Whipped Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin pie. But, whipped pumpkin pie takes a good thing and makes it totally awesome! A friend of mine brought this to Thanksgiving dinner and it was the hit of the party. I was amazed at how easy it was to make... especially using a pre-made graham pie crust.

It is no secret to my friends and family that I am not allowed to bake for family functions. No matter how hard I try, whatever I am attempting to create either comes out burned, undercooked, or otherwise inedible. I tend to leave out ingredients or add too much of others. So, you can imagine how surprised they were when I actually made a dessert that was incredibly delicious! I guarantee this is a fool proof recipe.

This dessert is a must for the holidays. It has all the charm of the old fashioned pumpkin pie with a twist of surprise. I like it because it has a lighter consistency that almost reminds me of pumpkin cheesecake.

You can also substitute the graham pie crust for a regular pie crust. I have made the pie both ways and both are equally good. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to throw it together with no baking time required. And, of course homemade pie crust is a bonus. I just don't have the talent required to rock and roll a homemade version. I am so lucky that there is actually a pre-made version that is a lot harder to burn. A friend of mine, who is a genius when it comes to baking, made the recipe with a homemade pie crust and the result was beyond incredible!

I have a good friend who can't stand pumpkin pie. It took a couple of glasses of wine to coax her into trying this pie, but once she did there was no stopping her. She ate two pieces and would have gone back for more—if there had been any left. This pie has become a tradition at our family gatherings.

My one word of advice is to always use pumpkin puree. I have tried other versions of canned pumpkin and the pie just didn't taste quite right. Also make sure that the whipped topping you use to cover the pie has been somewhat thawed. It is much easier to spread that way. And go easy on the nutmeg sprinkles. A little bit goes a long way.

Here is the recipe!

You will need:

1. One pre-made graham pie crust
2. 1 8 oz. package of whipped cream cheese spread at room temperature
3. 1/2 cup white sugar
4. 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
5. 2-8 ounce containers of frozen whipped topping (thawed)
6. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
7. 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place your pre-made graham pie crust in the oven for 5 minutes... just to give it a little more color. Remove the crust and put it aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until all ingredients are fully mixed together.

Fold the whipped topping into the pumpkin mixture and then stir in the nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice.

Pour the pumpkin mixture in the graham pie crust, cover the pie with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. I usually leave the pie in the refrigerator until just before it is ready to be served. It tastes a lot better chilled than at room temperature.

Before serving, add a layer of the whipped topping to the entire pie. You can also sprinkle on a little bit of nutmeg if you desire.

Enjoy!