Pumpkin Pudding Pie

This Pumpkin Pudding Pie has all the delicious, creamy goodness of pumpkin pie but without all the hard work and oven time! It’s a no bake pie with vanilla pudding, pure pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and heavy cream inside a ready-to-use graham cracker crust. 

For more delicious twists to the classic pumpkin pie be sure and try my Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie or this Maple Pumpkin Pie. 

Pumpkin Pudding Pie Recipe

Pumpkin Pudding Pie is easy to make with a ready-to-use graham cracker crust, filled with an easy mixture of heavy cream + pure pumpkin + pumpkin pie spice and instant French vanilla pudding. It’s creamy, smooth, cool, thick, and the perfect way to end a big meal like at Thanksgiving or a weeknight meal (cause it’s so easy to make!). 

It’s also a great make-ahead dessert! It needs plenty of refrigeration time so make it the night before and leave it in the fridge.

Ingredients Needed

• ‘Ready Crust’ Graham Cracker Crust – This is a store-bought crust that you will find in the baking aisle. It is a 6 ounce size and equal to a 9-inch pie. Don’t buy the one that says ‘2 extra servings’ on it. This recipe does not make enough pie filling for the larger size. 
• French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix – You need 2 small boxes of instant pudding. You can use French vanilla or plain vanilla, whichever one you prefer. They’re both equally delicious. 
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Heavy Cream – No substitutes for this one!
• Pure Pumpkin – 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. 
• Whipped Cream – This is an optional garnish if wanted. You can buy a spray can of whipped cream or make your own. Spread it on top for a second layer OR you can pipe it around the edges of the pie. 

How to Make No Bake Pumpkin Pie with Instant Pudding

Learn how to make this no bake pumpkin pie with the easy steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a detailed recipe card, a pin it button so you can save the recipe for later, and a printable option that you can print off at home.

• Pudding + Spice : Add the dry pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice into a mixing bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to combine it together. 
• Heavy Cream + Pumpkin : Add the heavy cream and pure pumpkin. Use an electric hand mixer to blend it together until it’s combined well and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. It will be a thick mixture but it should still be mixed well and smooth. 
• Pie : Scoop the mixture into the graham cracker crust and smooth out the top. Cover with the plastic lid from the crust and let it refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

Pumpkin Pudding Pie FAQ’s

• How To Store Leftovers

  • This pumpkin pudding pie should be stored well covered, either with the plastic lid includes in the crust OR plastic wrap, inside the refrigerator and consumed within 3-4 days. 
  • The longer the pie sits in the fridge the more likely it is to give off liquid from the pudding and other moist ingredients in the pie, which will make the graham crust turn soggy eventually. 

• Can I Make Any Changes to This Recipe?

  • There are a few modifications that you can make to this recipe if wanted. Here are some ideas to switch it up if you’d like to change it. 
    • Instant Pudding Flavor : Change the instant pudding flavor to vanilla or cheesecake. You can even make a chocolate pumpkin version of this pie and use a chocolate crust & a box of chocolate pudding. I prefer using French vanilla or vanilla pudding when I make this pie. 
    • Crust : There are other options at the store including an Oreo crumb crust, a reduced-fat graham cracker crust, or a shortbread crust. If you can find the shortbread crust then use it! It’s my favorite one to use in this recipe. 
    • Toppings/Garnishes : Add a layer of whipped cream on top of the pie, either homemade or store-bought is fine. You can also use a piping bag to pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie. Or keep it simple and serve the pie as is or with a dollop of Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream on top of each slice. Add a gingersnap cookie or just some crumbs to the top. You can also drizzle with caramel syrup or sprinkle on some additional pumpkin pie spice. 
    • Milk : Although I recommend using heavy cream you can use half and half milk if wanted. If you use anything with less fat than the heavy cream, I would recommend only using 1 cup so the pie is not too thinned out. 

• Serving Suggestions

  • Serve this pie chilled from the fridge. It will soften if left out for too long at room temperature. 

• Can I Make This Pie Ahead of Time?

  • Yes! Because this pie is no bake and needs lots of refrigeration time, it’s the perfect make ahead dessert. Prepare the pie as directed in the recipe and let it refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. 
  • I recommend making it the day before you are planning on serving it. 
  • I don’t recommend making this pie more than 24 hours in advance. As it sits in the fridge the pudding and other moist ingredients will give off some liquid which will make the crust soggy eventually. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Scrape The Bowl : Using a rubber/silicone spatula, make sure that you are stopping the blender and scraping the sides, and bottom of the bowl, several times while mixing it. You want to really make sure that everything is combined well. The mixture is thicker so scraping the bowl is really the only way to ensure a thorough mix. 
• Whipped Cream Topping : You can serve this pie as is with just the pumpkin pudding mixture OR try topping it with a layer of whipped cream (from a spray can or homemade) or you can make it really fancy and pipe it around the outer edges of the pie. Or just serve each individual slice with a dollop of whipped cream. 
• No Substitutes : It’s important that the recipe is followed exactly. There are no substitutes for any of the ingredients. You need the fat from the heavy cream and you have to use 100% pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling. 
• Refrigeration Time : Be sure to plan ahead so the pie has plenty of refrigeration time. Make it the day before and let it refrigerate overnight for an easy dessert the following day. 

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

• Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie – Simple to make with a store-bought graham cracker crust and two layers of cheesecake inside. 
• Pumpkin Pie Poke Cake – Like pumpkin pie but in a super moist cake! 
• Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Cake – A pumpkin cake topped with a sweet and thick layer of cinnamon streusel and then finished off with a simple vanilla glaze. 
• Pumpkin Spice Cake – Bakes up in a 9×13 pan with pure pumpkin and all the warm pumpkin spices. 
• No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake – So simple to make because it’s no bake! Just allow enough time for it to refrigerate and you’ll be good to go.