Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Pie.
This pumpkin mousse pie is a cloud-like dream!
If you want a little change up from the traditional pumpkin pie in this crazy year, I’ve got you.
This is a no bake dessert! Yessss.
You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge or the freezer.
It’s pumpkin-y and delicious and the crust is to DIE FOR.
The crust is made with macadamia nuts. Oh my word. You roast them in the oven and then combine them with graham crumbs and melted butter.
It’s majorly incredible. Spiced and crunchy and toasty.
I first saw this recipe Food and Wine last year. I have been longing to make it ever since. I’ve never been a giant white chocolate fan but for some reason, this just sounded so absolutely incredible to me.
Looked amazing, you know?
So I changed up the pumpkin layer quite a bit. It’s EASY. Pumpkin puree, some whipped heavy cream, a little sugar and melted white chocolate. Flavor heaven!
My pumpkin pie consumption is always hit or miss on Thanksgiving. Sometimes I’m craving it, other years I go the entire holiday season without taking a bite. It’s weird!
Mother Lovett always made a pumpkin custard pie instead of an actual pumpkin pie. So most pumpkin pies do tend to remind me of hers.
Regardless, I do love having a really small slice topped with whipped cream because nothing tastes more like the holidays. Or should I say the START of the holiday season, even though many of us have up our decor already right now in 2020?
It’s true though, a taste of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving evening used to signify the start of everything. We’d get the tree up in the next few days. Christmas music wouldn’t start until the day after Thanksgiving. A whole month of Christmas cheer was ahead of us!
It was perfect.
I’ve always loved Christmas so much that I don’t mind celebrating come Nov 1. But that bite of pie, often the final bite of the meal on Thanksgiving evening, has always meant it’s truly TIME!
Not only is the pumpkin layer mixed with white chocolate, it’s also topped with white chocolate curls for a rich bite.
The chocolate curls are so easy! I just take a white chocolate bar (Lindt will always be my fave) and run a vegetable peeler up and down the sides. It creates cute little white chocolate shavings that practically melt in your mouth with the pie.
Also! I like to serve this as an icebox pie. I really love it out of the freezer. It kind of reminds me of an ice cream pie but lighter and fluffier. You can also serve it out of the fridge, but it does have to be refrigerated for six hours or so before serving. I suggest just making it the day before! You can make the white chocolate shavings too, just throw them on top right before serving.
And the meal is complete!
Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Pie
Ingredients
crust
- ½ cup macadamia nuts
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
filling
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 ounces white chocolate, melted
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- white chocolate curls, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the crust, start by toasting the macadamia nuts. Place the nuts on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly golden and fragrant.
- Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until small crumbs remain. Pour them into a large bowl.
- Add in the graham crumbs, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the melted butter until all of the mixture is moistened. Press the crust into an 8-inch pie plate and stick it in the refrigerator.
- While the crust is in the fridge, beat the heavy cream in the bowl of your electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer it to another bowl.
- In the electric mixer, beat the pumpkin and cream cheese together until combined. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Using a spatula, fold the heavy cream into the pumpkin mixture. Fold a few times until combined - I suggest actually folding it in and not straight up stirring.
- Scrape the mixture into the refrigerated pie crust and smooth it out on top. Refrigerate or freeze for 6 hours, or even overnight. If freezing, you may need to let it sit out for 20ish minutes before serving. Before serving, top with white chocolate curls and a sprinkle of cinnamon!
- To make the white chocolate curls, I take a bar of white chocolate and run a vegetable peeled down the edges!
- Note: I like to keep this in the fridge or even the freezer for serving. It is so so good when it’s very cold! You can also serve it with whipped cream, or even top it with whipped cream instead of white chocolate. Or do both!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I could eat all that crust alone!
17 Comments on “Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Pie.”
oh love this idea instead of the usual pumpkin pie!! definitely going to try it :) if I can’t get macadamia nuts, is there another nut that would work well in the crust?
i would do cashews!! i almost made it with cashews instead. i think it would be delish!
This looks awesome!! Quick question about the instructions for the filling–are you supposed to whip the heavy cream before folding it into the pumpkin/cream cheese/white chocolate mixture? I feel like that would help create the fluffy texture that it looks like the filling has from the photos, but maybe it’s not necessary? Thanks!!
Oh my gosh, just read that step in the recipe!! So sorry I commented too quickly! (Drinking more coffee now…)
haha no prob!! yes that is what gives it the whole mousse-like feel. :)
Very enticing and looks delicious. Very craetive instead of ordinary pumpkin pie
I know there is white chocolate in the recipe, but could you do milk chocolate shavings on top? Not a big fan of white chocolate.
I’m assuming I could make a few days in advance and keep in the freezer??
This taste is to die for! It can easily wins everybody’s heart!
Utensils for Cool Kitchen
Hi Jessica! Just curious is this something I can make before Thanksgiving and leave in the freezer for a few days? Then take out to serve?
yes! i would make it 2 days before and wrap tightly with plastic in the freezer!
Do you think toasted hazelnuts would work as a substitute? I have a bag I’d like to use!
If I’m a little short on time, could I use a pre-made graham cracker crust? Would there be enough sweetness in that? This looks so yumm!
definitely!
Wonderful recipe! Family loved having a creative and lighter version of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. I made this exactly per the instructions and the flavor was terrific. I would recommend freezing, since it didn’t hold together after 6 hours in the refrigerator.
This was the star of Thanksgiving! So incredibly good!! This was the first pie gone. It’s light and fluffy and not too heavy or too sweet. Don’t skip the macadamias, I was considering it but it adds so much flavor to the crust. Seriously considering the ingredients to make another this week.
I made this and it’s phenomenal!!