Classic Pumpkin Pie
Oh, pumpkin pie, oh pumpkin pie, thy flavor is so lovely… Who needs the Christmas tree song when we could be singing about pie? In fact, I’m pretty sure a song about pie would not only be awesome but certainly the most delicious song ever.
Our classic pumpkin pie totally made from scratch, from the best pie crust recipe ever to a pumpkin filling that is perfectly spiced and creamy, it is a must-make every Thanksgiving.
I know we have some haters out there (haters gonna hate, hate, hate. Thank you Taylor Swift.) I can’t even understand the hate, but it’s fine. It exists. I believe that every blog should share their favorite classic recipes and this one is one of my favorites. Well this, and Mom’s Lemon Meringue Pie.
Thanksgiving For Me Growing Up
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. As a kid we always celebrated with more people than even fit into a house. Seriously, I remember going to my grandpa’s house in Le Grande, Oregon and all of the cousins, aunts and uncles would pile into the house, set up tables and chairs in every nook and cranny and still some of us kids would end up parking it on the floor somewhere because there just wasn’t enough room for so many people.
If we didn’t travel then we would have as much family at our house in Vancouver, Washington as possible and then Dad would make sure that everyone at church had a place to go and often we would end up with a few extra families that had nowhere to go. It was awesome! The cousins ran around playing, everyone was snacking and finally we had a prayer and “dinner” which usually happened mid afternoon so it wasn’t dinner at all.
Then we would clean up (always paper products as dishes for that many people would have been insane), the ladies and kids would do fun Christmas crafts, the men would sleep or watch football and then pie for all!
And my favorite part? Well, the pie of course, but I actually loved the next day even more. We would be lazy and watch movies all day, snacking on leftovers and making turkey sandwiches on rolls. I love those sandwiches more than the actual dinner!
Thanksgiving at Our House Now
Most importantly it had been a time to be together, no matter who we were. Everyone always had a place to go, which I’ll be honest has been a little hard living where we live. Most people have lived here their whole lives and have so much family that they make their own plans and stick closely with their fam. If you aren’t from here and aren’t going anywhere it kind of feels lonely now. It’s not the holiday I grew up with, but it has taught me that I must be like Dad, always reach out and see if anyone else is alone instead of only focusing on my family. But, we do have pie, and pie makes everything ok.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie
You’ll want to start by making my favorite pie crust recipe or Mom’s failproof magic crust. It makes a double crust, so you’ll only need half the dough for this pumpkin pie. You can freeze the other half, or make two pumpkin pies! Or use the other half for a lemon meringue pie!
Here is your grocery list for the filling:
- Pumpkin Puree
- Heavy Cream
- Half and Half
- Salt
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Ginger
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is one of the easiest pies you can make. It is literally, mix everything together and pour it into the crust. That’s it! Here are the basic steps:
- Preheat the oven.
- Mix the pumpkin, heavy cream and half and half together in a large bowl.
- Add the salt, sugars, eggs, and spices and mix everything together until smooth.
- Pour all of the mixture into an unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at a high heat for 15 minutes and then at a lower heat for 45-55 minutes.
- Check the pie with about 20 minutes left and make sure the crust isn’t getting too brown. You can cover the crust with foil to keep it from getting too dark.
- PRO TIP: You will know the pie is cooked through when it is puffed up a little in the middle and barely moves in the center.
- Remove the pie from the oven and put it on a cooling rack. Let it sit for 2 hours to allow it to set up.
- Top it with some fresh whipped cream or powdered sugar on top.
Can Pumpkin Pie Be Frozen?
Yes! Pumpkin pie holds up great in the freezer. It should be completely cooled, and then wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and then placed in a sealed bag.
Place pumpkin pie in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit in the refrigerator of 10-12 hours before you serve it.
Can Pumpkin Pie Be Kept at Room Temperature?
Pumpkin pie should be kept in the refrigerator.
Wrap loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Can Pumpkin Pie Be Made Ahead?
Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead pie, which makes it perfect for Thanksgiving. It is one less thing we have to make on Thanksgiving day. Make and bake as directed in the instructions and let it cool completely. Wrap it securely in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 2 days before your meal. Top with whipped cream just before serving.
Is Pumpkin Pie Filling Gluten Free?
Pumpkin pie filling contains no wheat or other sources of gluten.
Pumpkin pie filling is gluten free.
Should I Use Fresh or Canned Pumpkin?
Nine times out of ten, when asked this question about any ingredient, I would say fresh. For pumpkin pie, I say absolutely canned pumpkin is the way you want to go. It sets up better, has a better texture, and tastes better.
How to Avoid Cracked Pumpkin Pie
The biggest culprit of cracked pumpkin pie is over-baking. Doing that quick high heat bake and then baking at a lower temperature for the rest of the time will help you have a smooth pumpkin pie. Look for that puffed up middle and little movement in the middle. Then pull it from the oven. Letting it sit for at least 2 hours will also allow it to finish setting up.
How to Top Pumpkin Pie
Have you seen the meme of the pumpkin pie covered on all sides with like 4 inches of whipped cream? It makes me laugh every time. Whipped cream is delicious on top of pumpkin pie. I recommend making stabilized whipped cream so you can make those pretty piped dollops on top.
I’m also sort of obsessed with the pie stamps shown in these photos. Don’t they look so cute?! And I normally don’t do cute. They are super easy too. Roll out your extra half of pie crust and stamp the leaves. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F.
It’s just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie! Gather your family, friends, or anyone who needs a place to feel loved around your table and serve up a perfect pumpkin pie!
More PIE RECIPES You’ll Love:
- Homemade Apple Pie
- Razzleberry Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie
- French Chocolate Silk Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- ALL OF OUR PIE RECIPES!
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Pie Crust see note
- 2 Cups Pumpkin Puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 Cup Half and Half
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup White Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs Plus 1 Yolk. whisked
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
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Prepare your pie crust, set in the fridge as per the recipe and then form the crust in the pie plate, pricking the bottom of the crust and set back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Add pie weights to the crust and drape foil over to prevent browning, bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 6-8 minutes.
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Meanwhile, In a large pot, mix the pumpkin, salt sugars and spices. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer, cooking for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pie from the oven.
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Add the heavy cream and half and half, stirring for another minute over medium to medium high heat until sputtering and popping as a simmer.
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In a bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Add a tablespoon of the pumpkin to the eggs while stirring then slowly pour the eggs into the pumpkin and stir again. Pour the entire mixture into a baked pie shell.
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Bake at 400 for 25 minutes then immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue baking for 10 minutes or until the pie is puffed up and barely moves in the center. The edges will probably be a little cracked. You may want to place tin foil around the crust the last 20 minutes if it it getting too brown.
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Place the pie on a wire cooling rack and allow to sit without touching for 2 hours to set up.
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Serve with fresh whipped cream or powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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READ: Classic Pumpkin Pie
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