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]
Hi Michelle,
I’ve made this pie 2 times – the first time, I thought, this really is the BEST pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. The second time, it was WAY too salty! So, I’m wondering if maybe I used table salt the 2nd time and kosher salt the 1st time.
Do you use kosher salt for the filling? And use a whole tsp? Going to try a 3rd time in a few days :)
Thank you!!
Nicole
Hi Nicole, I just use table salt, and yes, a whole teaspoon.
Hey Michelle! I can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving!! If I don’t have time to make the crust, could I use store bought but still make the filling? Thanks!
Hi Jordan, Sure, I don’t see why not!
I prefer my pumpkin in a roll or a cheesecake or those whoopie pies but my husband loves pumpkin pie. He thought this was the best pumpkin pie ever
Wow, this looks amazing. I can’t wait to try and make this, just hope it will be just as amazing as yours look.
I make this pie every Thanksgiving, everyone loves it
I just found out about this, and would love to try it, my grandparents and I are very big into pumpkin pie, we never go without it at our table. But I do have 1 question about this, cause I don’t know how my grandpa makes his, but the vodka in this won’t effect a person in any way, will it? I’d really love for this to become like my own pumpkin pie recipe, if the vodka isn’t a problem.
Hi Jason, I’m not sure what you mean by “effect a person”, but the alcohol in the vodka evaporates while baking, which it what makes it ideal for pie crust – it leaves pockets of flaky pastry. However, if anyone in your family has an issue with alcohol for medical reasons or other, I would suggest asking a doctor to be better safe than sorry.
I make this every fall and it truly is the best.
I didn’t get to make this for thanksgiving but I made it today for my husband and I. I admit that I had reservations about adding the yams but this was the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever made or eaten. The pie cooked up nice and high but was so light and creamy when eaten. I couldn’t get all the filling into the shell so I had to toss out a little of it out. Maybe next time I’ll use a deeper pie pan soil can use it all. I also had to cook it a bit longer than called for but it could just be my oven. This has now become my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
If I’m making 5 inch pies, do I need to blind bake the crust first, or should I bake with the filling from the start since the pie is so much smaller?
I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hi Jenny, I would still blind bake per the recipe instructions, but you’ll be able to reduce the baking time.
I am a sweet potato pie person. But I made this last year and I loved it. Even my husband for whom I make an apple pie because he would not eat pumpkin pie, loved this pie. (Oh no, now I have to share…really it is that good. Guess I better make 2 pies this year.). Everyone loves it for breakfast too after Thanksgiving.
Because of some time limitations on Thanksgiving and the day before, I am wondering if I can make the crust this weekend and freeze it. CanI freeze it after the initial baking of the pie crust? Or do I roll it out and put it in the pie plate (rolling out takes a lot of time) andfreeze it. Or what do you suggest?
For the filling can I also make that in advance and at what point can I freeze or refrigerate the filling?
I never seem to be able to use up all the fresh ginger and herbs when I buy them fresh. Last year in the produce department, I found a company that has tubes of ginger which I used in the pie last year. Tasted like I had used fresh. The company, Gourmet Garden also has garlic, dill, basil, cilantro, etc in tubes. I use their garlic as well as the ginger. I freeze the tubes right after I use them, doubling freezer weight bags and removing as much air as possible. I just checked the ginger from last Thanksgiving. Just as good and fresh as when I first bought it. I thaw it just enough to get the amount of paste that I need. For the garlic, I have opened it an average of 1or 2 times a month. I buy it probably 2 x a year. I tasted the ginger today and it is as good as when I first opened them. I won’t try my luck with a second year. I will buy the Gourmet Garden ginger when I next need it.
Hi Maureen, You can freeze the crust, but I would freeze it after it is shaped into a disc. Although I suppose you could freeze it in the pie plate as well. If you make the filling in advance, I would only refrigerate it, not freeze it, and I would gently warm it before pouring it into the hot pie shell.
I’ve been using this recipe for years. Last year after being introduced to Hubbard squash I conducted a pie taste test challenge. Roasted sugar pie pumpkin vs roasted Hubbard squash purée. The Hubbard squash was the winner in my family. The flavor is a bit more delicate and almost gives a floral note. The roasted final product does give off a larger volume of liquid which must be drained off. Enter your trusty potato ricer. It does a fine job with a light hand. Also due to its large size you have a very large quantity of purée. I saved mine last year in a food saver vacuum sealed bag. Ready to start baking this years pies!
Hi!
Where I live we do not have candied yams, or yams at all. Can I use another ingredient to substitute? Or can I make it without them?
ThankS!
Hi Jessica, Do you have canned sweet potatoes? If so, I would use those.
Hi Michelle! We don’t, but I already made it, I instead roasted some sweet potatoes with a little maple syrup and olive oil, and then I cut those up and measured them to fit the recipe! It turned out great!! I plan on doing this recipe for a long time! Thanks!
For those of you who don’t want to buy a whole bottle of vodka: there are tiny bottles available – they’re called minis. Go to your local liquor store if your grocery store doesn’t carry that size.
Its perfect pumkin pie receipe that I have never made before!!!!!!! If you have a Vitamix blender, after simmering the potato/pumpkin mixture on the stove, blend in the vitamix and add the egg mixture. This eliminates the need to strain. This was the smoothest, tastiest pie I have ever made!
Hi! I’m just wondering can the vodka be substituted for a different liquor?
Thanks so much!
Hi Tina, What are you thinking of replacing it with?
I was hoping with something I already had in the house, didn’t want to buy a whole bottle for 2tbsps, we currently have a cinnamon whiskey, scotch, and a dairy based rum. Thanks so much!
you can buy one of those little bottles, like they serve on airplanes.
Hi Michelle!
How many days ahead( if any ) do you think I could make this pie?
Julie
Hi Julie, I usually make it the day before; I don’t think I would go much farther than that.
Michelle
This is the pie. You called them yams. If the vegetable was orange fleshed, it is indeed a sweet potatoes which are often labeled as “yams”. Yams are a very light colored flesh. Misnomer responsibility lies w Dept of Agriculture. Info confirmed doing search w Google “differance between yam and sweet potatoe”
Hi Michelle,
I love your site. I made this pie last year for Thanksgiving and it was terrific. I’m wondering have you ever tried making the filling in advance? I’m thinking of trying that for Thanksgiving this year.
Thanks,
Hannah
Hi Hannah, I have not tried making it in advance; if you do, let me know how it turns out!
My sister and I made your pumpkin pie & crust. It was very good. I might want to cut an egg out of the recipe because I did think it had an eggy taste. Otherwise, I did like the subtlety of the spices and the crust was tasty & crispy. Thank you for the recipe!
Can I use this recipe to make mini-pumpkin pie bites? My friend requested pumpkin pie for his birthday party, so I thought making them into small bites will allow everyone to have some. I’m just not sure if I need to convert the receipt in anyway. Thanks!
Hi Jessica, I think that could work, you would just need to really reduce the baking time.
That’s not just the best answer. It’s the bestest answer!
Nice Post..
If you are looking for pumpkin facts and information and want to learn about pumpkins you’ve come to the right place
This recipe is amazing. I am also not a pumpkin lover, but these were wonderful. I have now spoiled my kids. I made this pie before a holiday party and they loved them. At the party they served Costco pumpkin pie and all my kids disliked it saying they didn’t like pumpkin pie. They have good taste.
This is an amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing it! I made this pie for Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it!!
First time making a pumpkin pie with a recipe other than my mom’s in five decades, and as much as I loved my mom’s, this is even better. It had a creamier texture – set, but just. Silken and lovely.
But I need to add a little something. If you stop after the initial cooking of the pumpkin, sweet potato, sugar, spices and salt and just chill it, you have the most magnificent pumpkin butter imaginable! Fabulous for spreading on toast, bagels, or English muffins. But why stop there? Mix 2 Tb into a bowl of softened vanilla ice cream, and you have pumpkin ice cream. Blend 3-4 Tb into a vanilla milkshake for a holiday treat. Spread between spice (or vanilla) cake layers as a surprise filling. Put in a pastry bag with a plain tip, jam it into the middle of a cupcake and fill until cupcake starts to expand. Top a cheesecake with it. Let your imagination go! The possibilities are endless.
Ask me how I know…Well, I confess that I made the recipe up to that point, and refrigerated it, to save a little time on Thanksgiving Day, intending to turn it into a pie by adding eggs and dairy later. That night, I saw it in the fridge and thought I should check it for spice, to see if I felt It needed additional ginger. It was so luscious that it was hard to stop, and I started dreaming up things to put it in. Of course, I had to start all over again so I wouldn’t have to explain to those at Thanksgiving who think not having pumpkin pie that day is sacrilege why I was responsible for a pie-less holiday. Pie was gorgeous, redolent of spices of the season, and the aforementioned texture was absolutely brilliant! So this recipe does double duty.
I make this every year at Thanksgiving! Every time I make it everyone loves it! My pregnant SIL actually asked me to make more this week because my husband ate most of the pie at Thanksgiving. I always end up with about a cup of extra filling though. I don’t mind, I bake it in a separate dish and eat it as is.
Question, the way this is phrased confused me:
“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.”
So after you get the read of 175 you cook longer? Or after 20-35 minutes you get a 175 read and your’e done?
For the record I have made this pie the last 2 years for Thanksgiving and Christmas (I always just eyeball the finish for giggle and beginning to brown edges) but I’m ALWAYS anxious about it setting, so if 175 is the golden temp I’d be thrilled.
This is the best pumkpin pie ever. I made 3 or 4 that I didn’t care for before this. My family is celiac, so we use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Crust Mix, and just pre-bake the crust for 7-8 minutes and tent the tops so it doesn’t burn.
Hi Whitney, After 20-35 minutes you should reach 175 degrees and you’re done.
Hi Michelle.
I made this pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and it was fabulous! The filling was rich and creamy and the crust was really flaky. I didn’t use vodka in the crust since I didn’t have any on hand but I was just wondering if there is a specific reason for including it in the recipe? I’ve never heard if a pie crust recipe that calls for vodka. Thx!
Hi Linda, 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!
Thx for the info, Michelle! Your blog is fabulous! I also made the Brussels spouts dish with dried cranberries. That was great, too! And I can’t wait to try some of the Christmas dishes from yesterday’s posting!
This is the BEST pumpkin pie recipe I have ever made! Tip: If you have a Vitamix blender, after simmering the potato/pumpkin mixture on the stove, blend in the vitamix and add the egg mixture. This eliminates the need to strain. This was the smoothest, tastiest pie I have ever made!