Is thanksgiving really thanksgiving without a beautiful pumpkin pie on the table? I don’t think it is. It is one of the only items that can successfully follow a plate of turkey and gravy and that is one impressive accomplishment.
There are many versions of pumpkin pie available, but I truly believe that this one is the best one. I prefer my pumpkin pie to be creamy and smooth with tons of warm spices and bold pumpkin flavors and this pumpkin pie is exactly that. Plus, everything comes together in one bowl with no special tools required, so when you need to whip this up along with everything else you are already cooking for your holiday table, it will be easy and quick. Something we can all appreciate…
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 2 cups of pumpkin purée (homemade or store bought), 2 large eggs, 2 egg yolks (reserve 1 of the whites for the crust), 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and a pinch of black pepper.
You have several options when it comes to the crust. You can make your own using this super easy pie dough recipe, you can use pre-made pie dough like WeWalka’s pie crust or you can use a store bought deep dish pie crust, like Pillsbury’s frozen pie crust. Just be sure to use a deep dish crust or place your dough into a deep pie pan for baking.
If you are making dough from scratch or using a chilled dough, roll the dough into a 12 inch round that is about 1/4″ thick. This will be good for a 9 inch deep dish pie pan.
Carefully transfer the dough into your pie pan by loosely rolling the dough around your rolling pin and then unrolling it centered over your pie pan. Gently work the dough into the base of the pan and then use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to trim away any excess from the edges of the pan.
Use your hands or a fork to crimp or wave the edges of the dough into the shape you want. If you made your own dough, you will need to partially bake the dough prior to adding the pumpkin pie filling. You can find more information about this on my pie dough recipe here and there are further instructions in the recipe below.
If you are using store bough pie dough, follow the manufacturers instructions. Some pie doughs require pre-baking before making a pumpkin pie and some don’t, so follow their directions for the best results.
If you are using my pie dough recipe, brush the egg white that reserved earlier over the entire surface of the pie dough before adding the filling. This will help create a barrier between the dough and the filling that will help to prevent the dough from getting soggy. This step is optional and not required with store bought dough.
To make your filling, combine 2 cups of pumpkin purée with 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
Whisk 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the pumpkin mixture and then sift 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and a pinch of black pepper into the bowl.
Mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated and then transfer the filling into the prepared pie crust. This filling will be enough to fill a deep dish pie about 80% of the way. If you begin adding the filling and notice that it is creeping too close to the top of your crust, don’t add it all. It is ok to have the filling come up to about 1/2″ from the top of the crust, but do not filling the pie pan all the way as it will overflow during baking.
If you have extra filling, pour it into a ramekin and bake it along side your pie for about 15 minutes. You will have a little sample of this fabulous pumpkin pie all to yourself… just enjoy it, clean the ramekin and no one has to know…
Cut a little circle of foil out and lay it over the crust (leaving the center of the pie uncovered), this will help to slow the browning of the pie crust so it doesn’t get too browned too quickly. You can remove the foil when your pie has about 15 minutes of baking left.
Speaking of baking, this pie will bake for right around 50 minutes in a 375 degree oven. It is done when the edges feel set, but the center is still slightly soft and jiggly. At this point, turn your oven off and open the oven door slightly. I like to fold one of my oven mitts and stick in the corner, so the oven door is open by about 4 inches. This will allow the pumpkin pie to cool slowly, which is a necessary step in preventing cracks or separation of the crust and filling.
Once the pie dish is not longer hot to the touch, transfer it out onto a cutting board or cooling rack and let the pie come to room temperature. This will take about 2 hours.
Once the pie is at room temperature, you can serve it or you can cover it with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. This pie is a great one to make ahead. I usually make them on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and they are perfect then and if any left overs survive, they are still perfect on Black Friday….
Isn’t she beautiful? Inside and out too. The texture on this pie is fabulously smooth, creamy and thick and the pumpkin flavor is perfectly complimented by the beautifully bold spices.
From everything coming together in one bowl to its make ahead capability, this is my go-to pumpkin pie for a reason and I am positive that you will love it!
The Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups of pumpkin purée
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk (save the white for the crust)
- 2/3 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
- a pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Unroll your homemade or store bought pie dough and transfer it into your pie dish
- Use a sharp knife to trim excess dough from the edges and crimp, flute or smooth the edges to your desired shape
- If using homemade pie dough, pre-bake until lightly golden
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups of pumpkin purée with 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar until smooth
- Add 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and stir to combine
- Place a mesh sifter over the bowl and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and a pinch of black pepper into the sifter
- Gently sift the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully combined
- Add the filling into the pre-baked pie dough and return the pie to a 375 degree oven
- Bake the pie for 50-55 minutes or until the filling is mostly set, but still a little jiggly in the very center of the pie
- At this point, turn the oven off and crack the door open to the pie can cool slowly for about 45 minutes before transferring it out of the oven
- Allow the pumpkin pie to cool fully on a cooling rack (approximately 3 hours) before serving or chilling
