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Home » Recipes » Pie Recipes

Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Published: Nov 16, 2022 · Modified: Aug 1, 2024 by Chef Dennis Littley

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It’s Fall and the flavor of the season is pumpkin. And when it comes to pumpkin, nothing beats a classic pumpkin pie.

Through the years, I’ve tried different pumpkin pie recipes, but I always go back to the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can, adding one very important tweak. You really can’t go wrong with that version of the holiday standard. But there is a secret that will make your pumpkin pie better than most.

slice of creamy pumpkin pie with whipped cream on a white plate


 

Homemade pumpkin pie is one of the easiest pie recipes you’ll ever make, even without premade pie filling. Canned pumpkin is the star of the day, and because you didn’t buy the premade pie filling, you can use my secret chef tips for the creamiest pumpkin pie ever!

*If you’ve worked with baking pumpkins and are familiar with the process, you can use fresh pumpkin puree. Just make sure the water content isn’t too high.

two slices of pumpkin pie on white plates with the rest of the pie in a metal pie pan

Pumpkin Pie shouldn’t just be for the fall and winter months, it really is a delicious pie, and you can buy canned pumpkin all year long. You’ll love my easy pumpkin pie recipe and so will your family!

If you’re a serious pumpkin fan, my Classic Pumpkin Roll and Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake are two of my favorites!

These are some of my favorite kitchen tools and the ones I used to make this recipe.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients
  • How to make a pie crust
  • Pumpkin Pie Filling
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Pie Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients

ingredients to make recipe

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a traditional pumpkin pie. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Simple Pantry Ingredients

  • pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • eggs
  • granulated white sugar ( I used organic cane sugar)
  • evaporated milk
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • salt

You can use brown sugar instead of white sugar. It won’t be quite as sweet, but the brown sugar will impart additional flavor to the pie.

How to make a pie crust

It’s easy to make a flaky crust using your food processor. If you don’t have time to make a homemade pie crust, feel free to skip this step and pick up a store-bought crust at your grocery store. I’ll never tell!

collage showing steps to make pie crust
  • Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
  • Pulse the dry ingredients 4 times to fully mix the ingredients.
  • Add the pieces of very cold butter to the dry ingredients and pulse at one-second intervals until the butter is mixed in, forming buttery pebble size pieces.
  • Add the room-temperature/ egg to the mixture and pulse until the dough forms a ball on the blade of the food processor.
  • Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a floured surface (be careful with the blade).
  • Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the pie dough for 15-20 minutes before using.

When the dough has set up, roll out the pie dough to a large circle a little bigger than the outside of the pie pan (or pie plate) and refrigerate until needed.

*If you prefer a crust with flaky layers, par-bake the crust and let it cool before adding the filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

collage showing steps to make filling
  • Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
  • Beat the eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer (or hand mixer with a large bowl) until light, pale yellow and have doubled in size.
  • Mix the sugar-spice mixture into the eggs by hand, just enough to combine.
  • Add the canned pumpkin to the egg mixture
  • Blend together until combined.
  • Add the evaporated milk to the pumpkin mixture and combine.

Evaporated milk and condensed milk are not the same thing. Condensed milk is sweetened and thicker than evaporated milk. It can be used in this recipe, but make sure to cut back the amount of sugar used, or the pie will be too sweet.

unbaked pie and baked pie
  • Pour the pumpkin mixture into a prepared pie shell.
  • Bake at 350 degrees on the center rack of a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean.
  • Let the pie cool on a wire rack and refrigerate until serving.
pumpkin pie with whipped cream on a white plate with reminder of pie in tin

After the pie has cooled on the wire rack, refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is best. Serve the pie with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I leave my pumpkin pie unrefrigerated?

No, you can’t. According to the FDA, homemade pumpkin pie can be left at room temperature for two hours, after which it is in danger of growing harmful bacteria.
Commercially-produced pies are made with preservatives that allow them to remain shelf-stable for longer at room temperature

Can you use regular pumpkins for pumpkin pie?

No, you can’t. Most pumpkins are ornamental. To use fresh pumpkins for a pie, you need to purchase pie pumpkins. Although it’s difficult to make fresh pumpkin puree, it’s not for the beginner and definitely not something you should try without testing and practicing first.

How far in advance can I make a pumpkin pie?

You can make the pie two days before you’re going to serve the pie. If you need to make it far in advance, it would be wise to freeze it and defrost it the morning you’re going to serve the pie.

More Pie Recipes You’ll Love!

  • slice of pecan pie on a white plate with more in the background
    Bourbon Pecan Pie with Chocolate Ganache
  • slice of cookie pie on a spatula being taken out of the whole pie
    Easy Toll House Cookie Pie Recipe
  • slice of peanut butter pie on a spatula being taken out of whole pie
    Easy Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
  • slice of banana cream pie on a white plate
    Best Banana Cream Pie Recipe

pumpkin pie with whipped cream on a white plate with reminder of pie in tin

Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Chef Dennis Littley
When it comes to homemade pies, nothing could be easier to make, than a classic pumpkin pie. Creamy and delicious this American Classic will become a family fall tradition.
5 from 53 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 327 kcal

Equipment

  • Deep Dish Pie Pan

Ingredients
 
 

Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice more or less to taste. Or you can substitute cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice.
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree one small can not pumpkin pie
  • 12 oz evaporated milk *if you use condensed sweetened milk cut back on the sugar.

Homemade Pie Crust

  • 1 ¼  cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoon  granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter  cut into small pieces – kept very cold
  • 1 large egg

Instructions
 

Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl
  • Beat eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer until light, pale yellow and have doubled in size.
    *This is my chef tip that makes the pie lighter and fluffier.
  • Mix the sugar-spice mixture into the eggs by hand, just enough to combine.
  • Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and blend together until combined.
  • Add the evaporated milk to the pumpkin mixture.
  • Pour the pumpkin mixture into a prepared pie shell.
  • Bake at 350 degrees on the center rack of a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean.
  • Let the pie cool on a wire rack and refrigerate until serving.
  • Top with whipped cream before serving.

Homemade Pie Crust

  • You can use a premade pie crust and skip this step. The pumpkin is the star, not the crust!
  • Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
  • Pulse the dry ingredients 4 times to fully mix the ingredients.
  • Add the pieces of very cold butter to the dry ingredients and pulse at one-second intervals until the butter is mixed in, forming buttery pebble size pieces.
  • Add the egg to the mixture and pulse until the dough forms a ball on the blade of the food processor.
  • Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a floured surface (be careful with the blade).
  • Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the pie dough for 15-20 minutes before using
  • When the dough has set up, roll out the pie dough to a large circle a little bigger than the outside of the pie pan (or pie plate) and refrigerate until needed.
    *If you prefer a crust with flaky layers, par-bake the crust and let it cool before adding the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 294mgPotassium: 303mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 8695IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 53 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Mary Proal says

    November 11, 2023 at 9:12 am

    5 stars
    This is the recipe that I use also except we don’t like the taste of pumpkin pie spice so I use cinnamon as you do and a couple greats of nutmeg. Top with some cinnamon flavored whipped cream.

    Reply
  2. Rebecca Blackwell says

    November 10, 2019 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    My mom and I are making Thanksgiving dinner together this year and had a little planning session this weekend to get the menu set. This post made figuring out what pies to make so much easier. Thanks for sharing the recipe

    Reply
  3. Tammy says

    November 08, 2019 at 8:59 pm

    5 stars
    Pumpkin pie is my absolutely favorite and it was delicious! thanks Dennis!

    Reply
  4. Veronika says

    November 08, 2019 at 2:18 pm

    5 stars
    I love Fall for all the different pie we can make! Well, we can make it any time, but I always wait till the Fall to indulge the tasty pies! Love your recipes!

    Reply
  5. Sharon says

    November 07, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    5 stars
    Thanksgiving means you have to have your pie game on point! And your pumpkin pie did not disappoint.

    Reply
  6. Analida Braeger says

    November 07, 2019 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    How I love fall and the pie season! And your pumpkin pie was sooooo good! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Terri Steffes says

    November 06, 2019 at 4:22 pm

    We are pie bakers in our family! Our recipes are similar, but that’s why cooking is so fun, you can add your own special touch. You have a couple of tricks I want to try!

    Reply
  8. Paula Schuck says

    November 06, 2019 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    I have a pie pumpkin sitting on my counter because someone was giving them away after Canadian Thanksgiving so I fully plan to make a pie with it and might pop back to use this recipe. YUM. Thanks for the great pie ideas.

    Reply
  9. Chris Hoov says

    November 06, 2019 at 1:31 am

    5 stars
    Your pumpkin pie was perfect! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Tasheena says

    November 05, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    your pumpkin pie recipe was divine.

    Reply
  11. Elaine says

    November 05, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    5 stars
    Thanksgiving and pies are just two best friends 🙂 I always make a pie when the holidays come, and I am sure this year won’t be an exception. Thank you for sharing your fail-proof instructions – can’t wait to follow them!

    Reply
  12. Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers says

    November 05, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    Around this time of year, I always miss my grandmother and mom a ton. They are both gone but their memories live forever. So every time, I see recipes for yummy pies, it always reminds me of their baking. During the holidays, we all cooked a ton of goodies.

    Reply
  13. Melissa says

    November 05, 2019 at 9:11 am

    5 stars
    I made your pie gluten-free and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  14. Ben says

    November 04, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    5 stars
    Aww yeah. A lot of people go straight for the turkey, dressing, and gravy for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just wait until the pies come out! Your pumpkin pie turned out great!

    Reply
  15. The Food Explorer says

    November 27, 2014 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    Your delicious pumpkin pie recipe has been chosen as one of the best 50 Thanksgiving pie recipes on the net.

    Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

    Reply
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My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

More about me →

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