Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
Silky, mousse-like pumpkin filling meets a flaky, blind-baked crust in this pumpkin chiffon pie for a lighter take on a fall classic. This no bake (aside from the crust) pie is modeled after my perfect pumpkin pie and utilizes my favorite (and reader-favorite) homemade pie crust, so you know you’re getting all the best flavors in a lighter but still crowd-pleasing version.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie: A Lighter, Airy Take on My Favorite Pumpkin Pie
If you love my perfect pumpkin pie (or the version in a graham cracker crust!) but are craving something a little lighter and airy, you’re going to adore this pumpkin chiffon pie. It takes the flavors you already know and love and transforms them into a mousse-like, chilled dessert that’s still made in my favorite flaky pie crust. While it takes a little more elbow grease to whip up the filling, it’s surprisingly simple, and the results are dreamy.
Chiffon pies are all about texture: light, airy, and silky thanks to whipped egg whites stabilized with gelatin. This is a total contrast to the classic dense, custard-like pumpkin pie you’re used to, but don’t worry! All the signature pumpkin flavor is still front and center. Plus, it’s chilled instead of baked (aside from the crust), which makes it a refreshing, effortless dessert for any fall or holiday gathering.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
This ingredient is extensive, but don’t let it get you down. A lot of the ingredients are spices. Let’s break down what you’ll need for each component of this pumpkin chiffon pie.
THE CRUST
Just like my classic pumpkin pie, I’m using my favorite homemade pie crust here. It’s flaky, buttery, and blind-baked to perfection (because even a light chiffon filling deserves a tasty and solid foundation). You can absolutely use a store-bought crust if you want to save a step (or even go rogue with a graham cracker or gingersnap one!), but homemade is worth it every time.
For the crust, you’ll need unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, salt, and ice cold water.
THE FILLING
This is where the magic happens, so let’s touch on just the important ingredients.
UNFLAVORED GELATIN: this is the heart of a chiffon pie. And no, the pie doesn’t feel like gelatin. While it has that solid feeling base, the gelatin is just here to hold everything together since we’re not making a traditional custard that will solidify in the oven.
GRANULATED SUGAR, DIVIDED: I like to use brown and white sugar for my pumpkin pie, because brown sugar has such deep flavor and with all its moisture, it mimics the density of a custard-based pie. Since we’re keeping things light here, it’s just granulated sugar for the sweetness. We’ll add it to the filling in two parts, to be sure to keep it divided as indicated in the recipe card.
SPICES: nothing fancy here, but you’ll see black pepper, which is one of my favorite spices to add to pumpkin pie as well as my gingerbread recipes. Trust the process! You’ll also see a note about orange zest in the recipe card. It’s a lovely addition, but one I kept out of this version, again for the light aspect. It packs a punch of extra flavor that I love, so if you decide you want that in this chiffon version, I say go for it.
SEPARATED EGGS: the egg yolks will go into the bulk of the filling with the pumpkin and other ingredients, and we’ll use the whites to bring the “fluff” and “light and airy” aspect to this pumpkin chiffon pie.
WHOLE MILK: I like to use heavy cream for my pumpkin pie, which again, leans into the heaviness of a custard-based pie. We pull back on the fat a bit here by using whole milk. And yes, you can use a non-dairy milk if you would like to.
PUMPKIN PUREE: nothing special here, just be sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE
There is a lot of downtime with this pie, so be sure you’re reading through everything so you know what to expect throughout the process. I have lots of pictures here, detailed steps in the recipe card, and a video to help you succeed the first time.
Prepare and blind bake the pie crust: if you’re using a store-bought pie crust, you won’t have to make it and roll it out, but you will still need to blind bake it. The pie crust will take a total of 30 minutes in the oven, and you’ll need your pie crust to be completely cool before adding the filling.
Make the pumpkin filling: though this isn’t a custard-based pie and we aren’t baking it, we do have to cook the filling to ensure egg safety. I like to use a digital instant-read thermometer to be sure that the temperature of the mixture has reached 160ºF (71ºC). Allow this mixture to cool before moving onto the chiffon portion.
Make the chiffon filling: beat the egg whites on high speed until they are foamy, add the remaining sugar, and then beat until stiff peaks.
Bring it all together: you’ll add the egg white mixture to the pumpkin base in batches, taking care to fold it in so as not to deflate the mixture. I do this in about 6 total batches, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Start with about 1 cup for the first batch (eyeballed), and then eyeball the rest of the mixture until everything is combined.
Pour into the crust + chill: your crust will probably be completely chilled by this point, but if it’s not, make sure it is before bringing everything together. You’ll need to chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until it is completely set, but I always prefer at least an overnight chill to ensure it is fully set.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Be gentle when folding in the egg whites– they’re what make this pie light and airy.
Don’t skip the gelatin— it helps the pie hold its shape once chilled.
Make ahead: this pie needs to set up in the fridge and will last awhile if you want to save time on your holiday. Plus, the longer the flavors sit together, the better they taste at the endgame.
SERVING & GARNISH IDEAS
Top with homemade whipped cream, pumpkin spice whipped cream, coffee whipped cream (for a pumpkin spice latte vibe), sugared cranberries, or pie crust leaves (see recipe notes).
This pumpkin chiffon pie is a lighter, slightly different take on a classic, but it’s still packed with the flavors you love. Whether you’re serving it for Thanksgiving, a fall gathering, or just because, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser… Even for pumpkin pie skeptics.
MORE TWISTS ON THANKSGIVING CLASSICS
Silky Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- homemade pie crust makes 2 crusts: see recipe notes1
- ¼ cup (60mL) cold water
- 1 envelope (7g) unflavored gelatin about 2 and ½ teaspoons
- ⅔ cup + ¼ cup (183g) granulated sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs yolks and whites separated
- ½ cup (120mL) whole milk
- 1 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare my homemade pie crust through step 4.homemade pie crust
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC).
- On a floured work surface, roll out one disc of chilled pie dough. Turn the dough about one quarter of a turn after every few rolls until dough is in a circle approximately 12" in diameter.
- Carefully place the dough into a 9" x 2" pie dish. Use your fingers to tuck it in and make it smooth. If you need to trim the edges, use a small paring knife to do so. Flute the edges with your pointer finger knuckle of one hand and thumb and pointer finger of the other. If your crust has gotten especially warm from touching it, pop it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Prick the crust a few times with a fork, then line the crust with parchment paper and dried beans or a pie chain/pie weights. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, remove the pie weights and parchment, and bake for another 15 minutes. When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely while you prepare the filling.
- Pour the water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.¼ cup (60mL) cold water, 1 envelope (7g) unflavored gelatin
- In a medium size saucepan, combine ⅔ cup of the granulated sugar with the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, egg yolks, milk, and pumpkin purée. Whisk to combine.⅔ cup + ¼ cup (183g) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 large eggs, ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, 1 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin purée
- Turn the heat to medium and cook the mixture while stirring constantly until it is hot and starts to thicken (this will take about 6-8 minutes). Take care not to let the mixture boil. If you want to check for food safety, use a digital instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the mixture has reached 160ºF (71ºC)
- Remove the mixture from the heat, then pour it over the gelatin and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until it is cool but not set, about 45 minutes. Stir the mixture about halfway through to ensure it doesn't set.
- Once the filling is cooled, finish the filling. Add the egg whites to a large bowl (if using a handheld electric mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until they are foamy, about 1-2 minutes.3 large eggs
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, then slowly add the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract, then increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.⅔ cup + ¼ cup (183g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fold about 1 cup (you can eyeball this) of the egg white mixture into the pumpkin mixture until no white streaks remain.
- Add the rest of the egg white mixture to the pumpkin mixture in 4-5 more batches (again, eyeball it), folding everything together until it is mostly combined before adding the next batch.
- After the last batch of egg white mixture, fold everything together until it is homogenous and evenly combined. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Serve with homemade whipped cream, pumpkin spice whipped cream, and sugared cranberries. Leftovers stay fresh covered tightly in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Pie can be frozen, up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a plastic zip top bag. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
Video
Notes
- Pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts: so you can use 1 for the pie and 1 for cut-out leaves, if you wish. On a floured work surface, roll out the second pie crust, about ⅛” thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes (these are my favorite fall minis!). Brush each lightly with the beaten egg + cream wash and dust with cinnamon sugar (optional). If you’d like to make leaf veins, use a very sharp knife. Place cut pieces a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and bake at 350°F (177ºC) for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool before using to decorate pie. Make pie crust cookies with the scraps.
- Orange zest: my classic pumpkin pie uses orange zest, which is a lovely addition to the filling. I left it out of this recipe since we’re leaning into a lighter texture, but I encourage you to add if it you want a punchier flavor. Use 2 teaspoons– you may use fresh or jarred orange zest. I have used both and prefer the stronger flavor of fresh.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.