The Perfect Pumpkin Pie Recipe
A classic pumpkin pie recipe – smooth, creamy, and modestly spiced. The best pumpkin pie you’ll ever eat!
Pumpkin pie is THE quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, am I right? It’s rare to find a house that doesn’t serve at least one, if for no other reason than “it’s Thanksgiving, you have to have pumpkin pie”. I am a huge pie person (and an even bigger pie crust person), but truth be told, pumpkin has never been one of my favorites. I will eat it, for sure (I’m not totally crazy), but it just never did much for me… until I found this recipe.
While the flavor isn’t too dramatically different than most recipes, it has some extra oomph, and the texture is far superior to any pumpkin pie I’ve ever tasted. It’s silky smooth, creamy, and has an incredibly clean, slightly spicy pumpkin flavor.
A bit of a spin on traditional pumpkin pie, and it’s most definitely a notch above. This is guaranteed to become your family’s go-to pumpkin pie recipe!
The pan
A classic 9-inch pie plate is perfect for this quiche recipe; I prefer a simple Pyrex pie plate, as I've found glass pie plates perform better than metal or ceramic pie plates in terms of browning, heat conduction, and consistency. You can use the others, of course, but you may find that your crust over or under bakes.
The great news is that whatever pan you choose, no prep work is required; you do not need to grease them or line them in any way.
The crust
For this pie, I am using my “best pie crust recipe” – this has been my go-to pie crust recipe for years, using a combination of butter and shortening, along with some vodka in place of water for a perfect crust that's easy to work with each and every time.
I also have an all-butter pie crust that you can use, as well.
How to Blind Bake the Crust
Also referred to as "par-baking" the crust, we're going to bake the crust until it's almost done, but not quite since it'll go back in the oven with the filling. I've tried so many different methods for this, different pie weights, and the method I've found that is completely foolproof is the one outlined by Stella Parks.
Line the chilled pie plate with aluminum foil then fill it all up with granulated sugar (you can reuse it!) and bake it at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.
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I have never had so much success - no shrinking pie crust, no dough sticking to foil as I try to remove it halfway through baking, and a beautifully browned pie crust.
Why this is the BEST pumpkin pie from scratch!
This recipe definitely differs from that old familiar one on the back of the can of pumpkin. While it’s a bit more involved as far as prep goes, I think the payoff is well worth the extra effort. Below are a few notes on how the different ingredients and techniques impact the pie:
- The addition of candied yams (sweet potatoes) intensifies the pumpkin flavor.
- Using fresh ginger adds more complex flavor than its ground counterpart.
- Maple syrup boosts the pumpkin’s natural sweetness.
- Simmering the pumpkin and sweet potatoes cooks off a significant amount of moisture, which thickens the filling (no runny pumpkin pie!) and concentrates the flavor.
- Cooking the spices along with the pumpkin allows their flavors to intensify.
- Heating the filling allows it to firm up quickly in the oven, rather than soaking into the crust and making it soggy.
Recipe notes and tips
Everything you need to know for making the best pumpkin pie ever!
- Pumpkin: Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which includes extra sweeteners and spices).
- Candied Yams: If you can’t find candied yams, then canned yams or sweet potatoes in syrup will work, or you can use all pumpkin.
- Make-Ahead Pie Crust: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Baked Pie: You can bake the pie the day before you plan to serve it. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before serving. Given the custard nature of this pie, it is not a good candidate for freezing; while you CAN do it, the filling will become a bit watery and the crust a bit soggy upon thawing.
- Serving Suggestions: I love pumpkin pie topped with fresh whipped cream, but vanilla ice cream or even cinnamon ice cream would be wonderful!
- Storage: Store leftover pumpkin pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I’ve got you covered on fall and Thanksgiving desserts!
- 19 Warm and Cozy Pumpkin Recipes
- Classic Apple Pie
- How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (3 Recipes included!)
- Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
- 29 Thanksgiving Desserts Worth Saving Room For!
I would absolutely love it if you made this pumpkin pie for dessert (for the holidays or ANY day!); if you do, please stop back and leave a rating and let me know how you liked it! ENJOY! 😍
The Perfect Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 1¼ cups (163 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch slices
- ¼ cup (46 g) vegetable shortening, cold, cut into two pieces
- 2 tablespoons vodka, cold
- 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Pie Filling:
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 ounce canned pumpkin
- 1 cup drained candied yams, from 15-ounce can
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (78 g) maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the Pie Crust: Process ¾ cup flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add the butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around the blade. Add the remaining ½ cup flour and pulse until the mixture is evenly distributed around the bowl and the mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the vodka and ice water over the mixture. With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix, pressing down on the dough until the dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.
- Roll out on a generously floured work surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around the circumference, ease the dough into the plate by gently lifting edge of the dough with one hand while pressing into the plate bottom with other hand. Dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 inch. Fold the overhang under itself; the folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Flute the dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against the rim of pie plate. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to one day in advance.
- Blind Bake Crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the chilled pie dough with aluminum foil and use granulated sugar to fill the whole pie plate. Bake for 40 minutes; remove the foil and sugar and set the crust aside while you make the filling.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the Pie Filling: While the pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Combine the pumpkin, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to a sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl, using the back of a ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell.
- Bake the Pie: Bake pie on rimmed sheet for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F and continue baking until edges of pie are set and the center looks firm but jiggles slightly (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 175 degrees F), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Crust: Use the included crust or my all-butter pie crust.
- To Make the Crust By Hand Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Toss the butter and shortening with the flour mixture to break up any big pieces. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Proceed with instructions.
- Pan: 9-inch glass pie plate
- Pumpkin: Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which includes extra sweeteners and spices).
- Candied Yams: If you can’t find candied yams, then canned yams or sweet potatoes in syrup will work, or you can use all pumpkin.
- Make-Ahead Pie Crust: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Baked Pie: You can bake the pie the day before you plan to serve it. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before serving. Given the custard nature of this pie, it is not a good candidate for freezing; while you CAN do it, the filling will become a bit watery and the crust a bit soggy upon thawing.
- Serving Suggestions: I love pumpkin pie topped with fresh whipped cream, but vanilla ice cream or even cinnamon ice cream would be wonderful!
- Storage: Store leftover pumpkin pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Dee of One Sarcastic Baker]
oh it’s perfect .I like it very much :)
Hi! I’m seeking your reassurance before I begin making this for Thanksgiving. Does the filling yield enough to make a deep-dish pie? Based on #44’s comments, I should have the perfect amount, and all I will have to do is make more dough for the crust. Is this correct? I’d greatly appreciate verification and any tips you have for making this pie to fill a plate that is 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep, if possible. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving :D
Hi Melissa, Yes, you could absolutely do a deep dish pie with this; sometimes if my crust shrinks just a bit in a regular 9-inch pan, I end up having to waste some of the filling – it makes a lot!
Follow-up: My deep-dish version of the BEST pumpkin pie was a HUGE success. This is a fantastic recipe and will be the pie I make for Thanksgivings to come. Thanks to everyone for posting your own reviews of this amazing dessert, and to BEB for sharing what is now my new favorite pumpkin pie recipe!
I tried to make this myself- I’m a huge baker! But, I couldn’t seem to get it right. It turned into mush by the end of it. It was total mush in the oven and I cooked it for much longer than it said. I will have to try again because I’m sure I messed something up. Your recipes are always so great!
Is there anything I could use to substitute the candied yams. Sadly, candied yams havn’t made it to the West coast of Scotland yet.
Thanks.
Hi Klara, I think you could use cooked sweet potatoes or yams.
Thanks Michelle. I just found out that I need to go to Canada for work in two weeks. I’ll try to get to a good look around a Canadian supermarket and hope to find some candied yams (and other stuff) there.
Looking forward to trying out the recipe. I haven’t had pumpkin pie for about 12 years.
This is THE pumpkin pie recipe. My family begs for it and we weren’t pumpkin pie people until this. First year I made it I was too lazy to strain and it was OK. I strained the pumpkin mixture the next year and we got AWESOME pie. Some years I get extra, so I cook that in little ramekins so we can have a little treat before Thanksgiving.
Cooking the pumpkin and the yams you say helps with the moisture. That reminded me of the Cooks Illustrated trick for pumpkin cheesecake where you spread the pumpkin on a paper towell lined sheetpan and press out the moisture. Do you think you could do this for pumpkin pie and would it be worth it. I wouldn’t be cooking it, it’d be one or the other.
Hi Brian, I haven’t tried that trick, but Cook’s Illustrated is pretty thorough. My guess is that if they thought it would be useful for the pie, they would have included it in the process.
This would be a good mix of my sisters sweet potato pie and my moms pumpkin pie. My moms pie has brown sugar and molasses in it. Her spices are similar 1tsp cinnamon, 1/2tsp ginger and 1/4tsp nutmeg. Will have to try this.
Michelle,
I love your recipes. Last year I tried making my first pumpkin pie and it was a disaster. It was more custardy than pumpkiny and I’m not a fan of custard. Your pie looks smooth and silky. I love fresh sweet potatoes and that adds a lovely dimension. Can’t wait to try this one.
Annamaria
Fresh ginger and maple syrup!? This really is the perfect pumpkin pie recipe!
Yum. This may be what converts me to a pumpkin pie lover!
Love pumpkin pie and need to try this one. I make one small change to pumpkin pie, though. It’s one my mom used to do and the family loved it that way. We put a topping of roasted walnuts, chopped up, and brown sugar. Yes, it’s a bit sweet, but the addition of the crunch of the nuts and the sweetness of the brown sugar really tastes good! After the pie is baked but before it cools, you add the brown sugar and nuts (which have been mixed together) to the top of the pie so it’s covered and let it finish cooling. We also added a glob of whipping cream on top when serving. Yummmmmy!
I LOVE pumpkin pie and while this looks amazing I’ve never actually enjoyed one that wasn’t made following the tried and true can recipe lol. Pie crust on the other hand has never been my friend so I’m tempted to try yours, question though, what’s with the vodka? Is it really necessary? Thanks! I’m so glad I found your blog a few months ago, totally loving it! Congrats on your pregnancy, I just had my fifth baby, what a blessing!
Hi Sara, The vodka is a trick that Cook’s Illustrated developed quite a few years ago. The vodka adds moisture without allowing gluten to develop (which water does)… the alcohol evaporates in the oven and leaves a wonderfully tender and flaky crust. It’s absolutely the best crust, and the only one I make now!
Michelle, I have always used the Libby recipe but yours sure looks good too. I might just have to bake two this year and let the family decide. Too much pie around my house is never a problem and my son is bringing home a hungry classmate from college this year for Thanksgiving. I will let you know what the verdict is. As an aside, shared your blog with the nurse at the eye doctors. I think she is going to be hooked too!
This recipe sounds wonderful!! I’ve never had much luck at making pie crust, but I am willing to try this recipe. Why do you put Vodka in the crust recipe? Can’t wait to try it, I ever bought organic pumpkin this year. I have always used Libbys.
Hi Buffy, The vodka is a trick that Cook’s Illustrated developed quite a few years ago. The vodka adds moisture without allowing gluten to develop (which water does)… the alcohol evaporates in the oven and leaves a wonderfully tender and flaky crust.
I already left one comment about how awesome this was, but I must leave another. It holds up so well in the refrigerator! We have been eating on this pie several days now and it is just as good, if not better, than the day I baked.
If you are a pumpkin pie lover, you must bake this pie!
Baking in the oven right now. LOVE the recipe and excited for the turnout. My son LOVES pumpkin pie but hates my home baked ones. I just found this recipe and I am determined to make a pie that rivals the store bought! Hopefully we have a winner! Thank you.
It’s a keeper!!! I made this for Thanksgiving ’13 and was very happy with the results. I used my deep pie dish, which was perfect for the amount of custard but the next time I will make more crust. The custard was silky and the taste was perfectly pumpkin and spiced. I did have to cook mine a bit longer than the recipe called for. I will make this again for sure. I think I will go have a slice now.
Thank you BEB for the recipe. ;)
Made this for the third year in a row and it was awesome! Baked two of the pies at the same time so it took a little longer. Taking the filling temperature was genius and they turned out perfect. So grateful you pick the best recipes despite my cookbook hoarding problem, I go to your website first.
I actually tried this pie the other day! However, I’m not sure I cooked it through….I followed the instructions but the pieces were waaaay different than any pumpkin pie I’ve ever made. It wasn’t firm at all, more like a mouse…soupy…thing. Is that just how it is? The flavor however was just awesome!
Hi Rachel, It definitely should not be soupy; it should have the consistency of a pumpkin pie – very custard-like. You may have not baked it long enough.
Hmmmm…so it should be as firm as normal pumpkin pie? If so then that’s probably what happened. Thanks!
Yes, definitely as firm as normal pumpkin pie. You’re welcome!
I made this recipe, and although the flavor was great, I must have made a mistake because the texture/bake was not. I ended up baking it for over an hour at 300 and the middle never set. :( Any ideas on what to do next time to avoid this?
I made this pumpkin pie almost entirely as you instructed. I didn’t have any canned sweet potatoes, but I did have sweet potatoes so I roasted them and (2 smallish) and put those instead. It turned out wonderful!!! It’s not too overly sweet, (at least mine wasn’t) has a good consistency and the spices compliment each other. After many pumpkin pie failed attempts, this one is a keeper!
Hi, just a quick question, I’ve never come across tinned pumpkin or sweet potato where I live, so if just actual whole fresh pumpkin/sweet potato was all that was available, any ideas what would need to be done to it to make it resemble what’s required for the recipe?
Hi Eilidh, You could Google how to make fresh pumpkin puree and use that. As for the sweet potato, it does call for candied, which means that they are canned in a sugar syrup. I’m sure there are some instructions online about how to do that as well. I’ve never done either, so unfortunately I am not much help!
Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh and if so how much would I use?
Hi Laura, Fresh ginger and ground ginger have very different flavors, but if you decide to go ahead with ground, I would use just 1/8 teaspoon.
Thank you
Question about canned candied yams. I’m in an American ex-pat in Australia, and I have to order canned yams from the states. Just to ensure I’m doing this right….are canned candied yams just canned sweet potatoes in syrup? That’s the only thing I can get shipped here! Thanks for the great looking recipe!
Hi Natasha, Yes, you’re right on – canned sweet potatoes in syrup are used for candied yams. Enjoy!
this is really similiar to smitten kitchen’s recipe…hmm
Yes, it is. If you look at the headnote on Deb’s recipe and the footnote on mine, you’ll see that we both used the same recipe from Cook’s Illustrated’s November 2008 issue. This would be exactly why they are really similar.
I made 2 pies using this recipe for Thanksgiving this year and they turned out great (plus I used your pie crust recipe as well). I used fresh pumpkin from a pie pumpkin that I steamed so I was nervous that the texture would be different but it turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
If I made it I would probably use a bit less whip cream just because I’d probably make a mess with it.
Saw this on Nadia’s blog and had to come and check out the recipe. Awesome!
Hi from all the way in Trinidad and Tobago!
I’ve tried so many of your recipes and always received great reviews.
I’d love to try this one, (we don’t have Thanksgiving here) for Christmas,one thing though we don’t have the pumpkin in a can..how much cups of pumpkin puree would be needed to substitute for this?
Hi Ryan, You would use the same amount of pumpkin puree, but make sure to squeeze out any extra moisture.
Made this for Christmas dessert. Haven’t tasted it yet but this produced enough filling for two, not one, pie. Sadly, I didn’t plan for two and will have to keep the filling in the fridge overnight. We’ll see how it turns out tomorrow. Who knows, overnight in the fridge may give the flavors more time to blend.
Also, instead of straining for lumps, I moved the hot pumpkin filling to a bowl and added a cup of the egg/milk mixture a cup at a time using an immersion blender to smooth out the lumps. Then I whisked in the rest of the egg mixture. Worked perfectly. No lumps.