爱魔域

Does it feel like traditional Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? A flaky, tender crust filled with soft, creamy pumpkin filling, laced with the perfect combination of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Then topped with sweetened whipped cream (which sends pumpkin pie into the stratosphere), what’s not to love? This is our best pumpkin pie recipe we’ve tweaked over the years, adding the pat-in-the-pan crust, and sweetened whipped cream on top, for ultimate pumpkin pie eating experience. Even if you’re baking a pie for the first time, you’ll love the irresistible results. Just don’t count on leftovers!

Pumpkins are part of the gourd family and are readily available in the fall and winter, making it natural to be used in pies during that time of the year. With canned pumpkin now in stores year around, you don’t have to wait to Thanksgiving to dive into that spicy, creamy filling and flaky crust. It’s easy to make one whenever you’re craving the sweet pumpkin spice flavor.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for this pumpkin pie recipe.

Pat-in-the-Pan Pastry

Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the crust. It creates a network of gluten when mixed with liquid, giving the crust its texture.

Salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust and controls the gluten development.

Vegetable Oil: Adds tenderness and flakiness to the crust. It coats the flour particles, preventing them from forming a tough gluten network.

Cold Water: Binds the ingredients together to form a dough. Cold water helps to prevent the gluten from developing too much, resulting in a more tender crust.

Filling

Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and binding to the filling. They help the filling set properly during baking.

Sugar: Sweetens the filling and helps to create a smooth texture.

Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Ground Cloves: These spices provide the characteristic warm and spicy flavor of pumpkin pie.

Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients in the filling.

Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix): The star ingredient, providing the signature flavor, color, and creamy texture of the pie.

Evaporated Milk: Adds richness and creaminess to the filling. Its concentrated form helps to create a smooth and dense texture.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Whipping cream, sugar.

How To Make Pumpkin Pie

Here are the simple steps that will show you how to make pumpkin pie you’ll be proud to serve. Follow the recipe for all the specifics:

1. Make the Pat-in-the-Pan Pastry

Use a fork to mix oil with the flour and salt. Add water until a dough is formed. Press the pastry in the bottom and all the way up the side of a glass 9" pie plate (not a deep dish pie plate), to the rim, with your fingers—there is no need to roll it out with a rolling pin. If you prefer to make a traditional rolled crust, see our helpful article on . 

2. Mix the Filling

With a whisk mix the eggs (it breaks them up quickly) with the sugar, spices, pumpkin, and milk.

3. Fill the Pastry-Lined Pie Plate

Place the pie plate on the oven rack before pouring in the filling. This will help prevent spilling any of the filling transferring the pie to the oven. The pie plate will be very full to get that beautifully filled crust when baked.

4. Bake the Pie

Bake for 15 minutes before reducing the oven temperature to complete the baking. The pie is done when a knife can be inserted in the center, and it comes out clean.

5. Cool the Pie

It’s important to use a cooling rack and cool your pie completely, which will take about 2 hours. Once the pie has cooled, it will be very easy to get those classic shaped pieces out of the pie plate.

6. Whip the Cream

Beat whipping cream and sugar in a chilled bowl to create the most volume. Spoon the whipped cream onto the pie before serving or add dollops to the slices when cut and plated. For a fancier presentation (as we did in the photo), spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a wide star tip and pipe it in concentric circles to create little whipped swirls on the pie.

Storing Leftover Pumpkin Pie

If you’re lucky enough to have leftover pumpkin pie, here’s how to store it, so it will taste as fresh as the day you made it

Refrigerator

Wrap leftover pumpkin pie with plastic wrap in the pie plate or place it in covered food-safe storage containers. Store it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. You can enjoy it cold from the fridge or let pieces warm about 15 minutes at room temperature before eating.

Freezer

Baked pumpkin pie can be store in the freezer up to 1 month. Wrap the baked and cooled pie with plastic wrap in the pie plate (check to make sure it is freezer safe), then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Or you can wrap baked and cooled slices individually with plastic wrap and foil. Thaw unwrapped pumpkin pie in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Using This Recipe with a Premade Crust

This simple pumpkin pie recipe will be even quicker to the oven if you start with a pre-made crust. Substitute one refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crust (from a 2-crust box) for the pat-in-the-pan pastry ingredients. Soften and ease into the pie plate as directed on the package. Flute the edge as desired. Omit step 1 and continue on with recipe as directed in step 2.

Using Fresh Versus Canned Pumpkin

We prefer using canned pumpkin over fresh pumpkin, for so many reasons. Canned pumpkin is picked and packed when the pumpkin is at its peak flavor. It also has a smooth texture (without any lumps or fibers), to give your pumpkin pie a smooth texture and the best flavor. And it saves time, rather than having to cut, cook, and mash your own.

If you want to use fresh pumpkin, be sure you’re using smaller pumpkins labeled “pie pumpkins“(not to be confused with other, more frequently found pumpkins that are meant for carving or decorating). Carving pumpkins do not have a rich pumpkin flavor and can be fibrous when cooked, resulting in pumpkin pie filling that has stringy, fibrous pieces in it.

Peel and seed pie pumpkins and cook them until they are very tender. Drain and mash them until smooth. You’ll need about 1 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin to equal one 15-oz can.

Pumpkin Pie Variations and Toppings

There are so many ways to make homemade pumpkin pie extra-special. Try one of these ideas:

Spice It Up: Add a sprinkling of cinnamon over the whipped cream mounds, for extra eye-appeal and a warm, sweet spice. To make a light and even sprinkle, spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon into a fine-mesh strainer. Then use a spoon to tap the handle of the strainer while holding it over the cream for a dusting of delight.

Add a Cookie or Candy: Set a small, decorated sugar cookie or candy on the whipped cream to add holiday interest and sparkle. You can make your own cookies or pick them up from the store. Or look for seasonal holiday-shaped chocolates to adorn your pie.

Get Nutty: Top the baked pie (or just the whipped cream) with pecan halves or chopped pecans.

Cranberry Gems: Dip fresh cranberries in a little white corn syrup mixed with a tiny bit of water; roll in granulated sugar and let dry on paper towel-lined cookie sheet. Place them gently on the whipped cream, along with a small sprig of fresh mint.

Pie Crust Shapes: Cut either refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust pastry with small cookie cutters in the shape of leaves for the fall, turkeys for Thanksgiving, or any other shape you wish. Bake until golden brown; cool, and place on top of the pie before adding the whipped cream.

Looking for other easy pumpkin pie recipe variations? Try one of these delicious recipes:

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Pieis a beautiful, marbled pie that’s part pumpkin pie, part cheesecake filled.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pieis just the ticket if you’re looking for a gluten-free pumpkin pie that delivers exceptional texture as well as flavor.

Impossibly Easy Mini Pumpkin Piesare quick-to-make, individual bite-size pies, ready in under an hour.

More Pumpkin Recipes

If you’re a fan of pumpkin, indulge in these delicious pumpkin spice treats any time you get the craving:

Pumpkin Cookies: Soft homemade pumpkin spice cookies get topped with a rich, indulgent browned butter frosting, for a satisfying pumpkin treat you can take on the go.

Pumpkin Bars: Scrumptious moist, tender pumpkin and raisin bars made easy with Bisquick™. Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, this yummy recipe feeds a crowd.

Pumpkin Layered Magic Cake: A pumpkin spice and cake magically layer themselves during baking. Topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect way for cake lovers to savor the flavors of pumpkin pie.

Frequently Asked Questions How to avoid cracks in Pumpkin Pie?

If your pumpkin pie cracks, it was over-baked. This can happen if your oven is running hot (ovens can become inaccurate over time) or the pie spent too much time in the oven.

To make sure the oven is at the temperature you set it to invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer. Place it on a rack in the middle of your oven. Let your oven heat up at least 10 minutes, then check the temperature on the thermometer. If it isn’t the temperature, you set the oven for, adjust the temperature on the oven and give it another 10 minutes to adjust before reading the thermometer. You can keep the thermometer in your oven to be sure it’s at the correct temperature each time you bake. Bake your pie on the middle rack and at 425°F for just 15 minutes before reducing the oven temperature to 350°F.

If your pumpkin pie does crack, it’s still safe to eat. Use the sweetened whipped cream in a large dollop over the crack to cover it up!

How to tell when the Pumpkin Pie is done?

Insert a knife in the center of the pie after baking it about 45 minutes at 350°F. If the knife blade has a milky film or crumbs on it, add a minute or two longer in the oven and test again. Avoid over baking it, as it can crack.

Is there a difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree?

The terms pumpkin, canned pumpkin, and pumpkin puree are all used to describe the same thing: pure, cooked pumpkin that has been mashed. Pumpkin pie mix, however, is a different product. It contains pumpkin plus sugar, spices, and thickeners. For the best flavor and texture, use canned pumpkin for this recipe.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice?

For the best flavor, we recommend using cinnamon, ginger, and cloves individually, in the amounts listed in the recipe. Pumpkin pie spice can vary in the amount and types of spices they use and by manufacturer. If you do want to use pumpkin pie spice, we’d recommend substituting 1 1/2 teaspoons for the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in the recipe. Or, to make your own, see the tip section of the recipe.