By Joy painting autumn series, golden and red, Naomi brings Will to Magnolia House, Joy teaches Will to hold a brush. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
After a Sunday like that one — Joy’s brushstrokes still vivid in my mind, Will’s small hand learning to hold something new — I wanted the kitchen to keep the warmth going a little longer. The she-crab soup had done its anchoring work, but this Pumpkin Pie Dip is what I set out alongside the apple slices and gingersnaps while we lingered at the table, because autumn deserves a second act and so does every good afternoon spent with the people you love.
Pumpkin Pie Dip — Easy and No Bake
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
- Graham crackers, gingersnap cookies, and apple slices, for serving
Instructions
- Beat the base. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the pumpkin. Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
- Fold in the whipped topping. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until just incorporated and the dip is light and airy. Do not overmix.
- Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the dip to firm up slightly.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and dust lightly with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired. Serve with graham crackers, gingersnap cookies, and apple slices alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 95mg