Pumpkin Pie in a Cup Recipe

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup is an easy recipe for no-bake pumpkin pie in an adorable mason jar or cup. A fun way to give everyone their very own pumpkin pie and great recipe for the holidays!

Jump to:

• You're going to love these
• Ingredients
• Step-by-step Instructions
• Storage
• Make Ahead
• Recipe Variations
• How to Make Neat Layers In Pumpkin Pie Cups
• What to do with leftover pumpkin puree
• How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Expert Tips
• FAQs
• Hungry for More Pumpkin Recipes?
• Let's Stay in Touch
• 📖 Recipe

Next time a pumpkin spice craving hits, give it everything it wants with this easy no bake pumpkin pie in a cup.

Made with layers of buttery gingersnap cookies, pumpkin spice no-bake cheesecake, creamy pumpkin pudding, and whipped topping dusted with cinnamon, it's soft and creamy, super satisfying, and full of all the warm flavors of pumpkin pie.

If you love the flavor combo of pumpkin spice and gingersnaps, try my muffin pan Mini Pumpkin Pies or Pumpkin Gingerbread Truffles next!

You're going to love these

Perfect grab-and-go dessert for Thanksgiving dinner or holiday parties

Smooth, creamy layers of no-bake cheesecake and creamy pumpkin pudding on a buttery gingersnap crust.

Easy no-bake pie filling made from simple ingredients

Fun alternative to classic pumpkin pie.

What better way to cure pumpkin pie cravings than with your own little pumpkin pie?

Ingredients

This simple recipe comes together with basic ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

Cream cheese. Use softened, room temperature brick cream cheese to ensure it will whip into a smooth, creamy, light, and fluffy cheesecake filling.

Powdered sugar. Just a little powdered sugar, not too much, lightly sweetens and thickens the cream cheese.

Pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have pumpkin spice in your spice cabinet, make your own with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

For one teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and ⅛ of nutmeg. Get my recipe to make your own jar of pumpkin spice here.

Whipped topping. This recipe has been tested with both Cool Whip and TruWhip, a whipped topping considered to be a healthier alternative; both worked great. I have not made this recipe with homemade whipped cream, but that substitute should work just fine.

Instant vanilla pudding mix. The base for the pumpkin pudding layer comes from a handy box of instant vanilla pudding.

Milk. You can use whole, 2%, or skim milk to make the pudding layer.

Pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is regular canned pumpkin. Just make sure you don't accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling -- it has sweeteners, spices, and other stuff added to it.

Gingersnap cookies. No need to make homemade pie crust for this pumpkin pie recipe. The crusts for these little pumpkin pies in a cup are made from spicy store-bought gingersnap cookies. You can also use plain graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon graham crackers, Oreo cookies, vanilla wafers -- whatever you like!

Cups, mugs, or mason jars. 8 ounce clear plastic cups, glasses, mugs, or mason jars work perfectly for this pumpkin pie cups recipe.

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1

Crush the gingersnaps into crumbs with a food processor or place them in a ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Place the cookie crumbs into a small bowl. Stir the melted butter into the cookie crumbs until they're completely moistened.

Step 2

Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pumpkin spice in a large mixing bowl. With a hand or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese mixture until it is light, fluffy, and creamy with no lumps of cream cheese.

Use the mixer to mix in 1 ½ cups of whipped topping until it is fully combined and creamy.

Step 3

Place the dry pudding mix, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and milk into a medium bowl. Mix with a hand or stand mixer for about 2 minutes, until the pudding is creamy.

With a spatula, fold in 1 ½ cups of whipped topping until it is completely incorporated into the pudding mixture.

Step 4

Start assembling the little pies.

Divide the gingersnap crumbs equally among the 12 cups, about 2 heaping tablespoons per cup. No need to press the crumbs down.

Step 5

Layer the pumpkin spice cheesecake filling over the gingersnap crumbs, around 3 tablespoons per cup or jar.

You can use two spoons to gently lower dollops into the cups or pipe it in with a piping bag or zip top bag with the corner snipped off. Once it's in the cup, you can use the back of a spoon to smooth out the layer, if necessary.

Step 6

Place the pumpkin pudding layer over the cream cheese layer, around 4 tablespoons per cup or jar. This layer is easier to get into the cup with spoons because it's higher up in the cup and the texture isn't as firm as the cheesecake layer. But use whatever method is easiest for you.

Step 7

Dollop or pipe the whipped topping over the pumpkin pudding layer. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Storage

Cover the pumpkin pie cups with plastic wrap or mason jar lids*.

Chill for at least 2-4 hours to let the layers firm up. Serve within 24 hours.

After a couple of days, the crumbs will soften into a cakey or soft cookie texture and you may notice some slight weeping in the layers -- but certainly nothing that will affect the flavor.

Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Make Ahead

You can make these pumpkin pie cups up to 24 hours in advance.

*If you are making these ahead of time in mason jars, leave enough room to cover them without flattening the whipped topping. Or wait to add the whipped topping right before serving.

Recipe Variations

No-Bake Pie Crust Layer

Instead of gingersnaps, make your favorite crust with cookies you love.

• Make a delicious graham cracker crust with plain, chocolate, or cinnamon graham crackers.
• Use shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers, chocolate or golden Oreo cookies, chocolate wafers, or animal crackers.
• If you prefer a crustless pumpkin pie in a cup, you can also skip the crust layer.

Creamy Pumpkin Pudding Layer

• Try a different flavor of pudding mix like cheesecake, white chocolate, or butterscotch.

Topping Ideas

Embellish the top layer of whipped topping with:

• Caramel sauce
• Crushed gingersnaps
• Toasted pecans
• Mini chocolate chips
• Autumn sprinkles
• A cookie or shards of broken cookies tucked into the whipped topping

How to Make Neat Layers In Pumpkin Pie Cups

If you're at all worried about how to neatly place the layers of cheesecake filling and pumpkin pudding into cups, there is no need to fret. You have options!

• Pipe it in. This is my favorite way to add the cream cheese layer because it's thicker and needs to be placed the lowest in the glass. I am not an expert at piping by any means, but it's so easy too scoop the filling into a zip top bag, snip off the corner, and pipe the filling down into the bottom of the cup.
• Spoon it in. The two spoons method is an easy way to add the pumpkin pudding layer. Use one spoon to scoop up a dollop of filling and the other to scrape the filling off of the first spoon. This works well and you can be pretty precise about it, but you still might bump into the sides of the cup. And that's okay :).

What to do with leftover pumpkin puree

Wondering what to do with the rest of the can of pumpkin puree?

• Store it in the refrigerator for up to one week
• Freeze it in a ziptop bag or freezer safe container for up to one year
• Stir it into pancake mix for a cozy fall breakfast
• Make pumpkin maple syrup
• Blend it into smoothies and milkshakes
• Stir it into oatmeal
• Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding
• Bake a pan of Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars
• Whip up a batch of Pumpkin Gingerbread Truffles
• Stir it into a box cake mix for Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

Spice blends like pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice are handy to have, but can be expensive and take up unnecessary space in your spice cabinet.

Luckily, pumpkin pie spice is really easy to make with spices that are probably already in your cabinet.

I make my own blend of pumpkin pie spice. Because I go through so much of it every fall, it's just so easy to stir up a new jar whenever I run out.

My blend has cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Some blends also have allspice, mace, or cardamom, so feel free to add those or other spices to suit your tastes.

Get my full recipe and instructions to make your own pumpkin pie spice here.

Expert Tips

Use softened cream cheese to ensure it whips up light and fluffy and without lumps.

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, make your own pumpkin spice with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves you already have in your spice cabinet.

Chill the pumpkin pie cups for at least 2-4 hours before serving to let the layers get nice and cold.

For best results, serve within 24 hours.

FAQs

Hungry for More Pumpkin Recipes?

Let's Stay in Touch

Follow Midwestern HomeLife on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of the latest recipes!

📖 Recipe