Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This pumpkin pie recipe is the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert.

Pumpkin puree, warm spices, eggs, and evaporated milk create the perfect pumpkin pie filling. It’s all tucked inside a buttery flaky crust and baked until golden.

No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without this dessert but it’s really perfect for any time of year.

‘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)!

More Thanksgiving Pies

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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.

Pumpkin – Pumpkin pie filling can be made with either canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin purée. We find canned pumpkin to be the easiest to work with and it provides consistent results.

If using fresh pumpkin puree, line a strainer with paper towel and let the puree drain for at least an hour. This helps ensure it is very well drained to help the pie set up properly.

Spices – Pumpkin pie spice can be purchased but it’s also easy to make homemade. This warm spice blend contains 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.

Evaporated Milk – Evaporated milk is a common ingredient in pumpkin pie, it can be substituted with cream if needed.

Eggs & Sugar – Large eggs should be at room temperature. A combination of brown and white sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Pie Crust – 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.

How To Make Pumpkin Pie

It’s literally as easy as 1,2,3!

Line a 9-inch pie plate or pie dish with a prepared pie crust and add a sprinkle of flour and sugar to the empty crust.Combine the pie-filling ingredients and whisk.Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared crust.

Bake and cool. Voila! Top it with heaps of whipped cream!!

Crust Tip

Adding a touch of flour/sugar to the crust before adding the pumpkin helps keep the crust from getting soggy (or you can brush the crust with a bit of egg white instead).

Start with a high oven temperature and then reduce it to help bake the bottom crust.

If the edges of the pie start to brown too much, cover them with aluminum foil or a pie shield.

How to Know When Pumpkin Pie is Done

Pumpkin pie will still have a slight jiggle when it’s fully cooked. It should not be wet or wiggly.

Overcooking can cause cracks so once cooked remove it from the oven and place it on a wire 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 for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.