Perfect Pumpkin Pie
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After more than 25 years of cooking professionally—and hosting plenty of Thanksgivings—I’ve made a lot of pumpkin pies. This is the one I make every year, and the one my family looks forward to most.
Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving classic, and when it’s made well, it’s hard to beat—a silky, warmly spiced pumpkin filling baked into a buttery, flaky crust. But for a dessert that seems so simple, pumpkin pie can be surprisingly finicky. Over the years, I’ve tried at least a dozen recipes and run into just about every issue: fillings that won’t set, unsightly cracks, and soggy crusts. Let’s just say the person who coined the phrase “easy as pie” had clearly never baked a pumpkin pie!
The good news is that all that testing paid off. This pumpkin pie recipe turns out beautifully, with a flaky crust, rich pumpkin filling, and smooth, crack-free top. And the best part? It’s truly easy to make.
If you’re planning your holiday dessert lineup, don’t miss my pecan pie, sweet potato pie, and apple pie—they’re all wonderful alongside this pumpkin pie.
“I’ve been baking pumpkin pie for what seems like an eternity. The custard always cracks. Not this time…it’s absolutely delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Pie Crust: Use a homemade pie crust or store-bought—whichever you prefer. If using store-bought, opt for the frozen kind in an aluminum pie pan; it’s easier to blind bake and less likely to shrink.
- Pumpkin: For the best results, I recommend Libby’s canned pumpkin purée.
- Egg & Egg Yolks: The whole egg helps set the filling, while the extra yolks add richness and give it a silky texture.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Using both gives the filling a more complex sweetness, with a subtle molasses note from the brown sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour: Slightly thickens and stabilizes the filling, which helps prevent cracks.
- Spices (ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves & black pepper): This classic blend gives the pie its warm, spiced flavor, with just a hint of heat from the black pepper.
- Evaporated Milk: Gives the filling its rich, creamy texture without making it too heavy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Pumpkin Pie
Blind bake the crust: If using a store-bought crust, follow the package directions for pre-baking the crust. For homemade dough, fit it into a deep-dish pie pan and chill it. Line the chilled crust with parchment, fill it with pie weights (or dried beans), and bake until the edges look set.
Remove the weights and bake a bit longer until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. If the crust puffs up, gently press it back down with a flat spatula. Blind baking gives the crust a head start so it stays nice and crisp once the wet pumpkin filling is added.
Make the filling: Whisk the filling ingredients together until completely smooth, making sure there are no pockets of flour or spices. Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust.
Bake and serve: Bake the pie at 325°F so the custard cooks gently and evenly. It’s done when the filling looks set and dry around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center when you nudge the pan—don’t worry, it will continue to set as it cools. If the crust edges start to brown too much before the filling is done, loosely cover them with foil.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with whipped cream if you like.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Pumpkin pie is ideal for making ahead. You can bake it a day before serving, let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate it overnight. For longer storage, the baked pie can also be frozen; see the recipe card below for full freezing instructions.
Video Tutorial
More Holiday Desserts You’ll Love
Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 homemade pie crust or 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust shell thawed
- 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin (about 1¾ cups)
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 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
- Blind Bake the Crust: If you’re using a store-bought frozen crust, follow the pre-baking instructions on the package. If you’re using a homemade crust, roll out the dough and gently fit it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, making sure it’s snug against the bottom and sides. Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Place the chilled crust on a baking sheet (it makes it much easier to move in and out of the oven). Line 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. Remove the crust from the oven, lift out the parchment and weights, and tent the edges with a few strips of foil folded in half lengthwise to keep them from getting too dark. Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. If it puffs up a bit, just press it down gently with a flat spatula—try not to puncture it. Remove the foil, but keep it nearby in case you need it again later.After blind-baking the crust, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Make the 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 and cool: Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes (at 325°F), 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 with 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it really is the most Perfect Pie Recipe that I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing!
This is amazing! My first pie in 10 years and it came out perfect!
I did add more 2-3 tbsp more water than the recipe suggested, but that might be because I followed it loosely in the beginning, going by feel rather than always letter.
Thank you Jenn!
Everyone in my family raved about this pie. The crust was delicious and the custard savory and not too sweet. I thought I should’ve baked it longer since the center seemed a bit loose when I cut into it. It was definitely a Pinterest-pretty pie. Thanks for sharing!
Can you use a kitchen aid mixer instead of a food processor?
Hi Melinda, I wouldn’t recommend a mixer, but it’s perfectly fine to cut in the butter and shortening into the flour mixture by hand. Hope you enjoy!
We are a family of bakers and expectations are always high for the dessert table at Thanksgiving. This pumpkin pie turned out perfectly and was a huge hit–I’m now the designated pumpkin pie-maker thanks to this recipe!
If I could rate this a million stars, I would!!! This was the best dessert I’ve ever tasted. I am not a baker and am just now (at 24) slowly starting to cook and this was my first attempt at a pie. It came out perfect. Everyone loved it and there was nothing left for the next day. I’m almost afraid to try it again because I’m worried it won’t come out perfect like it did yesterday! Thank you for all your work on this, I’m so glad I chose your recipe over the literal thousands out there. And thanks for making me feel like a real baker!!
Jenn, you’re Perfect Pumpkin Pie is the absolute best. I never left a review when I first tried your recipe because I never usually do, even on recipes I absolutely love but I decided I needed to on this one. I have a pumpkin pie baking in the oven right now as we speak in the middle of July where the weather here is 100+ degrees outside and baking shouldn’t even be an option. I’ve been using your recipe for the last few years and get raves about it from everyone. My co workers have even asked me to bake a few pies because they want to buy my baked goods. I always refuse as I only enjoy baking for my own personal delight and not for profit. My fiancée also thinks I’m nuts for making pumpkin pie in March, & July. I can’t help it. It’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever made and ever tasted. I’ve shared your recipe with friends and co-workers as well. Other reviewers who think the crust is too hard or the custard isn’t smooth enough, get over your exaggerated claims of being a pumpkin pie connoisseur because this recipe is PERFECT! Thanks again!
So glad you enjoy it May — thanks for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
This is now my favorite pumpkin pie recipe and my favorite site for no fail recipes. The crust turned out great and the pie looked beautiful! (No cracks!!). It took longer to bake by about 10 minutes.
Five stars!! This pie was a hit for thanksgiving! My guests raced over the flavor, and it was easy to make. You will need a deep dish pan however. My creation yielded two normal pie crusts, which was fine by me!
This pie was fabulous. I am not a baker but I followed it exactly. It took longer to bake but possibly due to my ceramic plate. I’m making it again because it was such a hit!!
The most delicious pie recipe ever.
I just served this for Thanksgiving dinner dessert. Bar none, my guests said this was the best pumpkin pie they had ever had. A guest who has worked with Jacques Pépin in the past said it was the best she’d ever eaten! It came out as a perfectly light delicious custard with an incredibly deep flavor. Brava!