Perfect Pumpkin Pie
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If you’re looking for a pumpkin pie that sets beautifully, tastes absolutely delicious, and always gets a “wow,” this recipe delivers every time.
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 flaky, buttery crust. But for a dessert that seems so simple, pumpkin pie can be surprisingly finicky. Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of 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 checks every box: a crisp, sturdy crust, a smooth, rich filling, and no cracks. And the best part? It’s truly easy to make.
If you’re planning your dessert lineup for the holidays, don’t miss my pecan pie, sweet potato pie, or apple crisp—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 – Adds rich flavor and a smooth texture. For the best results, go with Libby’s canned pumpkin puree.
- Egg & egg yolks – The whole egg binds the filling, while the yolks bring extra richness and a silky texture.
- Granulated sugar & Light brown sugar – A combination of sugars adds complex sweetness; the brown sugar lends a deeper, molasses-like flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Slightly thickens and stabilizes the filling to prevent unsightly cracks.
- Spices (ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper) – This classic pumpkin pie spice blend gives the dessert its warm, signature flavor, with just a hint of heat from the black pepper.
- Evaporated milk – Makes the filling creamy and smooth, giving the pie a luscious, velvety texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blind bake the crust. If you’re using a store-bought crust, just follow the package directions. For homemade dough, fit it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan and chill it. Line the chilled crust with parchment, fill it with pie weights (or dried beans), and bake at 375°F until the edges look set. Remove the weights and bake a bit longer until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. Then drop the oven temp to 325°F and you’re ready for the filling.
Pro Tip: Blind baking—or baking the crust before the filling goes in—gives it a head start so it stays nice and crisp once the wet pumpkin filling is added.
Step 2: Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, egg yolks, both sugars, the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and evaporated milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Assemble and bake. Pour the filling into the warm, pre-baked crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center is just set. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.
Step 4: Serve. Slice and serve right away, or refrigerate the pie for up to a day before serving. For longer storage, you can freeze pumpkin pie for up to 1 month—just wrap it well. Enjoy!
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 eggs 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 blind-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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Definitely a 5-star recipe! Easy, flavorful and it cooked perfectly. Will keep and remake this recipe, everyone loved it!
It is the perfect pumpkin pie! Thank you for the recipe Jenn.
This pie is delicious!! However I have a question. I made two pies- one in a glass pie pan and one in a Le Creuset pan. The Le Creuset one is possibly a little deeper. The glass plate pie was perfect but the Le Creuset cracked. Can you explain why? Thank you!
Glad you liked it! Sometimes take longer to bake in ceramic dishes. Did you happen to keep that one in the oven longer? If so, it may have been a bit overbaked, and overbaking can cause cracks.
Just made, haven’t had an actual slice yet but I already can tell you that the mix was the BEST I’ve ever tasted! It wouldnt all fit in the pie crust so I made 3 “pumpkin pie” muffins with the rest because there was no way I could throw it out; TOO awesome lol. Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
Hi Jenn, could I use chinese five spice in this recipe? I am just wondering as I have some in my cupboard. If not, I will definitely just try it as is (but I will need to find ground cloves as I only have whole cloves at the moment). Cheers.
Hi Cheryl, I’d stick with the spices called for. Enjoy!
Pie was amazing 🙂 I did find ground cloves and the spice mix is perfect. My husband and son raved about it. Yum! Thanks for a great recipe.
Five spice is a fine substitute, not as good as cloves but it’ll give the same peppery kick. If I where you I’d grind up the whole cloves you have and use those!
Actually, Chinese five spice works really well too, but make sure you read the list of ingredients. My husband got some that had some garlic in it. Not ideal in pie, although I was surprised no one could tell what that strange taste was. Also, if you don’t like anis and fennel, stick to Jenn’s spices.
I just have a kind of “public service” announcement. Was super excited to try this recipe. To be clear, I don’t bake pies. After this past year, really feeling the holiday spirit, so thought I’d give it a go. Realized that I had given away my pie pans, so went to BB&B for a couple of Pyrex ones, which was all they had. Ya’ll may already know this, but NEVER put a hot one on a granite countertop!! I had baked the pie crust (completely with newly purchased pie weights, which I just learned about), took it out of the oven, and placed it on the counter. Luckily, I turned around to turn off oven timer, so wasn’t right next to it…and it EXPLODED all over the kitchen!! Sorry for long post, just wanted to give anyone who doesn’t know this, a heads-up. Will be purchasing non-glass pans, and will make this recipe soon. Happy Thanksgiving!!
(Giving it 5 stars, because I know it will be)
So glad you are OK – Pyrex is GREAT, but definitely does not like to change temps fast. (the counter was most likely cold.) Simply put on a trivet or towel next time. Thanks for sharing though. My sister & brother-in-law learned the same thing while canning jam once. Eeep! luckily also not turned away when the explosion occurred. Something to be thankful for ♥
Be well.
Is it possible to reduce the sugar in this recipe? I am looking forward to trying it today!
I think you could reduce it by a few tablespoons, but I wouldn’t go further than that. Hope you enjoy!
Hi there — I only have dark brown sugar in the house. Should I still use 1/2 cup or reduce it sightly? Thank you! Eve
Hi Eve, Dark brown sugar is fine to use here and you don’t need to reduce the amount. Enjoy!
Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful for you Jenn! My boys are especially thankful everytime I make your rigatoni and sausage…or brisket….or shrimp and broccoli…the list goes on.
I’m in the 11th hour here lol. I have Pillsbury deep dish pie crust, thawed. I’m super confused about blind bake thing. So with this thawed shell I need to bake it at 375 then take out make the pumpkin filling them out in shell and bake per recipe? I’m afraid baking shell twice is going to burn it. I have no clue how to cook haha please help
Yes, that’s correct. But if you’re using a store-bought crust, follow the instructions for blind baking (or a baked shell) on the package. It will require much less time than a homemade crust.
I’ve made the filling and refrigerated it. Tomorrow, I’ll do the crust and cook the pie. Followed the recipe to the letter for this time as I’m bringing it to Thanksgiving dinner and don’t want a disaster. That being said, I plan to find a way to include real maple syrup and decrease the sugar next time. If you have any suggestions please let me know. If not, I’ll tell you how I did it and how it turned out. Oh, not true, not to the letter as I used real pumpkin not canned. A sugar pumpkin
Hi Monica, I would start by replacing 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with maple syrup.