This is the most perfect pumpkin pie recipe! The pie crust is super flaky, and the pumpkin filling is perfectly spiced. A truly great pie for fall!
Jump straight to the recipe!
🥧A perfect pumpkin pie
I have searched and searched for the perfect pumpkin pie. Why did it take so long? For quite a simple looking pie, pumpkin pie can be very difficult to make. It can crack, poof up too much, or the filling won't set.
Pumpkin pie has a custard filling and it's difficult to gauge doneness. It is very important to take it out when the filling is slightly jiggly in the center. Take it out too early, and you will have a filling that won't set. Take it out too late, and you will have cracks.
This pumpkin pie behaves just how you want it to, and leaves you with a dessert you won't be embarrassed to serve to guests.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Lard - vegetable shortening can be used as well.
- Pumpkin puree - make sure you use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie puree. Pumpkin pie puree has a lot more ingredients in it then pumpkin puree. We want to add our own.
- Brown sugar - either light or dark brown sugar will work. I used light but ran out, so I added a bit of dark brown sugar to it.
🔪Instructions
Single pie crust
Start by making the single pie crust. This flaky pie crust leaves a bit extra dough to make leaves or whatever decorations you would like to top your pie with.
Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands. Add the milk/water mixture, a bit at a time, until the dough comes together.
Form the dough into a ball and pat down into a disc. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll the dough on a floured surface. Carefully place dough into the pie dish and cut off any excess dough. Fold the edges under and flute them with a fork or your hands.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with baking weights or beads. Par-bake the crust at 375°F for 10 minutes.
Pumpkin pie filling
Combine pumpkin puree, eggs, and sugars together in a large bowl. Add cornstarch, salt, and all the spices. Mix to combine. Add evaporated milk and stir until combined.
Remove baking weights and parchment paper from the par-baked crust. Pour pumpkin pie filling into the crust. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350°F or until the center has a slight jiggle.
Remove pie onto a wired rack and let it cool for 3 hours so it can set.
Pie decorations
Using a cookie cutter, cut shapes out of the extra dough. Place the decorations on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F, or until lightly browned. Decorate the pie after it has been cooled.
If you would like to see more step-by-step photos, view the web story for perfect pumpkin pie.
✔️Expert tips
- If you use store bought pie crust, use the directions on the package to blind bake it.
- This pie crust recipe gives enough extra pie dough for decoratations.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of all the separate spices. Use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Also add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛ ground pepper.
- Fresh pumpkin can be used instead of canned pumpkin puree. You will need 15oz.
- Cover the pie and store it in the refrigerator for 4 days.
💭FAQs
The whole pumpkin pie can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The dough can also be made up to 2 days ahead of making the pie.
Yes, just follow the directions on the package to blind bake it.
The dough can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The baked pie can be frozen once it has cooled. Wrap it very well with aluminum foil and store it in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Yes, you can prepare your own pumpkin puree. You will need 15oz for this recipe.
Instead of ginger, nutmeg and cloves, add in 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. And don't forget the pepper.
📋Recipe
📋 Recipe
Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- one 9 inch pie pan
Ingredients
Single Pie Crust
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup lard or shortening cold
- 3 tablespoons milk cold
- 4 tablespoons cold water divided
- 1 large egg
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
Instructions
Single pie crust
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut lard or shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands. The mixture will be done when the butter has been well incorporated into the flour mixture, and the butter is the size of peas.
- Combine milk and 3 tablespoons water in a measuring cup. Mix a bit at a time into the dough. You may not need to use all the milk/water. Stop adding it in when the dough starts forming large clumps.
- Form the dough into a ball and flatten it with your hands. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 5 days.
- When ready, roll the pie dough out on a floured surface. Roll out gently in all directions, and turn the dough as you go. Make sure there is enough flour under the dough so it doesn't stick. Roll the dough until it is about a 14" circle.
- Carefully place the pie dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim off the excess pie crust. Tuck the edges under and crimp using your fingers or a fork.
- Place the pie crust in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
- When the oven has preheated, take the pie crust from the freezer. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunch the parchment paper up so that it will easily shape the crust. Fill the crust up with pie weights or dried beans.
- Whisk egg and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash mixture on the edges of the pie. Par-bake the pie crust for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pie crust from the oven onto a wire rack and remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Allow the pie crust to rest while you make the pumpkin pie filling.
- Use any extra dough to make decorations for the pie. Cut out leaves or any other shapes you would like. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F, or until browned. Decorate the pie after it has been baked and cooled.
Pumpkin Pie filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, and sugars.
- Add cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Mix to combine. Stir in evaporated milk.
- Pour pie filling into the par-baked crust. Bake the pie until the center is still a bit jiggly, 55-60 minutes. Check every five minutes at 50 minutes, 55 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.
- Transfer pie to a wired rack to cool completely, about 3 hours. The filling will be a bit poofed up when it comes out of the oven, and will settle as it cools.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you use store bought pie crust, use the directions on the package to blind bake it.
- This pie crust recipe gives enough extra pie dough for decorations.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of all the separate spices. Use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Also add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛ ground pepper.
- Fresh pumpkin can be used instead of canned pumpkin puree. You will need 15oz.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️