This Classic Pumpkin Pie is creamy, sweet and luscious! Completely homemade from the crust to the creamy filling. It’s utterly delicious and bursting with flavor!
I love pumpkin pie. No I really really love pumpkin pie, like starry eyed hopelessly smitten kind of love. I know some of you must be nodding along as you read this, I mean who doesn’t dream all year of sinking their teeth into a slice of this perfectly crafted and lovingly baked sweet center piece?
Cinnamon-y, pumpkin-y, all served up in a buttery flaky crust. Are these not the things your dreams are made of? Well mine at least are, and believe me with dreams like these I sleep good at night.
Homemade Crust Makes The Difference
There’s just something about homemade pie crust, especially mine, I guess I’m a little biased. It’s buttery, flakey, golden perfection – if I do say so myself. I mean I guess you can go with store bought if you want, but it might lack that razzle dazzle.
Ingredient Notes
Pie crust
- Follow my recipe here for the best pie crust.
Filling
- Sugar – We’re using both granulated white sugar and packed brown sugar today.
- Spices – Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Eggs – We’re using entire eggs and egg yolk to act as a rich binder for our filling.
- Seasoning – Salt is a very important flavor enhancer for our filling, be sure to include it! It really does bring out all the flavors together.
- Lemon – Were using a bit of lemon zest to brighten up and balance the flavors in our filling. Just a bit makes all the difference.
- Milk – We want to use an entire can of evaporated milk.
- Pumpkin – Just straight pumpkin from the can – no fancy stuff required! You can use fresh pumpkin but I find the taste is just so much better with canned pumpkin.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie
- Prepare the crust: Make the pie crust according to this pie crust recipe. You can also use store bought pie crust.
- Preheat your oven: To 425 F degrees.
- Combine the filling: In a large bowl combine the sugars, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well until well incorporated and smooth, using a mixer or whisk. Set aside.
- Rest the dough: If using your own homemade pie crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This is required to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
- Prep the pie dough: Roll out the disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Place the pie dough lightly into a pie plate. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. (see video) Crimp the edge and cut off excess dough.
- Blind bake the crust: Place a piece of parchment paper over the pie shell and fill it with pie weights. If you don’t have pie weights, you can use dry beans. Place the pie shell into the oven and blind bake it for 15 minutes. Read more about blind baking here. Once done, remove the pie weights and the parchment paper from the pie shell.
- Assemble the pie: Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F degrees and bake for another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool before serving. Top with whipped cream if preferred.
FAQs And Tips
- Chill the dough, this is the secret to a flaky crust.
- Pre-bake your crust to prevent your crust from getting soggy.
- Don’t skip the brown sugar, it adds a little bit of caramel flavor to the pie.
Every oven is different so keep an eye on it once you start to reach that 30 minute mark after reducing your oven temperature. The pie should still have a bit of jiggle to it when removed from the oven! Overcooking will cause it to crack.
Blind baking basically means baking your pie crust before filling it and baking the entire pie. This is necessary when making a pie with a custard filling like ours here as it prevents the crust from becoming soggy. Don’t forget to read the post on making the perfect pie crust and all about blind baking!
These little weights prevent the pie crust from forming air bubbles and from puffing up. The crust will stay nestled nicely right against the pie plate and bake uniformly. You can buy ceramic or metal weights or just use plain old dried beans.
Leftover Pie
Pumpkin pies are great because they can easily be made a day or two ahead. You can bake it, cool it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Pie?
Absolutely! It’ll last up to a month in the freezer. Just make sure you wrap it tightly with plastic wrap after it comes to room temperature. Wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil.
To defrost, place the pie in the fridge overnight and let it defrost slowly.
More Must Try Pumpkin Recipes:
- Pumpkin Delight
- Best Ever Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Healthy Whole Wheat And Oats Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- The Best Pumpkin Pancakes
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Classic Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- ½ recipe pie crust
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 12 oz evaporated milk 1 can
- 2 cups canned pumpkin
Instructions
- Make the pie crust according to this pie crust recipe. You can also use store bought pie crust.
- Preheat your oven to 425 F degrees.
- In a large bowl combine the sugars, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well until well incorporated and smooth, using a mixer or whisk. Set aside.
- If using your own homemade pie crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This is required to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
- Roll out the disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Place the pie dough lightly into a pie plate. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. (see video) Crimp the edge and cut off excess dough.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the pie shell and fill it with pie weights. If you don't have pie weights, you can use dry beans. Place the pie shell into the oven and blind bake it for 15 minutes. Read more about blind baking here. Once done, remove the pie weights and the parchment paper from the pie shell.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F degrees and bake for another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool before serving. Top with whipped cream if preferred.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Check out the recipe to make this easy pie crust with video and step by step instructions here.
- Pumpkin pies will last 3 to 4 days stored in the fridge.
- To freeze, just make sure you wrap it tightly with plastic wrap after it comes to room temperature. Wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and store up to a month in the freezer.
- To defrost, place the pie in the fridge overnight and let it thaw slowly.
The pie tastes amazing, but mine didn’t set quite right. I cooked it longer with no luck. Any ideas?
You might need to bake it a bit longer, each oven is quite different.
Insanely delicious! Easy peasy directions. I used a glass pie plate for this
one because I wanted to see the “finished” bottom crust…. Thanks again
JO… you continue to make me look like a “star”. My mother would be proud;
she was a fantastic baker… I shall bake a second pie tomorrow morning for
Thanksgiving dinner.
I’m so happy to hear this! Enjoy the pie!
hi Jo!
What size pie would this recipe make? Would you suggest cutting the recipe in half if I wanted to make 2 4inch pies? TIA!
This pie is using a 9-inch pie plate, so yeah you could make 2 4-inch pies.
A couple of years I baked pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving from the libbys can recipe. What made it special was the Triple Treat pumpkin seeds that I planted in my garden. I grew my own pumpkins in a garden. Maybe I will try this recipe next year with pumpkins right out of a garden. Has anyone tried this with sweet potatoes/yams?
That would be fantastic with fresh pumpkins! We haven’t made this recipe with sweet potatoes but I’m sure it would taste great. I would cut down on some of the sugar in the recipe because of how sweet the potatoes are.
It looks so sweet and shop. Fabulous flavor!!
Hi Jo, I read your recipe for the pumpkin pie, and it is pretty much the same pie that I have made for the past 35 years! It is and has always been my favourite pie to make and eat, and I look forward to each year. I highly recommend this pie, with canned or fresh pumpkin purée, look out Costco, you have been beaten by the best pumpkin pie!
Keep the awesome recipes coming Jo, and Happy thanksgiving this weekend!
Thanks, Lori!
Looks good! Pumpkin pie is my favorite. I’ve always made my own pie filling and pie crust. I’ve made it with canned pumpkin and the Libby’s famous filling recipe (about 40 years now). You’re pie is so beautiful and looks so good, I’m trying it this year. I’m using your crust recipe too, mine uses Crisco and it’s very flaky and good but I’m trying to cut the heavily processed fats out of our diet. Butter is better so they say! I love your recipes, your site is my go to place when I’m looking for something new to try! The crabby commenter that said you should cook your own pumpkin was a trip! I’ve cooked my own many times and to be totally honest, I like the canned pumpkin better!
Thank you, Tammie! 🙂 😘
Costco 🙂 Looks delicious! I could eat pumpkin pie all year long!
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I feel about pumpkin pie the same as you–I have it for American Thanksgiving, and that’s enough for me. My husband, on the other hand, loves it so much, he’ll eat it multiple times during the period from October to December.
Thank you Rachel! 🙂
Classic recipes are always the best! Your pumpkin pie looks divine Jo!
Thanks Christin!
Canned pumpkin filling. You should have made that yourself too. Were to make this I’d have to make my own.
What do you Canadians celebrate thanksgiving for?
I am making my pumpkin filling, I’m just using store bought canned pumpkin, which is different than filling. Of course you could always buy a pumpkin and bake it and all that, so feel free. 🙂