For our first recipe for this month, I wanted to wrap up our accidental string of pumpkin recipes with a classic recipe for this month in particular. Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite things to eat during the holidays and it always reminds me of my childhood, where we’d have pumpkin pie along with the Thanksgiving Turkey and all the fixings.
In terms of the origins of this dish, I’m not sure where I got this recipe from, but pie was one of the first things I remember making on my own when I started cooking, and pumpkin pie was one of the first types I had tried making. Though, this is the first time that I had made this recipe with fresh pumpkin and I think it turned out pretty great!
The pie turned out a little yellower than I was expecting, but I think that’s mainly due to the pumpkin I picked in the store. I recommend using pie or sugar pumpkins for this since they tend to have a smoother texture and are sweeter than other pumpkins, but if you’re looking for that dark orange color for your pumpkin puree, you’d have to find a more specific type of pumpkin such as the Dickinson Pumpkin, which is what is typically used in canned pumpkin puree because of the color, but these can be hard to come by in most places, so the pie pumpkin is the best option. Though, you could also try using butternut squash, and I’ve heard that that works surprisingly well as a substitute. Another way you could add color is by adding brown sugar to the filling mix, to darken it and give it a more caramelly color and flavor. But if you’re pressed on time, canned pumpkin puree works really well. But since I was planning on making the pie dough from scratch as well, roasting and mashing the pumpkin wasn’t all that much more effort.
If your concerned about how your pie will turn out, one way to check your filling before putting it into the pie is by pouring a bit of it into a ramekin and baking this at 375°F for 30 minutes or until it’s fully cooked, to give you an idea of how your pie will turn out. You can also do this with any leftover filling you might have to make a crustless pumpkin pie.
Speaking of leftovers, for your leftover pumpkin seeds, you can turn these into a simple snack by washing them to remove them from the pulp, boiling them in some salted water for a few minutes to give them some flavor, and then drying and tossing them in some oil and seasoning before baking them for 15-30 minutes at 350°F. Then, you’ll have some delicious pumpkin seeds to snack on or to use in another recipe!
If you wish to make your pumpkin pie ahead, you can freeze it before cooking by wrapping it in some plastic wrap and some aluminum foil and placing it in the freezer for up to a month. Then, when you’re ready to bake it, remove the foil and plastic wrap and just bake it from frozen. It should turn out almost exactly as if it was made fresh, though it will of course take a little bit longer to fully cook. Also, I recommend using a disposable aluminum pie pan if you plan on doing this since glass and ceramic pans might crack from the sudden temperature change. You can also freeze it after baking it. Just make sure the pie is completely cool and then wrap this in the same way and place it in the freezer for up to a month as well. Then, to defrost it, just place it in the fridge, with the foil and plastic wrap removed, overnight before you plan on serving it.
But, regardless of if you want to make it ahead or make it the day of, this Homemade Pumpkin Pie will be a hit at any of your holiday gatherings and will surely inspire nostalgic memories from holidays of time past as well as hopefully creating new memories of this delicious dish!
Ingredients:
- Pie dough:
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup or 1 stick cold butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Pumpkin pie filling:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree or about 2 cups of pumpkin puree from 1 3lb or 2 1 1/2 lb pie pumpkins if you want to make it fresh
- 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 eggs
- 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice:
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional) (if you want your pie to be extra sweet, but I prefer my pumpkin pies less sweet and there’s plenty of sugar already in the sweetened condensed milk, but make it to your tastes)
Special Equipment:
- A pie pan to bake your pie in
- A rolling pin to roll out your dough
Step 1: Preheat Oven to 350°F for Pumpkin
First, we’ll prepare the pumpkin puree, so preheat the oven to 350°F, and while we wait, we’ll prep the pumpkins for roasting.
Step 2: Cut Pumpkin in Half & Remove Seeds & Pulp
So, for the pumpkins, cut off the stem portion and then cut the pumpkin in half. Then, using a large spoon, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don’t have to be too thorough about this since we’ll be baking these instead of making Jack O’ Lanterns, but just try to remove it until all the seeds are taken out.
Step 3: Roast Pumpkins in Oven for 45 Minutes
Your oven should be done preheating by now, so place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet and then roast these for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork-tender.
Step 4: Combine Ingredients to Make Pie Dough
While we wait for these to roast, we’ll prepare the pie dough, so in a mixing bowl, add in your flour, butter, sugar, and salt, if needed.
Then, using a fork, knife, or pastry cutter, cut the butter into cubes and then start working the butter into the rest of the ingredients until it combines into a crumbly texture.
Then, add in the cold water and knead this until the dough combines together. Then, combine it into a ball.
Step 5: Roll Out Dough & Fit it into Pie Pan
Next, place the dough on a well-floured surface, and with your floured rolling pin, roll from the center outwards to evenly flatten the dough, lifting and rotating the dough by a quarter turn each time.Continue doing this until the dough is about 2 inches larger in diameter than your upside down pie dish.
Then, once it’s large enough, flip the pan back over, place the dough into the pie dish without stretching it, and trim the edges to within 1 inch of hangover.
Next, if you wish, flute your edges by crimping the dough between your fingers and pinching it every 1/2 inch or so. Or you can use a fork and just push it down on the edges to do a simple crust design.
Then, refrigerate this while we prepare the pumpkin pie filling. For any extra dough, you can use this to make some decorations to add to your pie, but this is optional of course. Refrigerate these decorations as well if you plan on making them.
Step 6: Remove Pumpkin Skin & Blend/Mash Pumpkin into Puree
Your pumpkins should be done at this point, so remove them from the oven and let it cool a bit before you peel off all of the skin.
Then using a potato masher or food processor, mush or blend your pumpkin flesh until the puree is smooth. Using a food processor is definitely recommended for the smoother texture, but if you don’t have one or if yours is broken like mine, just keep mashing it until there aren’t any chunks.
And so, once it’s all mashed up, we can use it straight away, but you can also store it in a plastic bag in the freezer for about 6 months or so. Also, I forgot to do this, but if your pumpkin puree is a bit watery, you can cook it on the stovetop for a little to draw out the moisture for a more intense pumpkin flavor.
Step 7: Mix Together Pumpkin Pie Filling & Fill Pie
When you’re ready to make your pie, preheat the oven to 425°F, and while we wait for that, in a mixing bowl, add in your pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spices, salt, and brown sugar if desired, and give this a mix until smooth.
Then, remove the pie crust from the fridge, pour the pumpkin pie mixture into the pie shell and fill it up just below the top of the pie crust. Then, place the pie back into the fridge while you wait for the oven to finish preheating.
Step 8: Bake Pie at 425°F for 15 Minutes; Then Bake at 375°F for 35-45 Minutes
Once your oven is ready, place the pie pan onto a baking sheet, add any of your dough decorations on top now, and then bake the pumpkin pie for 15 minutes.
Then, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pie once or twice about halfway through, and bake this until a toothpick plunged into the pie comes out clean. If the top of the crust becomes too dark during this time, cover it with a thin strip of aluminum foil to keep it from burning.
Step 9: Let Pie Cool for 2-3 Hours & Enjoy!
Then, once your pie is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours or until it cools down to room temperature. Then, when you’re ready, serve it with some whipped cream, if desired, and with that, your Homemade Pumpkin Pie is ready to eat.