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How To Make Classic Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving

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Ah, pumpkin pie. It's a recipe filled with nostalgia, a creamy combination of sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and custardy filling, baked in a homemade pie crust and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Thanksgiving isn't the same without it. This recipe leaves out certain shortcuts like evaporated milk for more flavorful whole milk and heavy cream but keeps the can of pumpkin pie filling: We've found the pie isn't improved much with fresh roasted pumpkin, which is a lot more work.

Here's everything you need to know to make a delicious classic pumpkin pie.

What Is Classic Pumpkin Pie?

Classic pumpkin pie is simply pumpkin custard that is sweetened and lightly spiced, baked until creamy but sliceable, in a crisp pie crust. It's the dessert most guests expect at Thanksgiving and one we think every home cook should master.

For Your Information

This recipe calls for canned pumpkin purée. You can use homemade, but you'll need to purée it more and cook it on the stove per the directions below.
The pie bakes for 50 to 60 minutes at 375°F.
Be sure to cool the pie completely before slicing and serving.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Four Steps for Perfect Pumpkin Pie

1. Blind bake the crust.

A soggy crust is the curse of many a good pie, particularly custard-based ones like our dear pumpkin. To help avoid this, partially bake the crust before adding the filling (i.e., "blind bake" the crust).

If you've never done this before, don't worry — it's easy. Just roll out the crust and fit it into the pan. Then, line it with a piece of parchment paper and fill the bottom with pie weights, dried beans, or even pennies. The weights help keep the bottom from puffing up and the sides from slouching. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove the weights, bake for another few minutes to dry out the bottom, and you're ready to go.

2. Purée the purée.

This is a trick I picked up from Cook's Illustrated a while back: Run the pumpkin purée in a food processor or blender for a minute before proceeding on with the recipe. Even though canned pumpkin purée is already, yes, puréed, fibrous stringy bits often remain. Puréeing the purée helps ensure a silky-smooth texture.

3. Cook the filling.

When I say "cook" here, I really just mean to let the pumpkin purée bubble on the stovetop for about five minutes. I find that this brief kiss of warmth helps cook out the raw pumpkin flavor and give the finished pie much more depth. It also melts the sugar into the purée and infuses it with the spices for an all-around richer, more complex flavor.

4. Add the warm filling to the warm crust.

To make sure that the filling and the crust fuse into a single delicious creation, add the warm filling to the warm crust. Don't get too fussy about this — I know that the blind-baked crust and the warmed filling might not be ready in perfect synchrony. I mention it only because it's a detail that pumpkin pie-lovers will appreciate.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Four steps lead to pumpkin pie bliss. Here's how to master each to bake the perfect pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving table.

shellfish-free
kidney-friendly
fish-free
alcohol-free
low-potassium
vegetarian
peanut-free
pork-free
pescatarian
tree-nut-free
soy-free
red-meat-free

Per serving, based on

servings. (% daily value)

Calories 266
Fat 14.5 g (22.3%)
Saturated 7.1 g (35.7%)
Carbs 30.9 g (10.3%)
Fiber 0.7 g (2.9%)
Sugars 18.6 g
Protein 3.6 g (7.1%)
Sodium 215.1 mg (9.0%)

Ingredients

1
unbaked pie crust
1 (15-ounce) can
pumpkin purée (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
1/2 cup
packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon
salt
2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon
ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon
ground cloves or allspice
3/4 cup
whole milk
3/4 cup
heavy cream
3
large eggs
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract

Instructions

Prep the pie crust. Arrange a rack to the lower-middle position in the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the pie crust and transfer it to a 9 1/2 to 10-inch deep dish pie pan. Crimp the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while the oven heats.
Blind bake the crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges just start to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the weights and lining, and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and keep near the stove.
Prepare the purée. Place the pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender. Blend until the brown sugar is completely mixed in and the purée looks glossy.
Cook the purée mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stir frequently until you see wisps of steam rising from the purée, then stir continuously until the mixture is very steamy and "plops" when you pause for a second. The mixture will also start to smell like spices and cooked pumpkin. Cook for no more than 5 minutes.
Whisk in the milk and eggs. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the milk and cream. To warm the eggs and ensure that they don't cook when you add them to the pumpkin mixture, whisk them together in a separate bowl, then whisk in a few spoonfuls of the warm pumpkin mixture. Slowly whisk the eggs into the saucepan with the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
Fill the pie crust. Place the partially baked pie crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Carefully pour the warm pumpkin mixture into the warm pie crust. If it looks like there's too much filling for the crust, stop when you come close to the edge of the crust.
Bake the pie. Carefully transfer the baking sheet with the pie to the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 375°F. Bake until the pie is puffed in the middle but still jiggles when you gently shake the pan, 50 to 60 minutes. You'll also see small cracks form in the outer part of the pie and some bubbling around the edge. Check the pie every 15 minutes or so and cover the crust with a ring of aluminum foil if it becomes deep brown.
Cool the pie. Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving — it will continue to set as it cools.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: This pie can be baked a day or two ahead; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Emma Christensen

Contributor

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories.