Pumpkin Pie is a rich and creamy dessert that celebrates fall in style. It’s made even more delicious with a homemade pie crust and topped with whipped cream. No fall or winter holiday is complete without this traditional food for the soul.
I’ve tried several pumpkin pie recipes before settling on the one that my family absolutely raved over. I tried it with fresh and canned pumpkin. I’ll let you know the results below.
A traditional pumpkin pie perfectly balances soft and creamy with firm and spicy wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust. Homemade Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream makes it worthy of any special occasion.
I especially love this recipe because you make several mini pies and freeze them, so they’re ready for a quick treat whenever the craving hits.
You know me, I can’t leave well enough alone.
One of my greatest joys from cooking is playing with the ingredients to see how close to perfect I can get it. Then I can pass on to you the results of all that joyful experimenting so you can have a ridiculously delicious pie the first time.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Around the holidays and fall season, pumpkin is in everything. Pies are just the beginning.
Pumpkin bread, pumpkin latte, pumpkin spiced coffee, and pumpkin cookies or brownies are the rage. And why not?
They’re in season, which means they’re fresh and begging to be cooked into something wonderful.
Combining smooth pumpkin puree with heavenly cream and fall-inspired spices, then wrapping the mix in a buttery, flaky crust is pure ecstasy.😍
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie crust – You can buy one or, even better, make homemade pie crust.
- Sugar – Both granulated and brown sugar sweeten this baby to perfection. Feel free to substitute one with the other.
- Eggs – An essential ingredient that firms up the filling and makes it creamy delicious.
- Pumpkin Puree – You can definitely use canned, I do, to save time. You can also boil, bake, or steam the pumpkin for an excellent homemade pumpkin puree. Boiling tends to waterlog the pumpkin and make it too watery. Steaming or baking is best, but it really depends on the moisture content of your pumpkin. Steaming allows the pumpkin to keep most of its moisture while baking dries it out a little more. Personally, I like to bake it.
After running it through a blender, you can pass it through a sieve to get any lumps out for a puree that competes well with the canned stuff. - Evaporated Milk – If you want a luxuriously creamy and silky smooth pie filling, evaporated concentrates the flavor without the high-fat content of heavy cream.
- Vanilla Extract – This flavor booster is so easy to make at home, which makes it even better.
- Cornstarch – This is a thickener that helps the eggs set the filling.
- Pumpkin Pie Spices – Traditionally, this spice mix has cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. I live a small dash of cardamom, too, but go light because it has a strong flavor. If you bake as much as I do, you may want to have a pumpkin pie spice mix on hand.
Alternative Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree – I tested both homemade pumpkin puree and canned. I am talking about pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you’re a purist, go for the homemade because it has a better flavor. But if, like me, you don’t always have time, then canned works just fine.
The truth is canned pumpkin puree is usually smoother and creamier than homemade, so I doubt anyone will notice the difference.
Experimenting with different kinds of pumpkins and squashes will give you other flavor profiles. Heirloom pumpkins have more flavor, and if you have a Vitamix, you can make a smooth puree. - Dairy-free – On this one, coconut milk and cream kinda conflict with the pumpkin. You may like the results, but, honestly, on this one, I’d go for nut milk and creamer.
- Gluten-free – Your go-to gluten-free pie crust will work just fine. If you would like an incredible custard, you can omit the pie crust.
Serving, Make-Ahead, and Storage Instructions
This pie is best served at room temperature or slightly warm. However, it tastes best when allowed to chill for a few hours in the fridge.
If you want it warm, reheat it in a low oven for about 15 minutes. Then top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I have served it with my rum raisin ice cream. It was so good!
Making Ahead
The filling and pie crust dough can be made a couple of days ahead of time; then, you can assemble and bake it on the day you want to serve it.
Freezing the pie before baking is probably not the best idea. Let it cool after baking, wrap it in freezer wrap or plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze up to a month or two. You can do the same thing with mini pies.
Thaw frozen pies in the fridge overnight.
Storing
You can store leftover pumpkin pie in an airtight container for three or four days in the fridge. I wouldn’t keep it at room temperature because it has eggs.
FAQs
Prebake the crust so you can bake the pie at a lower temperature. Also, the center of the pie should jiggle a little when it’s done. Overcooking it will cause it to separate and weep. If it’s already solid, oh well, cover it with whipped cream.
The main reason is that your oven may not be as hot as the knob says it should be.
Another possibility is that it is cooked. Is it firm on the edges and jiggly in the center? Then it’s perfectly done.
On a pumpkin pie, you can lightly prebake the pie crust. That will save you from having to worry about a raw pie crust and overdone filling.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry sauce is usually served with turkey. But why limit yourself? A spoonful of homemade cranberry sauce spiked with orange is awesome.
Toasted and candied walnuts are also a great topping. Of course, it’s a given that homemade whipped cream is a must.
If you want to use extra crust to make decorative leaves, you can sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.
More Pies to Try
- Chocolate Pecan Pie – A classic pecan pie ramped up with our favorite addiction, chocolate chips. Just nine simple ingredients make a perfectly decadent dessert for the holidays or when you need an easy fix for your sweet tooth.
- No-Bake Key Lime Mango Coconut Pie – This luscious pie takes a lime and a coconut and puts them all together in a creamy and so heavenly pie. And you don’t even need to heat the oven.
- Coconut Cream Pie – The creamy, coconutty filling in a flaky, buttery pie crust and topped with toasted coconut flakes and homemade whipped cream will literally melt in your mouth. Yum!
- Lemon Tart – This sweet classic lemon tart boasts soft lemon curd in a buttery crust offers a total melt-in-your-mouth experience. It’s perfect for a refreshing summer treat or holiday dessert.
- Sweet Potato Pie – Creamy and insanely delicious sweet potato pie is the perfect choice for any holiday. Southern comfort food made from real sweet potatoes and a mouthwatering homemade pie crust offers a super-easy to make crowd-pleaser.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie the Easy Way
Prepare the Pumpkin Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Make the Dough – Start by making the pie crust and preparing the pie pan.
- Roll it Out – Roll out pie crust if using homemade pie crust. Or unwrap the store-bought one.
- Transfer Dough to Pie Pan – Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, gently fit it in, trim any excess dough hanging on the edges, then decorate the edges as desired. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Refrigerate the pie until ready to be bake. Proceed with pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Mix Sugar and Eggs – In a large mixing bowl, add granulated and brown sugar and eggs. Thoroughly mix. (Photo 3)
- Add Remaining Ingredients – Then add puree pumpkin, evaporated milk, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, and corn starch. Continue mixing until fully combined. (Photo 4-7)
- Make the Pumpkin Pie – Pour filling into the pie crust, then bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the filling is set. (Photo 8)
- Allow to Cool – Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
Watch How To Make It
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Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust, or homemade
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolk
- Homemade whipped cream, for topping
Instructions
The Pumpkin Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Start by making the pie crust and preparing the pie pan.
- Roll out pie crust if using homemade pie crust. Or unwrap the store-bought one.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, gently fit it in, trim any excess dough hanging on the edges, then decorate the edges as desired.
- Refrigerate the pie until ready to be bake. Proceed with pumpkin pie filling.
The Pumpkin Pie Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, add granulated and brown sugar and eggs. Thoroughly mix.
- Then add puree pumpkin, evaporated milk, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, and corn starch. Continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
- Pour filling into the pie crust, then bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the filling is set.
- Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
Tips & Notes:
- To avoid cracking, don’t overbeat the eggs or filling. It’s the same principle as flan, no air bubbles wanted. Tapping the bowl a few times after mixing is done will also help get out unwanted air bubbles.
- Every oven is different, which affects the cooking time. Humidity and altitude also affect baking time. So start checking for doneness 10-15 minutes before the recipe says.
- A fun way to make pumpkin pie is to make mini pies. They bake faster, and you can freeze them for personal size desserts at a moment’s notice. You can even make minis using a muffin pan.
- You know the pie is ready when a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes out fairly clean, and the center hardly jiggles.
- Cracking is a major challenge for pumpkin pie. However, it should be fine if you lower the temperature about halfway through baking and make sure it doesn’t overbake. And if it cracks, don’t worry. It will still be outrageously delicious. And you can pile whipped cream on top, so no one will ever know.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Susan D says
I made my own pumpkin purée once. The pie was outstanding. Try it once, when you have all day. Also used cream in place of evaporated milk. So good, but so much work.
ImmaculateBites says
Nice nice! 🙂
Mary says
How much melted butter is needed?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mary, thanks for pointing this out. I have updated the recipe 🙂