Are you ready to take your holiday pumpkin pie from traditional to completely unforgettable? This incredible, from-scratch Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie is a stunning gourmet twist on the classic, featuring a spicy cookie crust, a secret ingredient for the creamiest filling you’ve ever tasted, and a show-stopping, homemade candied ginger whipped cream.
This isn’t just another pumpkin pie recipe; it’s a guide to creating a truly elegant and sophisticated dessert that will be the star of your Thanksgiving table. We’ll show you how to build layers of incredible flavor, from the crunchy, spiced crust to the silky, light pumpkin-banana custard, and the sweet and spicy ginger cream on top. Get ready to bake the most impressive and delicious pumpkin pie you’ve ever made.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: A Gourmet Twist on a Holiday Classic
What makes this Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie so spectacular is its unique and delicious combination of flavors and textures. The base is a crisp, buttery, and spicy crust made from a blend of gingersnap cookies and classic graham crackers. The filling is a light, silky, and warmly spiced pumpkin custard made even creamier with the secret addition of mashed banana. The entire masterpiece is then crowned with a cloud of fresh whipped cream, beautifully infused with sweet and spicy bits of candied ginger. It’s a make-ahead-friendly dessert that is pure fall elegance.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 3 hours (plus cooling and chilling) |
| Active Prep Time | 35 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 slices |
The Essential Ingredients for This Unique Pie
This recipe is built from three delicious, from-scratch components.
- The Spicy Crumb Crust: A fantastic, flavorful upgrade to a standard crust.
- Gingersnap Cookies & Graham Crackers: This brilliant combination gives you the best of both worlds: the warm, spicy, and molasses-rich flavor of gingersnaps and the classic, buttery, and familiar structure of graham crackers.
- The Creamy Pumpkin-Banana Filling: This is the silky, rich heart of our pie.
- Pure Pumpkin Purée: It is absolutely essential to use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. This provides the authentic pumpkin flavor and beautiful color.
- Mashed Banana: This is the clever secret ingredient! A ripe, mashed banana adds a wonderful, natural sweetness, a subtle fruity note, and contributes to an incredibly smooth and creamy final texture.
- An Extra Egg White: The addition of an extra egg white helps to give the pie filling a slightly lighter, more airy, soufflé-like texture than a traditional, dense pumpkin pie.
- The Candied Ginger Whipped Cream: The perfect, elegant finishing touch.
- Candied Ginger: Also known as crystallized ginger, this is fresh ginger root that has been cooked in sugar syrup and rolled in sugar. Finely mincing it and folding it into the fresh whipped cream infuses the cream with incredible, sweet and spicy jewels of ginger flavor.
Step-by-Step to a Show-Stopping Pumpkin Pie
This is a rewarding baking project. Follow these detailed steps for a perfect, impressive result.
Part 1: Make and Bake the Gingersnap Crumb Crust
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. For extra insurance against any leaks, you can wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan in a layer of aluminum foil.
Step 2: In the bowl of a food processor, add the 8 gingersnap cookies, the 9 sheets of graham crackers, the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt. Pulse until the cookies are broken down into fine crumbs.
Step 3: Drizzle in the 5 tablespoons of melted butter and continue pulsing until the mixture is completely combined and has the texture of wet sand.
Step 4: Pour the crumb mixture into your prepared springform pan. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to firmly press the crumbs evenly into the base and about halfway up the sides of the pan.
Step 5: Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, until it is set and fragrant. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Part 2: Create the Creamy Pumpkin-Banana Filling
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cups of pumpkin purée, the 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar, the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, the 2 large eggs, the 1 mashed banana, the 1 extra egg white, and the 5-ounce can of evaporated milk.
Step 2: Pour the prepared filling into the cooled, pre-baked crumb crust.
Step 3: Bake for about 50 minutes. The pie is perfectly done when the filling is set around the edges but the very center still has a slight jiggle to it when you gently nudge the pan.
Step 4: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack.
Part 3: Whip the Candied Ginger Cream and Decorate
Step 1: In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the 3/4 cup of very cold heavy cream with the 3 tablespoons of sugar on high speed until soft peaks form.
Step 2: Gently fold in the 3 tablespoons of minced candied ginger with a spatula.
Step 3: Once your pie is completely cool, carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the pie to release it from the pan.
Step 4: Load the ginger whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Pro Tip: As the recipe notes, it is important to use a large star tip so that the small, minced pieces of candied ginger do not clog the tip.
Step 5: Pipe beautiful rosettes of the ginger whipped cream around the perimeter of the pie and decorate the top with the 8 remaining whole gingersnap cookies.
The Best Creamy Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Cream
A creative take on a classic pumpkin pie, this recipe features a unique crust made from a blend of spicy gingersnap cookies and traditional graham crackers. The rich filling is a smooth pumpkin custard that includes mashed banana for extra moisture and natural sweetness. After baking and cooling completely, the pie is decorated with a homemade whipped cream infused with minced candied ginger and garnished with whole gingersnap cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Crumb Crust:
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 16 gingersnap cookies
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
- For the Filling:
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cans)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1 egg white
- One 5-ounce can evaporated milk
- For the Ginger Whipped Cream:
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons candied ginger, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter and wrap the bottom in foil.
- Make the Crust: In a food processor, pulse 8 of the gingersnap cookies and all of the graham crackers with the sugar and salt until crumbly. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press the crumb mixture into the base and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs, mashed banana, egg white, and evaporated milk until well combined.
- Pour the filling into the baked and cooled crumb crust. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the filling is set.
- Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Topping and Decorate: Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the minced candied ginger.
- Run a thin knife around the edge of the cooled pie to release it from the pan.
- Load the ginger whipped cream into a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe rosettes around the perimeter of the pie.
- Decorate with the 8 remaining whole gingersnap cookies and serve.
Notes
- Cook’s Note: The recipe advises using a piping bag with a large star tip so the minced ginger bits in the whipped cream don’t clog the tip.
- The crust is made with a combination of gingersnaps and graham crackers for a unique flavor and texture.
- It is important to let the crust and the final pie cool completely at each stage for the best results.
- Mashed banana is a secret ingredient in the filling that adds natural sweetness and moisture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of pie)
- Calories: 500-600
- Sugar: 45-55 g
- Sodium: 350-450 mg
- Fat: 28-35 g
- Saturated Fat: 16-20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55-65 g
- Fiber: 3-5 g
- Protein: 8-10 g
- Cholesterol: 120-150 mg
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie is the absolute perfect make-ahead dessert for a stress-free holiday.
- Make-Ahead: This pie is actually better when made a day in advance! You can bake the entire pie completely up to 2 days ahead of time. Let it cool completely, then cover it and let it chill and set in the refrigerator. Wait to add the fresh whipped cream topping until just before you are ready to serve it for the best result.
- Storage: Because of the fresh whipped cream topping, the finished pie must be stored in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh and delicious, covered, for up to 4 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This unique and delicious pie is a wonderful base for your own creative and festive twists.
- Add a Boozy Kick: For a delicious, sophisticated, grown-up flavor, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favorite bourbon or a dark rum to the pumpkin filling mixture. The warm notes of the spirit are fantastic with the pumpkin and spices.
- Add a Nutty Crunch: For a wonderful textural contrast, you can sprinkle 1/2 cup of toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts over the top of the pie along with the whipped cream and the cookies.
- Make it a Classic Cream Cheese Topping: If you’re not a fan of candied ginger, this pie is also absolutely fantastic with a more traditional, tangy cream cheese frosting or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
Enjoy Your New Favorite Holiday Pie!
You’ve just created a truly special, show-stopping dessert that is the very definition of a holiday indulgence. This Ginger Snap Pumpkin Pie is a perfect symphony of creamy, spicy, and fruity flavors that is guaranteed to be the most memorable finale to any holiday feast. It’s a rewarding baking project that will make you feel like a true pastry chef.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, rich, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is looking for a new holiday dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why do you add a banana to the pumpkin pie filling?
The mashed banana is a brilliant secret ingredient! It does three wonderful things for the filling: it adds a subtle, fruity natural sweetness (which means you don’t need as much sugar), it contributes to an incredibly smooth and creamy texture, and its flavor is a surprisingly delicious and complex pairing with the warm pumpkin spices.
Q2: What is candied ginger, and where can I find it?
Candied ginger (also known as crystallized ginger) is fresh ginger root that has been cooked in a sugar syrup until it is soft, and then it is typically rolled in sugar. It has a wonderful, chewy texture and a beautiful flavor that is both sweet and spicy. You can find it in the baking aisle or the spice aisle of most major grocery stores.
Q3: Can I make this pie ahead of time for Thanksgiving?
Yes, this is an absolutely perfect make-ahead dessert! The best method is to bake the pie completely and let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in advance. You can also make the ginger whipped cream a day in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, on the day of your feast, all you have to do is the fun decorating part!
Q4: Do I have to use a springform pan for this recipe?
A springform pan, which has removable sides, is highly recommended as it is the absolute easiest way to cleanly release and present a delicate pie like this one. If you don’t have one, you can make this in a standard, 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. You will just need to serve it by slicing and scooping it directly from the pan.
Q5: My whipped cream is runny and won’t form stiff peaks. What did I do wrong?
Runny whipped cream is almost always caused by the cream not being cold enough. For the best, most stable, and fluffiest whipped cream, it is crucial that your heavy cream is very cold, straight from the back of your refrigerator. It is also a great professional trick to chill your mixing bowl and the whisk attachment from your electric mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you begin.