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Pumpkin Icebox Pie

This timesaving alternative to traditional pumpkin pie doesn’t rely on a baked custard for its silky texture. Instead, cream cheese, gelatin, and evaporated milk are combined to create an easy no-bake filling. You can make the crust up to two days ahead; wrap well and store at room temperature before filling.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes one 9-inch-square pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

16

cinnamon graham cracker sheets (8 ounces), broken into large pieces

1

tablespoon dark brown sugar

1

/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1

/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling

1

tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin

1

/4 cup ice water

4

ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1

1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1

/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

3

/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1

large can (29 ounces) unsweetened pumpkin purée

1

can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

For the Topping

1

cup heavy cream

1

tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Freshly grated nutmeg

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt; process until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and process until combined. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch-square baking pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

    Step 2

    Make the filling: In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water and let stand 5 minutes. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Add pumpkin purée; beat until smooth. In a small saucepan, bring evaporated milk to a simmer. Add softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Pour milk mixture into pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until completely set, 4 hours (or, wrapped tightly with plastic, up to 2 days).

    Step 3

    Make the topping: In a chilled bowl, beat cream with confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. To serve, top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

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