The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pin This!
Author: Sally
Published: 10/26/2014 Updated: 09/15/2022

Bursting with flavor, this pumpkin pie recipe is my very favorite. It’s rich, smooth, and tastes incredible on my homemade pie crust and served with sugared cranberries and whipped cream.

Did you know that testing the perfect pumpkin pie recipe is a lot more challenging than one would assume!? Fresh pumpkin, canned pumpkin, ginger, no ginger, brown sugar, white sugar, cornstarch, flour, no cornstarch, no flour…?

Pie Crust

Let’s start with the pie crust. Every pumpkin pie has to start with a stellar pie crust. My homemade pie crust uses a mix of shortening and butter so you get the most buttery tasting, tender, flaky (so flaky) pie crust. It’s easy to make. And I have a video tutorial and step-by-step photos in my pie crust recipe.

Fresh or Canned Pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie?

I tested this recipe with both and I truly liked the pie using canned pumpkin better. The canned pumpkin pumpkin pie (say that 3 times fast) was a little more sturdy when baked for the same amount of time. The pie baked with fresh pumpkin puree tasted grainy and a little… herbaceous? I prefer using fresh pumpkin puree in savory recipes, not desserts. This is your call, you can use either fresh or canned pumpkin.

Other Ingredients in Pumpkin Pie

1. Eggs. Eggs set up the pumpkin pie filling. They give the filling its rich, luxurious texture.
2. Heavy cream. Heavy cream makes pumpkin pie silky smooth. It’s thick, creamy, and absolutely heavenly in this pumpkin pie recipe. I use 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of milk.
3. Cornstarch. A starch thickener is one of the most important ingredients in a pie filling.

My Secret Ingredient

This sounds so incredibly weird, but I add freshly ground black pepper to my pumpkin pie filling. It’s bizarre, I know. But I’m being serious. I got this tip from the genius kitchen crew over at King Arthur Baking. And I am forever grateful. Because this little addition turns your pumpkin pie into the BEST pumpkin pie. No one will know it’s there except for you.

How to Avoid Cracks in Pumpkin Pie

Silky yet thick, this pumpkin pie cuts beautifully as long as it is baked for the right amount of time. The bake time is about 55-60 minutes. At this time, the center of the pumpkin pie will be slightly wobbly. It will set as it cools. Careful not to overcook; overcooking it will cause the filling to crack.

The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe

4.8 from 318 reviews

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes (includes blind bake)
• Total Time: 5 hours (includes cooling)
• Yield: serves 8-10; 1 cup sugared cranberries

Description

Bursting with flavor, this pumpkin pie recipe is my very favorite. It’s rich, smooth, and tastes incredible on my homemade pie crust and served with whipped cream.

Ingredients

Sugared Cranberries

• 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries (do not use frozen)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) water
• 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided

Pumpkin Pie

• Homemade Pie Dough (full recipe makes 2 crusts: 1 for bottom, 1 for leaf decor)
• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
• one 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk

Instructions

1. If garnishing with sugared cranberries, make those first: If you want to decorate the pie with sugared cranberries, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours.
2. Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions and video tutorial in my pie crust recipe. Or use your favorite pie dough or store-bought.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Roll out the chilled pie crust: Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.
5. Par-bake the crust: Line the pie crust with parchment paper.
6. Make the pumpkin pie filling: Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined.
7. Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up.
8. Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours before garnishing and serving.
9. Decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves.
10. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pumpkin pie freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
2. Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries, not frozen.
3. Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin is best in this pumpkin pie recipe.
4. Spices: Instead of ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper, you can use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
5. Pie Crust: No matter if you’re using homemade crust or store-bought crust, pre-bake the crust.
6. Pie Crust Leaves: My pie crust recipe makes enough for two crusts. So with the extra dough, you can make adorable leaves for decoration on your pumpkin pie.