This “Crust-Less Pumpkin Pie” is basically the classic pumpkin pie recipe on the can of “Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin” but lightened up, spiced up, and crust-free – which also makes it gluten free for those of you avoiding gluten (waving “Hi” to my mom!).
With less sugar, non-fat evaporated milk, and more spices, you’ve got the recipe! We decided to go “crust-less” after finding a similar recipe in one of our favorite food books, [amazon_link id=”0061172286″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]”Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life”[/amazon_link] by Pratt and Matthews and the recipe is titled, “Patty’s Pumpkin Pudding.” It differs slightly from the Libby’s recipe as well but it gave us the idea for skipping the crust.
The reason we skipped the crust is simple – Brad, my husband, and I both agree that we’d rather have our calories in ice cream or whipped cream on top of the pumpkin pie and not in the crust. Neither of us can eat everything (or the way we used to) so why not choose? Quite honestly, I’d rather have my calories in chocolate but this pumpkin pie is pretty tasty.
Crust-Less Pumpkin Pie
This pie is really great both warm and cold. We like it best warm right out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top but the next morning cold with coffee it’s very fine, too. Keep it covered in the refrigerator or on a very cold porch.
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1-each 15-ounce can of pumpkin – or 1 3/4 cup of pumpkin
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, organic
- 1/4 cup white sugar, organic and unrefined
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger (ground ginger – not fresh ginger)
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1-each 12-ounce can of non-fat evaporated milk
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat 2 eggs in a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, mix sugar, salt and spices together.
- Add pumpkin to eggs and combine.
- Add sugar and spice mixture into egg and pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined.
- Add evaporated milk to mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour into pie pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes.
Notes:
- If you buy canned pumpkin in a 29-ounce size, double the above recipe and you’ll have two-pies instead of one. Alternatively, if you only want to bake one pie at a time and you’ve bought a 29-ounce can of pumpkin, freeze 1 3/4 cup and bake a pie later.
- Shake the can of evaporated milk really well before opening it. I try to store it upside down in my pantry before using it, too.
- Roasted pecans make a heavenly addition to this recipe as well. Try 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
- If you’re in a pinch and simply must have pumpkin pie and you’re neighbors are out of evaporated milk, you can substitute skim milk for the evaporated but the texture is a little mushy and the pie doesn’t have this pretty shine to it. Speaking from experience here!
- You can do this all by hand stirring or you can use a hand-held mixture.
- Don’t forget about pumpkin spice cake! It’s a nice change to pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.
This is also really tasty the morning after Thanksgiving with coffee. I know this for a fact. Enjoy!
What’s your favorite version of pumpkin pie? With crust or without? With ice cream or whipped cream?
Go Gingham related links:
Oyster and sausage stuffing for Thanksgiving – it’s the best!
Celebrate Thanksgiving more simply and enjoy the holidays more
Turkey grilling tips from the “Grill Masters” in my life!
Cloth napkins for Thanksgiving that are made from an old skirt
A Thanksgiving tablecloth made with quilting techniques
Homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving – make it the day before!
Pumpkin and squash soup – it’s easy and delicious!
Go Gingham 
I love all things pumpkin (well, not the pumpkin yogurt I had recently, but everything else is fair game). I’ve been doing a crustless pumpkin pie for a few years now after realizing that pie crust adds a minimum of 2 Weight Watcher points per slice (that was with the old point system, for anyone reading this and counting their points). My recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk but you are right, you have more control over the amount of sugar if you use evaporated milk and add your own sweetener. Sometimes I do splurge and make a crust, though, as my crusts are wonderfully light and flakey and made with canola oil (trans-fat free). Now if only I could make my crusts look prettier!
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Kris, your crusts sound tasty! If crusts taste good, it does not matter how they look. Just saying! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!
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My mom used to make this for us all the time during fall. She called it “pumpkin pudding” and let us have it for breakfast with plain yogurt. It was such a treat! And really, the only unhealthy part of pumpkin pie is the crust! Yum 🙂
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Well, this is my husband’s favorite year-round dessert. He doesn’t love chocolate like me and he makes these often. We’ll have to try it on the yogurt – I only buy plain yogurt and get grumbles sometimes about not having a flavor so this would be a nice option.
Thanks, Amelia!! 🙂
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This sounds like a great recipe, Sara…but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to count calories on Thanksgiving.
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Amy! You’re right about Thanksgiving calories! 🙂
We do enjoy this “pie” year round – except not so much during the summer when it’s too hot to run the oven.
Happy holidays to you!
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Hi! I’m Agnese Mori and I’m an Italian girl. I love this recipe and I really would like to make it, but here in Italy it is not possible to buy a can of pumpkin. Do you think that I can use some fresh pumpkin? And if I can, how much pumpkin should I use? And how should I cook it?
Agnese
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Hi Agnese,
Yes, I think you can use real pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake it. Once the inside is soft (if a fork can go all the way through the skin easily, it’s done), use a spoon and measure 1 3/4 cup and you’ve got it. Use pumpkin that’s meant for pumpkin pie – I don’t know what the variety is called but I’m sure you could search it and find the name.
Don’t use the skin of the pumpkin in the pie. Use a spoon to get the inside of it out.
I hope that helps you. Please let me know how it turns out.
Thank you for writing. 🙂
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