Pumpkin Pie

Classic American Pumpkin Pie

A smooth, spiced pumpkin custard baked in a flaky pastry crust until just set. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Prep

30 min

Cook

70 min

Total

100 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 whole 9-inch single pie crust, homemade or store-bought, unbaked and chilled
• •425 g (15 oz) canned pumpkin purée, 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling; or homemade purée from a sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, drained well
• •3 whole large eggs, room temperature
• •354 ml (12 fl oz) evaporated milk, one standard can; do not substitute sweetened condensed milk
• •150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, or 100 g (½ cup) for a less sweet pie
• •55 g (¼ cup packed) light brown sugar, optional; omit and increase granulated sugar to 200 g (1 cup) if desired
• •1 tsp ground cinnamon
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) ground ginger
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg, freshly grated is best
• •0.125 tsp (⅛ tsp) ground cloves, optional
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) fine salt
• •240 ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream, for serving, chilled
• •15 g (1 tbsp) powdered sugar, for whipped cream, optional

Steps

1. 1 If using homemade pumpkin purée, cook a sugar pumpkin or butternut squash until tender, then purée and drain in a fine-mesh sieve for at least 30 minutes to remove excess water. Canned purée is already drained; do not skip draining homemade purée or the custard will be watery.
2. 2 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the lower third. If using a homemade crust, fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges, and chill for 15 minutes. If using store-bought, keep it refrigerated until ready to fill.
3. 3 In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves (if using), and salt until completely smooth. Do not over-aerate; a few bubbles are fine.
4. 4 Pour the filling into the chilled crust. If the crust is homemade and you want a crisp bottom, you may brush the inside with a little beaten egg white before filling, but this is optional.
5. 5 Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (350°F) and continue baking for 40–50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center wobbles slightly when the pie is gently shaken. A knife inserted 1 inch from the edge should come out clean; the center will still look moist. If the crust browns too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
6. 6 Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. The center will set as it cools. Do not slice while warm.
7. 7 For the whipped cream, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar (if using) until soft peaks form. Serve the pie chilled or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.
8. 8 Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze the baked pie; the custard will become watery.