Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe - The Best Easy Recipe! (2024)

This easy homemadePumpkin Pie Recipe makes the best pumpkin pie! This from scratch recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving or the holidays!

Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe - The Best Easy Recipe! (1)

A slice of homemade pumpkin pie is one of my favorite desserts during the fall and holiday season. I’ve updated my best pumpkin pie recipe with new photos and an improved recipe and instructions. Keep reading for all of my best pumpkin pie baking tips!

I’ve tested many, many pumpkin pie recipes and what I’ve found is that you don’t need complicated or time-consuming steps to make the best pumpkin pie. To make a delicious pumpkin pie worthy of your holiday table, it’s as simple as whisking together a few ingredients for the filling, pouring it into an unbaked pie crust, and baking the pie. This pumpkin pie is about as easy and delicious as it gets, even for beginning bakers.

The best pumpkin pie recipes start with a homemade buttery, flaky pie crust, although you can use store-bought if you’re short on time. The pumpkin pie filling is luscious and creamy and perfectly spiced with pumpkin pie spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You are going to love this easy pumpkin pie!

Canned Pumpkin or Fresh Pumpkin for Pumpkin Pie?

I’ve tested this pie both with canned pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin puree. Honestly, I prefer this pie with canned pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin has more moisture, so if you choose to use fresh, you’ll want to remove some of the moisture. You can do this by putting the pumpkin puree in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, and then letting it sit in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

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Do you need to blind bake pie crust for pumpkin pie?

No… you don’t need to blind bake the pie crust for this pumpkin pie recipe. Blind baking means to partially pre-bake your pie shell, before adding the filling.

Many people will insist that pre-baking the crust is a necessary step, but this pumpkin pie is every bit as delicious without blind baking the crust. I choose not to blind bake my crust because it saves me time and effort. I’ve said it before, but I’m all about skipping steps that aren’t totally necessary in the kitchen. When I’ve tried to blind bake, the edges of my pie crust have shrunk down, although these tips might help with that.

If you want to blind bake your pie crust, you certainly can. You’ll first line the empty pie crust with parchment paper. Then fill it with pie weights, dry beans or rice to weigh it down and prevent it from puffing up. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes at 375° F. Then remove the pie weights and parchment before adding your filling.

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How to Make Pumpkin Pie

There are two parts to pumpkin pie: the crust and the pumpkin filling. First, let’s talk about the crust and then we’ll get to the filling.

Store-Bought vs. Homemade Pumpkin Pie Crust

If you want to save time, you can use a store-bought pie crust to make your pumpkin pie. If you choose to make my homemade pie crust recipe, I promise you it’s really simple to do. Even following the homemade pie dough instructions in the recipe card below, you can still have this pie ready to go in the oven in just about 30 minutes.

You can make the pie crust in a food processor or by hand. My pie dough rolls out like a dream and you can roll it out right away – no chilling required before rolling!

Once you’ve rolled out your pie crust, fit it into a 9-inch pie dish. You can crimp the edges of the crust using your fingers. Then chill the pie crust while you make the pumpkin filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

The pumpkin filling for this pie is a simple mixture of ingredients: pumpkin puree, eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices. The cornstarch acts as a thickener and helps the pie filling to set up. Whole milk is best in this pie recipe because the fat makes the filling rich and creamy.

You’ll whisk everything together in one bowl until it is very well combined.

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How Long to Bake Pumpkin Pie

Once your filling is ready you’ll pour it into your pie shell. Bake pumpkin pie at 375° F for about 50-60 minutes, until the filling is almost set in the center. The pie is done when the center wiggles a little bit when you gently shake the pie.

How to Prevent Cracks in Pumpkin Pie

Cracks can form in pumpkin pie when it is baked for too long. To prevent your pie from cracking in the center, take it out of the oven when the center is still a little jiggly. The pie will set up more as it cools.

If you do get a crack in your pie, don’t worry! The pie will taste just as delicious. You can hide the crack with whipped cream or pie crust shapes, if desired. To make pie crust shapes, roll out extra pie dough and cut into shapes using small cookie cutters, such as leaf or heart shapes. Bake the pie crust shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Homemade pumpkin pie, served with whipped cream, is always a part of my family’s holiday celebrations. I’m sure you’ll agree, this is the best pumpkin pie recipe! I also have recipes for Chocolate Pumpkin Pie, the perfect Apple Pie and many more pumpkin recipes for you to enjoy this holiday season.

If you make your own pumpkin puree, be sure to save the seeds to make my crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds.

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Baking Tips for Pumpkin Pie Recipe from Scratch

  • You can use a store-bought pie crust for this pumpkin pie recipe to save time or use my easy pie crust recipe.
  • Check on the pie starting at 25 minutes of baking time and tent it loosely with foil as needed to prevent the crust from over-browning, or use a pie crust shield.
  • To prevent your pie from cracking, try not to over-bake it. The pie is done when the center is almost set, but still jiggles a little bit.
  • Pumpkin pie needs to cool for 3 hours at room temperature and is best served after it has chilled for a few hours in the refrigerator. The flavors will develop as it rests, so this pie tastes even better on the second day.

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4.96 from 24 ratings

Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

This easy homemadePumpkin Pie Recipe makes the best pumpkin pie! This pumpkin pie from scratch is quick and easy to make. It's perfect for Thanksgiving or the holidays!

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Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 4 tablespoons ice-cold water

For the filling:

  • 15 ounce can (1 ¾ cups) pure pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling), or use homemade pumpkin puree*
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the pie crust:

  • Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. (Alternatively, the pie dough may be made by hand in a large bowl using a pastry cutter to blend in the butter and a fork to bring the dough together.)

  • Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas, about 8 pulses. Add the ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together, adding more water by the teaspoonful as needed.

  • Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a round disk. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer dough round to a 9-inch pie dish that is 2 inches deep by wrapping it partway around the rolling pin. Trim the dough edges as needed around the pie plate and then fold edges under. Use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pie crust as desired. Place pie crust in refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Make the pumpkin pie filling:

  • Preheat oven to 375° F.

  • In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.

  • Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes. Halfway through baking, check on the pie and loosely tent the pie with foil or use pie protectors as needed to prevent over-browning of the crust. The pie is done when the center jiggles just a bit when you wiggle the pan. The pie will continue to set up as it cools.

  • Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight before serving. The pie flavor will develop overnight and it will taste even better on the second day. Store pumpkin pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.

Notes

*If you use fresh homemade pumpkin puree, I recommend draining it to remove some of the moisture. This can be done by placing the pumpkin puree in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and placing it over a bowl in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours. The liquid can be saved and used in place of water or milk in bread recipes. It's a good source of beta-carotene!

Serving: 1/8 pie, Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 197mg, Potassium: 242mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 9145IU, Vitamin C: 2.4mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!

Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe - The Best Easy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to prebake pie crust for pumpkin pie? ›

Too many pumpkin pies have soggy crusts that never fully brown. To avoid this, recipes often call for blind baking your crust. That is, baking the empty crust before the filling is added. This gives the crust time to firm up and brown, time it typically doesn't get if the faster cooking filling is added first.

What makes pumpkin pie taste so good? ›

The pie is generally flavored with pumpkin pie spice, a blend that includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. The pie is usually prepared with canned pumpkin, but fresh-cooked pumpkin can be used.

How do you keep the bottom crust of pumpkin pie from getting soggy? ›

Often, blind-baking solves this problem. If you're making a single crust custard-filled pie, like a pumpkin pie, bake the pie dough first before adding filling to allow some of the moisture in the crust to evaporate. You can also totally blind-bake fruit pies.

Is there a difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling? ›

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

What happens if you don't blind bake? ›

There are two times when blind baking is necessary: When we're making a custard pie or when the pie filling is unbaked. With a custard pie, like a pumpkin pie, the moisture in the filling can make the crust soggy before it has time to actually bake.

How long should I Prebake my pie crust? ›

Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.

How do you make pumpkin flavor stronger? ›

Ruth Reichl's Tip: Roast Your Pumpkin Purée

Not only does roasting deepen the flavor of the pumpkin, but it bakes off some of the moisture in the purée, ensuring a more custard-like pie with less risk of a soggy crust.

Why does my pumpkin pie taste bland? ›

Now if your pie tends to come out bland, you may not be letting your spices hit their full potential. Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker suggests, "To get the most festive flavor out of the spices in your pumpkin pie, bloom the spices with the pumpkin puree in a small saucepan before incorporating into the filling.

Is pumpkin pie healthy or unhealthy? ›

Yes, the actual pumpkin in the dish is quite healthy, but the butter and flour in the crust as well as the cream and sugar needed for the filling add a good dose of saturated fat and calories. But a healthy pumpkin pie is possible!

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

Should you poke holes in pumpkin pie crust? ›

If you'd rather have flaky layers, par-bake the crust and let it cool before adding the filling. But don't dock it (docking is aerating the crust before baking by poking it with the tines of a fork). This will cause the custard to seep out into the bottom crust, defeating that whole "flaky" thing you were going for.

What happens if you use pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin puree? ›

Pumpkin pie mix can be used as a substitute for pure canned pumpkin in some recipes. However, since it is already sweetened and flavored, you'll need to make some adjustments. In most dessert recipes, leave out the pumpkin pie spice and cut down on the sugar since the pumpkin pie mix includes it.

What is the most pumpkin pie filling made of? ›

Pumpkin pie filling is a mixture of cooked, mashed winter squash that is blended with sweetener and spices. It's a convenient ingredient to use if you're planning to make a pumpkin pie and you're short on time.

What happens if you use pumpkin pie filling instead of puree? ›

Don't use pumpkin pie filling in place of pumpkin purée.

Every can of pumpkin pie filling has a different amount of sugar and spices and if you add it to a bread or muffin recipe you might get a very sweet and not-spiced-enough loaf. Try this instead: Buy pumpkin purée!

What happens if you don't pre-bake pie crust? ›

"Blind baking" is the term for baking a piecrust before you add anything to the pie. If you don't blind bake the crust, the liquid from the filling will prevent the pastry from becoming flaky and crisp. You'll be left with a pie that has a soggy bottom. (It tastes just as bad as it sounds).

What happens if you don't pre cook your pie crust? ›

Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.

Which pie crusts need to be prebaked? ›

Pre-baking is a must if you're looking for a flaky pie crust. It's especially helpful for recipes with a wet center. Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy.

Should you blind bake pastry for pumpkin pie? ›

Think of blind baking—partially (par-baking) or fully baking a pie crust—as a head start for your crust. This extra step is especially important when it comes to custard pies like pumpkin.

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