This pumpkin pie recipe is the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. A spiced pumpkin filling inside a buttery flaky crust and baked until golden.
No fall meal would be complete without featuring pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream.
‘Tis the season for oversized hoodies, crunchy leaves, and brisk weather. When fall rolls around I’m ready for all things pumpkin (like these pumpkin pie cupcakes)!
Ingredients in Pumpkin Pie
A pumpkin pie is made with relatively simple ingredients. It’s easy to make and best of all, it should be made ahead of time making it a great holiday dessert.
Homemade vs. Canned Pumpkin
Pumpkin pie filling can be made with either canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree by roasting a pumpkin. Either works well in this recipe but we prefer canned pumpkin because it’s easier.
Warm Spices
We usually have a jar of homemade pumpkin pie spice which you can also buy at stores. It is a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a bit of allspice and ground cloves. You can substitute apple pie spice or even just cinnamon if it’s all you have.
Other Ingredients
A couple of eggs, some canned milk, and white and brown sugar. Simple.
Crust for Pumpkin Pie
I prefer homemade pie crust but of course you can use store bought pie dough (or even a graham crust).
The crust does not need to be pre-baked (or blind baked) for this recipe.
Adding a touch of flour/sugar to the crust before adding the pumpkin helps keep the crust from being soggy (or you can brush the crust with a bit of egg white instead).
How To Make Pumpkin Pie
It’s literally as easy as 1,2,3!
- Line a 9-inch pie plate or pie pan with a prepared pie crust, add a sprinkle of flour and sugar.
- Combine the pie filling and whisk.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared crust.
Bake and cool. Voila!
How to Know When Pumpkin Pie is Done
When it’s fully cooked, pumpkin pie will still have a slight jiggle. It should not be wet or wiggly.
Overcooking can cause cracks so once cooked remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Tips for a Great Pumpkin Pie
- A sprinkle of flour and sugar keeps the crust from getting soggy.
- Pumpkin pie will be a little bit jiggly when it is done but it should not be wet or wiggly.
- Pumpkin pie can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
How to Store Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie can be served at room temperature or chilled (or even heated a little bit in the oven). My preference is room temperature so I remove it from the fridge about 2 hours before serving.
Add some whipped cream, whipped topping, or fresh vanilla ice cream.
Store homemade pumpkin pie in the fridge since it is made with milk and eggs (and no preservatives). It will keep about 4 days in the fridge (although it never lasts more than a day in my house).
How to Freeze
A baked pumpkin pie can be made ahead of time and frozen. Bake as directed below and cool completely. Cover well with plastic wrap and freeze.
To serve, thaw at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
More Thanksgiving Desserts
It just isn’t a holiday meal without a great dessert:
- Classics: Classic pie recipes we love include apple pie, sweet potato pie and of course pecan pie.
- Creatives: Don’t be afraid to get creative for new favorites like Praline Pumpkin Pie, Apple Crumb Pie, or mini pumpkin pie cupcakes.
- Not a Pie: Looking for a change from a usual pie recipe? Pumpkin Crunch Cake tastes like the classic pie but feeds a crowd!
- Try a bread pudding or pumpkin bread pudding topped with ice cream or whipped cream. For a lighter dessert or snack, try fluffy pumpkin dip.
Did you love this pumpkin pie recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 9 inch pie crust unbaked
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix together the sugar and flour and sprinkle on the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
Pie Filling
- In a small bowl combine sugars, salt, pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs then stir in pumpkin puree followed by the dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the evaporated milk and mix to combine.
- Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 40-50 minutes.
- Cool on baking rack until completely cooled (at least 2 hours).
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Love this recipe❤️❤️
I’ve made this before and it’s excellent!! I’m wondering if I can make it ahead of time and freeze it? Thank you!
You sure can. You can also find this information in the post:
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Pie?
Yes, a baked pumpkin pie can be made ahead of time and frozen. Bake as directed below and cool completely. Cover well with plastic wrap and freeze. To serve, defrost at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
This was my first time making a pumpkin pie from scratch .. I’m so thankful I chose this recipe!
The pie turned out perfect and SO DELICOUS! I will definitely be using this recipe over and over and over again. We loved it
So happy that you love the pumpkin pie recipe Dana!
Should the pie be chilled after being baked
Yes, this pie can be served room temperature or chilled.
I’ve been baking pies for a looonng time and by far this is the best!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!
Very delicious and simple. Just what I was looking for. Thank you so much
will pumpkin pie mix work in place of puree?
We have only made the recipe as written Donald. Pumpkin pie mix has a different texture, so likely wouldn’t produce the same result.
This was an excellent pie! I followed the recipe except for adding pumpkin pie spice. I didn’t have any so I just did a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to add up to the amount in the recipe. I used my own piecrust recipe and added the sugar/flour blend as directed. It was tempting to add the whole can of evaporated milk(13 oz.) as in other recipes, but I didn’t. The pie had a nice custard consistency and the crust was nice and crisp—-not soggy on the bottom like what happens in other recipes. I baked it according to the recipe, and it was done after the 40 min. at 350 degrees.
Is the flour and sugar sprinkled on the crust just supposed to be a dusting or should it be thicker than that?
Hi Karen, it is more of a dusting. You can watch the video just above the recipe for a better idea on what this looked like for us. :)