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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First time making a Pumpkin Pie and I chose your recipe rather than using the one on the can of organic pumpkin puree. Well, I’m sure that would of been ok, but I instead I decided to try Jenn’s and of course, excellent! A most trusted source for fine recipes and foods! Thank you!
This look amazing and with all the great reviews I can’t wait to try it. I have a 10” pie plate, 2.5” deep. Should I adjust the recipe to make sure I have enough filling?
Hi, For that size pie plate, I’d suggest making 1.5 times the recipe. Bake time is likely to be longer so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
I made this as one of my Thanksgiving desserts, of course. I had already made a crust from a different recipe, though. My sister-in-law commented that it was the best pumpkin pie she’s ever had. She asked if it was from fresh pumpkin, and when I replied in the negative she gasped, “oh, don’t tell your brother I said that!” My brother also prides himself on his pie-making, and apparently believes that pumpkin pie is best with fresh pumpkin, so I guess saying this from-can pie was the best was akin to sacrilege.
I’ve tested several recipes for pumpkin pie and this is one of our favourites. The filling is delicious, firm but not dry, silky smooth, not too sweet, and the spices are well balanced. The baked pie is picture-perfect with no cracks or shrinking away from the sides of the crust. I used a 9-inch deep dish Pyrex pie plate and the filling came to the brim. I made my own pastry but otherwise followed the recipe without making any changes. One can of evaporated milk is slightly more than 1 1/4 cups, and although I was tempted to use the whole can, I didn’t. The pie baked for 65 minutes. The centre was still a bit jiggly when I took it out of the oven, but firmed up as the pie cooled. The filling prep couldn’t be simpler. Excellent!
Can I bake and freeze? I’d like to make 3-4 but don’t want to eat them all in a couple of days @FamilyofThree
Sure! See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions.
This came out amazing. I cut the white sugar out completely but did the brown sugar. It was perfect. I used a whole pumpkin and doubled the rest of the ingredients. Made 3 pies. Ate 3 pies 😉
Hi Jenn
I picked your recipe because with over 200 reviews and a 5-star rating it had to be good! I made it for Canadian Thanksgiving (today). I followed your directions as close as I could (I don’t have a food processor) but fear not! It was an absolute SUCCESSSSSSS! So much so I had to post a review! It was a little tedious at times but well worth it! I love the crunchy crust rather than soggy! I hate it when I try those triple tested recipes and they don’t turn out!! Yours did feel like you had perfected it! Thank you! It was beautiful! I sent pics to all my friends. I read some of the reviews and most were like mine. It’s a great recipe. I can’t wait to try others!
HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!
Hello, I’ll need to bake two pies at a time. Does the oven temperature need to be adjusted? Or baking time? Thank you
Hi Caroline, the oven temperature should remain the same. The baking time should be the same if not just a touch longer. Hope everyone enjoys!
The absolute best thing I’ve ever baked.
Help!
I made your recipe for the pie crust but it turned into a ball in the food processor, I’m talking a smooth easy and soft to work with ball. Not crumbly like yours arghhhh.
Is this going to be a problem? What should I do? Is it salvageable?
I told everyone I’m making the pumpkin pie for tomorrow and I think I’ve officially screwed myself.
It’s resting in the fridge. Was planning on letting it sit there overnight. Please help.
It should be fine, Jenn – in the AM, let it sit out a bit so that it’s malleable enough to roll, then proceed. 😊
Thank you!!
Also just curious is it pumpkin purée can that’s used in the filling?
Yes. 🙂
This pie was complete hit!!! Everyone loved it. The perfect balance of sweetness and spice. I am making again this weekend for Thanksgiving. Thank you!