An American classic at Thanksgiving or anytime you want something cozy and sweet.
While it may be tempting to think of pumpkin pie as a direct connection to the first Thanksgiving dinner at Plymouth Colony way back when, this actually was not the case. The colonists and the Native Americans didn’t eat pumpkin pie as we know it. While they did often make a sort of pumpkin custard that resembles our pumpkin pies, they didn’t have crusts, and their pumpkin dessert was cooked over a wood fire, not baked, so it really was a different thing than we enjoy today. Regardless, in the more recent centuries, pumpkin pie has become ubiquitous at Thanksgiving feasts, big and small. And for good reason! It’s delicious.
In fact, starting in October, you usually start seeing premade pumpkin pies available at your supermarket’s bakery and as a seasonal dessert offered at local diners and restaurants. While it’s easy to pick up a whole pie and take it as your contribution to a big seasonal gathering, you might be surprised at how easy it is to make your own. Additionally, homemade pie is a major upgrade over store-bought, which tends to lack flavor and can sometimes be overly sweet. Homemade pumpkin pie is creamy, never heavy or cloying, and bursting with perfect pumpkin spice flavor.
You will love making pumpkin pie from scratch—even if you don’t consider yourself a pie baker or have never made a pie before. This is a great one to start with because it’s so easy and so worth it. You have options on what kind of crust to use: homemade, store-bought, a tart crust, or even a graham cracker crust (homemade or store-bought). The filling is easy to mix and uses canned pumpkin purée as the base, so there’s no peeling, chopping, or blending involved. Lastly, homemade pumpkin pie is the best because as it bakes, you get a preview of the amazing taste as your kitchen fills with the wonderful aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, and other spices.
Pie crust basics
If you’ve never made your own pie crust, it’s not as hard as you might imagine. Pie crust is a simple blend of flour, salt, fat, and cold water. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a clean metal reusable water bottle (it needs to be smooth, so no stickers) or even a wine bottle! If you would rather skip making your own pie crust, look for rolled-out circles of pie crust dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket (not the ones already in a foil pie plate with crimped edges). This type of premade pie crust tastes best and is very easy to fit into whatever kind of pan you have at hand.
How do I store leftovers?
You can wrap the cooled pie in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 5 days or double-wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Serving suggestions
For our family, pumpkin pie and Whipped Cream go together like peanut butter and jelly. You can’t have one without the other! If you’re not a whipped cream fan, you can certainly serve pumpkin pie with a side of Vanilla Ice Cream or cinnamon ice cream. Especially if you’re serving this pie at a big family gathering for Thanksgiving or the like, consider serving it alongside complementary desserts. Good possibilities include apple pie (a classic), the decadent Apple Almond Bavarian Cheesecake, or the stunning and tasty Cranberry Tart.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can pumpkin purée (15 ounces)
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 fluid ounces)
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée and sugar-spice mixture into the eggs.
- Gradually stir in the evaporated milk until well blended.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 to 50 minutes more, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Top with whipped cream, or serve it on the side if preferred.
Leave a Comment