Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Gingersnap Crust

This Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Gingersnap Crust is a holiday season favorite! It’s been on our family’s holiday dessert table for more years than I can count and it’s always a crowd pleaser! And the recipe is super simple and only requires a handful of ingredients!

You guys know, my Gram was the head honcho of Thanksgiving, right? I would wake up every Thanksgiving morning to the smell of celery and onions cooking for the holiday stuffing. She’d spend most of the day in the kitchen so she’d be close to the oven to baste the prized bird every so often. Gram had everything under control. Never a dry turkey on Gram’s watch!

Mom would be on appetizer duty, with perhaps a side dish or two and ALWAYS without a doubt this pumpkin chiffon pie. My mother would just make a regular graham cracker crust, but since my boys are partial to gingersnaps, I decided to make a gingersnap crust.

We think the gingersnap crust is just perfect for the holidays. You’ll need to finely crush sometimes gingersnap cookies until you have about 1 1/2 cups and then mix in some melted butter, light brown sugar and a pinch of salt until it’s well combined. You’ll press the mixture into your pie plate making sure it’s firmly packed.

I use the bottom of a glass and press the crumbs down firmly to make sure the crust holds together well. Then you’ll bake it for 8 minutes at 350 degrees and let it cool before filling it with your pumpkin chiffon mixture.

The pumpkin chiffon mixture is a combination of pumpkin pie MIX, not pure pumpkin, some unflavored gelatin, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and an egg that you’ll bring to a boil on your stovetop. You’ll remove it from the heat and then let the mixture chill in the fridge for about two hours. Then you’ll add your vanilla extract and fold in your Cool Whip, pour it all into your cooled pie shell and chill it until firm. You can serve it with whip cream on the side or get fancy-schmancy with a piping tip and get to decorating. You decide!

I know Thanksgiving day is busier than busy, so you can make this pie the day before. Total win! Hope you folks give this one a try this holiday season and hope it becomes a family favorite at your house too. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 8 servings

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This Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Gingersnap Crust is a holiday season favorite! It's been on our family's holiday dessert table for more years than I can count and it's always a crowd pleaser! And the recipe is super simple and only requires a handful of ingredients!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chilling Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients  

Pie Filling

• 4 tsp. unflavored gelatin, I use the Knox brand
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 30-oz. can pumpkin pie mix, I use Libby's brand
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup Cool Whip topping, plus more for serving or topping, if desired

Gingersnap Crust

• 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
• 4 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• pinch of salt

Instructions 

Pie Filling

• In a large saucepan, combine gelatin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie mix and egg. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cool, but not yet set, about 2 hours. While the mixture is cooling make your pie crust if making homemade.
• Remove the pumpkin mixture from the fridge. Add the vanilla extract and fold in the whipped cream. Pour into pie crust. Chill until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Serve with additional whipped cream on the side or top with whipped cream.

Gingersnap Crust

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  In a large bowl, combine crushed gingersnap cookies, light brown sugar, melted butter and pinch of salt with a fork until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. I like to use the bottom of a glass to make sure the crumbs are packed tightly. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding the pumpkin chiffon mixture.

Notes

As I mentioned above, you will need a can of pumpkin pie mix, not pure pumpkin. I use the Libby's brand.

You can use a regular graham cracker crust if you're not a fan of gingersnaps. Either make a homemade graham cracker crust or you can buy one pre-made from your market. The link to my homemade graham cracker crust is HERE.

 

Keyword: gingersnap crust, pie, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert