Jo Parodi's Pumpkin Parfait Pie

Vanilla ice cream stirred into a gelatin base with pumpkin, instant coffee, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg creates a filling that’s lighter and creamier than traditional pumpkin pie. No oven required. The gelatin sets the filling as it chills, and the ice cream gives it a mousse-like, parfait texture.

The instant coffee is the unexpected ingredient. It doesn’t make the pie taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens and rounds out the pumpkin-spice flavor the way a splash of vanilla does in chocolate. You’d miss it if it wasn’t there, even though you can’t identify it.

Add the ice cream by spoonfuls to the hot gelatin mixture and stir until smooth. Adding it all at once creates cold lumps surrounded by hot liquid that won’t combine evenly.

The filling should mound when spooned before going into the crust. If it’s still pourable, chill it a few more minutes.

Kitchen Tips

• Use real vanilla ice cream, not frozen yogurt. The milk fat in ice cream gives the filling its silky body.
• Stir the boiling water into the gelatin-sugar mixture thoroughly. Undissolved gelatin creates rubbery spots in the finished pie.
• The 5-minute chill before filling the crust is approximate. Watch the texture, not the clock.
• Store in the refrigerator, not the freezer. Freezing changes the mousse texture to something icy.

Variations

• Gingersnap crust: Replace the graham cracker crust with a crushed gingersnap cookie crust for a spicier base.
• Chocolate pumpkin: Add cocoa powder to the gelatin mixture for a chocolate-pumpkin hybrid.