This is one of those recipes that is too tasty to be healthy. But its sweet and addicting flavor united with its wholesome real food ingredients prove otherwise. It easily reels everyone in, whether they’re attempting to eat healthfully or not. Yes, this Layered Pumpkin Pie and Cheesecake recipe seems too good to be true–but it is what it is!
The inspiration behind this recipe was another recipe. Maybe you’ve tried it. It’s a Pumpkin Pie in a Jar dessert that Red Lobster sells. My recipe tastes pretty much identical to this one, only instead of unhealthful ingredients like vanilla pudding mix, tons of sugar, and Cool Whip, I used all real food, low glycemic ingredients.
This recipe can be tweaked to be suitable for the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle, sugar free diets, and even gluten free diets. In short, it’s the jackpot! And it’s absolutely PERFECT to serve to a crowd on Thanksgiving day!
- 1 1/4 c. almond meal {or crushed graham crackers}
- 5 tbsp.unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp. Real Salt
- 1 pkg. {8 oz.} cream cheese, softened {THM: use 1/3 less fat cream cheese}
- 1/2 c. powdered coconut sugar or white powdered sugar {THM & SF: use 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. Super Sweet Blend} {learn how to powder sweetener here}
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 c. whipped cream {such as Homemade Whipped Cream}
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1/2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 c. whey protein isolate powder
- 1/2 c. powdered coconut sugar or powdered white sugar {THM & SF: 3 tbsp. powdered Super Sweet Blend} {learn how to powder sweetener here}
- 1 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. Real Salt
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or 8-10 drops DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Essential Oil Blend
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 c. milk {THM: use almond or cashew milk}
- 2 c. pumpkin puree {homemade or use a 15 oz. can}
- 1 c. whipped cream {such as Homemade Whipped Cream}
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- additional whipped cream
- ground cinnamon
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Mix together all of the crust ingredients and set aside.
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With a hand held electric mixer, beat together the first 3 ingredients of the cream cheese mousse until smooth.
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Gently fold in the whipped cream just until blended {don't over mix or it'll lose volume}.
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Put this mixture in the refrigerator until layering steps.
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Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Set aside to soften.
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Mix the protein powder, sweetener, xanthan gum, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan.
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Gradually pour the cold milk into the saucepan, whisking briskly after each addition to prevent lumps.
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Bring mixture to a slow rolling boil {a boil that you can stir down} over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken.
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Whisk in the gelatin water until completely dissolved.
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Remove from the heat. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract then put in refrigerator {or freezer to speed things up--just don't forget it's in there} and allow to chill until cold.
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Once the pumpkin mixture is cold, gently fold the whipped cream into it. The resulting mixture will be a pale orangish color.*
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Gently press HALF of the crust mixture into the bottoms of 12 8-ounce mason jars.
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Take HALF of the chilled cream cheese mouse layer and divide it evenly among the jars.
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Pour HALF of the pumpkin pie layer evenly into the jars.
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Repeat layering with the remaining crust, cream cheese mousse, and pumpkin pie pudding {in that order}.
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Cover the jars with their lids and pop in the refrigerator to chill {preferably overnight}.
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Just prior to serving, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a tiny dusting of cinnamon.
*If you'd like the pumpkin layer to be a brighter/prettier orange, add a couple drops of red and yellow natural food coloring.