I love pumpkin pie, but I hate pie crust. There, I’ve admitted it to the world. The thing most people love about pie is the thing I leave behind on the plate. I’ve tried homemade, store bought, gourmet…I hate them all. There’s something about the texture, especially under the filling – that half-cooked, almost raw this has got to be bad for you, that makes my skin crawl when I think about it.
So I’ve skipped the pie crust and instead crushed up my 2nd favorite ginger cookie (my favorite has a cream filling so wouldn’t work here) and then topped it all with whipped cream spiced with more autumn spices (don’t get lazy and think you can use “real whipped cream” in a can – I tried it and it fell flat in seconds!).
The mini size makes for 4 bites, a perfect addition to any dessert bar.
Dessert Bar Recipes
- Chocolate mousse shooters with whipped cream and raspberries
- Quick no-bake lemon cheesecake with whipped cream and fresh raspberries or blueberries
- Pumpkin custard with ginger and pecan crust and spiced whipped cream
Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Custards with Ginger Cookie Crust and Spiced Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Ginger Crust
- 3/4 cup Anna’s Ginger Thins, (5.25oz)- approximately 1/2 package (or similar cookie)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 3 Tbl butter, melted
Pumpkin Custard
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin
- 12 oz evaporated milk
Spiced Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1-1/2 tsp confectioner’s sugar (powdered)
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 300° F.
CRUST:
- In a food processor or blender, add nuts and cookies and process until fine crumbs
- Add butter and process until fully incorporated. Divide between the 9 4-ounce ramekins (scant tablespoon).
- Put the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
FILLING:
- Mix sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in small bowl, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. On low, stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
- Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
- Divide the filling among the ramekins (scant 1/3 cup)
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until the center is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Cool on wire rack for 2 hours to allow the custard to cool slowly to avoid cracks. Refrigerate until served.
SPICED WHIPPED CREAM:
- Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Whip on high until soft peaks form.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 9
My rating
Microformatting by hRecipe.
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If you are allergic to nuts can you just replace the 1/2 cup pecans with another 1/2 cup ginger cookie crumbs?
Yes, you can certainly make these nut free! There is minimal butter in the crust – unlike a baked crust, it’s not necessary to hold the crumbs together. You just want to moisten the crumbs slightly with the butter so adding additional cookies and leaving out the nuts would be great. You could also substitute flaked coconut for the the nuts.
looks so delicious!
I have never made custard. Maybe it’s time I give it a try 🙂
It’s soooooooooooooooooooo good! Try it!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I know my husband will love it. His daughter also loves anything pumpkin!
Yumm!
Yumm!!
This sounds wonderful! Yum!!
I’ll substitute Mi-Del Gingersnaps to make these gluten-free. Love the simple recipe and the spiced whipped cream. These would be wonderful for Thanksgiving.
Sounds great, Jean! I’ll watch for the post and link to it when it’s up. It is REALLY simple and so delicious!