At the first sign of fall, this crustless pumpkin pie is the way to get your pumpkin fix without all the leftovers! Plus, it's so easy and tastes exactly the same without the crust! Don't worry because this recipe doesn't use evaporated milk, so you can be sure you won't have an awkward leftover portion of the can. Healthy pumpkin pie in ramekins for everyone!
This crustless pumpkin pie fits into your life so well! Let's say you crave pumpkin pie, but don't want to make a whole pie with 10 slices. You can just make this small batch pumpkin pie for two! Or, let's say you're avoiding pie crust for dietary reasons. You can make these small ramekins of crustless pie to satisfy your craving without the crust!
The main thing I want to emphasize about this recipe is that it tastes just like regular pumpkin pie! Nothing is lost when scaling it down and baking it without a crust. The pumpkin custard filling tastes the same whether it is baked in a large pie plate or a ramekin. The flavor of the crust does not contribute any flavor to the actual pie, it just provides a base to hold the custard. In my opinion, we don't even need the crust.
Ingredients:
- Canned Pumpkin. This is not the same as canned pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin pie mix. We just want pure canned pumpkin, no sugar or spices added. Read the label closely, because as it gets closer to Thanksgiving, the regular canned pumpkin sells out and they replace it with the pie version. Regular, plain canned pumpkin with the ingredient list only listing 'pumpkin.' We are adding our own sugar and spices to the pumpkin.
- Brown Sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Egg. One whole large egg.
- Vanilla.
- Spices. You can use ¾ of a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or you can use my blend of cinnamon, ground clove, ground ginger, and grated nutmeg listed below.
- Heavy Cream. Most recipes for pumpkin pie use canned evaporated milk. No thank you. Heavy cream is fresh and approximately one million times better.
- Whipped Cream for Serving. I'm partial to the can of squirt whipped cream for this recipe. Let's not overthink it. It's just a crustless pumpkin pie in a ramekin!
How to make crustless pumpkin pie:
- First, gather all of your ingredients, and rejoice! Because there are so few ingredients, truly! Gather your canned pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, spices, and heavy cream. We are using heavy cream instead of evaporated milk so that we don't have leftover canned ingredients. We're not using sweetened condensed milk for the same reason. Preheat your oven to 325-degrees Fahrenheit, and ensure there is a rack in the center position of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk very well to combine. Whisk everything together very well, but do not beat it or use an electric, or else you'll add too much air to the custard. When over-inflated custards bake in the oven, they can rise and sink too much.
- Check the bottom of your bowl to ensure all ingredients are homogenous. We don't want any brown sugar clumps or spices clumped together.
- Divide the batter between the two ramekins. Place them on a small baking sheet, and slide them into the oven to bake.
- Bake the pumpkin pie custards for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the oven and give the pan a slight shake. Only the very center of the pie should wiggle. A very slightly jiggly pie will be set and firm after some time. Close the oven door again, but this time, prop it open with a wooden spoon. Let the pies rest in the oven for 1-2 hours, or until just warm.
- The edges of the pie will pull away from the sides of the ramekins, letting you know the pies are truly done. If you like your pumpkin pie warm, you can eat it now! However, we like to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a squirt of whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spices, and serve!
Do you see that spoonful of real pumpkin pie? I promise it tastes just as good as if it was cooked in a regular pie crust in a large plate. And how lovely that you get to enjoy your own little ramekin of pie without sharing!
Can you freeze this?
I'm not the biggest fan of freezing things that contain egg, especially a cream and egg custard base. I have seen custard separate and slightly weep. I'm sorry, but eggs and freezer usually don't mix!
Is this crustless pumpkin pie low carb?
I never intended for this recipe to be low carb, but the nutrition facts in my recipe card below say that it is not. Carbs come from pumpkin and the added sugar. However, it's pretty low calorie, in my opinion. I just wanted to create a fast and easy way to get pumpkin pie in your mouth, but the added bonus of low calorie is cool, right?
This crustless pumpkin pie isn't the only thing that I think is better without the crust! My crustless chicken pot pie is just as great when served over toast. And, the creamy flavors of cheesecake are so incredible, that a graham cracker crust isn't even needed in my crustless cheesecake. You're just going to have to trust me, and you're also going to have to grab some ramekins! These small 6-ounce ramekins are what I'm using.
If small pumpkin pies are your thing, you might like my mini pumpkin pies made in a muffin pan! They have a crust, and are so simple to make for a crowd.
Other pumpkin recipes to use leftover pumpkin:
- Mini Pumpkin Cakes with Thick Glaze
- Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cake for Two in ramekins
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Crustless pumpkin pie baked in two ramekins. So easy, so delicious!
Ingredients
- 5 ounces (⅔ cup) canned pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup (79mL) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (45 grams) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325. Gather all ingredients, and have ready 2 six-ounce ramekins ready.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together.
- Whisk very well until combined, but do not use an electric mixer or otherwise beat air into the batter.
- Divide the mixture between 2 6-ounce ramekins.
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes. When done, just the very center should SLIGHTLY jiggle. Turn off the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, and let them cool in the oven for 1-2 hours.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with a dollop whipped cream and an extra dusting of spices.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 18gSugar: 21gProtein: 10g
Suzette White says
Hi, this looks so delicious. I’m now gluten free, no dairy & need to be low sugar. Would coconut sugar work? What about the replacement be for the dairy, oat milk?
Thanks this GF is new to me & it’s hard to accept.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Christina Lane says
I don't make gluten-free, dairy-free and low-sugar recipes, I'm sorry. Try google :)
Michelle says
Hi There- I assume in step 5 you turn off the oven when you prop the door open. Is that correct? Looking forward to trying this- looks yummy!
Emily says
Could I use coconut cream rather than dairy cream?
Christina Lane says
I think so :)
Kim Montoya says
Would this recipe fit into a 6" pie pan? As an empty nester trying to cook small is difficult. :)
Bonnie says
Starting off with the good: this is wonderful! Just like the filling for pumpkin pie. I thought I would be clever (Ha!) and blind bake some pastry (after all I was making apple dumplings, too). Either I didn’t bake the crust long enough or I had rolled it too thick for such a small pie. Again, the filling? Wonderful and delicious, my crust? Not so much. I mixed the filling the night before (read about that somewhere on line. New York Times, maybe?) and the flavors were perfectly blended. I also baked the pudding in a water bath (because I forgot to check the recipe again). I do most of my custards this way and it does make a nice texture.
Melanie says
I made this for Thanksgiving 2021 because I was the only Pumpkin Pie eater of the bunch. This is the best Pumpkin Pie custard I have ever had and I am a 61 year old New Englander born and bred. Thank you for this recipe!!!