My favorite pumpkin pie
Plus my top pumpkin pie tips!
Even though I haven’t lived in the US for over a decade now, I will gladly celebrate American Thanksgiving in spirit with pumpkin pie. I know many people make pumpkin pie purely out of tradition, but I truly love it and absolutely don’t mind leftovers — pumpkin pie for breakfast on the day after Thanksgiving is one of my favorite post-holiday activities!
Whether you’ve got a favorite recipe or want to use mine (at the bottom of the post, for paid subscribers), here are some of my favorite tips for making a deliciously creamy, flavorful, celebration-worthy pumpkin pie.
6 Tips for Pumpkin Pie Perfection
Par-bake your crust: To ensure your bottom crust stays crisp for days (if it lasts that long), please don’t skip par-baking! Your crust will be in contact with liquid for a long time, which won’t give it a chance to truly brown and crisp up without a head start. As an extra waterproofing measure, I like to brush the par-baked crust with a couple coats of beaten egg white.
Make your own pumpkin puree: I have nothing against store-bought pumpkin puree and use it often. However, in a baked good where pumpkin is so front-and-center, homemade puree can take your pie to the next level *if* you use a flavorful, texturally dense winter squash (…not necessarily pumpkin…). I love koginut, lodi, and winter luxury squashes for their natural sweetness, smooth texture, and intense color. Kobacha and butternut squash are other beautiful options. To make puree, halve and seed your squash. Roast in a 400F oven until the skin is easily pierced with a fork (time will vary depending on the size of the squash, usually 35-45 minutes total) — I like to start cut side down, then flip halfway through to help any extra moisture evaporate. Let the squash cool completely, then scrape the flesh into a food processor and process until very smooth. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Use fresh spices: If you can’t remember when you last replaced your ground cinnamon, it’s probably time to spring for a new batch. Ground spices start losing potency around 3 months after grinding — they may not spoil per se, but they’ll act more like colorful dust than actually contributing vibrant flavor. If you can freshly grind your spices, even better. I don’t usually grate my own cinnamon (unless it’s for garnish), but I consider freshly grated nutmeg and black pepper essential. If you can, purchase your spices from a spice shop or bulk store where the turnover is high, meaning the spices are most likely fresher than their grocery store counterparts.
Pre-cook your pumpkin: Taking the extra step of cooking the pumpkin puree with the sweetener and spices offers a couple benefits. First, it helps concentrate the squash flavor and wick off extra moisture, resulting in a smoother custard. Second, the spices have a chance to bloom and meld together. Precooking also warms the filling overall, which can reduce the custard baking time.
Strain the custard: For an ultra smooth custard, press the mixture through a strainer before pouring into your par-baked crust. This is especially useful if using a homemade puree, where some some little chunks might remain. Straining also helps remove any air bubbles in the filling, which is one reason pumpkin pies can crack in the oven.
Bake low and slow: Because pumpkin pie is an egg-based custard, it’s best baked low and slow to keep the egg proteins from overcooking and causing cracks on the surface — I like 325F. Take the pie out when the center still has a wobble, as it will continue cooking from the residual heat. To make sure the pie is fully set and easily sliceable, I like to cool it to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours before serving.
More Thanksgiving recipes
Today’s pumpkin pie recipe is available below for paid subscribers. To access the recipe as well as all 60+ past recipes in the archive, consider upgrading to a paid subscription for $5/month. Thank you for supporting my work!
Deep-dish pumpkin pie
Makes one deep-dish 9” pie
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