Finally, it is once again pumpkin season. I love pumpkin flavored desserts and everything else. True pumpkin flavor reigns supreme over pumpkin spice so pumpkin pie is the ultimate dessert for this time of year. I have never thought of a no bake pumpkin pie being possible so this box mix seems genius. I’ve never seen this on shelves before so I knew we had to start fall season with a classic pumpkin pie box mix from Jello.
This mix is simple and includes minimal instructions. I think they used less than 1/3 of the space on the back of the box to instruct their consumer on how to prepare this dish. You start with the crust portion which requires combining the crust mix with melted butter and sugar. This is very standard for a cheesecake crust but in my mind a pumpkin pie has a heartier flakier crust, not like this graham cracker style crust but maybe this difference will be more enjoyable. This crust then gets pressed into the pie dish. The box did not state what size pie dish anywhere so I used a 9inch pie dish and the crust went about halfway up the sides. The crust mix was enjoyable, it tasted exactly as you’d expect when you combine graham crackers, sugar, and butter.
You next need to mix the filling mix with the milk. They suggest an electric mixer for this and to beat it for 1 minute. I used a whisk and whisked it by hand and it worked just as well. The filling went from liquid to thick in a little over a minute of vigorous whisking. It had a nice pudding consistency at this point which doesn’t seem quite right for pumpkin pie but we will see. I tasted the mixture and felt like I had taken a bite out of a fall scented candle. This flavor was not good. It reminded me of their butterscotch pudding with some spices in it but not good spices. This mix somehow even tastes waxy like a candle. It has no pumpkin flavor whatsoever. I was doubtful at this point so I took a closer look at the box. It says “pumpkin style pie” and then just as I feared, there is no pumpkin, or pumpkin flavorings in the ingredients. In fact, there isn’t even pumpkin pie spice which is literally made for pumpkin pie. All they added in was cinnamon and ginger. If you aren’t aware, pumpkin pie spice is made of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and all spice. They really chose to omit the rest of those flavors that are crucial to a pumpkin pie. My expectations for this pie have plummeted after reading that. Despite this information, I continued on and poured the pie filling mix in the crust.
Next, the pie goes in the fridge for an hour. After about two hours I pulled it out and it cut beautifully, no pulling or anything. I cut it into 8 pieces as suggested on the box and they were good size slices and a reasonable serving size. Everything went downhill once I tried to remove a slice of the pie to plate it. I used multiple utensils and it wasn’t enough. The pie had no body or stiffness to it and it was like trying to pick up pudding with a spatula. Oh wait. That’s exactly what it is. Pudding on a bed of graham cracker crumbs. Every slice quickly came out ugly. I even tried again after the pie had been in the fridge for a full day, and nothing improved. I had expected similarities but this is nothing like Jello’s no bake cheesecake which sets up nicely and has a stiffness to it.
Unfortunately, floppy and ugly was something I could move past, but the taste wasn’t. Let’s start with the positives, I really enjoyed the crust. Yep, the graham cracker crust was my favorite part. The pie filling remained a pudding consistency and lacked pumpkin flavor. I don’t think the person who created and approved this box mix has ever tasted pumpkin or pumpkin spice in their life. I’m not sure what “pumpkin style” means but at this point I’m guessing they are referring to the fact that it’s a brown orange color and sold in the fall. That’s it. Nothing else is pumpkin. The pie lacked flavor entirely. Those spices I mentioned before, cinnamon and ginger, they went dormant. I had to think hard about it to notice these flavors. Every bite of this pie reminded me of a fall candle and personally, I don’t want to eat a candle for dessert.
In case it wasn’t clear, I don’t recommend picking up this box mix. If you crave a pudding and graham cracker pie, get yourself a pre-made graham cracker crust and a pack of pudding at the store, maybe butterscotch would replicate this “pumpkin style”. Or better yet, go for chocolate to make a chocolate cream pie. Or banana. Or coconut. Anything has to be better than this. If you want pumpkin pie, stick with the recipe on the Libby’s brand of pumpkin puree, they won’t steer you wrong.
This pie totaled 1765 calories and if divided into 8 slices it brought each slice to 220 calories.
Here are the links to products used today:
Rubber Spatulas – https://amzn.to/3JWDtAA
Whisks – https://amzn.to/3AN05lX
Tablespoon set – https://amzn.to/4agFQsK
Oven Mitts – https://amzn.to/3JYq5Mg
Glass Measuring Cup – https://amzn.to/44IuX1B
*These are affiliate links meaning if you click on the link and buy the product, I will earn a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more.
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