When Thanksgiving rolls around, I offer a variety of fall desserts such as apple cobbler, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and of course a classic pumpkin pie. My recipe includes some secret ingredients that really make it special.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ingredients
To make this homemade pumpkin pie you will need a pie crust, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, ground cloves, eggs and cream. Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite dessert recipes. If you are in the mood for pies, check out some of my other pies that are perfect Thanksgiving recipes like Dutch apple pie, pumpkin pie cheesecake and pear custard pie.
How Do You Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie?
This recipe starts with a pie crust. Use a homemade pie crust or a store-bought crust, whichever you prefer. Next make the pie filling by pureeing in a food processor a combination of pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add the eggs one at a time to the food processor and puree them. Add the cream slowly to the mixture until it is just blended into the filling. Pour the filling into the crust. Place the pie crust on a sheet pan and bake it until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. Let the pie cool to room temperature, then cut it into slices with a knife and serve. You can top the slices with whipped cream if you want.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
I typically use a frozen pre-made pie crust for this recipe. It literally saves hours of prep time. My local store even sells a frozen pie crust that’s made with butter, so it tastes as good as homemade. The heavy cream is the secret ingredient in this homemade pumpkin pie recipe. Most pumpkin pie recipes call for evaporated milk, but the cream gives this pie the best texture and flavor. You can substitute half and half for heavy cream, but the texture may suffer. When you buy canned pumpkin look for pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also make your own pumpkin puree. You can make this pie up to 3 days before you plan to serve it. Store it loosely covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
Pie Variations
This is a classic pie recipe, but there are plenty of toppings you can add to your pie to customize it to your tastes.
Caramel Sauce: Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of caramel sauce over each slice. Whipped Cream: This is a classic topping, you can use freshly whipped cream, the aerosol can version, or even thawed whipped topping. Nuts: Add a sprinkle of chopped candied pecans or walnuts on top of your pie. Toffee: Chop up 2 chocolate covered toffee candy bars, and sprinkle the candy pieces over the pie. Meringue: Add a brown sugar meringue on top of your pie such as the one in this pumpkin meringue pie recipe.
This is the best homemade pumpkin pie I’ve ever had, and your friends and family are sure to agree!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Video
