Thanksgiving week, my oven is never free, so I often make this pie instead. Mini marshmallows melt into pumpkin puree, then get folded into whipped cream for a filling that tastes like pumpkin pie but eats like a mousse. It sits in a cinnamon graham crust, needs no baking, and is ready after a 5-hour chill. Easy enough for a busy week.
Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie has a cinnamon graham cracker crust and a pumpkin filling made by melting mini marshmallows into pumpkin puree. You cool that mixture, fold it into whipped cream, and chill the pie for 5 hours. The texture lands between a mousse and a pumpkin pie, and it's lighter than either.
My hands-on time is about 35 minutes, and the fridge handles the rest. I like having one Thanksgiving dessert that needs no oven space, and this is mine.
If you want a baked pumpkin dessert too, my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce is the one I'd put next to it. If you'd rather skip the pumpkin, my Dutch Caramel Apple Pie with Buttery Crumble is the classic option. You'll find more in my Thanksgiving recipes.
Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Summary
🍪 Pulse cinnamon graham crackers with brown sugar, then mix in melted butter
🥧 Press the crumbs into a pie dish and freeze until firm
🍥 Melt mini marshmallows with pumpkin puree, stirring the whole time
🎃 Stir in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla
🧊 Cool the pumpkin mixture in an ice bath
☁️ Fold it into whipped cream
🌙 Spoon it into the crust and chill at least 5 hours
Why This Pie Works
🍥 Marshmallows do the setting. As the melted marshmallows cool, they firm up. That means no eggs, no gelatin, and no baking.
🧊 The ice bath is worth the extra bowl. If you fold warm pumpkin into cold whipped cream, the cream deflates and the filling turns soupy. Cooling it to room temperature first keeps the filling fluffy.
☁️ Cold cream whips better. Start with cream straight from the fridge and it gets to stiff peaks faster.
🍪 A cinnamon crust. It tastes like a snickerdoodle, and it suits the pumpkin better than a plain graham base.
Ingredients You'll Need
🍪 Cinnamon graham crackers. I used store-brand ones. If you only have regular graham crackers, add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon when you crush them.
🟤 Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar works too.
🧈 Unsalted butter. Salted butter is fine if that's what you have.
🥛 Heavy whipping cream. Keep it cold.
🍥 Mini marshmallows. They melt faster than large ones. You can use large marshmallows, but it takes longer.
🎃 Pure pumpkin puree. Check the label. You want puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I used canned 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree from the baking aisle.
🍂 Pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. The spice blend brings cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
How to Make Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie
There are only a few steps, and none of them are hard. The two that matter are cooling the pumpkin mixture and giving the pie its full chill.
🍪 Step 1: Make the Crust
Grease a 9-inch pie dish with shortening or butter. Break the graham crackers into a food processor, add the brown sugar, and pulse to fine crumbs. With the processor on low, pour in the melted butter until the mixture clumps and looks like wet sand.
🥧 Step 2: Press and Freeze
Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm.
☁️ Step 3: Whip the Cream
While the crust freezes, whip the cold cream in a large bowl until stiff. Set it aside, and put it back in the fridge if your kitchen is warm.
🍥 Step 4: Melt the Marshmallows
Combine the marshmallows and pumpkin puree in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly so the bottom doesn't scorch. It takes about 7 minutes for every marshmallow to melt.
🎃 Step 5: Add the Spice
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.
🧊 Step 6: Cool It Down
Set the saucepan in a shallow ice bath and stir until the mixture is at room temperature.
🥣 Step 7: Fold
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream. Fold gently until you see no streaks.
🌙 Step 8: Fill and Chill
Spoon the filling into the firm crust and spread it evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 5 hours, until set.
🍂 Step 9: Top and Serve
Top with whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. Serve chilled.
No Bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish
- Butter or shortening to grease the pie dish
- Food processor
- large bowl
- Electric mixer
- Small or medium saucepan (at least 2 quarts)
- Ice cold water and ice cubes in a shallow container, large enough for the saucepan to sit in
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
Crust:
- 15 cinnamon graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust:
- Grease a 9-inch pie dish with shortening or butter and set aside.
- Break apart the graham crackers and place them in a food processor along with the brown sugar. Pulse until the crackers become fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter while running the processor at low speed until the mixture starts to stick together and resembles wet sand.
- Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the greased pie dish. Freeze for 15-20 minutes or until it is firm.
Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- While the crust is in the freezer, whip the cold whipping cream in a large bowl until stiff. Set the cream aside.
- Combine the mini marshmallows and pumpkin puree in a small or medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from scorching on the bottom until all of the marshmallows have melted. This will take about 7 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. Place the saucepan in a shallow ice bath, and stir until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
- Carefully pour the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream, and fold them together until combined.
- Spoon the pie filling into the firm pie crust and spread it out evenly. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill for at least 5 hours or until the pie is set.
- Top with whipped cream and extra pumpkin pie spice if desired, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Melt gently: Keep the heat at medium-low and stir. The goal is to melt the marshmallows, not cook them.
- Cool it all the way: The pumpkin mixture should no longer feel warm before it meets the whipped cream. Warm filling melts the cream and leaves a loose, soupy pie.
- Stop at stiff peaks: Beat the cream until the peaks stand upright, then stop. Overbeaten cream turns grainy and won't fold in smoothly.
- Fold in thirds: Add about a third of the whipped cream to the pumpkin mixture and fold until only a few streaks remain. Repeat twice more. This keeps the filling light.
- Store-bought crust: A standard crust may be too small for all of this filling. Look for the larger "extra servings" size, or mound any leftover filling in small cups.
- Pipe-and-store topping: For whipped cream that will sit in the fridge, beat 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch into every ½ cup of heavy cream so it holds its shape and doesn't weep.
- Make ahead: The pie can be made a day or two ahead. Some home cooks prefer the flavor and texture on day 2.
🔪 Tips and Tricks
🥄 Press the crust with a flat-bottomed glass. A firm press is what keeps slices from crumbling.
🧊 No ice bath? Use the fridge. Move the pumpkin mixture to a shallow dish and press plastic wrap right onto the surface so it doesn't form a skin. Chill 30 to 45 minutes. It works, but it's slower.
🍥 Stir the whole time you're melting. Marshmallows scorch on the bottom of the pan quickly.
🎃 Check the can twice. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so it throws off this recipe.
🕰️ Give it the full 5 hours. A shorter chill gives you a soft filling that slumps when you cut it.
Swaps and Variations
- Store-bought crust: A graham cracker crust saves time.
- Cool Whip: You can use it instead of whipped cream, but the pie will be sweeter.
- Large marshmallows: They work, but they melt more slowly.
- Regular graham crackers: Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Cover with plastic wrap and keep up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
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