Perfect Pumpkin Pie
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For such a seemingly simple dessert, pumpkin pie can be tricky to make. This recipe promises a tender, flaky crust and gently spiced pumpkin filling that won’t crack as it cools.
For such a seemingly simple dessert, pumpkin pie can be tricky to get right. Over the years, I’ve tested at least a dozen recipes, and each one was plagued with either a filling that wouldn’t set, a massive crack down the center, or a lousy crust (i.e., soggy, doughy, or shrunken). Whoever coined the term “easy as pie” had obviously never baked a pumpkin pie!
Part of the challenge with pumpkin pie is that there are a lot of variables. First, there’s the type of pan you use: ceramic, glass, and metal all behave differently. Second, no homemade pie crust is ever the same, and crust by nature is finicky. Finally, similar to cheesecake or flan, pumpkin pie filling is a custard, which means you have to remove it from the oven while it’s still a little jiggly, which makes it difficult to gauge doneness. Take it out too early and it never sets up; cook it too long and it cracks down the center (or, take it out at just the right time and still have it crack down the center!).
For this foolproof recipe, I use my favorite homemade pie crust, which tastes buttery, holds its shape, and is easy to work with. And to prevent the crust from becoming soggy, I blind bake it until it’s completely dry before adding the filling. To prevent those unsightly fissures in the filling, I modify the traditional recipe by adding a little flour, replacing some of the whole eggs with egg yolks, and baking the pie at a low temperature. The result is a pristine pumpkin pie, even if you accidentally leave it in the oven a few minutes too long, and it’s delicious to boot!
What you’ll need to make Pumpkin pie
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blind Bake The Pie Crust
If using a homemade crust, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven).
Cover the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill it about three-quarters full with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven and remove the parchment paper and beans/pie weights.
Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is dry and golden. Don’t worry if the bottom puffs up; just press it down gently with a flat spatula, such as a pancake turner, taking care not to puncture it. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
If using a store-bought crust, follow the blind-baking instructions on the package.
Step 3: Make The Filling
While the crust finishes cooking, combine the pumpkin pie filling ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Bake the Pumpkin Pie
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust.
Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is just set. It should look dry around the edges and the center should jiggle just slightly if you nudge the pan. The pie will look a little puffed when it comes out of the oven, but it will settle as it cools.
Cool the pie on a rack (leave it on the baking sheet) to room temperature, a few hours. Slice or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Perfect Pumpkin Pie
For such a seemingly simple dessert, pumpkin pie can be tricky to make. This recipe promises a tender, flaky crust and gently spiced pumpkin filling that won’t crack as it cools.
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) Homemade Pie Crust or deep-dish frozen pie crust shell (thawed)
- 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin (about 1¾ cups)
- 1 large egg
- 3 large eggs yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1¼ cups evaporated milk (you'll need one 12-oz can but you won't use all of it)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- If using a homemade crust: Remove the chilled pie crust from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven). Cover the crust with a piece of parchment paper. Fill the crust about three-quarters full with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven; remove the parchment paper and beans/pie weights and tent the edges with a few strips of foil folded in half lengthwise (this will protect the edges from getting too dark). Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is dry and lightly golden. Don't worry if the bottom puffs up; just press it down gently with a flat spatula, such as a pancake turner, taking care not to puncture it. Remove the foil but don't throw it away; you may need it again.
- If using a frozen crust: Follow the instructions for blind-baking on the package.
- After blind-baking the crust, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Make the Pumpkin Pie Filling: In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, egg yolks, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and evaporated milk. Whisk until smooth, then pour the filling into the pre-baked crust.
- Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is just set. It should look dry around the edges, but the center should jiggle just slightly if you nudge the pan. Keep a close eye on the pie as it bakes; if ever the crust looks like it's browning too quickly, tent the edges again with the foil strips. Let the pie cool on a rack (leave it on the baking sheet) to room temperature, a few hours. Slice or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make Ahead: Pumpkin pie can be made one day ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be made ahead, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month. If you freeze it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The pie can be frozen after baking for up to 1 month. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 335
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Sugar: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 287mg
- Cholesterol: 103mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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YUM! Thank you Jenn for this amazing recipe. I’ve made a few of your other recipes and they’ve always turned out great! This time I made a pie, subbing honey nut squash, pumpkin pie spice, pinch of black pepper and 1 cup of sucanat—it came out fantastic—texture was firm and custardy; great creaminess, not to sweet; a key seemed to be blind-baking the bakery-bought crust. Would definitely repeat and recommend. I used the left-over pie filling in a ramekin to make a crust-less custard.
This is the best (and easiest) pumpkin pie I’ve made so far! Admittedly, I omitted the black pepper because even in everyday cooking I don’t enjoy the taste BUT, I don’t doubt that it would be good for others. I otherwise like the amount of spice – this is what was missing for me in other recipes I made.
The oven temp and bake times were also spot on for me – finished at 55 mins. Our old oven was not getting nearly hot enough without me knowing for months before it just died altogether. Every pie I had tried to make came out raw so, definitely worth checking your oven’s temperature with a probe thermometer if yours is coming out runny!
Per my son’s request, I made this pumpkin pie for Christmas lunch yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing (if I do say so myself!). I also made your Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Turkey Gravy and it was all perfect.
Side note, before the pandemic I didn’t know how to cook (could do little more than mac and cheese out of a box). Locked up at home, I discovered your blog and then your cookbooks and have made over 100 of your recipes since then! (No joke, I’ve actually counted) You have literally changed my life and made me a confident baker and cook – my family and I are soooo happy and every recipe is delicious without fail! Thank you for sharing your talents and knowledge with us!
Wow, good for you Irene!! And I’m flattered that my recipes have played a small part in increasing your confidence in the kitchen! 🙂
Appears to be a sentence or two missing in the section about prebaking the pie crust. Says to put the weights in, then take them out and put back in oven. Ummm
Oh my gosh, thanks for pointing that out! Updating it now…
This may have been answered already, so I apologize. How many days ahead can I make this before serving? Thanks! I love ALL your recipes! You are my go to person! I am giving your cookbooks to my brother in law for Christmas! I know he will love them!
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them enough to get the cookbooks for your BIL! This can be made 1 day ahead. Enjoy!
I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of making a homemade apple pie. I decided that this was the year to try it and I’m so happy I did. It’s definitely a bit of an undertaking time-wise, but the results (and the compliments around the table) made it all worthwhile! I only wish there had been some leftover to have with my morning coffee. Sigh…
This is The Perfect Pumpkin Pie. I followed the recipe exactly including the homemade crust. I am not a great pie maker . . . but this crust was easy to work with and baked nicely. The filling was creamy. I did take it out while the center had a jiggle, but I think it needed to bake longer. I will know for next year, as this recipe is being added to my Thanksgiving menu from now on.
The cooking temp on this is COMPLETELY wrong. I just knifed the middle of my pie at 55 mins and it is basically liquid in the middle…
325f for 50-60 min is way too low… I should have realized but decided to just follow the recipe. Every other pumpkin pie recipe you’ll find calls for 50-60mins at 375, NOT 325… and there is no way this pie would or could define the laws of thermodynamics and setup in 50-60 mins.
I have no idea if it’ll taste good, but I’m pretty frustrated that I just wasted a homemade crust on this. If I was to do it again I’d probably say bag 325f, lower it to 350f AT MOST, and plan to cook it for 1hr 10-15mins.
Fix your recipe… this is absolutely wrong.
It worked for me. You may want to check your oven temperature or some other factor.
Just FYI..
I have been baking for YEARS and I am self taught.. and in the years of baking and selling baked goods at fund raisers and reading books and hundreds of recipes never ever have I heard of knifing a pie to see if is done. Now you do that to a cake. Pies you normally look for a jiggle a shine and pull them out because they continue to bake in their pie pan for about 5-7 minutes more losing temperature as they go. Just saying. Also altitude and humidity have a lot to do with baking. It is a science after all! I hope this helps. HAPPY BAKING!!
Another amateur baker with a pie success following the authors baking recommendations. I actually baked mine at 300F in a fan forced counter top oven. 51mins and it was done with just the slightest jiggle. Allowed to cool and it cut perfectly.
Might be an appliance issue…
How long do I bake this if I don’t use a crust and put it in a casserole dish? Also, what size dish would be best to bake this in, 9×13, 8×11? Thank you
Hi Lisa, the baking time should be about the same. And I’d suggest an 8-inch square baking dish.
Hi Jenn,
Happy Thankgiving!!!
I realize this is very last minute, but I have been asked to make pumpkin pie, and miraculously I have all ingredients except the crust! The only crust I have is a store bought graham cracker crust. Can I use this and if so, should I pre bake?
Hi Yvette, It will work although you’ll likely have some extra filling- you can discard it or bake it separately in ramekins. And no need to pre-bake the graham cracker crust. I’d love to know how it turns out!
HI Jenn,
I only have regular (not deep dish) store bought frozen pie crusts. Can i still make this pumpkin pie? Maybe split the filling into 2 of these crusts?
Thanks
Hi Terri, Yes that’s a good idea. Enjoy!
Thanks! Would i need to change the time or temperature?
I’d keep the oven temp the same. The bake time will be shorter but I’m not sure by how much so keep a close eye on them.
Your “Perfect Pumpkin Pie” recipe is, what can I say, PERFECT!!!
I’ve been baking pumpkin pie for what seems like an eternity. The custard always cracks. Not this time. And, not only does the the pie look great, its absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Hi Chef Jenn, I just discovered your recipes and started with your perfect apple pie first and after reading it I Knew they would be great. I read a lot of recipes and watch a lot of cooking shows and wanted to try a blind baked pie. The apple pie is to be eaten tomorrow. This pumpkin pie was baked yesterday as a trial before Thanksgiving. The crust turned out crispy on the bottom, no soggy bottom! The texture is creamy. The spice is warming and intriguing. I dont usually eat a lot of pumpkin pie as they are overly sweet. This pie had the perfect balance! The color is beautiful. There were no cracks and I think that’s to timing your bake to get it out when it’s still a little jiggle when nudged. I will be baking Lots more of this pie. I am bringing the trial to the hospital where I work to share and show off! Thank you
I noticed that your pie crust recipe only says to blind bake for 15-20 minutes but this pumpkin pie recipe says to put the crust back in the oven for another 20 minutes….is there a reason for the discrepancy between this recipe and the pie crust recipe? I made this pie and crust last thanksgiving and both tasted great but the crust was very hard and I’m wondering if I shouldn’t blind bake the crust for the additional 20 minutes this year?
Hi Jennifer, Pumpkin pie filling is so wet that the dough really needs to be baked through to prevent sogginess. That said, if you found it was overbaked for you last year, you could either cut out the extra 20 minutes or just reduce it to 10 minutes. Hope that helps!
I whipped this up and sat down to read reviews when the crust was baking. Had a a lot of anxiety reading all the comments about the black pepper (which I added). Happy to report it turned out totally fine and I honestly did not notice anything “offensive” about this pie. It was simply a pumpkin pie. If you are risk averse, simply omit it or do a very light 1/8. Writing this for anyone who was nervous as me that they wasted all their ingredients on thanksgiving day!
Do you suggest cooking the filling before putting it in pie crust to bake?
I made this recipe in 2018, turned out perfect no cracks. Made it again in 2019, same way and had a crack. Any suggestions this time around? We loved the taste and texture of both pie crust and filling and would love to make it again this year.
No, you don’t need to cook the filling prior to putting it in the crust. And regarding the crack, it could be that your oven is running a little hot. The low temperature really makes a difference. There’s always whipped cream 🙂
It hurts my heart to leave a negative comment because I absolutely love your recipes, I own two of your cookbooks and recommend you anytime someone is looking for something fabulous, however, I did not love this pie. It was too much, I don’t know if it was the pepper or too many spices. I made this as a trial run after reading a few of the comments and I am relieved that I did because I will stick with a more traditional recipe. Still a fan of your work, just not this pie.
My first time trying pumpkin pie in years and it came out so yummy, thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
I used Bob’s Red Mill GF substitution flour and Gluten Free on a Shoestring’s Pie crust recipe. Baking took about 75-80 mins total for me, but GF baking usually takes longer anyway!
I love the taste of the pie. That said, I made the recipe to a t and I also have a food blog so I do all my baking from scratch. The pie came out of the oven beautifully and it still jiggled. I’m serving it this evening and there is a 2-in crack in the middle. I am so very disheartened. I wish I could send you a picture 😔
Hi Nancy, I’m sorry that your pie had a crack in it! I’d ask you to email me a picture but it sounds like you’ve already served it. It’s really important that this bakes at a low temperature so I’m wondering if your oven runs a little hot. Here are some tips for checking the accuracy of your oven. Also, perhaps you already figured it out, but if you have a crack in your pumpkin pie a good solution is to cover it with a bit of whipped cream. 🙂
Absolutely awful recipe. Just use the one on the can.
I think you did something wrong. We ate almost all of it when it came out of the oven, saving barely any for the rest of the family. 😬 Oops.
SO DELICIOUS
The instructions on the back of the frozen pie crust say to thaw the crust only for a pumpkin pie. Is blind baking the crust first necessary?
Hi Jen, I still recommend blind baking it.
I have utilized this recipe as is, over a dozen times and it’s perfect. Creamy texture, no cracks, and just the right amount of spice to pull it together. It works great with fresh or canned pumpkin and is even better on the second day.
My first pumpkin pie that I made ever, and from pumpkin grown in my garden! It was just the best and my grandkids and I loved it. Thank you!
can i use fresh pumpkin in place of canned? If so does amount of pumpkin or anything else change?
Hi Rita, a few readers have commented that they’ve used fresh pumpkin successfully, but I’ve never prepared it that way. You’d need the same amount of pumpkin and don’t need to make any other modifications. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Absolutely delicious. This is my family’s favourite pumpkin pie recipe. As a shortcut, I did use frozen pie crusts but next time I will make the crust.
I have never baked a pie before, though I am an avid cook. I was nervous because you can’t really “taste” the pie if you’re bringing it somewhere (unless you want to cut a slice out) but the pie turned out amazing. The filling was softer than store-bought which made it more decadent but not runny (still held its shape), but I took it out at 50 mins when the centre was slightly jiggly still. Everyone loved it, some said it was the best they’ve ever had, and there was none leftover. Perfect amount of spice but I used just a pinch of pepper. Great recipe! Also used the pie crust recipe from here which was good too.
We have just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving and my family have voted this our best pumpkin pie ever! The recipe was easy to follow and the result perfect – although I’d held back on the black pepper a little after reading some of the negative comments.
For convenience I had bought a pack of two ready-made frozen pie shells which, although labelled ‘deep dish’ really weren’t, and it actually turned out there was enough filling for both of them, especially when topped off with the requisite whipped cream, and allowed 2nd helpings all round! I am looking forward to trying some more recipes from this site.
I made this using a store-bought deep dish pie crust and just pulled it out of the oven and it turned out perfect. Since there were no directions on blind-baking crust on the package I just followed Jen’s directions. I did have about a cup of filling left over so I sprayed a mug with nonstick spray, poured in the filling and microwaved for 3 minutes and I had a custard! So while I haven’t tasted the pie yet I’ve had the cooked filling and it’s great. Thank you!
I’ve since tasted the pie and it is great. The crust on the bottom was a bit over baked but it was just fine for my family. Next time I’ll just bake the crust for about 15 min on the second baking. Other than that the texture was perfect- soft and creamy but held its shape after cutting. Thank you
i followed the recipe exactly and the middle was still like a pudding texture after refrigerating
and i didn’t like the black pepper addition either, it was too much.
Ugh. This is not a good recipe. My pie refused to set and is a waste of good ingredients and pie crust. Going to try a better recipe — bakers beware!!
Sometimes it can be temperature of your oven that your pie didn’t cook through. I have temperamental oven too. So I have a thermometer that hangs inside to make sure that my oven is baking at the correct consistent temperature throughout my bake. I check it every quarter throughout my bake. My oven is that bad. ( propane gas oven) grr 😠 but usually a pumpkin pie for me I leave it 1 hour out on counter and 4-5 in fridge for it to set good. Just my humble tip.. HAPPY BAKING😊🥰
This is the best pumpkin pie recipe I’ve ever tried! Absolutely loved it
I’ve made pumpkin pie many times over the years and this is the first time it hasn’t cracked. Thank you for this easy peasy delicious recipe. I had to bake it for 70 min because it was still too jiggly after an hour, but it turned out perfectly. Happy Thanksgiving to everybody!! 🥧
If you are using frozen crust, do you use the metal pan it comes in to bake in or do you use a pie pan like you showed for the home made crust??
You can just use the metal pan. 🙂
This is absolutely the Perfect. Pumpkin. Pie! Thank you for another recipe that hit it out of the ballpark!!
Can you replace the sugar with powdered sugar?
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Hi! What would you do to make this egg free? My brother is allergic. Thanks!
Hi Mikayla, because the custard filling really relies on eggs, unfortunately, I don’t think this is a great recipe to make with an egg substitute. Sorry!
Pie didn’t set correctly. I have made many pies, pumpkin especially. Blind baked the crust was fine, but after I put the filling in and baked after the first 60 minutes the center was still too liquidy. So I cooked for another 10 until the right consistency and let chill at room temperature before chilling in fridge. I will not be trying this recipe again. Maybe too much liquid, or too low of a temperature. I don’t know.
I had the same problem! I just made this at the exact temperature stated and the pie is so runny. I’m reheating the oven to cook it again and hoping it helps. My first attempt at making a pie but sure why it’s turned out like this. Disappointed as I was so excited to bake my first pie.