Taste of the Past

Here is an alternative to the pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving dinner. This easy pumpkin mousse is cool, creamy, and ready in minutes. Cream cheese, pudding mix, whipped topping, and canned pumpkin are layered with gingersnap crumbles for a fast fall dessert. A pumpkin mousse parfait, warmly spiced and studded with crunchy gingersnap bits, comes together quickly for an easy and cozy dessert. Cream cheese and instant pudding provide a decadent mousse texture without the fuss of making a custard. Canned pumpkin and baking spices make this mousse taste like pumpkin pie in a dish.

Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sugar

1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin

1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup cold 2% milk

1¾ cups whipped topping

24 gingersnaps, divided

Whipped cream, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Add pumpkin, pudding mix, and pie spice.

Gradually beat in milk. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon ¼ cup mousse into eight serving dishes. Crumble 16 gingersnaps; sprinkle over mousse. Top each with remaining mousse. Refrigerate until serving. Top with whipped cream and additional crushed gingersnaps just before serving