This easy homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe makes the best pumpkin pie! This from scratch recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving or the holidays!
A slice of homemade pumpkin pie is one of my favorite desserts during the fall and holiday season. I’ve updated my best pumpkin pie recipe with new photos and an improved recipe and instructions. Keep reading for all of my best pumpkin pie baking tips!
I’ve tested many, many pumpkin pie recipes and what I’ve found is that you don’t need complicated or time-consuming steps to make the best pumpkin pie. To make a delicious pumpkin pie worthy of your holiday table, it’s as simple as whisking together a few ingredients for the filling, pouring it into an unbaked pie crust, and baking the pie. This pumpkin pie is about as easy and delicious as it gets, even for beginning bakers.
The best pumpkin pie recipes start with a homemade buttery, flaky pie crust, although you can use store-bought if you’re short on time. The pumpkin pie filling is luscious and creamy and perfectly spiced with pumpkin pie spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You are going to love this easy pumpkin pie!
CANNED PUMPKIN OR FRESH PUMPKIN FOR PUMPKIN PIE?
I’ve tested this pie both with canned pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin puree. Honestly, I prefer this pie with canned pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin has more moisture, so if you choose to use fresh, you’ll want to remove some of the moisture. You can do this by putting the pumpkin puree in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, and then letting it sit in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
DO YOU NEED TO BLIND BAKE PIE CRUST FOR PUMPKIN PIE?
No… you don’t need to blind bake the pie crust for this pumpkin pie recipe. Blind baking means to partially pre-bake your pie shell, before adding the filling.
Many people will insist that pre-baking the crust is a necessary step, but this pumpkin pie is every bit as delicious without blind baking the crust. I choose not to blind bake my crust because it saves me time and effort. I’ve said it before, but I’m all about skipping steps that aren’t totally necessary in the kitchen. When I’ve tried to blind bake, the edges of my pie crust have shrunk down, although these tips might help with that.
If you want to blind bake your pie crust, you certainly can. You’ll first line the empty pie crust with parchment paper. Then fill it with pie weights, dry beans or rice to weigh it down and prevent it from puffing up. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes at 375° F. Then remove the pie weights and parchment before adding your filling.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE
There are two parts to pumpkin pie: the crust and the pumpkin filling. First, let’s talk about the crust and then we’ll get to the filling.
STORE-BOUGHT VS. HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE CRUST
If you want to save time, you can use a store-bought pie crust to make your pumpkin pie. If you choose to make my homemade pie crust recipe, I promise you it’s really simple to do. Even following the homemade pie dough instructions in the recipe card below, you can still have this pie ready to go in the oven in just about 30 minutes.
You can make the pie crust in a food processor or by hand. My pie dough rolls out like a dream and you can roll it out right away – no chilling required before rolling!
Once you’ve rolled out your pie crust, fit it into a 9-inch pie dish. You can crimp the edges of the crust using your fingers. Then chill the pie crust while you make the pumpkin filling.
PUMPKIN PIE FILLING
The pumpkin filling for this pie is a simple mixture of ingredients: pumpkin puree, eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices. The cornstarch acts as a thickener and helps the pie filling to set up. Whole milk is best in this pie recipe because the fat makes the filling rich and creamy.
You’ll whisk everything together in one bowl until it is very well combined.
HOW LONG TO BAKE PUMPKIN PIE
Once your filling is ready you’ll pour it into your pie shell. Bake pumpkin pie at 375° F for about 50-60 minutes, until the filling is almost set in the center. The pie is done when the center wiggles a little bit when you gently shake the pie.
HOW TO PREVENT CRACKS IN PUMPKIN PIE
Cracks can form in pumpkin pie when it is baked for too long. To prevent your pie from cracking in the center, take it out of the oven when the center is still a little jiggly. The pie will set up more as it cools.