Crustless Pumpkin Pie (so creamy! keto option)

This crustless pumpkin pie is extra creamy, richly spiced and much easier than traditional pumpkin pie because there’s no crust to make. It’s naturally gluten-free, and I’ve also included tested keto, dairy-free and paleo options.

The filling is especially smooth because the pumpkin mixture is cooked on the stovetop for 5 minutes before baking. That quick step removes some of the excess moisture and concentrates the flavor, giving the finished pie a thick, silky texture.

And if pie crust isn’t your favorite part anyway, there’s really nothing missing here. You get more creamy pumpkin filling, there’s no risk of a soggy bottom crust, and the prep is simpler.

Ingredients

Please scroll down for the full recipe. These are just notes on select ingredients.

• Canned pumpkin – use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. If you usually use homemade pumpkin puree in baked goods and know that it has about the same thickness as canned pumpkin, you can use it. Homemade puree is often more watery, though, and overly watery puree can make this pie watery. I also don’t recommend substituting sweet potato because it has a different moisture content.
• Granulated + brown sugars – these give the standard version its sweetness and also contribute to the texture and structure of the filling. If you prefer a less-sweet pie, you can reduce the combined sugars from 1 cup to 2/3 cup, but I don’t recommend reducing them further. For a paleo version, use coconut sugar. I also tested two keto sweetener options, which I cover below.
• Pumpkin pie spice – if you don’t have any, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon allspice or cloves and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
• Heavy cream – this gives the filling its rich, creamy texture. Full-fat canned coconut milk is the tested dairy-free and paleo substitute. I don’t recommend regular milk, almond milk, cashew milk or other thin milks. I haven’t tested half-and-half and would be concerned that it would make the filling too thin.
• Eggs – these are essential to the structure of the pie. I haven’t found a substitute I can recommend, so I wouldn’t try to make this particular recipe egg-free or vegan.

How to Make It

For most pumpkin pies, you simply whisk the filling together and pour it into the crust. This recipe has one extra step that makes a big difference in the texture.

Heat the pumpkin, sugars, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt on the stovetop and stir for about 5 minutes. You can actually see moisture evaporating as it cooks. Removing some of that excess water is what helps give the finished pie its thick, silky texture.

Let the mixture partially cool before adding the heavy cream and eggs so the eggs don’t scramble. Then pour the filling into a greased 9-inch pie dish and bake at the low temperature called for in the recipe.

The pie should still jiggle in the center when it comes out of the oven. Don’t wait until the middle is completely firm or you risk overbaking it and giving it an eggy texture.

The exact temperatures, times and measurements are in the recipe card below.

Can I Add a Crust?

Yes, but you’ll need a deep-dish pie pan because this filling nearly fills a regular 9-inch pie dish on its own.

The baking time and whether the crust needs to be prebaked will depend on the crust recipe. I’ve used this filling with my gluten-free pie crust, but because the baking temperature and timing need to be adjusted when a crust is added, follow the guidance in that post rather than simply adding a crust to the directions below.

If you want the same pumpkin pie flavors with a cookie-style base, my pumpkin pie cookies are another option.

It Must Cool First!

This pie needs to cool and chill completely before you slice it.

Straight from the oven, the filling may look watery or even slightly curdled, and it will be too soft to cut cleanly. That doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong.

Let it cool completely at room temperature for about 2–3 hours, then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. Cooling and chilling are what transform the filling into the creamy, sliceable texture you see in the photos.

Make Ahead & Storage

This pie is a great make-ahead dessert because it needs several hours to chill before serving. You can make it the day before and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.

You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let the pie cool and chill completely, then wrap the whole pie, including the pan, tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a zip-top freezer bag. Make sure your pie dish is freezer-safe.

Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.

Keto Option

I tested this pie with 1 cup (160 grams) of Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener in place of the granulated and brown sugars, and it worked great.

One warning: the unbaked filling with Lakanto tasted terrible to me – enough that I almost threw it away. So don’t panic if you taste it before baking. Bake the pie, let it cool completely and chill it before judging the flavor.

I usually use the same Gentle Sweet-style keto sweetener blend in my keto recipes. If you want to use that blend here, use 2/3 cup (128 grams) in place of the two sugars. You can find the recipe for the blend in my Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe.

The keto option is also included in the recipe-card notes below.

Dairy-free Crustless Pumpkin Pie

For a dairy-free version, replace the heavy cream with the same amount of full-fat canned coconut milk. The pumpkin and spices are strong enough that I don’t notice a coconut flavor in the finished pie.

Don’t replace the heavy cream with almond milk, cashew milk or another thin nondairy milk. I also experimented with a homemade heavy cream substitute, using coconut oil and cashew milk in place of butter and dairy milk, but the filling curdled somewhat as it baked, so I don’t recommend it.

Paleo Option

For the paleo version, use 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar in place of the granulated and brown sugars and full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. Top with whipped coconut cream if desired.

Those substitutions are also included in the recipe-card notes.

Can I Make This Vegan?

I don’t recommend trying to make this particular recipe vegan. The three eggs are important to the structure of the filling, and I haven’t tested an egg substitute that I can recommend.

Instead, try my vegan pumpkin cheesecake or paleo vegan pumpkin pie. Both can be made ahead, and the pumpkin pie has a creamy cashew-based filling.

More gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes

• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Gluten-free Cornbread
• Gluten-free Apple Crumble
• Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes
• Gluten-free Mac and Cheese

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Author Erin Dooner

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs

This crustless pumpkin pie is rich, silky and extra creamy, with no pie crust to make. A quick stovetop step removes excess moisture for a smooth pumpkin filling, and tested keto, dairy-free and paleo options are included.

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Ingredients

Pie:

• ▢ 15 ounces (425 grams) canned pumpkin puree
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
• ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (295 grams) heavy cream
• ▢ 3 large eggs 50 grams each, out of shell

Topping:

• ▢ whipped cream

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add everything except the cream and eggs.
  15 ounces (425 grams) canned pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• When it starts to steam, stir frequently for about 5 minutes. This step removes some of the moisture, making the filling even creamier.
• Remove from the heat, dump the filling into a bowl (that won’t break when you dump something hot into it), and let it sit for 15 minutes or until no longer very hot (you don’t want the eggs to scramble which will happen if it’s too hot). If you have time, you can just let it sit for about 30 minutes and skip using an extra bowl.
• While it’s cooling, preheat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C) and lightly grease a 9″ pie dish (a deep-dish pan is not needed).
• Add the cream to the partially cooled pie filling and stir until combined.
  1 1/4 cups (295 grams) heavy cream
• Whisk in the eggs one at a time, just until combined. There shouldn’t be any visible streaks of egg, but avoid beating the mixture excessively, which can contribute to cracking.
  3 large eggs
• Pour into the greased pie dish.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes. It’ll still be jiggly in the middle, but not around the edges. It will firm up as it cools, but not get totally firm.
• Place on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2-3 hours.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with whipped cream before serving.
  whipped cream

To freeze:

• Wrap the whole pie (including the pan) in plastic wrap. Also, make sure your pie pan is freezer-safe. Then place the wrapped pie in a ziploc bag. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it defrost overnight in the fridge before slicing.

Notes

• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon allspice or cloves + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
• For paleo: use 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar in place of the two sugars, full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the whipping cream and whipped coconut cream for the topping.
• For keto: use 1 cup (160 grams) Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener in place of the two sugars or use 2/3 cup (128 grams) of the Gentle Sweet-style blend linked in the post in place of both sugars.
• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator. This recipe yields 8-12 slices. The nutritional info was calculated based on 12 slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 5940IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 20

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