Unbaked Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Unbaked Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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My daughter loves this Unbaked Pumpkin Chiffon pie. I tried a baked Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving last year and she was truly disappointed. She lobbied for me to make this Unbaked Pumpkin Chiffon Pie this year and won. The pie is best when made with fresh puréed pumpkin. The color is a beautiful soft orange. While delicious in a plain crust; it becomes something extraordinary when done with a Ginger Snap Crust.

Prep time: Your prep time will depend on whether you have  roasted and puréed your pumpkin in advance or you are using a can. The actual filling takes about 20 minutes to assemble and thicken before you refrigerate it and wait for it to gel. After that it takes another 15 minutes to whip up the egg whites and fold them into the gelled purée. Another 10 minutes to whip up the meringue and 5 minutes in the oven to brown it a bit. I promise, it’s all worth it!

Note: I use gelatin made from Agar (seaweed) because it is completely vegetarian.  Most gelatins are derived from either beef or fish bones. Despite the fact they are marked pareve/non-dairy, some of my vegetarian family won’t eat them. Any unflavored gelatin will work in this recipe.

Unbaked Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

By Gloria Kobrin Published: November 2, 2017

  • Yield:

  • 9 inch pie (8 Servings)

Ingredients

  • 9 inch gingersnap/plain crust fully baked
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin purée
  • 2 large eggs separated
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey 1/4 cup for the puree and 1/4 cup for the egg whites, 1/4 cup for the meringue
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy unflavored soymilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 tablespoons Agar powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Equipment

  • heavy bottomed saucepan I prefer using the saucepan to a double boiler; but if if you're more comfortable with the double boiler, you should use it.
  • whisk
  • medium glass bowl
  • electric mixer whisk inserted or electric beater

Directions

  1. Put yolks, sugar and 1/4 cup honey in saucepan. Whisk together until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients. Hook candy thermometer over the side of the saucepan. Over a low flame, heat pumpkin mixture until it reaches 212°F-while stirring with a wooden spoon. The mixture will thicken. Cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Scrape mixture into a glass bowl and place in the fridge to gel. Check on it every 30 minutes. You don't want it to gel completely. ( If it does, whip it up briskly before you fold in the whipped egg whites,)
  2. While the purée is gelling, whip up the egg whites. Place the whites in the bowl of the mixer. Whisk until frothy. Add cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. Pour in 1/4 cup honey and continue whisking until peaks become firm.
  3. Fold beaten egg whites into gelled purée. Scrape mixture into baked pie shell. Smooth over the top gently with a flexible spatula. You can serve the pie as is or cover it with meringue. Meringue: Beat 3 egg whites til frothy. Add 1/8 th teaspoon cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup honey and whisk on high speed until peaks are firm. Spread meringue over the top of the pumpkin so that it looks pretty and you have a series of peaks and valleys. Place it into a preheated 400°F. oven for about 5-6 minutes until the top of the peaks have browned. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon ground gingersnaps if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.