No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie (Gluten-Free!)

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With an amazing gingerbread pie crust and a light and creamy filling, No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie is a true holiday pie favorite. Gluten-free and with reduced sugar content (thanks to the amazing crust), this cream pie pleases all types of palettes.

Family-Favorite Holiday Pie

Our family originally found his pie a few weeks before Thanksgiving. And it instantly became a favorite–not just for November but also for all winter celebrations.

What makes this No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie so amazing?

The gingerbread pie crust, for starters. It tastes just like gingerbread cookies because, well, it is a giant gingerbread cookie–just without any rolling or fuss.

And who can forget the decadent, creamy filling? With just the right amount of sweetness, balanced with the richness of cream cheese and whipped cream, it practically beckons you back for more while, at the same time, satisfying every nook and cranny of your holiday cravings.

And while that may sound like some hyperbole, I dare you to test me on this. After you have made this pie, leave a comment to let me know that you’re totally sold on how good it is. 😉

Gluten-Free Cream Pie

Cream pies add a welcome reprieve to all the oven use surrounding the holidays. Because these pies are no-bake, there is no constant checking to make sure they’ve baked through without getting burnt.

And another great feature of these pies is that there is often no need for flour of any kind in the pie filling itself. No thickener. No cornstarch.

This means that making them gluten-free is that much easier.

No-Bake Gingerbread Pie with No-Roll Pie Crust

In this No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie recipe, we use our favorite gluten-free no-roll gingerbread pie crust as our base.

This means even less work because there is no need to use a rolling pin to make the crust the perfect size.

No-bake and no-roll in one pie? All the tired holiday cooks say, “Yes, please!”

No-Bake Gingerbread Pie with Pecans

Pecans scream “holidays” to me.

From a young age, I learned that nuts were extra-special.

The work of shelling pecans gathered from my grandparents’ Maryland pecan trees meant getting out the nutcrackers. And you can hardly say that word without conjuring up visions of sugar plum fairies and snowflakes.

Spiced, roasted nuts (especially pecans) were treats that we snuck from Chex party mix bowls.

And pecans stuffed into Thanksgiving pies graced my Hoosier grandma’s tables.

So, I wondered when I first made this recipe, why not add pecans to the crust of a gingerbread pie?

The idea came to fruition beautifully…and with the aid of a food processor.

To get a great pie crust that would crumble in all the right ways and not in huge, nut-bearing chunks, I simply pulsed quick oats and pecans together to make a flour for the pie crust.

The added benefit? The resulting pie crust was totally gluten-free. (Just make sure to use certified gluten-free oats when you try this recipe if you are gluten-sensitive or allergic.)

A Quick No-Bake Cream Pie

In all, this recipe takes about 20 to 30 minutes of real on-task work.

Mixing up the pie crust in a stand mixer and pressing it into a pie pan.

Putting the pie crust into the oven, then removing it to cool.

Whipping the cream.

Whipping the cream cheese.

Folding all the filling together and spreading it into the cooled pie crust.

Garnishing with whipped cream and gingerbread cookie crumbs.

And that’s it!

All the holiday pie without the hassle.

No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie with No Cool Whip

So many cream pies call for Cool Whip as a key ingredient for the filling.

Not this one.

We go for the real stuff–real whipped cream.

Using this rich ingredient for the filling not only allows us to bypass some yucky additives present in Cool Whip but also adds very little time to the recipe process.

The lack of Cool Whip in this recipe is especially a plus for people like us who live outside of the USA and cannot easily get a container of Cool Whip at our local supermarket.

Tools You Will Need for This Recipe

Let’s keep the list short and simple, shall we? To make this delicious no-bake gingerbread pie, first gather these three tools:

• a stand mixer or hand-held mixer with a whisk attachment
• a pie pan
• a spatula

Ingredients for No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie

• 1 gluten-free gingerbread pie crust (see our recipe link in the notes)
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. molasses (see note if using blackstrap molasses)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp. gingerbread cookie crumbs, for garnish (optional)

How to Make No-Bake Gingerbread Pie

1. Bake the gingerbread pie crust for 8 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool completely.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to over-whisk, as this will result in homemade butter.)
3. Remove the heavy cream from the bowl and store in the refrigerator.
4. Using the same stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment, cream together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, with no lumps.
5. Add the 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, molasses, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is still light and fluffy.
6. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread this mixture into the prepared pie crust.
7. Top with the remaining whipped cream and garnish with gingerbread cookie crumbs.
8. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• We do not recommend using blackstrap molasses in this recipe. However, if that is your only option, then here is how to solve the problem of taste difference: Use half of the called-for molasses measurement in the recipe. Taste and, if needed, use honey (or maple syrup) to make up the rest of the molasses measurement.
• Do not over-whip the whipped cream. All you want is stiff peaks, not butter. (This has happened to me an embarrassing two times in other recipes, and the result was plenty of homemade butter.)
• If you prefer more molasses flavor, taste test the cream cheese part of the filling as you go and add more molasses by tablespoonful, mixing thoroughly before adding more.
• If you don’t have maple syrup, honey is an acceptable substitute.

Storage Instructions

Cover this gingerbread pie with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Ideally, you should eat the entire pie within the first day. However, our family knows from experience that this easy holiday dessert actually does hold up for several days in a row.

If you used a metal pie pan to make the pie, I recommend moving the pie to another pan–preferably glass–for storage.

How Long Will Gingerbread Pie Last in the Refrigerator?

Because of the real whipped cream content of this gluten-free gingerbread pie without Cool Whip, there is a possibility that the texture of the pie will change if left in the refrigerator for more than a day. Thus, we recommend making and eating this pie within the same 24-hour period.

However, our experience also tells us that gingerbread pie can last for up to five days without disintegrating or losing its shape.

Results may vary depending on the type and brand of cream you use for this recipe.

Other Holiday Favorite Recipes

Need inspiration for your holiday get-together? Try these other tried-and-true favorite recipes:

• Stunning Chocolate Tiramisu {No Mascarpone, No Alcohol, No Eggs, No Bake}
• Authentic Brazilian Pudim (Brazilian Flan)
• Easy Moist Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake

No-Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie with No Cool Whip Recipe Card

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