Why did it take me so long to discover pumpkin pie crisp? Seriously, I’ve been making regular pumpkin pie for like 15 years and only found out about this version last Thanksgiving when my sister-in-law brought it to dinner.
I was skeptical at first. Like, what’s the point of pumpkin pie without a crust? Sounds weird, right? But then I tried it and oh my god. GAME CHANGER. All the creamy, spiced pumpkin filling you love, topped with this buttery, crunchy streusel situation that’s basically better than pie crust ever was.
And here’s the kicker—it’s actually easier to make than regular pumpkin pie because you don’t have to deal with rolling out dough or blind baking or any of that annoying crust stuff. You just mix, pour, sprinkle, and bake.
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Why This Easy Pumpkin Pie Crisp Beats Regular Pie
Look, I love traditional pumpkin pie. My grandma’s recipe has been in our family forever and it’s great. But this pumpkin crisp recipe? It’s just… better. There, I said it.
The texture is what does it. You get that smooth, creamy pumpkin pie filling on the bottom, but then the top is this amazing crunchy, sweet streusel that tastes like the best oatmeal cookie you’ve ever had mixed with cinnamon sugar. When you serve it warm with vanilla ice cream on top? Forget about it.
My husband, who claims he “doesn’t really like pumpkin desserts” (lies, all lies), ate three servings of this last week. My picky 9-year-old asked if we could have it for breakfast. Even my neighbor Carol, who only eats “healthy” food and judges everyone’s cooking, admitted it was delicious.
First time I made this was last November and I completely messed up the topping. Used cold butter instead of melted and it turned into these weird butter chunks instead of a proper crumble. Still tasted good but looked like a disaster. Version 2.0 was much better once I actually read the recipe correctly.
What You Need For The Best Pumpkin Crisp
Shopping for this is pretty straightforward. Most of it you probably already have in your pantry, especially if you’ve been doing any fall baking lately.
For the pumpkin filling:
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling—learned that one the hard way)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk if that’s what you have)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the streusel topping:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (that’s 1.5 sticks)
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I always add these because pecans make everything better)
Pro tip: Make sure you get pure pumpkin puree, not the pumpkin pie filling that already has spices and sugar in it. I grabbed the wrong can once and my filling was WAY too sweet and kind of gloopy. Had to start over.
And about the butter—let it cool for a few minutes after melting or it’ll be too hot and make your streusel weird and greasy instead of crumbly. Don’t ask me how I know this.
How To Make This Pumpkin Pie Crisp With Streusel Topping
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Or you know, turn it on whenever you remember. I usually forget until I’m halfway done mixing everything and then have to wait around awkwardly.
Step 1: Prep your pan
Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Or spray it with cooking spray. Whatever works. I use a ceramic casserole dish because it looks prettier when you serve it, but any baking dish that size will work fine.
Step 2: Make the filling
In a large bowl, whisk together your eggs and sugar until they’re combined and slightly fluffy. Maybe 2 minutes of whisking? Your arm will get tired but it’s worth it.
Add the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk everything until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. It should be a beautiful orange color and smell like fall exploded in your kitchen.
Pour this into your prepared baking dish. Set it aside while you make the topping.
Step 3: The streusel (the best part)
In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure it’s all mixed up evenly.
Pour in your melted butter. Now here’s where it gets fun—use a fork to mix it all together until it looks crumbly. You want it to form these little clumps, not be smooth. It should look like… I don’t know, wet sand? Chunky cookie dough? You’ll know it when you see it.
If you’re adding pecans (which you should), stir them in now.
Step 4: Assembly
Take your crumbly streusel mixture and sprinkle it evenly over the top of your pumpkin filling. Try to cover the whole surface. Don’t press it down or anything, just let it sit on top in a nice even layer.
Step 5: Bake
Put the whole thing in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the edges are set and the middle is just slightly jiggly, and the topping is golden brown and crispy-looking.
If the top starts getting too dark before the filling is set, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. This happened to me once when my oven was running hot and I panicked, but the foil saved it.
Step 6: The hardest part (waiting)
Take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes. I know it smells amazing and you want to dive in immediately, but if you don’t let it set up a bit, the filling will be too liquidy and it’ll be a mess.
Actually, you know what? Even if it’s a little messy, it still tastes incredible. So do what makes you happy.
Tips For This Pumpkin Spice Crisp
On the pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin. I know someone’s gonna ask about using fresh pumpkin puree, and sure, you can do that if you want to spend an hour roasting and pureeing a pumpkin. But honestly? Canned works perfectly and saves you so much time.
On the cream: I’ve made this with both heavy cream and evaporated milk. Heavy cream makes it richer and more decadent. Evaporated milk makes it a tiny bit lighter but still delicious. Use whatever you have or whatever fits your vibe.
On the topping: The streusel is what makes this special. Don’t skimp on the butter. Don’t try to make it “healthier” by using less. The butter is what makes it crispy and amazing. This is dessert, not a salad.
On storage: This pumpkin pie crisp thanksgiving dessert keeps in the fridge for like 4-5 days covered with plastic wrap. You can eat it cold straight from the fridge (I do this at midnight sometimes, no judgment), or warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds to get that fresh-baked feeling again.
On serving: Vanilla ice cream on top is the classic move. Whipped cream works too. My weird uncle eats it with cottage cheese but we don’t talk about that.
Making It Your Own
This is a pretty flexible recipe once you get the basics down. I’ve seen people add chocolate chips to the topping. My friend makes a version with maple syrup in the filling. Some people do an oat pumpkin pie crisp with oats mixed into the streusel.
If you need to make it gluten free, apparently you can use gluten-free flour in the topping and it works fine. My cousin did this for Thanksgiving last year because her boyfriend has celiac disease and everyone said they couldn’t even tell the difference.
For a healthier pumpkin pie crisp, you could probably reduce the sugar a bit? Like maybe use 3/4 cup in the filling instead of a full cup? I haven’t tried it myself because I’m not really about that life, but it might work.
Why This Is The Best Fall Dessert
Because it’s easier than pie, tastes better than pie, and makes your house smell like a fall-scented candle store but in a good way, not in an overwhelming way.
It’s the perfect pumpkin pie crisp fall dessert for Thanksgiving because you can make it ahead of time and just warm it up before serving. It feeds a crowd. And even people who claim they don’t like pumpkin (liars) end up loving it because that streusel topping is just irresistible.
Plus, there’s something about serving a dessert in a casserole dish that feels cozy and homey and less stressful than unmolding a perfect pie. Nobody’s judging if your crisp isn’t Instagram-perfect. It’s supposed to be a little rustic and messy.
This is definitely going to be on my Thanksgiving table this year. Probably my Christmas table too. And honestly, I might just make it on random Tuesday nights because why should we save the good desserts for holidays?
Try this pumpkin pie crisp with ice cream this weekend and let me know what you think. And if you have any variations or tricks to make it even better, drop them in the comments because I’m always looking to up my dessert game.
Happy baking! 🎃🥧
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