Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie From Scratch | Real Food Dessert
This crustless pumpkin pie is, hands down, my favorite pumpkin dessert. It’s simple to make, naturally sweetened, freezer-friendly, and full of cozy autumn flavors like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and real pumpkin.
Where I live in North Africa, most produce is still truly seasonal. You won’t find strawberries in December or oranges in June — and that’s part of what makes each season’s bounty feel so special. By August and September, pumpkins start appearing on roadside stands, and that’s our signal that pumpkin season has officially begun.
I’ve always loved pie, but I’ve never been a fan of fussing with pastry. This crustless version lets me enjoy all the goodness of pumpkin pie without the extra work — and honestly, it’s so rich and flavorful, no one ever misses the crust!
Why This is the Best Crustless Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- There is no crust making involved, which means that you can have this pie mixed and baked in less than an hour – which is perfect if unexpected company arrives or if you just want an easy pumpkin dessert.
- This recipe uses fresh pumpkin and only real food ingredients – no need for evaporated or condensed milk.
- It is naturally sweetened with unrefined sugar – both brown sugar and rapadura/sucanat will work fine in this pie.
- It uses fresh pumpkin – perfect for using up your garden harvest or farmer’s market produce!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You will also need a little butter or coconut oil to grease your pie dish (I forgot to add that to the photo!).
- You can use either crème fraîche or thick cream in this recipe. I usually use crème fraîche because I add it to soups and cottage cheese, so I tend to always have it in the fridge.
- Instead of brown sugar, feel free to use sucanat.
- I know some people use almond flour instead of white flour in crustless pie, but I have not personally tried it.
- Fresh pumpkin is best, but use canned if you need to.
Which Pumpkin is Best for Pie?
Choose a high-quality pumpkin with deep orange flesh for the best flavor. While there are varieties grown specifically for pie, I simply use the best pumpkin I can find at the market — one that’s firm, sweet, and richly colored.
To prepare the pumpkin for this pie, cut it into slices (you won’t need the whole thing — one generous slice is plenty), then peel and chop it into cubes. Place the cubes in a roasting dish, toss together with a little melted coconut oil, and roast at 200°C (375°F) for 30–40 minutes, until golden and fork-tender.
Roasting the pumpkin instead of steaming or boiling it helps concentrate the natural sugars and gives a deeper, richer flavor — perfect for a pie where the pumpkin really shines.
Once roasted, transfer the pumpkin to a large measuring jug and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Then simply measure out two cups of purée for your pie filling.
What Gives Pumpkin Pie Its Flavor?
The flavor of the pumpkin is what matters most, so it’s worth choosing a good-quality, naturally sweet variety. Not only does it taste better, but it also means you can use less sugar in the recipe — always a win in my book.
That said, the spices play an important role too. For the best flavor, I like to grind whole cloves by hand in a mortar and grate the nutmeg fresh. Combined with warm cinnamon and a hint of ginger, they bring out the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin beautifully. But if all you have is a pumpkin pie spice blend, don’t worry — use that instead, and your pie will still turn out lovely.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. In a large mixing bowl mix together all the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and all the spices.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients – eggs, pumpkin, and crème fraîche (or thick cream). Whisk together until smooth.
Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk really so the mixture is really smooth, with no lumps.
Pour the mixture into a greased pie dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes until set and golden brown on top. Start checking on it after about 30 minutes have passed to make sure it is not getting too brown on top. To know if the pie has set, shake the dish gently – it should not wobble in the middle. Touch it very gently on top – the middle should feel spongy, not runny.
How to Serve Crustless Pumpkin Pie
When your pie comes out of the oven, let it cool down to room temperature before you cut it – hot pie is difficult to slice. If you plan to serve it chilled, do not cut it until ready to serve – the cold pie is super easy to cut into perfect slices.
This crustless pumpkin pie is delicious served on its own, or with a dollop of whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.
Storage FAQs
- This pie should be kept in the fridge and used up within 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze either the whole pie or cut into separate slices. Wrap it well before freezing to prevent freezer burn.
Variations + Tips
- If you don’t have a pie dish, make it in a greased cake tin instead.
- You could also bake it in mini tart tins for individual servings (reduce the baking time if you choose to do that) or in ramekins as a baked custard.
- You could make it ahead or make a double batch and save one pie in the freezer for the future.
Conclusion
This wholesome, crustless pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin is the perfect cozy dessert for fall — I hope you’ll give it a try this season!
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If you love pumpkin, check out the other pumpkin recipes on my blog:
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- pie dish
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ⅔ cups white flour
- 1 cup brown sugar or rapadura
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp unrefined salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves, ground in a mortar
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup crème fraîche or thick cream
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
To grease the pie dish
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together all the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and the spices.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients – eggs, pumpkin, and crème fraîche (or thick cream). Whisk together until smooth.
- Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk well so the mixture is really smooth, with no lumps.
- Pour the mixture into a greased pie dish.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until set and golden brown on top. Start checking on it after about 30 minutes have passed to make sure it is not getting too brown on top. To know if the pie has set, shake the dish gently – it should not wobble in the middle. Touch it very gently on top – the middle should feel spongy, not runny.
- Wait for the pie to cool before cutting it into slices.
- Serve warm or chilled, either on its own or with some whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- This pie will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- It is also freezer friendly. You can freeze the whole pie or slice it first and freeze as individual slices.
