Pumpkin Chiffon pie is my daughter’s favorite. It isn’t baked and is much lighter than a traditional baked Pumpkin Pie. Whipped egg whites are folded into pureed and spiced pumpkin puree, which is then thickened with gelatin. I tried a baked Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving one year and she was truly disappointed. She lobbied for me to make this 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. Optional: 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 Agar (seaweed) because it is completely vegetarian. I actually buy Super Agar which activates in a hot mixture rather than a cold one like non seaweed gelatins. Most gelatins are derived from either beef or fish bones. Despite the fact they are marked pareve/non-dairy, my daughter won’t eat them. For those of you who accept gelatin derived from fish or meat bones, any unflavored gelatin will do.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
By 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
- 6 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 oatmilk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons Super Agar powder or 1 envelope of regular gelatin
- 1/4 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
- Put yolks, sugar and 1/4 cup honey in saucepan. Whisk together until smooth. Add sugar, honey ,oatmilk, salt, cinnamon, ginger and agar. 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 very 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,)
- 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.
- 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 4 egg whites til frothy. Add 1/4 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.
