This recipe for homemade pumpkin pie is the only one you will ever need. A few secret ingredients make this pie absolutely perfect!
Pumpkin pie is my favorite kind of pie, how about you? Top this picture perfect pie with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, slice and serve! Everyone is going to love this pumpkin pie- it’s perfect!
A Classic with a Secret Ingredient!
I love the flaky crust, the custard-like filling and all of those fall spices in pumpkin pie. It’s just so darn good! But not all pumpkin pies are created equal. Sometimes they can end up too crusty on top, too gooey in the center or way too aggressively spiced. Not this one. It’s perfect in every way possible. So what makes this pie so different? Secret ingredients.
Like super secret. Shhh…. don’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, ok? All jokes aside, there are a few things I put in my pumpkin pie that make it taste incredible and help this pie stand out in the crowd. It all starts with a super flaky crust.
Nothing too special about it, just a little flour, sugar, salt, butter and water. And of course an egg wash. It’s what makes it golden around the edges. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes using parchment paper and pie weights (or beans) to prevent your crust from shrinking and slumping, then add the filling to it.
The Homemade Crust
DOUGH. In a large mixing bowl (or food processor) combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the the cubes of butter (or process) until coarse crumbles form. Slowly add the water, mixing gently until the dough begins to stick together.
REFRIGERATE. Turn onto a large piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disc and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
PREP. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
ROLL. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a pie dish and gently press in. Fold the overhang over and crimp with your fingers or a fork.
BRUSH. Whisk the egg and heavy cream together and brush the edges of the crust. Place a piece of parchment paper over top and fill with pie weights or beans.
BAKE. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment.
What is blind baking? When you blind bake the crust, you are pre baking the crust without the filling before adding the filling to the baked crust. This is important because if you baked them together at the same time, the crust would be under-baked and the filling would get overdone.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
SIMMER. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the pumpkin, sugars, salt and spices. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, cook for 5 minutes. You may notice that it darkens slightly, thats ok. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold cream and vanilla extract.
INCORPORATE. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Then sprinkle the cornstarch in and whisk till combined.
BAKE. Pour into the warm pie crust, return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes or until the center is barely jiggly. (Note: During the last half of the baking time, the filling will expand and rise, it will fall as it cools and will become completely flat.)
COOL. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, the place in the refrigerator to continue cooling.
Fresh or canned puree? You can use fresh or canned puree! Fresh Homemade Pumpkin Puree is typically more watery than canned pumpkin puree, so you may need to add more flour or cornstarch. But honestly either are great options!
FAQ’s & Storage Tips
How do you know when pumpkin pie is ready? The pie is done when the filling doesn’t jiggle when you gently shake the pie. This means that the filling is set and the pie is done. You can also do the knife test, although this could cause your pie to crack. But just insert a knife into the middle of the pie, if it comes out clean then it’s done!
How long do you let pumpkin pie cool? While the edges and bottom may feel cold, the middle can still be quite warm, so it is recommended that you let it cool for about 4 hours before slicing it.
STORE pumpkin pie in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you just finished baking it and it completely cooled it should be stored within 2 hours. You don’t want to let it sit for longer than that at room temperature or else you risk it going bad.
TO FREEZE the pie, you need to let it cool completely before tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap, then once again in foil. Leave it on a freezer shelf for 1 month. To eat your delicious pie, unwrap it and bring it to room temperature before serving.
For more pumpkin pie recipes, try:
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter - cold, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup ice cold water - plus an additional tablespoon if needed
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
For the Filling
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch cardamom - generous
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream - cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
For the Crust
- In a large mixing bowl (or food processor) combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the the cubes of butter (or process) until coarse crumbles form. Slowly add the water, mixing gently until the dough begins to stick together.
- Turn onto a large piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disc and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- On a well floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a pie dish and gently press in. Fold the overhang over and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Whisk the egg and heavy cream together and brush the edges of the crust. Place a piece of parchment paper over top and fill with pie weights or beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment.
For the Filling
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the pumpkin, sugars, salt and spices. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, cook for 5 minutes. You may notice that it darkens slightly, thats ok. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold cream and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Then sprinkle the cornstarch in and whisk till combined.
- Pour into the warm pie crust, return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes or until the center is barely jiggly. During the last half of the baking time, the filling will expand and rise, it will fall as it cools and will become completely flat. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, the place in the refrigerator to continue cooling.
I usually don’t even like pumpkin pie, and I thought this one was fantastic. Simple recipe to follow (I used store bought crust – if you do that I’d probably skip the blind bake, personally). Will definitely use this recipe next time I make pumpkin pie!
This really is the perfect pumpkin pie! So fresh and creamy! The texture is perfection!