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At the first sign of fall, this crustless pumpkin pie is the way to get your pumpkin fix without all the leftovers! Plus, itโ€™s so easy and tastes exactly the same without the crust! Donโ€™t worry because this recipe doesnโ€™t use evaporated milk, so you can be sure you wonโ€™t have an awkward leftover portion of the can. Healthy pumpkin pie in ramekins for everyone!

ย 
Two ramekins of crustless pumpkin pie with whipped cream and two spoons.

This crustless pumpkin pie fits into your life so well! Letโ€™s say you crave pumpkin pie, but donโ€™t want to make a whole pie with 10 slices. You can just make this small batch pumpkin pie for two! Or, letโ€™s say youโ€™re avoiding pie crust for dietary reasons. You can make these small ramekins of crustless pie to satisfy your craving without the crust!

The main thing I want to emphasize about this recipe is that it tastesย just like regular pumpkin pie!ย Nothing is lost when scaling it down and baking it without a crust. The pumpkin custard filling tastes the same whether it is baked in a large pie plate or a ramekin. The flavor of the crust does not contribute any flavor to the actual pie, it just provides a base to hold the custard. In my opinion, we donโ€™t even need the crust.

Individual pumpkin pie without crust.

Ingredients:

  • Canned Pumpkin. This is not the same as canned pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin pie mix. We just want pure canned pumpkin, no sugar or spices added. Read the label closely, because as it gets closer to Thanksgiving, the regular canned pumpkin sells out and they replace it with the pie version. Regular, plain canned pumpkin with the ingredient list only listing โ€˜pumpkin.โ€™ We are adding our own sugar and spices to the pumpkin.
  • Brown Sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
  • Egg. One whole large egg.
  • Vanilla.
  • Spices. You can use 3/4 of a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or you can use my blend of cinnamon, ground clove, ground ginger, and grated nutmeg listed below.
  • Heavy Cream. Most recipes for pumpkin pie use canned evaporated milk. No thank you. Heavy cream is fresh and approximately one million times better.
  • Whipped Cream for Serving. Iโ€™m partial to the can of squirt whipped cream for this recipe. Letโ€™s not overthink it. Itโ€™s just a crustless pumpkin pie in a ramekin!
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How to make crustless pumpkin pie:

  1. First, gather all of your ingredients, and rejoice! Because there are so few ingredients, truly! Gather your canned pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, spices, and heavy cream. We are using heavy cream instead of evaporated milk so that we donโ€™t have leftover canned ingredients. Weโ€™re not using sweetened condensed milk for the same reason. Preheat your oven to 325-degrees Fahrenheit, and ensure there is a rack in the center position of the oven.
    Ingredients for crustless pumpkin pie for two in ramekins.
  2. In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk very well to combine. Whisk everything together very well, but do not beat it or use an electric, or else youโ€™ll add too much air to the custard. When over-inflated custards bake in the oven, they can rise and sink too much.
    Ingredients for pumpkin pie in clear glass bowl.
  3. Check the bottom of your bowl to ensure all ingredients are homogenous. We donโ€™t want any brown sugar clumps or spices clumped together.
    Pumpkin pie filling in clear bowl with whisk.
  4. Divide the batter between the two ramekins. Place them on a small baking sheet, and slide them into the oven to bake.ย Raw pumpkin pie filling in ramekins.
  5. Bake the pumpkin pie custards for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the oven and give the pan a slight shake. Only the very center of the pie should wiggle. A very slightly jiggly pie will be set and firm after some time. Close the oven door again, but this time, prop it open with a wooden spoon. Let the pies rest in the oven for 1-2 hours, or until just warm.
    Pumpkin pies in ramekins on baking sheet.
  6. The edges of the pie will pull away from the sides of the ramekins, letting you know the pies are truly done. If you like your pumpkin pie warm, you can eat it now! However, we like to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a squirt of whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spices, and serve!
Pumpkin pie in ramekin with melting whipped cream and spoon.

Do you see that spoonful of real pumpkin pie? I promise it tastes just as good as if it was cooked in a regular pie crust in a large plate. And how lovely that you get to enjoy your own little ramekin of pie without sharing!

Can you freeze this?

Iโ€™m not the biggest fan of freezing things that contain egg, especially a cream and egg custard base. I have seen custard separate and slightly weep. Iโ€™m sorry, but eggs and freezer usually donโ€™t mix!

Is this crustless pumpkin pie low carb?

I never intended for this recipe to be low carb, but the nutrition facts in my recipe card below say that it is not. Carbs come from pumpkin and the added sugar. However, itโ€™s pretty low calorie, in my opinion. I just wanted to create a fast and easy way to get pumpkin pie in your mouth, but the added bonus of low calorie is cool, right?

This crustless pumpkin pie isnโ€™t the only thing that I think is better without the crust! My crustless chicken pot pie is just as great when served over toast. And, the creamy flavors of cheesecake are so incredible, that a graham cracker crust isnโ€™t even needed in my crustless cheesecake. Youโ€™re just going to have to trust me, and youโ€™re also going to have to grab some ramekins! These small 6-ounce ramekins are what Iโ€™m using.

If small pumpkin pies are your thing, you might like my mini pumpkin pies made in a muffin pan! They have a crust, and are so simple to make for a crowd.

Other pumpkin recipes to use leftover pumpkin:

Yield: 2

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Two ramekins of crustless pumpkin pie with whipped cream and two spoons.

Crustless pumpkin pie baked in two ramekins. So easy, so delicious!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces (2/3 cup) canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup (79mL) heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup (45 grams) brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 325. Gather all ingredients, and have ready 2 six-ounce ramekins ready. Ingredients for crustless pumpkin pie for two in ramekins.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Ingredients for pumpkin pie in clear glass bowl.
    3. Whisk very well until combined, but do not use an electric mixer or otherwise beat air into the batter. Pumpkin pie filling in clear bowl with whisk.
    4. Divide the mixture between 2 6-ounce ramekins. Raw pumpkin pie filling in ramekins.
    5. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes. When done, just the very center should SLIGHTLY jiggle. Turn off the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, and let them cool in the oven for 1-2 hours. Pumpkin pies in ramekins on baking sheet.
    6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with a dollop whipped cream and an extra dusting of spices.

Notes

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 18gSugar: 21gProtein: 10g

Did you make this recipe?

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About Christina Lane

Christina Lane is the author of 5 cookbooks all about cooking and baking for two. She has scaled down hundreds of recipes into smaller servings so you can enjoy your favorite dishes without the leftovers! Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday.

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13 Comments

  1. Suzette White says:

    Hi, this looks so delicious. Iโ€™m now gluten free, no dairy & need to be low sugar. Would coconut sugar work? What about the replacement be for the dairy, oat milk?
    Thanks this GF is new to me & itโ€™s hard to accept.
    Thanks for any suggestions.

    1. Christina Lane says:

      I donโ€™t make gluten-free, dairy-free and low-sugar recipes, Iโ€™m sorry. Try google :)

  2. Michelle says:

    Hi There- I assume in step 5 you turn off the oven when you prop the door open. Is that correct? Looking forward to trying this- looks yummy!

  3. Emily says:

    Could I use coconut cream rather than dairy cream?

    1. Christina Lane says:

      I think so :)

      1. Maggie says:

        I used full fat unsweetened coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand) and it worked great!

  4. Kim Montoya says:

    Would this recipe fit into a 6โ€ณ pie pan? As an empty nester trying to cook small is difficult. :)

  5. Bonnie says:

    Starting off with the good: this is wonderful! Just like the filling for pumpkin pie. I thought I would be clever (Ha!) and blind bake some pastry (after all I was making apple dumplings, too). Either I didnโ€™t bake the crust long enough or I had rolled it too thick for such a small pie. Again, the filling? Wonderful and delicious, my crust? Not so much. I mixed the filling the night before (read about that somewhere on line. New York Times, maybe?) and the flavors were perfectly blended. I also baked the pudding in a water bath (because I forgot to check the recipe again). I do most of my custards this way and it does make a nice texture.

  6. Melanie says:

    I made this for Thanksgiving 2021 because I was the only Pumpkin Pie eater of the bunch. This is the best Pumpkin Pie custard I have ever had and I am a 61 year old New Englander born and bred. Thank you for this recipe!!!

  7. Ashley Slack says:

    This is the second recipe I have made off of this website and I am so pleased with how it turned out, yet again! I will say that I did not leave the mini pies in a turned off oven for 1-2 hours like the recipe suggests. In my opinion it overcomplicated an otherwise super simple recipe, and in my case, with 4 very small children in the house, was impractical to have a slightly propped open oven for a curious child to burn themselves on. The pies still came out perfectly! Like mini pumpkin custards :-D I just let them cool on the stovetop for a bit, and then moved them to fully chill (and firm up a bit) in the refrigerator before my husband and I enjoyed them about 3 hours later. Will definitely make this again and again!

  8. Ariel says:

    I had around a cup of pumpkin puree left and needed to use it, and this recipe was perfect for that. I prepared the filling as stated but poured it into a larger baking dish instead. Once it was cooled and refrigerated, I topped it with some leftover whipped cream cheese filling from a pumpkin roll I made. I served it as a dip with pie crust โ€œcookiesโ€ and it was perfect!

    1. Christina Lane says:

      Aw thank you so much! Iโ€™m so glad :)

  9. pattirose says:

    WOW โ€“ this is a keeper!
    I am surprised at how great this tastes โ€“ thank you.