Thanksgiving already has enough competition for the oven, and this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie barely uses it. One thin almond crust goes in for 10 to 12 minutes, and everything after that sets in the refrigerator.
Two layers, two gelatins. A pale vanilla cheesecake layer goes down first and chills until it is lightly set, then a warm orange pumpkin layer is spooned over the top. The seam between them shows in every wedge, and that visible line is the whole point of a double layer pie.
Why You’ll Love This Sugar-Free Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
A real two-layer pie, not one blended filling. The bottom layer is plain vanilla, the top layer is pumpkin, and nothing is stirred together in between them. That separation is what makes this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie worth the extra bowl.
Each layer is set with its own gelatin. Three grams go into the vanilla layer and four grams into the pumpkin, which is why they hold their own edges instead of merging into a single orange mass. One portion for the whole pie would set both layers at once and lose the line that makes this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie readable at a glance.
The vanilla layer chills for 25 to 30 minutes before the pumpkin goes on. That short rest is what stops the pumpkin sinking into a soft vanilla base and muddying the two halves of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie.
Only the crust is baked. Twenty-five minutes of actual work, then at least 6 hours in the refrigerator, and this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie cuts into eight wedges.
A slice lands at about 141 calories and 4g net carbs, which leaves plenty of room on a Thanksgiving table that already has a pie on it.
Ingredient Notes
Everything in this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie comes from one cheesecake base split in two, and that is the trick the whole recipe is built on.
The crust is ½ cup of plain roasted unsalted almonds, 60g, pulsed to fine crumbs and mixed with 2½ teaspoons of melted butter. Unlike a fruit crust, it carries no sweetener at all, so the almond base of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie bakes up as a plain nutty shell.
The pan needs to be deeper than most pie pans. A 6-inch removable-bottom tart pan at least 2 inches deep gives each layer room to sit as its own distinct band. A shallow pan turns this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie into one thick slab, and the removable bottom is what lets you unmold the pie while it is cold.
For the base: 6oz (170g) of Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Neufchâtel and ¾ cup of FAGE Total 0% plain Greek yogurt, 170g, beaten with ⅓ cup (45g) of powdered allulose. Beat that once, then split it, and that single split is what makes the double layer in this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie possible.
One third of that base becomes the vanilla layer and stays plain. The remaining two thirds takes ¾ cup (180g) of LIBBY’S pure pumpkin purée, 3 tablespoons (30g) of powdered allulose, a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream, a tablespoon of unsweetened almond milk and 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Use the purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced and will not set the pumpkin layer of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie the same way.
Gelatin is divided on purpose: 2¼ teaspoons (7g) into 3g for the vanilla layer and 4g for the pumpkin, bloomed separately in 20g and 25g of cold water. Allulose is a rare sugar the FDA allows to be left out of the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label.
I check every gram weight on the site against the USDA FoodData Central database, which is where the 170g of yogurt and the 180g of pumpkin come from.
How to Make Sugar-Free Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Fifteen steps, and the two layers of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie are built in the order they have to be built in.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line the pan bottom with parchment.
- Pulse the roasted almonds into fine crumbs. Mix with the melted butter.
- Press firmly across the pan bottom and ½ inch up the sides.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- Beat the Neufchâtel and 45g of the allulose until smooth. Mix in the room-temperature yogurt.
- Transfer one-third of this cheesecake base to a bowl for the vanilla layer.
- Mix the pumpkin, 30g allulose, cream, almond milk and spice into the remaining two-thirds. Keep near room temperature.
- Bloom 3g of gelatin in 20g cold water for 5 minutes. Warm gently until dissolved; do not boil.
- Temper with two small spoonfuls of vanilla filling, then mix into the remaining vanilla filling.
- Spread the vanilla filling over the cooled crust. Chill 25–30 minutes until lightly set.
- Bloom the remaining 4g of gelatin in 25g cold water for 5 minutes. Warm gently until dissolved.
- Temper with two spoonfuls of pumpkin filling, then mix into the remaining pumpkin filling.
- Carefully spoon the pumpkin filling over the partially set vanilla layer. Smooth gently.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Unmold while cold and cut into 8 equal wedges.
Steps 9 and 12 are the same move in two different bowls. Each gelatin gets tempered with a couple of spoonfuls of its own filling before it goes back in, and that is what keeps this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie free of strands.
Success Tips for Sugar-Free Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Six details in the success notes decide whether the two layers of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie stay two layers.
- Prepare each gelatin portion only when needed. Bloom the 3g for the vanilla layer first, and only start the 4g for the pumpkin once the vanilla is in the pan and this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie is back in the refrigerator.
- Keep the dairy near room temperature to prevent gelatin strands. Cold yogurt seizes the gelatin before it can blend.
- Lightly set the vanilla layer before adding pumpkin. Twenty-five to 30 minutes is enough; a fully firm layer cracks when you spoon over it.
- Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will not set the same way.
- Press the almond crust firmly and cool it before filling. A warm crust melts the vanilla layer as it goes in.
- Unmold while the pie is cold. A chilled pie releases from the pan base cleanly and cuts into even wedges.
Storage
Keep refrigerated and store covered for up to 3 days, which is the only storage instruction this recipe gives. The vanilla and the pumpkin are both already set with gelatin, so there is nothing else to protect.
Step 14 says at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight. The overnight version is the better one for this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie, because the pumpkin firms up enough to hold a clean edge when you cut it.
FAQ
How is this different from the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake?
That one is a single layer and never touches the oven. The sugar-free no-bake pumpkin cheesecake presses whole roasted almonds, butter and a spoonful of allulose into a 6-inch springform and chills one pumpkin filling. This sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie bakes a thin crust instead, splits one cheesecake base into a vanilla third and a pumpkin two-thirds, and sets each with its own gelatin.
How is this different from the sugar-free pumpkin pie?
The sugar-free pumpkin pie is a single baked custard. It uses two eggs to set one pumpkin layer in a 7-inch pan, and the whole pie goes into the oven. This one has no eggs, no baked filling and no second pan, and this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie is split into two distinct layers instead of one.
Why does the pan need to be at least 2 inches deep?
Because there are two layers, and each one needs enough depth to sit as its own band. A 6-inch tart pan with 2-inch walls is the size that keeps the vanilla and the pumpkin from squeezing into each other when you spoon the second layer on.
Why chill the vanilla layer before adding the pumpkin?
Because a soft vanilla layer just absorbs the pumpkin. Chilling 25 to 30 minutes gives it enough body to support the weight on top, which is what keeps the two layers of this sugar-free double layer pumpkin pie visibly separate in every wedge.
How many net carbs are in a slice?
About 4g net carbs per serving, from roughly 6g total carbs and 2g fiber, at about 141 calories, 6g protein and 10g fat across 8 servings. Those are estimates.
Two More Pies for the Table
If you want the single-layer version instead, the sugar-free pumpkin pie is the one to make. And if the oven is already full on the day, the sugar-free no-bake pumpkin cheesecake skips the oven entirely.
Sugar-Free Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line the pan bottom with parchment.
- Pulse roasted almonds into fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter.
- Press firmly across the pan bottom and ½ inch up the sides.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- Beat Neufchâtel and 45g allulose until smooth. Mix in room-temperature yogurt.
- Transfer one-third of this cheesecake base to a bowl for the vanilla layer.
- Mix pumpkin, 30g allulose, cream, almond milk, and spice into the remaining two-thirds. Keep near room temperature.
- Bloom 3g gelatin in 20g cold water for 5 minutes. Warm gently until dissolved; do not boil.
- Temper with two small spoonfuls of vanilla filling, then mix into the remaining vanilla filling.
- Spread vanilla filling over the cooled crust. Chill 25–30 minutes until lightly set.
- Bloom the remaining 4g gelatin in 25g cold water for 5 minutes. Warm gently until dissolved.
- Temper with two spoonfuls of pumpkin filling, then mix into the remaining pumpkin filling.
- Carefully spoon pumpkin filling over the partially set vanilla layer. Smooth gently.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Unmold while cold and cut into 8 equal wedges.
Notes
- Prepare each gelatin portion only when needed.
- Keep dairy near room temperature to prevent gelatin strands.
- Lightly set the vanilla layer before adding pumpkin.
- Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Press the almond crust firmly and cool before filling.
- Keep refrigerated; store covered for up to 3 days.