Leave room for dessert because this No-Bake Eggnog Cream Pie requires seconds. The light and airy eggnog mousse sits in a graham cracker crust. This is made with a homemade eggnog pudding mixed with whipped cream and spiked with a hint on whiskey.
Alright friends, I can’t hold out any longer, I’m busting out the eggnog. With Thanksgiving only a day away, I’m definitely using every opportunity I get to introduce eggnog into my holiday diet. It’s all about making positive changes this holiday season. Ya feel me?
Something amazing happened the last time I had a carton of eggnog. I added it to my coffee thinking I could try the whole eggnog latte thing. Boy, was I missing out. Why did I wait so long to try this?! I’m totally hooked. I just need some skim milk eggnog or something to keep the calories down so I’ll have more room for dessert.
While we’re talking dessert, let’s chat about this No-Bake Eggnog Cream Pie. If you’re scrambling for last minute Thanksgiving desserts, be sure to check out all my No-Bake desserts. This pie requires two steps with some waiting time in between, so it’s not the best last-minute dessert. It more of the make-it-ahead-and-forget-it type of dessert.
This is a homemade pudding recipe, inspired by a recipe from my cookbook. For my book I did eggnog pudding parfaits. This time I want to make a light and fluffy pie. I also decided to use vanilla beans to enhance the flavor of the eggnog and finished it off with a touch of bourbon.
I only bust out the vanilla beans when there is truly a special dessert, because depending on where you buy them, they aren’t cheap. World Market has the best deal, they are only a few dollars for 2 beans. You could consider using vanilla bean paste instead of the actual beans. If you don’t have either of these, then an extra touch of vanilla extract will do just fine.
The pudding is quite easy, just prepare everything before you start. You will start with some cold water and gelatin. Just place the water in the pot and sprinkle the gelatin over top, then let it firm up. Then turn on your stove and melt it back to liquid before adding the rest of your ingredients. In order for the dry ingredients to properly dissolve, you’ll want to whisk constantly.
Once the pudding starts to bubble, immediately remove it from the stove and strain it through a fine sieve. This step is optional, but prevents any undissolved dry ingredients from sneaking in there. One important tip with homemade pudding is that you need to immediately cover the top of the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top of the pudding.
After a couple hours in the refrigerator, the pudding will be very thick, more custard-like. Give it a real good stir before adding your heavy whipping cream. This will make it easier to fold the two together. I’ve also made the whipped cream with gelatin for added stability. This results in the lightest and fluffiest filling.
I really hope you will consider trying a homemade pudding. I was intimidated at first, and sometimes I still have batches that separate occasionally.
This No-Bake pie would make a great addition to your holiday gatherings. Just be sure to check out my tips for making a no-bake crust and you’ll be all set. Grab your springform pan and let’s do this thing.
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PrintNo-Bake Eggnog Cream Pie
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: American
Description
This No-Bake Eggnog Cream Pie is made with a graham cracker crust, and homemade eggnog pudding mixed with whipped cream to create a light and airy mousse like dessert. This pie is a great make-ahead of time dessert for the holidays.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 7–8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the pudding:
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups eggnog
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoons nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 tablespoon whiskey (optional)
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For the topping:
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- For the crust: Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing the edges of the pan with cooking spray, and then wiping gently with a paper towel.
- Grind the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor or blender.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter for 45 to 60 seconds until the butter is melted.
- In a separate medium-size bowl, pour the melted butter into the graham cracker crumbs and stir until there are no dry crumbs left.
- Pour the crumbs into your springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up on the sides to create a thick crust. Refrigerate the crust while you are preparing the pudding.
- For the pudding: Measure out all of the ingredients for the pudding prior to starting.
- In a medium-size saucepan, add the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Allow the gelatin to sit for about 2 minutes until firm.
- Place the egg yolks in a separate bowl and whisk lightly.
- Once the gelatin is firm, turn the heat to medium-low and allow the gelatin to dissolve back into liquid.
- Quickly add the eggnog and continuing to whisk over medium-low heat.
- Add the granulated sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and whisk constantly to dissolve the dry ingredients into the eggnog.
- Scrape down the vanilla bean pod to extract the flakes in the middle and stir into the eggnog.
- Once the mixture is warm but not hot, pour about ¼ cup of the eggnog into the eggs and whisk vigorously. You will need to work quickly to prevent the eggs from becoming scrambled.
- Immediately pour the egg yolks back into the pan and whisk constantly until the pudding starts to thicken and lightly bubble.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the whiskey until well combines.
- Immediately strain the pudding through a fine sieve into a obwl. This step is optional, but it will help catch any lumps of ingredients that did not get blended.
- Immediately cover the top of the pudding with clear plastic wrap (directly on the surface of the pudding) and poke a few holes with a toothpick.
- Allow it to cool on the counter for at least 1 hour before refrigerating. Refrigerate the filling for 4 to 6 hours until the filling is completely cold and firm before adding the topping.
- For the filling: Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill while you are preparing the next steps.
- Place 1 tablespoons of cold water in a small beaker. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water, trying to spread the powder evenly. Allow the gelatin to turn to a solid (about 2-3 minutes).
- Microwave for 10 seconds until the gelatin turns to liquid.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream gets bubbly.
- Slowly drizzle in the liquid gelatin.
- Once the whipped cream starts to thicken, add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the chilled pudding from the refrigerator and stir the pudding until it’s smooth, which allows the whipped cream to be more easily incorporated.
- Next, fold the whipped cream into the pudding and mix until smooth. Pour the filling in the pan and refrigerate for another 2-4 hours.
- For the whipping topping: Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream gets bubbly.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe the whipped cream using a large open star tip or spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie and garnish with cinnamon.This pie must be refrigerated.
Notes
Feel free to substitute gingersnap cookies for the crust. Substitute 1 teaspoons of vanilla extract for the vanilla bean.
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Eggnog is the perfect flavor for the holidays! Yum!