Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Pies in a Jar

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With this easy no-bake recipe, everyone gets a Mini Pumpkin Pie in a jar all to themselves! Enjoy layers upon layers of crunchy gingersnap cookie crust, spiced pumpkin pie filling and silky cream cheese mousse.

Easy No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

I had a whole lot of fun preparing these mini pumpkin pies. After I tried the pumpkin pie in a jar at Red Lobster, I set out to recreate the recipe myself. I would have licked that jar clean if I hadn’t been in public! And once I perfected this make-at-home version, I did just that.

These are seriously easy to make and so much more fun to eat than your average pie. Nobody’s complaining about the size of their piece or making a mess in the pie tin. Everyone just grabs a spoon and digs in until it’s all gone. And that’s how dessert should be!

The crust layered into this pumpkin pie uses a combination of both graham crackers and gingersnap cookies. It truly gives you the best of both worlds. The mousse is extra soft and fluffy thanks to whipped egg whites and mini marshmallows. Then you have the creamy pumpkin filling in all its spiced-up glory. Can I get a show of hands for who’s making a double batch?

A spoon scooping up a bite of pumpkin pie from a jar with all three layers on display

What You’ll Need

Each layer of this dessert requires a short roster of simple ingredients. Let’s talk about them in the order they’ll appear in the recipe.

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • Canned Pumpkin Puree: Not canned pumpkin pie filling.
  • Brown Sugar: To sweeten the puree.
  • Cinnamon: For warmth and flavor.
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is used in addition to many of the same spices on their own for the ultimate pumpkin spice flavor!
  • Ground Ginger
  • Ground Cloves
  • Heavy Cream: For a smooth, creamy consistency.

For the Cream Cheese Mousse

  • Eggs: You’ll just need the whites – the yolks can be discarded.
  • Cream of tarter: To stabilize the egg whites.
  • Sugar: For sweetness.
  • Cream Cheese: Softened.
  • Vanilla: Use a high-quality extract for the best results.
  • Mini Marshmallows: If you only have regular-sized marshmallows, simply cut them up to help them melt more easily.

For the Gingersnap Graham Cracker Crust

  • Gingersnap Cookies: Chopped or ground in a food processor.
  • Graham Crackers: Chop up the graham crackers with the gingersnaps.
A close-up shot of three no-bake pumpkin pies topped with whipped cream and gingersnap cookies

How to Make No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

I initially used the 8-ounce (or half pint) mason jars for my mini pumpkin pies, but I’ve since moved on to the 9-ounce cups you see in these photos. Either way, they’re adorable!

Make the Pumpkin Pie Filling

One of the things I loved about the original Red Lobster dessert was the texture of the pumpkin pie filling. It was super silky and smooth, yet it maintained some of the texture of the pumpkin puree. I really wanted mine to have that same consistency. If I do say so myself, I totally nailed it! The filling is so good, I literally ate some of it on its own with a spoon. No shame!

  1. Transfer Puree to Bowl: Add the pumpkin puree to a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Combine Ingredients: Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Set the filling aside.

Make the Cream Cheese Mousse

The meringue that goes into this cream cheese mousse is super easy. Just cook the egg whites over a double boiler to 160 degrees.

  1. Cook Egg Whites: Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot of simmering water. You can also use a double boiler.Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm, to 160 degrees on a thermometer, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. Whip Egg Whites to Soft Peaks: Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat the egg white mixture on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. When done, set egg white mixture aside.
  3. Combine Cream Cheese & Vanilla: In another bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and the vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Melt Marshmallows & Combine: Use a microwave-safe bowl to melt the marshmallows in the microwave, about 15-30 seconds. Add the melted marshmallows to the cream cheese mixture and stir until combined.
  5. Slowly Add Meringue: Add a small amount of the meringue to your marshmallow mixture and fold to combine. Then, add the remaining meringue and carefully fold until well combined.
  6. Chill: Refrigerate the mousse for an hour or so to let it set.

Make the Crust & Assemble

I did change up the crust a bit from the Red Lobster pies. Instead of an all graham cracker crust, I added some chopped gingersnap cookies for a little extra flavor. But of course, you could go with all chopped graham crackers or all gingersnaps, if you’d prefer.

  1. Make Crust: Mix together the chopped graham crackers and gingersnap cookies until combined.
  2. Start Layering: Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of crust to the bottom of each jar. Add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie filling followed by 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mousse.
  3. Finish Layering: Repeat layers 1-3. You should have 2 of each layer in every jar.
  4. Garnish & Serve: Top the jars with a sprinkle of leftover crust, if desired. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
Three glasses filled with layered pumpkin pie with a pumpkin in the background

Tips for Success

Now that you know how to make these pumpkin daydreams, let’s go over some tips and tricks.

  • Avoid Homemade Pumpkin Puree: While fresh pumpkin puree is great, there’s can be too much moisture in it for no-bake pumpkin pie filling. Either drain it extremely well or avoid using it altogether.
  • Don’t Forget to Soften the Cream Cheese: If your cream cheese is cold, you’ll have a hard time combining it with the other ingredients. You can let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature, but I find it easiest to soften it in the microwave.
  • Do Not Over-Mix the Mousse: Stop whipping your meringue as soon as it forms soft peaks. Then, add it very slowly and carefully to the marshmallow mixture, gently folding until combined.
  • Chill the Mousse Until it’s Set: It takes about an hour for the mousse to fully set. If you assemble your pies before it’s ready, it will melt into the other layers. Once it’s set and your jars are filled, keep them in the fridge if you’re not serving them immediately.
A pumpkin pie in a jar on top of a serving platter with two other pies and one spoon

Topping Ideas

After everything is layered up, it only makes sense to add a topping or two. Here are some easy options that I highly recommend!

Three mini pumpkin pies on a metal serving platter with a spoon

How to Store Leftovers

These pumpkin pies are great for making in advance. Just keep in mind that the crust won’t be as crunchy after a couple of days. If you don’t mind that, you can store leftover pies in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep them tightly covered while they sit.

Can I Freeze These?

As long as you assemble them in freezer-safe containers, you can freeze these no-bake pies. Cover them very well and freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen pie out in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Print
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A close-up shot of three no-bake pumpkin pies topped with whipped cream and gingersnap cookies
Recipe

Mini No Bake Pumpkin Pies

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

With this easy no-bake recipe, everyone gets a Mini Pumpkin Pie in a jar all to themselves! Enjoy layers upon layers of crunchy gingersnap cookie crust, spiced pumpkin pie filling and silky cream cheese mousse.


Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 5 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

For the Cream Cheese Mousse

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
  • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

For the Gingersnap Graham Cracker Crust

  • 3/4 cup chopped gingersnaps
  • 3/4 cup chopped graham crackers

Instructions

Make the Pie Filling

  1. Add pumpkin puree into a medium sized bowl.
  2. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves and heavy cream and stir to combine. Set aside.

Make the Mousse

  1. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot of simmering water. You can also use a double boiler.
  2. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm, to 160 degrees on a thermometer, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat the egg white mixture on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. When done, set egg white mixture aside.
  4. In another bowl, mix cream cheese and vanilla together until smooth.
  5. In a separate bowl, melt marshmallows in the microwave, about 15-30 seconds.
  6. Add melted marshmallows to the cream cheese and stir until combined.
  7. Add a small amount of the egg whites to the marshmallow mixture and fold to combine.
  8. Add remaining egg whites to the marshmallow mixture and carefully fold until well combined.
  9. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Make the Crust & Assemble

  1. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the graham cracker/gingersnap crumbs on the bottom of the jar.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie filling.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mousse.
  4. Repeat layers 1-3. You should have 2 of each layer.
  5. Top the jars with a drizzle of caramel, a sprinkle of cookie crumbs and whipped cream, or other desired toppings. Set in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Jar
  • Calories: 366
  • Sugar: 46.2 g
  • Sodium: 259.4 mg
  • Fat: 11.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63.6 g
  • Protein: 5.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 24.8 mg

Categories

More Pumpkin Desserts to Try

Looking for more pumpkin treats to make at home? These recipes are insanely delicious.

This post is sponsored by Darden Restaurants, but all opinions are my own. Photos updated 10/26/16.

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136 Comments
  1. Sandi

    I’ll be making this for Turkey day, do you know if I make the pumpkin and mousse ahead and refrigerate in ziplock bags overnight, they will be fine to assemble once we make it to our destination (kept in a cooler of course)?

    1. Lindsay

      My only concern would be that the mousse might deflate after sitting for a while and then being added. It’s possible that it will, but I can’t say for certain.

  2. Jackie

    Soooo excited to make these for Friendsgiving on Wed! 2 ques – the ginger still goes in the purée, right? I saw it in the ingredient list, but not instructions. Also, I couldn’t locate pumpkin pie spice. Any idea what a good substitute would be? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Thank you!!

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, the ginger goes in the filling. You could just leave the pumpkin pie spice out and add maybe 1/4 tsp nutmeg and a bit more cinnamon.

  3. Kristyn

    I made the “No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar” dessert for Thanksgiving last year. It was absolutely delicious, very rich/filling dessert after that BIG meal (I would probably use a smaller cup next time)! It looked beautiful too!

    You always have the most beautifully decorated desserts. very talented! I find myself pinning all of them!

  4. Myra McDermott

    I made the no bake pumpkin cheesecake for my granddaughters first birthday party. I used baby food jars to serve it with gray plastic spoons in each one. A time saver: I put the mixture into a large plasticky bag. When I got to the party venue, I cut a tip from the bag and piped filling into each pre- crusted jar and topped with whipped topping. Added spoon and they were such a hit !!!!!!! Thank you so much foe an easy crowd pleaser.

  5. LouKYMom

    I absolutely love this recipe!!! I can’t wait to try a mini version & then go all out for Thanksgiving. I really think my guest will have a difficult time turning this down.

    I do want to add something I learned from my mother, who learned this from her mother, and so on… and my great grandmother and grandmother owned a family bakery for over 50 years. When whipping egg whites, it is best to place the eggs and the beaters into a glass mixing bowl into the freezer for no longer than 5 to 10 minutes, just so the bowl is really cold, where it looks frosted, but not so long that the eggs are frozen. I don’t exactly know why this helps as I’m not a chemist, a baker or a chef, it is just something that has been handing down from one generation to the next. I must say that I have never had a problem whipping egg whites and getting the highest peaks you can imagine using this “old wives/bakers’ tale.” I’ve even had all the sugar poured in at once by my 3 year old son (at the time) who was trying to help and it still worked! However, I would recommend doing it slowly as in the recipe.

    Just my 2 cents worth… Thank you so much for the recipe and I can’t wait to try it as listed but also with some of the other ideas listed in the comments.

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  7. Carmen

    This looks divine! Definitely going to try maing this recipe around Thanksgiving. My husband loves pumpkin pie, but not the crust…this’ll be awesome! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

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  9. Jess

    Can you substitute Fluff for the melted marshmellows? We don’t have a microwave & I tried melting in a Pam on stove & they got melted but chunky. When adding to egg whites there were little chunks that wouldn’t blend.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Yes you can. One or two days in advance is probably best, but you could stretch it to 3 if you needed to.

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  11. Mark Dierker

    Red Lobster must be following your blog because my wife and I ate there last night and ordered the Pumpkin Pie in a jar and I think the crust was all gingersnaps. My wife usually takes a spoonful of dessert and leaves the rest for me but last night we were trading spoonfuls.

  12. Megan Curtis

    Wondering about how long it takes from start to finish for the Pumpkin Pie in a Jar? Sounds and looks amazing!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Thanks Megan! The cream cheese mousse takes the longest and should be refrigerated about an hour, so including that time I think you could have them done in about 2-3 hours.

      1. Lindsay

        I had actually been meaning to update the recipe so that they are cooked, which I’ve done. I hope that helps!

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  14. Jenn @ We Do Fun Here

    These look AMAZING, I pick these No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar as my favorite TOP DESSERT at our DELISH~ a dessert only link party! Thanks for sharing and come over now to share even more of your yummy desserts! 🙂

    ~ Jenn

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  16. Christie - Food Done Light

    Your pie looks so scrumptious. It would be fabulous on a Thanksgiving buffet. Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasures. This is a feature.

  17. Laura Bartle

    I would love to try the Pumokin Spice Lava Cake! I am obsessed with your blog and am always excited to try your new recipes!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Aww, thanks Laura!! I hope things are well with you guys and congrats on your newest addition! 🙂

  18. Callie

    Totally loving this adorable pie in a jar and your blog! It’s awesome! All those desserts sound amazing but I would have definitely gone with the pie in a jar as well. 🙂

  19. Jamie T

    They all sound delicious. I think I’d like to try the pumpkin cheesecake from Olive Garden first…and then move onto the others!!

  20. Elisa

    I loved the Pumpkin Pie in a Jar–we had it the last time we went to RL and I would happily eat it again. I will definitely try your recipe for it–looks wonderful!

  21. Carolsue

    Their Warm Apple Crostada is good, but the Pumpkin Pie in a Jar sounds SOOOOOO good! I want to try that one! SOON.

  22. keri @ shaken together

    Obviously, I’ll trust your judgement and go with the pumpkin pie in a jar … but I may have to try the lava cake and cheesecake, too, you know, just to compare 😉

  23. Monet

    What lovely desserts! I love making sweets in jars and this pumpkin version would go perfectly at our harvest dinner next week! Thank you for sharing..and what a fun giveaway!

  24. Starla Bates

    This recipe looks divine and I love anything in a jar! I would also love to try the pumpkin cheesecake at Olive Garden!!

    xo

  25. Stacey

    I’m a sugarholic as well! This recipe sound FANTABULOUS and I can’t wait to make it. What perfect timing too for the Holidays. I am having a fundraiser bake sale that is raising money to buy Christmas gift for underprivileged families and I know this recipe will be a hit. I can’t wait to see all the looks on people’s face when they go in for that first bite. Hopefully they will buy a lot because that means more gift:)

  26. Joanne/WineLady Cooks

    Hi Lindsay, This looks so delicious and EASY to make. I love EASY desserts. I’ve pinned and am sharing this.
    Thanks so much for sharing this with Foodie Friends Friday Halloween Party.

    Joanne

  27. Karyn Campbell

    I want to try these so badly as I am not that into the crust of the pie and I have no oven to bake in at the moment so here is my favorite all in an easy and cute package! Mmmm salivating at the thought of making them!

  28. Jocelyn@BruCrew Life

    Oh man, first of all I’ve always adored desserts in jars. And then you go ahead and make this heavenly goodness!! It’s like, the perfect dessert!!! 🙂

  29. Jessica

    I would definitely have to go for the cheesecake. My friend made one for Thanksgiving last year, and I have been craving it ever since! I plan to give it a try myself this year with your recipe. I love your blog, and thanks so much for sharing this giveaway with us!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Thank you Jessica, I’m so glad you enjoy the blog! The pumpkin cheesecake is great – you’ll love it! 🙂

  30. Wendy

    Luscious combination of flavors and textures, Lindsay! Wouldn’t these be beautiful on a holiday table?! And no messy slicing and serving of pie! Not to mention, that no-bake means no competing with the turkey for oven space!

  31. Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner

    I love everything about these no bake pumpkin pies…gorgeous presentation, looks delicious, easy peezy, no bake. I mean can it get better? 😉 Definitely need to try these. 🙂

  32. Susan @ Love in the Ktchen

    Wow Lindsay – those look amazing!

    I think I’d try the Pumpkin Spice Lava cake. I’ve always loved lava cakes, but never thought about making it pumpkin.

  33. Joan@Chocolate and More

    These parfaits look amazing but I’m a cheesecake girl so I’d have to go for the Cheesecake at Olive Garden!

  34. Tammy Northrup {Yours and Mine ARE Ours}

    The pumpkin pie in a jar sounds divine and I am definitely trying yours! Yum!

  35. kc

    I always like to mix a handful (or 2) of chopped nuts into my graham cracker crusts – this recipe sounds absolutely YUMMY!! Thanks for the chance to go test them ourselves!!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29