In fact, pumpkin pie is so synonymous with the holidays that during this time you can find “pumpkin spiced” everything, from lattes to donuts.
Homemade vs. Canned Pumpkin Pie
When making a pumpkin pie from scratch, you have a choice. You can either use pumpkin purée from a can, or make your own pumpkin purée by cooking a sugar pumpkin. Canned pumpkin purée will give you a consistently good result in your pumpkin pie. Making your own purée by roasting a sugar pumpkin (or other flavorful winter squash like kabocha or butternut) can give you a deeper, more interesting flavor. Which one tastes better? My friend Suzanne and I performed an experiment with her family to find out which pie tasted better, the one with canned pumpkin or the one made with puréed roasted sugar pumpkin. Each of us received two slices, one from each pie, without knowing which was which. The winner? The adults clearly preferred the pie made from roasted pumpkin — it had a richer flavor. One child preferred the pie made from the canned purée, the other two had no preference. Needless to say, everyone finished both of their slices, and the whipped cream too!
How to Make Pumpkin Puree from Scratch
To make pumpkin purée from scratch, cut a medium-small sugar pumpkin in half. Scrape out the insides (reserving the pumpkins seeds to roast) and discard. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or foil. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until a fork can easily pierce them, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, let cool, scoop out the pulp. Alternatively, you can cut the pumpkin into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft (strain before using). If you want the purée to be extra smooth, press the pulp through a food mill or chinois.
What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?
When people think of pumpkin spice, they’re really thinking about the spices in a pumpkin pie, which are cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and/or allspice. Cloves and allspice taste a lot alike, so typically you wouldn’t need both of them in your mix. In our pumpkin pie recipe, we add a small amount of ground cardamom to our pumpkin spice mix. An eighth of a teaspoon isn’t much, but it’s enough to give the pie a sparkle it wouldn’t otherwise have.
Do You Need to Blind Bake the Crust?
No, you don’t need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Just pour the pumpkin pie filling into an unbaked chilled or frozen pie crust, and bake it in the oven. The crust and the pumpkin filling will cook at the same rate.
How to Tell When Pumpkin Pie Is Done
This pie cooks for a little over an hour, first at 425°F and then at 350°F. Reducing the temperature partway though helps the pie cook evenly and with less cracking. The pie is done when a knife tip inserted in the center comes out wet but relatively clean. The center should be just barely jiggly. A few cracks are inevitable, but as long as you reduced the temperature partway through cooking and don’t over-bake the pie, you shouldn’t have any major cracks. If you do, the pie will still taste delicious — just cover with whipped cream and no one will be the wiser.
Make Ahead Steps
Pumpkin pie is one of those pies you can easily make a day or two ahead. You can make both the crust and the filling in advance, refrigerate them separately, and then bake them the day of. Or you can make the pie, loosely wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can even easily freeze pumpkin pie, for storage up to a month. To freeze, let the pie cool completely to room temperature. Then wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap, and then a layer or two of aluminum foil. Wrap it tightly so that the air touching the pie is minimal. To defrost, let the pie defrost slowly, for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
More Great Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread Pumpkin Gingerbread Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you don’t have a baking stone, try baking the pie in the lower third of the oven.
Substituting Pumpkin Spice
If you want to sub ready-to-use pumpkin pie spice in place of all the spices listed in this recipe, use 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Love pumpkin spice? We have a recipe for you to make your own blend! Mix in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well mixed. The mixture will be runny but will set up in the oven. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F. The pie is done when a knife tip inserted in the center comes out wet but relatively clean. The center should be just barely jiggly. For 1 deep-dish pie, this will take 50 to 60 minutes more. For 2 shallow pies, bake for 35 to 45 minutes more. Note that the pumpkin pie will come out of the oven all puffed up (from the leavening of the eggs), and will deflate as it cools. Serve with whipped cream. You can leave cooled pumpkin pie on the counter for up to 4 hours, then wrap it tightly and move it to the fridge for up to 3 days. If possible, let it come to room temperature before serving. For longer storage, tightly wrap individual slices or a whole, cooled pie and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and let come to room temperature before serving. Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!
