and I heard comments about how good the pie was so I guess everyone has their own preference. Thank you for the recipe Tessa.
A very creamy mousse pie with a subtle pumpkin pie flavour. I found the amount of whipped cream a bit too much for my taste. However, if you prefer lighter flavours, this pie is for you! Super easy to make too.
Amazingly delicious. I usually don’t like pumpkin pie, but this version was light and airy and had just the right amount of spice. It’s the perfect dessert to end a big thanksgiving meal with, and was SO easy to prepare! I even forgot to read the whole recipe ahead of time (rookie mistake) and didn’t notice the 6hour resting time. I had poured in the the pumpkin mousse right before carving the turkey, and popped the pie in the freezer. By the time we had finished with the savory foods, the pie had set and I quickly whipped up the cream to serve just on time! Perfect. Thank you Tessa!
The pie is very light and fluffy and of course, very easy to make. Everyone who tried it, loved the taste. However, to my mind, the pumpkin mousse layer should have more intense pumpkin flavor and thicker texture compared to the whipped cream layer.
So easy and good! Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Easy to make. Would reduce the whipped cream topping to a dollop since the pumpkin mousse it already so light
This was very easy to make and really delicious. It was pretty different from a classic pumpkin pie but even my friend whose favorite dessert is pumpkin pie really enjoyed it. I made the whipped cream in advance to save time and I would NOT recommend doing so as it became very runny. Take extra 15 minutes to do it just before serving!
Loved this recipe! So simple but so so tasty! A nice change from the typical heavier pies you find around the holidays.
I thought this pie was okay. If you’re looking for a classic pumpkin pie, this isn’t it. The entire texture of the pie was that of whipped cream, and it didn’t pack the punch in the flavor category. I felt like I was eating a basic southern marshmallow fluff dessert. I likely won’t make this pie again. The crust turned out very good though and was easy to mold into the pan. The Biscoff cookies were a good choice.
Very easy recipe and quick! Delicious for anyone that loves pumpkin pie and even those that don’t…it’ll change their minds!
This recipe was delicious!! I am not a fan of pumpkin pie at all, but this recipe has completely changed my view of pumpkin desserts! I took it to my small group and everyone loves it! It was a huge hit and very easy to make! Cant wait to make it again!
I love pumpkin anything so I was happy to make this forcthe November challenge! So easy to make and delicious! It’s a little lighter than pumpkin pie with all the flavor! Love the biscoff crust and the cinnamon whipped cream. My family devoured it!
This recipe was so easy and so quick and the results are so delicious! Perfectly smooth and creamy pumpkin filling with a biscoff cookie crust that is to die for! Has definitely become a fall staple for me
This is so yummy.
Super easy to make and tastes delicious!
It was super easy and tastes delicious!