Turtle Pumpkin Pie

One of my biggest pet peeves is food going to waste–specifically when I have to open a can of something and the recipe doesn’t require that I use all of it.  (Like 1 cup of chicken broth when the can clearly has 2 cups, or 1 T of tomato paste when there is at least 8 T in the smallest can.)  So the remainder of the contents sit in my fridge, where I promptly forget about it, only to discover a few weeks later a science experiment growing inside the can.

Now, this recipe requires that you use only 1 cup of canned pumpkin, but with the rest of it I make either pumpkin milkshakes or pumpkin waffles.  That way, my leftover pumpkin doesn’t go to waste.  For Thanksgiving this year, I wanted to try a different take on the pumpkin pie and when I found this recipe in a stack of old magazines, I thought it was perfect.  It has caramel, pecans, and a cool pumpkin-y mousse layer.  With each bite you can taste the complexity of all three layers working together.  It’s a party for your tongue.  (Okay, that analogy was a little lame, but it’s true.  You’ll love it!)

And, of course, with Thanksgiving being over, you might still have a bit of pumpkin left in your fridge.  If that be the case, go make this dessert!  It takes very little time, but it’s worth the effort.   Your friends and family will love you for it.  Enjoy! xoxo

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

printable recipe

¼ c caramel ice cream topping

1 store-bought or homemade graham cracker pie crust

½ c coarsely chopped pecans

1 c cold milk (NOT non-fat)

2 packages (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding

1 c canned pumpkin

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

Pour caramel topping into crust and sprinkle with the chopped nuts.

Beat milk, dry pudding mixes, pumpkin, and spices with a whisk attachment on a mixer for 2 minutes.  (You can hand whisk it if you like.)  Fold in 1 ½ c Cool Whip.  Spread over crust.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Just before serving, spread with remaining Cool Whip, (you can  store it the fridge while the pie is chilling, but don’t put back in the freezer, otherwise it’ll be really hard to spread over pie), and drizzle caramel sauce and nuts over the top.

Serves: 8-10

Recipe Source: Kraft Magazine