Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
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There are few things I am more excited for this time of year then holiday foods, specifically holiday desserts. I’m never really sure what I like more, making them or eating them. That first bite of pumpkin, apple or pecan pie is a beautiful thing, like fall on a fork. But for me it’s just as satisfying watching my friends and family enjoy a dessert that I made from scratch for them.
One year after searching for a recipe that didn’t use sweetened condensed milk, and came up with something very similar to this. A few years of tweaking it and I’m ready to share it with all of you. When you bake this pie it won’t set up like a traditional pumpkin (which is more of a custard pie) but that also means it won’t crack. The simplicity of this recipe is a blessing to me during the hectic holiday season.
This pie is best served at room temperature, so I usually bake and serve it the same day. You can also make the filling a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I like to serve it with a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream sweetened with honey and vanilla.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree – I often use Libby brand plain pumpkin puree, but you can also roast your own pumpkin
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 375.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in one bowl, mixing well. I use my Kitchen Aid but I’ve also made it many times by hand.
3. Pour into an unbaked pie crust in a 9 inch pan, and bake for 1 hour.
Since you can’t make pie without a crust, here is my go to recipe. This is enough for a lattice pie, so I end up with a little too much dough for this single crust pie. But it means I can do some decorative work or make myself a mini pie on the side!
Pie crust
- 3/4 cup cold butter
- 1 3/4 cup four
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk – reserve the white to use as an egg wash for the crust.
- Up to 6 tablespoons ice water, if needed.
Directions:
1. Blend the butter and dry ingredients together.
2. Add the egg yolk and blend till the dough starts to form together, add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the it forms a dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, mix by hand into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a half hour.
4. I use a regular rolling pin and roll the dough until it’s about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin, and then unroll it onto your pie pan. This dough is very forgiving, so don’t worry about small tears.
5. Cut the excess off leaving enough to crimp the edges with your fingers. Repair any holes and thin spots with the extra dough, using cold water to wet the edges before pressing a patch into place. I like the homemade look, so I don’t worry about getting everything spaced just perfectly.
I hope you enjoy this simply and easy pumpkin pie recipe, my family and friends love it. I’m excited to hear what yours think of it!
This year for Thanksgiving I will even be bringing this pie home to the family farm so all my cousins, aunts and uncles can try it. I can’t wait!
@pinkshaya , this looks and sounds amazing! I wish I had a piece right now. Thank you for sharing your tried-and-true recipe. I might give it a try and impress my family and friends this Thanksgiving– and I’ll be sure to give you all the credit.
@pinkshaya – Thanks for the great recipe. This is so timely because I just roasted my first pumpkin this weekend. I made a pumpkin bread but,found that I really had to increase the quanity of spices and sugar. My first batch turned out UBER bland and without flavor. The second batch turned out much better. I currently have some seeds air drying –that I plan to roast later.
Yum, I love pumpkin pie. I like to add chopped walnuts on the top and sprinkle with brown sugar so it crystallizes.
I’m not much of a cook, but I looooove pumpkin pie. It’s my favorite kind of pie :)
Ok, I’m officially ready for pumpkin pie now! Thanks for sharing @Pinkshaya
I’m going to attempt a pumpkin pie for the first time using a fresh pumpkin. I might try out this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
How can I wait a few weeks for Pumpkin Pie now?
I love that you mention that the pie tastes better at room tempurature – I think most pies (like chocolate) taste better at room temp when compared to straight from the fridge. I guess the cold helps mask some of the flavors?
Yup! The cold temps on your tongue make it harder for you to notice the different flavors, so something that has a lot of seasonings, like a pumpkin pie, will loose some of its snappy flavor. And who says you have to wait? I like to get a practice round or two leading up to the holidays.
I always use whole milk as opposed to sweetened condensed (but never half and hal)f… It has always worked out fantastically. I definitely suggest going that extra mile and roasting your own pumpkin because it makes the pie go from yummy to amazing. I also love how your pie crust recipe is a butter one. Butter makes such a richer, shortbread-y crust than hydrozenized shortening, I mean, would you ever lick Crisco from your fingers?
I can vouch for Shaya’s pumpkin pies. Sooooo good! So uh, Shaya, if you ever need someone to help eat your pies I’ll totally help put!