Pumpkin Pie

This is my family’s favorite pumpkin pie recipe. It’s made with a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust and a spiced, rich and creamy pumpkin filling that’s packed with flavor. This pie will be the star of your Thanksgiving table, but it’s delicious any day of the year.

This is the best pumpkin pie recipe

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s officially pumpkin season! Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cupcakes, and pumpkin cheesecake are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes, but pumpkin pie truly has a special place in my heart.

If you’re looking for the best pumpkin pie recipe to try this year, you’ve come to the right place. This recipe truly makes the best pumpkin pie in the world. The crust is buttery and flaky and the pumpkin pie custard is silky smooth and bursting with fall flavors.  The pie should be enough for 8-10 people, but in my sweet tooth family it’s only enough for 6 – we devour it quickly!

Keep reading to learn how to make the perfect pumpkin pie.

How to make pumpkin pie

This pie starts by preparing a par-baked pie crust and then baking it again with the pumpkin custard filling.

To make and blind bake the crust

1. Start by making my perfect pie crust dough. This post details how to make perfect crust as well as how to roll out and line your pie tin, so I recommend checking it out if you’re new to making pie dough. This recipe makes enough for two pies, so feel free to freeze half, use the other half for another Thanksgiving pie, like pecan pie, or simply halve the recipe.
2. Bind bake your pie crust. Pumpkin pie requires us to blind bake the crust and then bake it a second time with the pumpkin pie filling. This is because the custard filling is liquidy, and baking it directly in pie crust without baking it first will result in soggy crust. To blind bake the crust:
   1. Line your pie tin with your pie crust and chill it.
   2. Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on your pie crust and use pie weights or beans to hold the parchment paper in place. Make sure the weights or beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Here’s a great visual guide by Williams Sonoma to help you.
   3. Place the pie crust in a 375°F/190°C oven for 10 minutes. Then, remove the weights or beans and using a fork, prick holes on the bottom of the crust to create steam vents. Bake the crust without the beans for another 8-10 minutes until the bottom is starting to brown. Remove from oven.
3. Make the pumpkin pie filling. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, starting by whisking the sugar and eggs. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Pour the mixture into your pie crust while it’s still warm. I use a bit of cornstarch in my pumpkin pie because it helps to thicken and set up the pie, and also keeps it creamy and smooth. Heavy cream is another important ingredient because makes it adds richness. If you want a lighter version, you can replace ¼ cup of the heavy cream with whole milk.
4. Bake. Your pie will need to bake for 50-60 minutes. However, after about 20 minutes or so you’ll notice the edges of the crust looking golden brown. To prevent burning, use a large piece of aluminum foil to ‘tent’ the crust. You can wrap it around the pie tin to cover the crust, leaving the filling directly exposed to the heat. You’ll know your pie is done baking when the sides are set but the middle still appears a bit jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Chill. When the pie is cool enough to handle, place in the refrigerator to set for a minimum of 2 hours.

Tips for making perfect pumpkin pie

• Pumpkin puree: fresh or canned? You can use either, but I actually prefer using canned pumpkin puree. The texture is better and more smooth, and it also gives consistent results. Fresh pumpkin puree can be delicious and provide a more complex flavor, but it really depends on the pumpkin you use.
• You can substitute the spices with my pumpkin spice mix. Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice mix instead of adding the spices individually, if you prefer.
• For a slightly lighter pumpkin pie filling, replace ¼ cup of the heavy cream with whole milk.
• Chill your pie crust in the pan before blind baking. This will help the crust hold its shape.
• Poke holes in the bottom of the crust once you remove the pie weights. This keeps the bottom of the crust from puffing up. You should do this once you remove the pie weights, before you return the crust to oven to finish blind baking.
• Try not to overbake your pie once the filling is added. This will cause the filling to crack.
• Serve with homemade whipped cream. This is the best way to enjoy pumpkin pie, if you ask me!:)
• To freeze pumpkin pie, double wrap the pie in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 1.5 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.

More of my favorite holiday pies

• Pecan Pie: This classic, gooey pecan pie is rich, crunchy, and full of caramel flavor.
• Chocolate Pecan Pie: A rich and decadent pecan pie with melted chocolate added to the filling.
• Caramel Apple Pie: Caramelized apples take this apple pie to a whole new level.
• Caramel Pear Pie: Made with juicy pears and gooey caramel sauce, this is unlike any pie you’ve tried before.
• Banana Cream Pie: An old-fashioned banana cream pie recipe made with flaky pie crust, layers of fresh bananas, vanilla pastry cream, and whipped cream.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Pumpkin Pie

Creamy pumpkin custard is baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust for the perfect holiday pie! It's rich, creamy, and full of autumn spices.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

YIELD 10 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• ½ recipe perfect pie crust (or freeze the other half or use for another pie)

Filling

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
• 2 cups (one 15-ounce can/450g) pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 and ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 and ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and place a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Roll out the dough: Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. On a floured surface, roll dough out into a 12-inch (30cm) circle, then place gently into a 9-inch pie pan; you can do this by flouring a rolling pin and rolling the dough loosely around it, then unrolling it into the pan. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Use a fork to create a decorative border or crimp the edges using your fingers. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Blind bake the pie crust: Line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, crunching up the parchment paper if necessary. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice and make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish to hold the parchment paper or foil in place. Parbake the crust for 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights. Using a form, prick the bottom of the crust all over to prevent the crust from puffing up, and return the crust without pie weights or breans to the oven for 8-10 more minutes, until the bottom is starting to look golden brown.

4. Make the pumpkin Filling: In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth. Set aside. 

5. Pour the pumpkin filling into the warm pre-baked crust, filling until you come close to the edge of the crust (You might not need to use all the filling. You can bake the rest of the filling later in mini pans).

6. Bake until the pie is puffed in the middle but still jiggles when you gently shake the pan, 50 to 60 minutes. When the crust edges start to brown too deeply, be sure to use a pie crust shield or aluminum foil to cover them. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool completely.

7. Store pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.