This Crustless Pumpkin Pie is refined sugar free and gluten free, and deliciously creamy with just the right amount of sweetness. And you wouldn’t believe how EASY it is to make! Read the post for tips that will guarantee PERFECT results every time.
This crustless pumpkin pie pudding is so satisfying and silky smooth that you won’t miss the crust at all! Plus, you can make it all in ONE bowl!
Ladies and gentlemen, this here is THE BEST Crustless Pumpkin Pie in the world! God daammnn, it’s goooood. 🙂 No exaggerations really, as far as no crust pumpkin pies go, this one takes the um… pie.
Let me first say that I’ve got nothing against pie crusts. In fact, I love pie crust so much that I could eat it on its own. But let’s face it, pie crusts can be a pain in the ass, and if I’m making this for family on Thanksgiving day or for friends and guests, I’d rather make my life easier by not having to worry about a finicky pie crust.
So why is this the BEST crustless pumpkin pie?
- Simple ingredients.
- Super simple to make, can make it all in one bowl.
- Gluten free and refined sugar free.
- Foolproof recipe that guarantees delicious, creamy, silky smooth, absolutely perfect results, every time (no weeping or curdling).
- Flexibility to make this either as one large pie, or in smaller/individual portions as pumpkin pie custards (which is even faster to make).
I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times, and made all the mistakes while trying to perfect this gluten free pumpkin pie, so that you don’t have to! 🙂 It’s sweetened with maple syrup which makes this no crust pumpkin pie even more flavorful in my opinion (and also refined sugar free), but you’re welcome to use honey or sugar if you prefer.
My favorite way to serve this crustless pumpkin pie is to slice it like a pie (duh), and serve with whipped cream. You can do the same, or let your guests scoop it like a pudding into cups, because this tastes and feels like a really creamy pumpkin pie pudding too.
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- Mix the spices with cornstarch first.
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- Then dissolve the cornstarch in the maple syrup to make it easier to be mixed in.
For even better results, you can flavor your whipped cream with maple syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon or any other flavor you like. My husband likes it with slightly sweetened whipped cream, I prefer it with a drizzle of extra maple syrup on top.
But the best part is that this no crust pumpkin pie is healthy enough for breakfast too! Just add some granola and Greek yogurt and you have yourself a pumpkin pie parfait.
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- Next add the eggs and pumpkin to the maple mixture.
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- Whisk until nice and smooth.
My first attempt at making this gluten free pumpkin pie was to follow the famous Libby’s no crust pumpkin pie recipe, but without any refined sugar. So I followed the recipe on the Libby pumpkin can, without the crust. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed with the results, even after following the recipe precisely as stated.
Here’s the one thing you need to keep in mind when making no crust pumpkin pie. Without the crust, the pumpkin pie filling is essentially a pumpkin flavored custard, relying on eggs to set it into a creamy, smooth filling.
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- For the last step, stir in the evaporated milk.
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- Make sure the evaporated milk is stirred in well.
The two biggest problems I had with some crustless pumpkin pie recipes including Libby’s recipe were,
- Weeping (technical term for that is syneresis)
- Curdling
When a custard is baked at a high temperature, the eggs in the custard bake too rapidly and coagulate, and separate into curd and whey. That’s because the egg proteins form a very tight network (curds) that causes the water to be “squeezed out” (whey), causing the baked custard to weep. This also makes the custard taste and feel like it’s curdled.
The original Libby’s famous crustless pumpkin pie recipe tests the doneness by inserting a knife into the custard and checking whether it comes out clean. I followed this recipe against my better judgement, hoping that the custard would somehow come out OK, but my gut feeling was correct. The problem is, your custard is already overbaked by the time you reach this level of doneness (or will be overbaked by the residual heat).
So here are my solutions to prevent weeping, curdling and overbaking of this no crust pumpkin pie
Solution #1 – Reduce the oven temperature. Baking this crustless pumpkin pie at 350°F as suggested in the original recipe will most definitely cause the eggs in the custard to cook too quickly, leading to a curdled texture and weeping. I cook this crustless pumpkin pie at 300°F, so that it cooks low and slow, allowing for more even baking, and reducing the chances of the eggs overbaking. You can lower the chances of weeping and curdling even more by baking this custard in a water bath. But it’s not necessary.
Solution #2 – Adding cornstarch to the custard. The starch molecules expand as they cook with the water in the custard, and act as a buffer to prevent the eggs from curdling. The result is a creamy, pudding like pumpkin pie.
Solution #3 – Don’t wait until the “inserted knife comes out clean” stage. I always remove this pumpkin pie pudding while the middle is still a bit runny or jiggly. The residual heat will continue to cook the custard to perfection.
Solution #4 – Allow the crustless pumpkin pie to cool completely after baking. It’s important to let the pumpkin pie cool completely, before covering it with plastic wrap and refrigerating it. Let the excess water evaporate while it cools down, uncovered, to prevent the water re-entering the pumpkin pie pudding.
Solution #5 – Use of a thermometer. Since every oven and baking dish can transfer heat differently, it’s hard to say exactly when the custard is done. The foolproof way to know when the custard is perfect and is ready to come out, is to use a thermometer.
Cooking this crustless pumpkin pie to an internal temperature of 165°F – 170°F ensures that you get perfect, creamy, smooth results. I prefer a good medium of 167-168°F, and NEVER over 175°F.
More tips to make a perfect gluten free crustless pumpkin pie
- If you add the spice mix into the egg mix, there are times when spice clumps form, which may or may not break apart. So I prefer to always mix the spices with the cornstarch and maple syrup first, and then add this to the egg mix. This way, the spices will disperse more evenly through the custard.
- By following the order of ingredients added that’s indicated in this recipe, you can make this no crust pumpkin pie pudding using only 1 bowl!
- Butter the baking dish with a very thin coating of butter.
- Pour the custard into the dish and knock it on your kitchen counter-top a few times to knock out any excess air. If there are air bubbles on the surface of the custard, you can remove them by gently flaming the surface of the custard with a blow torch.
- I prefer making this in a 9 inch glass porcelain pie dish. It guarantees consistent results every time. I’ve made this in 1/2 cup ramekins and in individual pie dishes (1 cup capacity) as well (see pictures in the post).
- I usually place the pie dish/dishes on a baking tray and bake them in the oven. This way it’s easier to remove the dishes from the oven and even to rotate them half way through the cooking process.
- However, when the baking is done, I remove the baking tray (with the pumpkin pie dish) from the oven and immediately transfer the pumpkin pie dish/dishes on to a cold surface. Otherwise, the residual heat from the baking sheet/tray will cook the custard further.
This refined sugar free, gluten free crustless pumpkin pie is guaranteed to be a hit at your Thanksgiving spread, or any time you want to whip up some simple, delicious pumpkin pie! It’s incredibly creamy, smooth and perfectly sweet, and just so satisfying that you won’t miss the crust at all.
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Crustless Pumpkin Pie Pudding
This Crustless Pumpkin Pie Pudding is so satisfying and silky smooth that you won't miss the crust at all! It's gluten free and refined sugar free too.
Ingredients
- Butter or coconut oil to butter the pie dish/dishes
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 15 oz canned pumpkin puree 1 can
- 12 fl oz evaporated milk 1 can
To Serve
- Sweetened whipped cream optional
- Maple syrup optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°F and butter a glass porcelain 9 inch pie dish, OR 5 mini pie dishes (1 cup capacity), OR 9 ramekins (½ cup ramekins).
In a large bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Whisk this mix until there are no lumps in the cornstarch.
Add half of the maple syrup and whisk it in until the cornstarch is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Then add the rest of the maple syrup and the vanilla and mix well.
Add the 2 eggs and yolk, and whisk to combine.
Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until it's mixed in well.
Stir in the evaporated milk. Make sure that the evaporated milk is also mixed in well.
- Pour the prepared pumpkin custard into the 9 inch pie dish. Knock the pie dish on a hard surface like your kitchen countertop firmly (don't break the dish though!), a couple of times, to remove any air bubbles. See recipe notes on how to bake this crustless pumpkin pie in smaller dishes.
- Place the pie dish in the preheated oven and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, rotating the pie dish halfway through the cooking time (30 minutes).
If you have a thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 165 - 170°F in the middle of the pie. If you don’t have a thermometer, remove the pie from the oven while the middle still seems a bit runny or jiggly, but the edges are set - this should take between 60 - 70 minutes.
Remove the pie dish from the oven and keep it in a cool, dry place to cool down, UNCOVERED. When the pie has completely cooled to room temperature, cover the pie dish and refrigerate it overnight. Keep the pumpkin pie pudding in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Slice the crustless pumpkin pie pudding into 8 - 10 servings, and serve with sweetened whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup (optional).
Recipe Notes
Notes for baking this crustless pumpkin pie in smaller dishes.
- Measure the pumpkin pie custard into the smaller ramekins using a measuring cup. Add ½ cup of the custard into the ½ cup ramekins, and 1 cup of the custard into the mini pie dishes.
- It’s easier to move the dishes in and out of the oven if you place them all on a larger baking sheet/tray. I use a half baking sheet.
- Bake the ½ cup ramekins for about 22 - 25 minutes. The ramekins I used are the flat ramekins, where the pumpkin pie custard only fills up about 1 1/2 inches deep. If it's a taller baking dish, the custard will take longer to bake.
- Bake the 1 cup mini pie dish for about 30 minutes (the pumpkin pie custard only fills up for about 1 1/2 inches.)
- Remove the baking tray from the oven, and then transfer the smaller dishes onto a cold surface to let the individual pumpkin pie puddings cool down completely.
Calories in 1 individual pumpkin pie ramekin - 140 kcal
Calories in 1 individual pumpkin pie (mini pie dish) - 270 Kcal
Notes for cooling down the crustless pumpkin pie pudding.
It’s important to allow the pumpkin pie puddings to cool down completely before covering them. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the dishes in a water bath (where the water level travels halfway up the dish). The residual heat will continue to cook the custard, while the excess water evaporates.
If you cover the pumpkin pie pudding with plastic wrap before it’s completely cooled down, there'll be condensation that will drip back into the pie and make it watery.
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I am dairy free, so how could I make this delicious sounding custard, without the sweetened condensed milk?
Hi Dawn!
I don’t use sweetened condensed milk in this recipe, it’s actually evaporated milk. I have had some readers who have substituted the evaporated milk with full cream coconut milk and have had good results. It won’t be as creamy as with evaporated milk, but should still be delicious!
I hope that helps!
Thanks ! We’ll give it a try!
Hello!
Amazing recipe
Is it possible to do the recipe with fresh pumpkin? Any tip?
Thanks!
Hi Daniela!
Thank you! 🙂
This recipe can be made with fresh pumpkin puree, but make sure to choose the right kind of pumpkin for the job too. I’ve read that Jarrahdale or Blue Hubbard is a good pick for pie making. Since fresh pumpkin puree has a higher water content than canned pumpkin puree, it’s important to cook out the liquid as much as possible. Or it can make the pie watery.
I hope that helps!
I have pumpkin pie MIX, so Can I still use this in foe a crustless? I realize its short notice but thats ok…. thx
Hi Joyce!
Yes, you could make this with the pumpkin pie mix. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie mix, so I haven’t used it to make pies before. However, the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie mix is the addition of spices in the pie mix, so you can leave out the spice mix here and follow the rest of the recipe. Good luck and happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Looks great, tastes great. Seems very light. Very easy. Had a little too much mix for my pie plate so I made the extra in small ramkin, which means I got to taste it – delish.
The only thing I change is that I used agave in the place of maple. Took 60 minutes to bake.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
What about using a conventional oven? Would I have to subtract 5 min and 5 degrees to the oven? And I wouldn’t need to turn the Pie, correct?
Hi Andrea,
I also have a conventional oven (i.e. no fan, and not convection), so you can bake this pumpkin pie as specified in the recipe here. You don’t have to change anything. I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions.
I had meant convection. Sorry.
Hi Andrea
I haven’t baked in a convection oven before, so I can’t be sure what steps should be taken to convert this recipe. From the articles I have read, they do mention that the oven temperature should be reduced by 25 degrees (farenheit), and that recipes may also take a shorter time to bake. Since this custard is already baking at a low 300°F, I’m not sure if an even lower temperature could be recommended. The main thing is to keep an eye on the pumpkin pie, and check on it from time to time to make sure it’s baking evenly and not overbaking, which can lead to a rubbery result.
I was wondering if this recipe could be used in a crust? I have several pies to make and would rather not make separate batches of pumpkin.
Hi Mary
Unfortunately, I haven’t baked this particular filling with a crust before. Usually with pumpkin pies with a crust, you have to bake it at a very high temperature first, and then lower the temperature to ensure the filling bakes through. Since I haven’t done that with this filling, I cannot tell you the baking times for certain. But technically there is no reason why you couldn’t use this filling in a crust, because it is almost identical to a regular pumpkin pie filling. You will have to check the doneness half way through baking to make sure. I hope that helps!
I’ve got it ready to go tomorrow due to time constraints. Can be baking while I load the car for a trip to my daughters and glutent intolerant son in law.
However, I have a big enough batch for two pies. Can I put the mix into a baked pie crust and freeze? Or, can I freeze the mix and thaw later to put into a pie crust for my pie crust loving family.
This is going to be the best ever…..thanks for taking the time to perfect it for all of us.
Happy Thanksgivijng.
Hi Marylyn!
Unfortunately, I haven’t made this pumpkin pie filling in a crust, so I can’t give you a proper answer 🙁 I usually don’t like to freeze my custard pies, either, but if you do freeze them, they NEED TO BE THAWED OUT IN THE FRIDGE, because if they thaw out too quickly, they will make the crust very soggy.
You could technically put the filling in a par baked crust, and bake it until the filling is set, but I wouldn’t be able to provide you the precise baking temperature, because I haven’t done this with this filling.
But I CAN say for certain that if this filling is frozen, it will weep as it thaws out, and to minimize the weeping, it needs to thaw out VERY SLOWLY IN THE FRIDGE.
I hope that helps!
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Hi Kelsey,
Yes, you can use honey in place of maple syrup.
Could you use traditional granulated sugar instead of maple syrup?
Hi Taylor,
Yes, you can use 3/4 of a cup of regular granulated sugar instead of maple syrup.
This recipe looks awesome! Can I substitute almond flour for the cornstarch or do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
Hi Kristin!
The purpose of cornstarch is to act as a stabilizer for the pumpkin custard, so unfortunately almond flour won’t work as well as cornstarch. However, you can instead use potato starch (not potato flour), or AP flour (you will need to double the amount if using AP flour, and it won’t be gluten free either then). I hope that helps!
Thanks! Just pulled this out of the oven and it looks fantastic! I used cream instead of evaporated milk like you mentioned to another person. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving!!! 🙂
I would love to make this for Thanksgiving next week! However, I won’t be able to get all those individual spices, but I do have McCormick’s pumpkin pie spice mix here already. Could that be used instead and if so, how much would you suggest using?
Hi Alyssa!
You can easily use Pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices 🙂 Just add about 1 1/2 tsp of the pumpkin pie spice. I hope that helps!
Great! Thank you so much!
Can I freeze it to ship to my daughter, thought it would be easier than shipping whole pie
Hi Betty!
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend freezing custard based pies like this, because they don’t freeze well. They will become watery as they thaw out, which will affect the texture and possibly the flavor as well.
Well…I found your recipe 2 days ago after doing exactly what you did…and getting the same curdly results, lol. Too bad I didn’t find your post beforehand? I followed the famous and reliable Libby’s recipe. Thanks for the tips, looking forward to round 2. I also used flat/shallow ramekins. I don’t do dairy, so used coconut milk. I noticed someone asked about using coconut cream. For consistency’s sake, does it matter which? I prefer the coconut milk because the one I buy has no guar gum.
Hi Janis!
Yes you can use coconut milk, but it’ll be a little less creamier than using coconut cream or evaporated milk. You don’t have to change the amount, because adding more coconut milk without increasing the eggs will cause the custard to be runny. If you’re using the shallow creme brulee ramekins to make this, then it might take less time for them to bake, but as long as you keep an eye on them, and take them out when they are mostly set, you should be fine! I hope that helps! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with 🙂
Sounded great till the evaporated milk was added. I live in Italy and it’s not a common or easy item to find. What can we use to sub it? Thx!
Hi Peggy,
You can absolutely substitute the evaporated milk with cream. Evaporated milk is concentrated milk, so it gives the dessert a creamier texture. So a creamier cream (with around 30% fat content) can be subbed at a 1:1 ratio without an issue.
I hope that helps!
Yes super! That helps a lot. I really want to try this for my Thanksgiving feast here. I love pumpkin pie but love the idea of a sort of pumpkin custard pie even more. Thanks so much!
can we sub coconut cream instead of condensed milk?
Hi Kj,
Yes you can use coconut cream instead. Just make sure it’s unsweetened coconut cream 🙂
I hope that helps!
This crustless pumpkin pie custard is THE BOMB!!!! So delicious, I guarantee you will not miss the crust!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know Karen! I’m really glad you liked the pumpkin pie recipe! 🙂
I am pinning this yummy pie for later!
I love crustless pumpkin pie! It’s the perfect fall dessert and I cannot wait to make it!