Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without a classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe for dessert, topped with homemade whipped cream. Watch my step-by-step video tutorial and learn how to make pumpkin pie with a buttery, flaky homemade crust and perfectly spiced creamy pumpkin filling.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Best pumpkin pie I’ve ever tasted. Thank you – been making it for months now. My family and friends love when I make it.” – Mayraliz ★★★★★
Pumpkin Pie Video
We love pumpkin recipes, from our decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake to Pumpkin Bread. If you are a fan of pumpkin flavors, this homemade Pumpkin Pie is a must-try. Watch my video tutorial and see how easy it is to make this holiday table staple.
Just like with Apple Pie, my husband and I honestly love making pumpkin pie throughout Autumn and winter. It’s so comforting and cozy and will make your kitchen smell incredible.
The Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Move over, pre-made Costco Pumpkin Pie! There’s really no store-bought pie that even comes close to this homemade pumpkin pie, not even Costco’s. It’s worth the effort to make one from scratch (especially for Thanksgiving), and this one is epic. We’ve even turned this recipe into Mini Pumpkin Pies.
It starts with the best, tender, flaky pie crust, and trust me when I tell you that pre-baking will make all the difference in preventing a soggy crust—I’ve tested it both ways, and there’s no going back. It has a beautiful, warm pumpkin flavor, and the homemade whipped cream has a special ingredient that makes the flavor pop. You’ll savor every bite of this homemade pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Pie Ingredients
After testing dozens of pumpkin pie recipes, this one has the perfect texture and flavor. The key to getting the right custard-like consistency is in the extra egg yolks. Keep those whites for your next egg white omelet.
- Pie Crust – use 1 pie disk or half of our pie crust recipe. You can even bake your crusts ahead (see below). If the only thing stopping you from making a pumpkin pie is the crust, then use a store-bought deep-dish pie crust.
- Pumpkin puree – this can make or break your pie, so use Libby’s (see why below).
- 3 Egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg – the extra yolks give this a creamy custard consistency. Keep one of those egg whites to brush the crust.
- Sugar – the combination of light brown and granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness
- Spices – salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon are all you need. These along with vanilla extract, make the pumpkin flavors really shine.
- Evaporated milk – gives the pie a creamy, silky consistency.
Why Libby’s is the Best for Pumpkin Pie!
I highly recommend Libby’s brand 100% pure pumpkin. There is a good reason everyone recommends Libby’s: I’ve done several comparison tests and Libby’s brand wins for the best texture, color, and pumpkin flavor.
In many recipes like Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Cupcakes, and Pumpkin Pancakes, I love using homemade pumpkin puree, but for pumpkin pie, Libby’s will give you the most consistent results.
Should I pre-bake the crust for Pumpkin Pie?
Pre-baking or ‘blind baking’ the pie crust is important for pumpkin pie because it ensures that it stays crisp and doesn’t get soggy as the filling bakes. I have tested with and without pre-baking and the crust was significantly better (flakier and crisper) when pre-baked.
The process is well worth it and you will love the crust just as much as you love the filling. Get all of our best tips for blind-baking a crust in our Pie Crust Recipe.
What Can I Use as Pie Weights?
I use either ceramic pie weights or 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of dried beans. You can also use white rice to pre-bake the pie crust. Ceramic pie weights are an investment initially, but can last for years and be reused countless times. If you use beans or rice, you can let them cool to room temperature and reuse them.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie
Making a pumpkin pie is easier and takes less time than you think. The best part is, you can pre-bake the crust or even pre-bake your entire pie.
- Prepare the crust – roll chilled pie dough to a 12″ circle, transfer to a pie pan, crimp the edges, and freeze 30 minutes.
- Blind-bake crust – line the frozen pie crust with a circle of crinkled parchment paper and fill 3/4 full with pie weights. Bake at 425˚F for 17 minutes, remove pie weights, prick all over with a fork, brush with egg white and bake another 5 minutes.
- Make the Filling – Whisk together all filling ingredients then add evaporated milk and whisk until smooth. Bake at 350˚F for 60 minutes, then cool pie to room temperature.
- Whipped Cream – beat 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form then add sugar, and vanilla and beat until medium/stiff peaks form. Pipe over cooled slices of pie.
Natasha’s Serving Tip:
As with Cheesecake, use a damp paper towel to wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices. If you really want to make it special, drizzle with homemade caramel sauce.
How to prevent cracks in Pumpkin Pie
- Do not overbake – This is the #1 reason why a pumpkin pie cracks. An overbaked center is more likely to get dry and crack. Also, baking at a lower temperature (350˚F) prevents the cake from rising too quickly, then sinking and cracking.
- Avoid whisking the filling vigorously. Continue whisking after the evaporated milk is added until the bubbles are broken down.
- Avoid the knife test for doneness – inserting a knife in the center can cause a big crack. Instead, test for doneness by giving the pan a little jolt. It should be completely set at the edges with a slight wobble in the center. It will continue to set as it cools.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Pre-Bake the Crust – once baked, cool to room temperature, then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
- To Make Pumpkin Pie in Advance – Cool completely to room temperature for at least 2 to 3 hours then cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze Pumpkin Pie – Once the pie is at room temperature, you can wrap in several layers of plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Pie:
- 1 pie crust, (1 disk or half of our pie crust recipe)
- 1 egg white , (to brush inside hot crust)
- 15 oz libby's pumpkin puree, room temperature (Libby’s brand works best)
- 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks, room temp
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (break up any clumps before adding)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz evaporated milk, room temperature
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Pie Crust:
- Roll 1 chilled pie disk to a 12” diameter circle. Transfer to a deep 9” glass pie pan. Fold the excess dough behind the crust under at the edge to build up the edge for crimping then crimp the edge. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate 1 hour, which will help the crust bake more evenly without sliding down.
Blind Baking the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line the center of your chilled pie crust with a 9-10″ ring of crinkled up parchment paper and fill about 3/4 full with dry beans or pie weights. Bake 17 minutes or until edges are starting to turn golden.
- Remove pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, brush the inside of the pie crust with egg white and place back in the oven without weights for 5 minutes or until the center looks dry. The egg white creates a barrier so the filling doesn’t soak into the crust. Cool completely to room temp before adding the filling.
Make Pumpkin Pie Filling and Bake:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg and yolks, brown and granulated sugar, vanilla extract, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Add evaporated milk and whisk until blended and all of the bubbles are gone from the batter. Tap bowl against the counter a few times to knock out any extra bubbles. Pour into pre-baked and cooled crust.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F and bake 55-60 minutes until the pie is nearly set. It should be completely set at the edges with just a slightly loose center. It should be barely wobbly like a cheesecake. Cool completely on a wire rack until room temp (3 hours) then serve or refrigerate if not serving the same day.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment or egg beaters for 1 minute until soft peaks form.
- Add 3 Tbsp sugar and 1/2vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
If you love a traditional Thanksgiving menu, these are our top recipes for your holiday feast.
- Juicy Roast Turkey
- Turkey Gravy
- Soft Dinner Rolls
- Cranberry Sauce
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Cornbread
- Baked Mac and Cheese
Love your recipes!
This is basically the recipe I use e,felt I add 2T of molasses; delicious!
Hi Pam, I love the idea of adding molasses.
Do you have to blind bake crust
I never have my issue is that it usually shrinks as it does when I make a quiche which I blind bake. Never had a problem with soggy crust when making pumpkin pie.
I would follow the recipe, It turns out perfect.
Hi Natasha,
This recipe looks amazing! A lot of pumpkin pie spice mixes I’ve found have sulfiting agents in them. I was thinking about adding the individual spices on my own, do you have specific amounts that would work for this recipe?
Hi Jennifer, I don’t have a recipe for making your own pumpkin spice but I would recommend googling that since there are many tutorials online.
Fantastic!!! Thx for the step by step video. I finally figured out why I didn’t like pumpkin pie all these years!! Too many eggs !! So it tasted eggy to me! So I used your recipe and modified it a smidge 😉 and added only 2 eggs yokes and 1 whole egg, I added a tablespoon of rum which cuts the eggy smell/ taste and upped the spices just a smidge.(. didn’t have pumpkin pie spice so I made my own) . The pie of itself ended up with a more fluffy texture rather than custardy. In making the whipped creme I added about 2 tsp of vanilla , the rum and a 1/2 teasooon of banana extract. And that homemade pie crust… 😱😱dear God it is EVERYTHING!!! My first time making it !!! Im in Love and it will be my go too!!! Thanks so much for sharing your creations!!! 😋😋🤤💕
That is awesome feedback, Kim! Love it, thank you for sharing that with us.
Natasha can i swap the evaporated milk for milk.
Hi Ranuth, I haven’t tried a substitution for it. One of my readers mentioned they will try heavy cream, but I have not tested that, and I imagine it may work but if you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like this recipe.
Sure I’ll let you know
Our filling came out way more watery. We went through the recipe several times and think it’s because our pumpkin looked more watery than yours (we did use Libby’s…) Should we bake it longer? We’ve been making it since morning and don’t want it to flop 😿
Hi Kristina, I had that happen when I used organic pumpkin puree since Libby’s was thicker, but never ran into that issue with using Libbys. I suspect maybe one of the liquid ingredients was changed? Did you use large eggs i.e. 1 large egg and 3 large egg yolks (and not extra large eggs) and only 12 oz of evaporated milk?
I do not have a food processor. I always make my crust using a hand held pastry blender. I have recently retired and intend to bake more pies for my hubby. What is the advantage of using the processor over the pastry blender?
Hi Shelley, a pastry blender will work, but the food processor will speed up that process greatly.
Yes, Libby’s makes the whole recipe. If you do not use Libby’s your pie will not taste good. I have made my grandmothers pumpkin pie for decades, similar recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Quiterita!
Since your doing this….pumpkin thing (lol), can you make some pumpkin muffing stuffed with cream cheese? (Pumpkin cream cheese muffins.) Thanks!
Hi Vanessa, thank you for your suggestion. I’ll try to add that to our list.
I made this for my son’s birthday on Halloween. Everyone loved it and since them i have made this several times. Its so delicious and not too sweet.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed this! That’s so great!
Looks so delicious! I’m in the process of making it right now and have extra pie filling. Can I refrigerate or freeze for later?
Hi Sherry, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine that should be alright. Please share with us how it goes if you try it!
Hi Natasha,merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy your holidays! I have a Few questions! First could you tell what are the ingredients of pumpkin spice? Second should we keep the pie in the fridge after we baked it?
Hello Elnaz, Merry Christmas to you too! It is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Homemade pumpkin pies should cool to room temperature once out of the oven. Then, if you are not planning to eat the pumpkin pies within two hours, keep them loosely covered in the refrigerator. Pumpkin pie can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
First time baker here 😩. Do you recommend a glass pie plate or will aluminum work as well. Since this is my first attempt I’m using the tin that comes with the store bought crust. Will be braver next time. Also do you recommend putting a cookie sheet under the pie when baking. Thank you for all your help.
Hi Micki, the pans that come with the crust tend to be a little smaller than the one I recommended in the post. I would definitely put down a cookie sheet just in case to catch any leaks
This pie is perfection! The crust has a few steps but it is totally worth it to make it from scratch. This is the only recipe you will ever need because this pie is absolutely delicious. (I did not make the rum whipped cream).
Hi Jessalynn, thank you so much for your great comments and feedback. Totally agree, it is so worth it!
Hi Natasha,
I never made a pumpkin pie before let alone eat one (was raised up on sweet potato pie). I decided to make your recipe as a gift for my pastor. I bought Pillsbury crust. Since I had extra filling and 1 extra crust, the second pie was a little over half full. I tried a piece. I was so impressed that I decided to make a couple for Christmas. I really enjoyed your homemade whipped cream. I may never use Cool Whip again. When I asked my pastor about it, he said his sister didn’t give it to him. She told me it’s in the freezer because they didn’t get together for Thanksgiving. I thought that was odd until I realized he may have fasted.
During his last sermon, he mentioned praying and fasting for our nation and how he would miss eating pumpkin pie.
Aaaw that’s too bad, I hope he was able to taste it after fasting. Thanks for sharing your comments and feedback with us!
Of course I went to Natasha for ideas for Thanksgiving, since I was in charge of desserts. This pumpkin pie is the best and your pie crust perfect. Deliciousness at it’s best. Thank you dear Natasha for sharing your best recipes. I also made Valentina’s chocolate lasagna!
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, I want to thank you for all you do to help people cook. Your recipes and tips are so great. You are just delightful. Thank you. Your pumpkin pie is awesome!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Natasha! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family 🙂 My pie is in the oven right now, so excited! I did have a little bit of filling leftover. I was thinking to make mini pies in a cupcake pan, do you think it would work? Thank you!
Hi Ella, I love that idea!! That would be adorable! Let me know how it goes. It’s one thing I wanted to experiment this year but ran out of time.
I just finished making the mini pies and they turned out so cute ! here are the instructions for anyone who wants to make them.
1. So I made the normal 9 inch pie yesterday and i had a bit of leftover filling. I covered the filling with plastic wrap and left it in the fridge overnight. (and for most of the day)
2. I made half a recipe of natasha’s amazing pie crust
3. roll out the crust, and use a cupcake pan. (I used a cookie cutter to get the circle shape) i didn’t do the blind bake the crust, i just added the filling right away.
4. bake for about 30-40 minutes (the baking and cooling time gets cut in half) and then let them cool and enjoy! Thank you Natasha for the amazing pie, my family loved it!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
I made your recipe for the Pumpkin Pie.. I thought mine was good, but this one was the BEST and creamy.
I used your crust recipe.. froze it and used it yesterday. saved time and it was the BEST and delicious..
Awww! I am all smiles reading your review. Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you loved our pumpkin pie recipe.
I am not a baker but this recipe made it so easy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!