Remember that pumpkin silk pie from last week? This pumpkin pie mousse is extremely similar, but with even less fuss.

This year has been a doozy and I’ve been looking for ways to simplify all of the holidays coming our way. At my house, it feels like a single, very fast run from the end of October until the beginning of January. I still want to celebrate everything, but sometimes, it seems overwhelming.

That’s why I’ve been experimenting with alternative desserts for Thanksgiving. I’d like to keep those same comforting flavors, but I’d like to cut out the endless amounts of baking this seasons seems to entail. For instance, the pumpkin silk pie from last time took the step of having to bake your pie out of the equation. This week, I took the crust out of the picture.

And you know what? This was really good. This has that mellow, fall pumpkin flavor along with the smooth creaminess of a pie. It takes less than half the time, though, which is exactly what I was shooting for.

For hands on time, you’re looking at maybe 10 minutes. Setting time is about 2 hours, and then you can serve these little guys any time after that. They will keep in the fridge, covered for about a week. I like to make the mousse, put it in a tupperware, then spoon it into the pudding cup right before I serve it. A swirl of Redi-Whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and pumpkin pie mousse is a go!