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 sugared cranberries and whipped cream.
Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, and pumpkin Bundt cake, but HELLO what about pumpkin pie?? My Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe is here today.
Did you know that testing the perfect pumpkin pie recipe is a lot more challenging than one would assume!? Fresh pumpkin, canned pumpkin, ginger, no ginger, brown sugar, white sugar, cornstarch, flour, no cornstarch, no flour…?
But I finally I cracked the pumpkin pie code. I grew up in a house of pumpkin pie lovers and absolutely no Thanksgiving was complete without a nap and a massive slice of pumpkin pie. What I’m trying to say is, my pumpkin pie standards are high for this classic Thanksgiving dessert.
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 or mini pecan pies! 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 a pumpkin cheesecake pie!
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+ pumpkin dessert recipes.
PrintThe 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 Dough (full recipe makes 2 crusts: 1 for bottom, 1 for leaf decor)
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon 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: If you want to decorate the pie with sugared cranberries, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours. 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 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie crust: 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 wobbly—that’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. Pie crust dough freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. 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 dough 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 the spices, pumpkin, and brown sugar flavors a chance to 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 at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and 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 easy—no 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 pie—and I tried that—but 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.
The pie was incredible, best pumpkin pie ever. Thanksgiving morning I added the extra pie mixture to our pancakes and we had the most amazing pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.
I was looking for a pumpkin pie for company that was not the Libby’s recipe. This turned out so wonderful! I will be writing this down on a recipe card and putting it in my recipe book for all future pumpkin pies! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!! !
We make this also as a crust-less pie and it’s still so good. Plus it whips together so fast when there’s no pastry to assemble.
Why would you create a recipe where all of the filling isn’t used? I didn’t realize this until the filling was made and now I’m kind of irritated that I have all of this leftover filling which will be going to waste. I’m not going to use it to make miniature pies because I needed one pie, not several. I don’t understand what the point is? Why would you purposefully create a recipe that makes too much??
Hopefully Tanya, you got one delicious pumpkin pie, based on all the rave reviews of others! My guess is Sally did that not ‘purposely to have extra filling’ but because of the size of cans pumpkin tends to come in. They’re such big cans. You could either waste the pumpkin, or have a bit of leftover filling. If you do make this amazing pie recipe again, simply pour the filling into a buttered pyrex dish / bowl / ramekin, and bake it crustless. Super easy and voila ~ a little pudding for someone who perhaps doesn’t like crust.
It is not possible to mess up this pie. I have made it even without the right proportions of some stuff and it still turned out amazing. No cracks in the top. Tastes fantastic. I have found the recipe I will use from now on. Thank you!
I’ve made this pie twice and had excellent results both times! I did use fresh garden pumpkins (they were pie pumpkins) and had great results!
This pie was amazing! I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone commented that it was beautiful and delicious. I even did the little leaves on top!!! Thank you Sally, as always, for awesome, delicious, beautiful outcome!
Solid recipe. I turned my leftover filling into delicious pumpkin pancakes the next day. Just added 1.5 c of flour, 2 t baking powder, 1/4 t baking soda, some salt, and a little more milk and I had the tastiest pumpkin pancakes! Double win.
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving and even those of us who are not pumpkin pie lovers found this pie delicious. Very smooth and creamy. The spices were just the right amount and not overpowering. I made this in a deep pie dish so cooked it longer, but had no leftover batter. Certainly a keeper for future Thanksgivings. Thanks for sharing!
Just as titled “Best pumpkin Pie ever”. I am not a fan of pepper but this must be the secret. It’s delish!!
My daughter wanted pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, so I chose this recipe based on all the positive reviews. It was delicious! I used a store-bought frozen pie crust for the convenience, but I did make the pie-crust leaves (sprinkled with turbinado sugar) and the sugared cranberries. I wasn’t sure about the sugared cranberries at first but they grew on me and I can’t resist popping one each time I pass them. I used the entire bag of cranberries rather than just one cup. I like them so much, in fact, that I’m soaking another batch of cranberries right now. I had leftover pumpkin pie filling so decided to use your idea of making mini-pies in a muffin tin. I forgot to grease the wells on the first batch, but thankfully the pies still came out. I greased the wells on the second batch and it was definitely easier to remove the pies. I love the bite size version, I make stick to making those from now on. My filling was nowhere near as thick as yours – it was thin enough to be pourable, I’m not sure why, but the filling still baked up well (I used Trader Joe’s organic canned pumpkin). Thank you for a great recipe!
I used this recipe to make a 9-inch (non-deep-dish) pumpkin pie and it was incredible! I saved the remainder of the pie filling in a mason jar in the fridge and was going to use it to make baked pumpkin bars, but haven’t had time yet and now it’s been in the fridge for 5 days. Do you think it would still be okay to use, or is that a little too long to have waited?
Thank you!!
Hi Rebecca, We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Your leftover filling should be ok but I would use it today if possible 🙂
Excellent recipe! The spices are perfect and the texture is wonderful. I made mine in a deep pie dish so didn’t have any leftovers and had to cook it a little longer. My go-to pumpkin pie recipe from now on!
As a retired farmer, still big gardener,I agree with Chris. Not all pumpkins are created equal. Sweet pumpkin are not Halloween pumpkin and squash! Just plain yummy
I made this recipe for my family’s thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it. I’m usually not a huge fan of pumpkin pie myself, but this recipe is delicious.
10! And a High five from my wife. Around my house I am known for my cooking but not my baking. That will change now! I actually made enough for 3 pies but only made two. The crust was incredible. Did not have a leaf cutter for the cookie leaves…so used the ghost cutter from Halloween and made some notches and cut the veins in!!
The filling was extremely tasty and they looked like the pies Grandma used to make. I have searched for years as to where to buy a quality pumpkin pie…and somehow I ended up on your page and am so glad I did.
I had never made a Pie Crust from scratch before and love this one. Things I learned: Parchment paper is harder to crunch up than you think. Pie weights (never heard of them) are necessary. (I had one large bubble using my improvised setup.) Start early…if you start after 5 pm…you are baking until 10 due to the cool down time on the raw crust…which tastes great raw.
I had some leftover filling and crust so made 4 mini’s and one small 5″ crustless pie.
I am thrilled with the results and hope to post photos somwhere. Were they perfect looking? NO and that is what I remember from being young. They looked homemade and they tasted like a great pie should taste. Thank you so much for shairng your tips…especially one that I have not told my wife and daughter about…pepper!! Regards for a Happy Holiday season in this crazy 2020!! Mike McCann
This is by far the VERY best pumpkin pie recipe. I used fresh pumpkin and it turned out perfect! Will keep this recipe and get rid of the others I have for pumpkin pie. Thank you!
I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday and it was, by far, the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. I used a gingersnap crust as one of your other commenters suggested, and it was perfect. Will never use any other recipe again!
This is a great recipe! I have been trying to master the pie crust, which I have always found daunting, but your instructions were so sensible and helped so much! The end result was truly the best crust I’ve ever had!!! A really delicious pumpkin pie. This recipe is a keeper!
I used our homegrown pumpkin and the recipe turned out delicious. It’s the best pumpkin pie recipe I’ve ever made. I loved your attention to detail regarding the pie crust and the pumpkin and The cranberries. Your personal touch was valued and not too much. Thank you for sharing all the recipe.
So I would definitely make this again, but the spice level was just not enough. It could have used twice the spice.
The texture was very creamy and not heavy.
The crust was also delicious and easy to work with. However, blind baking is not necessary at all. Just pour the filling into the raw pie crust. The crust does not get soggy and it saves time.
Thank you! I’m newish to baking. I used this wonderful recipe to make my first pumpkin pies. They’re the best I’ve ever tasted! Doubled the recipe then followed it to the letter, expect for the garnish. I added food coloring to the egg wash. Seperated wash into 4 little bowls & added 1 drop of green, red/yellow, & yellow respectively. Then I painted the leaves & wee pumpkins I’d cut out. (Also sprinkled them with Demerara sugar)They are ridiculously adorable & delicious. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Help! I accidentally used baking powder instead of cornstarch. Have refrigerated to bake tomorrow. Can I just add the cornstarch or should I scrap and start from scratch?
Hi Beth! Unfortunately I strongly recommend starting over. The pie filling may have a chemical flavor from the baking powder and it could take on more of a cake-like texture.
Best pumpkin pie I have ever made!
I followed directions exactly. But filling was not very thick as you state in recipe. I am baking it now. I sure hope it turns out and nothing was omitted from the printed recipe!
As usual, this pie recipe was excellent. I’ve cooked a long time and am glad to have finally found my pumpkin pie recipe. All your recipes have been great. Thank you!
Oh my goodness! Just made 8 of these pies because I give pies to my neighbors. They turned out amazing. I’ve been making pumpkin pie for more than 35 years and this recipe beats all others I’ve tried hand down! Thank you so much for sharing!
This is the second holiday with this pie. We love it. But even better, my daughter the professional baker asked for the recipe!
Just made this, without the extras. Made and ate ramekin treats with leftover mix. They were DELICIOUS.
Hi! So I love to bake but have never made a pumpkin pie! I have a 29 oz can of Libby pumpkin. I wanted to double to the recipe, but I’m afraid it won’t turn out. Ever tried it? If not, I’ll put it into Excel and calculate modifications. Thanks! 🙂
Pumpkin pie has never lived up to the hype for me before, but this recipe is hands down the best I’ve had. I did not have cornstarch or regular milk on hand so I added 2 tbs of flour instead and just didn’t add the 1/4 cup of milk. Followed the rest of the instructions per the recipe. Still came out great with those subs.