I found this recipe for this no-bake variation of pumpkin pie in a Company’s Coming cookbook and made it one Thanksgiving, over 20 years ago. It was called bi-layer pumpkin pie and it became one of our favorites! I ended up getting two pies from the recipe and sent one pie home with my brother. It’s such a delicious pie and different than a traditional pumpkin pie. It became a pie I made every Thanksgiving! Since it is a no-bake pie, which is so nice, it is simple to prepare and can be ready in minutes! It has a pumpkin layer and a cream cheese layer (hence bi-layer), giving it almost, a pumpkin cheesecake flavor. It’s delicious!
Let’s get started!
Combine graham crumbs, butter and sugar. Mix well and press into pie plate or tart pan. I like the tart pan because it is a bit deeper.
Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
Combine cream cheese and sugar together. Beat well. Fold in whipped topping. Spread in an even layer in a prepared graham cracker crust or cooked pie crust.
For the second layer, combine pumpkin, spices, vanilla pudding and milk. Mix well. Pour over cream cheese layer.
Top with whipped topping and the pie is complete! So yummy! Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.
Fun Fact: I once worked with a lady whose aunt was Jean Paré, the author of the Company’s Coming Cookbooks. Their office, test kitchen and publishing warehouse was in Edmonton. I was lucky enough to get a few cookbooks before their release date which was pretty cool!
Double Layer No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Graham Cracker Crust
1 cup graham crackers
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
First layer
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tub whipped topping like Cool Whip
Second layer
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
Third layer
1/2 tub Cool Whip
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter together. Mix well. If too dry, add a splash of water. Press into a pie plate or tart pan. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Combine cream cheese and sugar together. Beat well. Fold in whipped topping. Spread in an even layer in a prepared graham cracker crust or cooked pie crust. For the second layer, combine pumpkin, spices, vanilla pudding and milk. Mix well. Pour over cream cheese layer. Carefully spread remaining whipped topping over pumpkin layer, or pipe it nicely. Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.
“When life gives you pumpkins, make pie.”
— Unknown
I decided to change up the recipe a bit and turn the pie into squares! We all decided that we enjoyed the squares much more than in our form! For this variation, we made a cookie base.
Bi-Layer Pumpkin Squares
First, we need to prepare the base.
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
Mix flour, baking powder and a sprinkle of salt together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add icing sugar and mix. Add egg, one at a time, stirring well after each. Pour mixture into a 9×13″ baking pan and press firmly, but not too hard. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Next we will start in the cream cheese layer.
First Layer:
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup 35% whipping cream, whipped stiff with 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla until stiff. To make the whipping cream a bit more stiff so it holds its shape, add 2 tbsp instant vanilla pudding mix. Fold cream into cream cheese mixture and spread over cookie base.
Second Layer:
2 cups pumpkin – we are using homegrown pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
1 – 102g box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix pudding mix and milk together with spices. Whisk until smooth. Add in pumpkin and stir well. Pour over cream cheese layer.
Then top with additional whipped cream. We whipped 1 cup whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup icing sugar and 2 tbsp vanilla instant pudding to keep the whip cream stable. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Slice and serve.
