Bursting with flavor, this pumpkin pie recipe has been a personal and fan- favorite since I originally published the recipe in 2014. It’s rich, smooth, and tastes incredible on my homemade pie crust and served with sugared cranberries and whipped cream.
One reader, Denise, commented: “This might sound dramatic, but this is the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had, like ever! Honestly, I was nervous because of the amount of spices… I was afraid of it being too ‘spicy’ but it’s perfect. The texture is smooth… but not mushy, there are so many different flavors happening at one time, it’s awesome! โ โ โ โ โ “
Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin Bundt cake, and so on. Pumpkin pie deserves a moment, and perhaps the biggest moment of all!
Developing a truly great pumpkin pie recipe is a lot more challenging than it seems. Should you use fresh pumpkin or canned? Brown sugar or white? Ginger or no ginger? Cornstarch, flour, both, or neither? Back in 2014, I tested nearly every possible iteration I could think of and came out with today’s recipe. Trust me, my pumpkin pie standards are high and I’m really happy to announce that this is THE great pumpkin pie.
The recipe below has become so popular that I decided to publish it in my New York Times best-selling (!!!) cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101. In that version, I very slightly scaled down the filling recipe to perfectly fit a standard (non deep dish) pie dish. The recipe today is the original version and excellent if you have a deep pie dish.
One reader, Ellie, commented: “I’ve made pumpkin pies for decades and none have been as good as this. The frosted cranberries and little pastry leaves were a superb addition. The homemade pie dough was amazing, too. We had some leftover filling and baked it in ramekins. Excellent all around. โ โ โ โ โ “
Pie Crust
Let’s start with the pie crust. Every pumpkin pie has to start with a stellar pie crust. My homemade pie crust uses a mix of shortening and butter so you get the most buttery tasting, tender, flaky (so flaky) pie crust. It’s easy to make. And I have a video tutorial and step-by-step photos in my pie crust recipe.
If you skip the leaf decorations on top, you’ll have a 2nd pie crust you can use to make leftover turkey pot pie, mini pecan pies, or even a simple pear tarte tatin! Or if you like extra thick pie crust, use some of your 2nd pie crust to make a decorative crimped or fluted edge. My how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial will walk you through all the steps.
Fresh or Canned Pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie?
I tested this recipe with both and I truly liked the pie using canned pumpkin better. The canned pumpkin pumpkin pie (say that 3 times fast) was a little more sturdy when baked for the same amount of time. The pie baked with fresh pumpkin puree tasted grainy and a little… herbaceous? I prefer using fresh pumpkin puree in savory recipes, not desserts. This is your call, you can use either fresh or canned pumpkin.
Other Ingredients in Pumpkin Pie
- Eggs. Eggs set up the pumpkin pie filling. They give the filling its rich, luxurious texture.
- Heavy cream. Heavy cream makes pumpkin pie silky smooth. It’s thick, creamy, and absolutely heavenly in this pumpkin pie recipe. I use 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of milk. I found that 1 and 1/4 cups of heavy cream (or more) was simply too much. Too thick, too gloppy! You can also use the heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream for the topping.
- Cornstarch. A starch thickener is one of the most important ingredients in a pie filling. I use a touch of cornstarch in my pumpkin pie because it helps set up the pie. Makes it a little sturdier and firm, while keeping everything smooth.
My Secret Ingredient
This sounds so incredibly weird, but I add freshly ground black pepper to my pumpkin pie filling. It’s bizarre, I know. But I’m being serious. I got this tip from the genius kitchen crew over at King Arthur Baking. And I am forever grateful. Because this little addition turns your pumpkin pie into the BEST pumpkin pie. No one will know it’s there except for you. And they will all be wondering what makes this spiced pie so good… it’s a pinch of pepper.
I actually add it to my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend, too! Feel free to replace the ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper below with my homemade spice. (Keep the cinnamon in the filling though!)
How to Avoid Cracks in Pumpkin Pie
Silky yet thick, this pumpkin pie cuts beautifully as long as it is baked for the right amount of time. The bake time is about 55-60 minutes. At this time, the center of the pumpkin pie will be slightly wobbly. It will set as it cools. Careful not to overcook; overcooking it will cause the filling to crack.
P.S.: For some fun twists on this classic, try this recipe as mini pumpkin pies, with a crunch topping on pecan praline pumpkin pie, or with extra spices in chai pumpkin meringue pie. You can also make pumpkin hand pies, pumpkin cheesecake pie, or pumpkin pie in a jar!
So from my kitchen to yours, enjoy The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe. And if you’re looking for more inspiration for your dessert table, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pies and a list of 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
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The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes (includes blind bake)
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 8-10; 1 cup sugared cranberries
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bursting with flavor, this pumpkin pie recipe is my very favorite. It’s rich, smooth, and tastes incredible on my homemade pie crust and served with whipped cream. The pie crust leaves are purely for decor, you can leave those off of the pie and only make 1 pie crust. You can also leave off the sugared cranberries.
Ingredients
Sugared Cranberries
- 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries (do not use frozen)
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided
Pumpkin Pie
- Homemade Pie Doughย (full recipe makes 2 crusts: 1 for bottom, 1 for leaf decor)
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoonย milk
- one 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin puree*
- 3 large eggs
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg*
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves*
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
Instructions
- If garnishing with sugared cranberries, make those first:ย If you want to decorate the pie with sugared cranberries, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours.ย Place cranberries in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the water and 3/4 cup (150g) of sugar to a simmer, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour the sugar syrup over the cranberries and stir. Cover the bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries from the sugar syrup and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Allow to dry, uncovered, for 1 hour. Pour remaining 1/2 cup (100g) sugar into a large bowl. Toss the cranberries in the sugar, coating them all the way around. Place on a parchment paper- or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry uncovered for at least 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For more uses, see how to make sugared cranberries.
- Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions and video tutorial in my pie crust recipe. Or use your favorite pie dough or store-bought.
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC).
- Roll out the chilled pie crust:ย Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2-inch deep dish pie dish (this is the one I use; it is 1.75-inches deep). Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s tightly pressed into the pie dish. Fold any dough overhang back into the dish to form a thick rim around the edges. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers. Review my how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial if you need extra help with this step. Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture.
- Par-bake the crust: Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7-8 more minutes or until the bottom is *just* starting to brown. (Review this how to par-bake pie crust page if you need extra help with this par-baking step.)
- Make the pumpkin pie filling: Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
- Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. (If using a deep dish pie dish as instructed, you should only have a little filling leftover. Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you’d like.) Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobblyโthat’s ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.
- Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours before garnishing and serving.
- Decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves (see note). You’ll definitely have leftover cranberries… they’re tasty for snacking. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pumpkin pie freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.ย Pie crust doughย freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.ย If decorating your pie with sugared cranberries, start them the night before. You’ll also begin the pie crust the night before as well (the doughย needs at least 2 hours to chill; overnight is best). The filling can be made the night before as well. In fact, I prefer it that way. It gives theย spices, pumpkin, and brown sugar flavors a chance toย infuse and blend. It’s awesome. Cover and refrigerate overnight. No need to bring to room temperature before baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Saucepan | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Pie Weights | Whisk | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack | Fall Cookie Cutters
- Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries, not frozen. The sugar syrup doesn’t coat evenly on the frozen berries, leaving you with rather ugly and some very plain shriveled cranberries.
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin is best in this pumpkin pie recipe. I use and recommend Libby’s brand. If using fresh pumpkin puree, lightly blot it before adding to remove some moisture. The bake time may be longer.
- Spices: Instead of ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper, you can use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Be sure to still add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
- Pie Crust: No matter if you’re using homemade crust or store-bought crust, pre-bake the crust. (Step 5.) You can use graham cracker crust if you’d like, but the slices may get a little messy. Pre-bake for 10 minutes just as you do with regular pie crust in this recipe. No need to use pie weights if using a cookie crust.
- Pie Crust Leaves: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the balls of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Roll out into any shape you really want (doesn’t matter) and 1/8 inch thickness. Using leaf cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Brush each lightly with the beaten egg + milk mixture. Cut leaf veins into leaves using a sharp knife, if desired. Place onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake atย 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove andย set aside to cool before decorating pie.
- Mini Pumpkin Pies: Many have asked about a mini version. Here are my mini pumpkin pies. They’re pretty easyโno blind baking the crust!
Pie Crust Leaves
My pie crust recipe makes enough for two crusts. So with the extra dough, you can make adorable leaves for decoration on your pumpkin pie. Or any pie, really. I’ve seen the pie crust leaves baked directly on top of the rim of the pieโand I tried thatโbut was not thrilled with the results. Too much uneven baking. The underside of the leaves weren’t really cooked through and the tops got a little burnt (even through my pie shield). So, to make things easier, just bake the pie crust leaves separately and place them on top of your pie before serving. You can also sprinkle them with a little cinnamon-sugar right before baking. I was going to do that, but I forgot.
My leaf cookie cutters (affiliate link) don’t have “veins” so I made leaf veins myself using a sharp paring knife. It’s tedious, but if you want authentic looking leaves you can go ahead. Don’t worry if your veins aren’t perfect. That’s a weird sentence.
My directions for the leaves are in the print-out recipe above.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was, hands down, the best pumpkin pie Iโve ever had and beautiful to boot. It was the star of the dessert table! This was my second try with your pie crust. Itโs a winner, flakey and delicious! Thanks , Sally, for another fabulous recipe!
OMG. I donโt even like pumpkin pie, but my daughter insisted on making it be she ate it at her school party.
Itโs gone. A small house, the pie is gone. This recipe is perfection. Savory, sweet
Terrific recipe that works well with roasted squash (red kuri squash, in my latest). Our family much prefers the milk-cream custard of this recipe to a condensed milk custard. Excellent mix of spices–add vanilla extract! Agree with other comments to prebake with weights for longer than 10 min (try 14-15 min) and shorten the final prebake without weights. Leftover filling can be baked in a small buttered oven-safe bowl (say 25 min or so). Definitely shield the edge (even sooner than 25 min as called for).
Dear Sally, This pie is delicious and we all loved the flavour! I do have 2 questions โ
1. Could we skip the par-baking of the crust and start the pie at a hotter temp like 450 for 10 minutes and then drop it to 375?
2. If I wanted it a touch less sweet, would it be OK to drop 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and keep everything else the same?
Thank you!
Hi Abby, You can skip that step! In fact, Weโve only pre-baked the crust a handful of times when making this pie. We only do it because it bakes the crust just a little more. We find the crust to be a little more moist and a little less firm if I skip the pre-bake.
Fantastic! Thank you! Will try this for Christmas ๐
Itโs true, this is the best pumpkin pie recipe! At my age many many homemade pumpkin pies have graced my Thanksgiving table this by far was the best. The depth of flavor and creaminess of the filling create a flavor leaving you wanting another pie. It sets really well the tips on taking it out when jiggly to avoid cracking are helpful. I am a pastry maker and always make my own crusts but even if you use store bought this would be a big hit on your table.
Absolutely the best! Everyone loved it butโฆ
I donโt have any leftover pie!
I thought the filling was way too sweet and could have easily halved the sugar
I followed the instructions perfectly and put the dough in the fridge overnight. When I went to blind bake the crust in the morning it turned into a soggy butter mess. Super disappointing.
Been using your site for years and the ads have been manageable in the past, but this year the ads make the mobile site completely unusable. Toyota ad takes over my screen and no way to dismiss, then I click and it goes to some soccer game and then crashes completely. So frastrating. Love the Thanksgiving recipes (and throughout the year, for that matter) but please fix the ads so they don’t break the site. I don’t mind scrolling by to see what brands you support, but totally unusable this year. ๐
This is the pie that makes me insist on homemade pumpkin pies and completely swear off store-bought ones.
The crust turned out beautifully. I made two batches so I could do the cut-outsโand I love them. I also made the sugared cranberriesโฆ absolutely perfect.
I made a double batch of the filling since I was baking two pies. I had a little left over and baked it in a ramekin just so I could taste it on its own. It was outstanding.
You know how youโre always hesitant to make a recipe for the first time for other people, just in case it doesnโt turn out? This is not one you need to worry about. Itโs phenomenal, and I followed the recipe exactly.
I baked both pies at the same time on the same rack, spacing them out as much as possible and adding 12 extra minutes. Both cooked perfectly.
I made it yesterday and my family were blown away. I baked it in a deep cast iron and served it with Bourbon Whipped cream.
Hi Sally,
Can this be made without a crust or would it need some modifications?
Thank you!
Hi Penny, it should be fine!
Look, taking a liquid hot pumpkin pie out of the oven to put foil on the crust is just sinister. I was careful and it still ended up really making me angry, burning my fingers, the foil dipped into the liquid part of the pie, then it flew off while I was putting it back into the oven. Good thing I protected the crust when I parbaked it.
I doubled this recipe and reduced the sugar by 1/4 c per pie and it set up just fine. I prefer it less sweet so I will most likely reduce it by a bit more next time. I also added about 1/2 tsp of extra pumpkin pie spice per pie bc I love a lot of flavor. Itโs super easy to make if you use a frozen crust. The color and texture turned out beautifully and smooth. Would definitely make it again. Would never by store bought compared to this!
This pie itself is amazing but I par baked according to these instructions and it messed up both my pie crusts, used Sallyโs recipe. I compared the time suggested in the separate par baking instructions on this site and they suggested 15-16 minutes with weights , not the 10 suggested in this recipe. Not sure if I did something wrong but when I made another batch and par baked for 16 minutes it turned out grand.