When we think about pie, especially during the holidays, pumpkin pie may be the most classic of them all. In our family, it’s a well known fact that pumpkin pie will always be a staple during November. Our mom’s birthday falls during this time of year and she always requests a pumpkin pie instead of a cake. As kids, we never understood why she passed up cake and ice cream for a pie, but once you have a few bites of this pumpkin pie, you’ll understand why.
Our mom is the queen of pumpkin pie. From birthdays to pie parties to Thanksgiving, her pumpkin pie is a staple. This recipe has everything you are looking for in a pumpkin pie. The crust is flaky while the filling is soft, pumpkin forward, and heavily spiced. We always top it with a little bit of whipped cream for that extra silky sweetness. It’s a delicious bite full of pumpkin, spice, and perfect for any holiday (or birthday) table.
How to make the pumpkin pie:
To make the pie, we start with a par baked (or blind baked) pie crust. Although you can use a raw pie crust, we find this extra step makes the dough extra flaky (no soggy bottoms here!). After you pre-cook the crust, start on the creamy pumpkin filling.
To make the filling, whisk eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes light in color. Whisk the eggs and sugar with beaters or in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes on medium high speed. After beating the eggs and sugar, fold in the pumpkin puree and spices until evenly combined. Once the mixture is smooth, pour in the milk and fold until evenly combined.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake at 450 for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn down the heat to 325 and bake for another 40 minutes. When it is done, the mixture will still jiggle a little but a knife will come out clean if poked into the edges of the pie.
Notes to make the perfect pumpkin pie:
- Blind baking the crust: you don’t need to blind bake the crust but we strongly recommend it for a flaky, crisp bottom. A great tutorial can be found here.
- Serving the pie: we love to serve our pumpkin pie with a cinnamon whipped cream for added silkiness in each bite.
- Bake time: the most difficult part of pumpkin pie is knowing when to pull it out. The pie should have a very slight jiggle and a knife should come out clean if poked around the edges.
- Signs a pumpkin pie is over baked: If the filling separates from the crust, cracks form, or little bubbles form around the edges, the pie is over baked. Simply adjust the bake time to a few minutes less.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon diamond kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon if morton
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 1 pie crust blind baked (you can use a raw pie crust but we find pre baking allows for a much crisper bottom)
Instructions
- (Start with a 9-inch blind baked pie crust-instructions linked above. The crust can also be raw, but it won't create as flaky of a result)
- Preheat the oven to 450 F
- In a medium bowl or base of a stand mixer, add eggs and both sugars. On medium-high speed, beat the sugars together until they are light and slightly whipped (~2 minutes)
- To the egg sugar mixture, fold in pumpkin puree, spices and salt until evenly combined. Then pour in the milks and stir until evenly combined
- Pour the filling over the crust in the 9-inch pie pan
- Bake the pie at 450 for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake for 40-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean (filling should only slightly jiggle when moving the pie)
[…] dessert first. With that admiration, we’ll stop talking about pies and save that for these posts (pumpkin, pecan, berry, and pie […]