I don't know why pumpkin pie is relegated to only shine at Thanksgiving. I could eat it every day of the year. Especially when it's pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin. This is a recipe that's *truly* made from scratch.
I feel compelled to tell you I'm usually more hilarious than what follows. But homemade pumpkin pie is serious business. I expect you understand.
This coming weekend in Canada is Thanksgiving which means for those of us here - it's pumpkin pie season. And turkey, stuffing, red cabbage, turnip, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and bun season.
It's quickly followed by moaning season.
Table of Contents
Pie Pumpkins
Pie pumpkins are smaller & sweeter than regular old pumpkins which makes them perfect for a pumpkin pie recipe. You just need to turn them into pumpkin puree. You can get them at the grocery store or you can go all in and grow your own pumpkins and pretty much everything else like I do.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Puree?
First things first ... like I said, you need a pie pumpkin. These are the smaller pumpkins you see around. About the size of a toddler's head.
- Your first job is to crack off the stem and then cut the pumpkin in half with a good chef's knife.
- Scoop out all of the guts and fibres ... then place face down on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes - 1 hr.
Inside it'll look just like a squash or a Halloween pumpkin does when you split it in half. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, save the pumpkin seeds for roasting.
TIP
*If the wall of your pie pumpkin is thin you might need 2 of them. If it's thick it should be enough for a pie*
- The pumpkins are done when they're easily pierced with a fork.
- When they've cooled a bit, flip the pumpkins over and grab a spoon. Scrape the flesh out of the pumpkins and put it into a bowl.
- Puree your pumpkin either in a traditional blender or with a hand blender.
- Blend it until it has a very smooth consistency. Put the pumpkin puree into a swath of cheesecloth and let it drain for a couple of hours.
ALERT for cheesecloth people: Hemmed, washable, re-useable cheesecloth exists.
You have now made pumpkin puree.
Special Notes
- One small pumpkin will yield around 3 cups. This is normally plenty for one pie but if you're unsure, just grab two of them and use the other to make pumpkin ravioli with browned butter sauce & crispy sage leaves.
- Your drained liquid will probably be about a cup.
- Don't squeeze the cheesecloth to drain the pumpkin. The puree is fine and will squidge through the cheesecloth too.
Now we can make pumpkin pie.
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What kind of pumpkin is used for pumpkin pie?
In general any pumpkin that's meant for eating can be made into pie. Some may be more dry and some more liquidey. Some may be sweeter than others (pie pumpkins area also called sugar pumpkins) but once you drain the liquid from any cooked pumpkin and add the rest of the pie ingredients you shouldn't notice any big difference between a pie made with pie pumpkins or any other pumpkin.
Also - YOU CAN USE SQUASH.
A pumpkin is a type of squash.
A few years ago there was a worldwide Facebook-shared panic that somehow squash was making its way into canned pumpkin. People were completely out of their minds over the thought of this.
Calm down. They're the same thing. And some squash are so sweet (Delicata for instance) that they make better tasting pumpkin pies anyway.
So when pie pumpkins aren't in season and you hanker for pumpkin pie, just grab a squash for the job. Incidentally, if a can of pumpkin puree contains "squash" it'll say so. You shouldn't care if it does.
Pumpkin Pie Making Tips
- Use a sweet squash if you can't find pie pumpkins (kabocha, delicata, buttercup)
- In a rush? Use a store bought crust. They're actually pretty good.
- Yes you can freeze pumpkin pie! So go ahead and make it in advance if you want.
- If your crust is browning too much, cover it with a pie crust shield (or just some tin foil)
- Store it in the refrigerator. It's a custard base so it needs to be kept in the fridge, not out on the counter at room temperature.
This is the dough recipe I use. It will never fail you. It's the old fashioned, Tenderflake recipe famous in Canada.
I'm using my biggest, deepest, Pyrex pie dish here because they heat evenly but old dark, old aluminum pie plates make an excellent crust as well.
How To Blind Bake
- Line unbaked pie with parchment paper, then fill with beans, dried peas, lentils or actual pie weights.
- Refrigerate the crust for at least 15-30 minutes.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- Remove parchment and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Top with Maple Syrup Whipped Cream and enjoy!
PUMPKIN PIE MADE WITH ... GASP ... PUMPKINS!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsps. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. cloves You can also substitute with allspice
- ¼ tsp. lemon zest
- 1 pie crust
Pumpkin Puree
- 1 pie pumpkin 2.5 lbs
Instructions
Pumpkin Puree
- Cut pie pumpkin in half and scoop out the guts. Cook face down on a greased baking sheet until fork tender. 30-45 minutes in a 350 F oven.
- Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and puree with an immersion blender.
- Strain the puree through cheesecloth. Around 1 cup of liquid should come out over a few hours.
- You now have pumpkin puree!
Pumpkin Pie Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Add sugar, salt, spices and lemon zest to bowl and mix.
- Beat the eggs very well and add them to the bowl of mixed ingredients.
- Mix in YOUR HOMEMADE pumpkin puree and evaporated milk and combine well.
- Roll out pie crust and put in pie plate.
- Blind bake your pie crust. To blind bake: line your pie crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. Remove parchment paper and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove blind baked crust from the oven and fill it with the pumpkin mixture.
- Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 F and bake an additional 40-50 minutes. If the crust starts to darken, cover it with tin foil for the remainder of the bake.
- The pie is done when the centre reaches a temperature of 175 F. A knife should come out *almost* clean. Just a speck or two of filling on it.
- Let it cool and set up on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use a sweet squash if you can't find pie pumpkins (kabocha, delicata, buttercup)
- In a rush? Use a store bought crust. They're actually pretty good.
- Yes you can freeze pumpkin pie! So go ahead and make it in advance if you want.
- Pour your filling into the prebaked pie shell on the counter until almost full. Then put the pie in your oven and pour the rest of the filling in. This lets you get the pie as full as possible without the chance of spilling.
- If your crust is browning too much, cover it with a pie crust shield (or just some tin foil)
- Store your pumpkin pie in the refrigerator. It's a custard base so it needs to be kept in the fridge, not out on the counter.
- Use a Pyrex pie plate. It might not look as good as a vintage metal one, but they work better. You'll get a better crust with Pyrex.
Nutrition
Tools For Successful Pie Making
Anchor Hocking 9.5-Inch Deep Pie Plate
This is going to get you an evenly cooked and golden pie crust. I FOUGHT using a glass pie plate for years because I don't like how they look. I finally gave in and started using one and my pies changed completely.
Whipped Cream Dispenser
I have a Whip It Whipped Cream dispenser and it's always worked great for me but it doesn't get good reviews on Amazon. So I've chosen t his one for you based on its reviews and price. It whips ½ litre of heavy cream.
Unbleached Cheesecloth
I swear I can never find cheesecloth in the grocery store. It's like it's a game to see how well the store can hide it. (I also line my turkey with cheesecloth before stuffing it so you don't get guck on the stuffing. Plus to remove the stuffing you just pull out the bag of cheesecloth!)
Oster Hand Blender
My immersion blender is so old they don't sell it anymore but this one is as close to mine as I could find.
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Hi, i tried looking for an answer in the comments but there's just so much babble about everything else. Will the recipe still come out the same if i use a big pumpkin and no cheese cloth?
Hi Savannah! No, like the post says you have to use a pie pumpkin (they're sweeter and drier) and you have to strain it through cheesecloth because pumpkin is too wet. If you don't strain it you'll end up with a watery mess that doesn't set. ~ karen!
I've used the big one numerous times. Just make sure to drain the puree well as it seems somewhat runnier. As well use a blender to puree. Our family has loves homemade pumpkin pie this way for year.
We don't have those pumpkins in Australia ! So I'm using a different one hopefully it taste like home!
It'll be fine Tristan. Just try to use a dry/sweet pumpkin. A Delicata (sweet potato squash) or Kabocha squash would work well too. ~ karen!
Karen! The pie turned out great! I made the whipped cream (whipped by hand! Phew!) and it tastes absolutely delicious. My dad was eating it quietly only to say "Wow" every few minutes hahaha. It was a success! :-D I put it in the fridge after it cooled off so it could get firm and it seemed to do the trick. Again, thanks!
Hello! Thanks for the recipe. I had been dying to make a pumpkin pie from scratch for the longest time. My pie is in the oven right now. I omitted the milk because of my friend's lactose intolerance. Hopefully it will taste just as good.
You're welcome Melody! I have my fingers crossed for your pie. I'm a bit worried that without the evaporated milk (or any dairy) that your pie won't set up exactly the way it should. Normally you would substitute the evaporated milk with something else like almond milk and some cornstarch to help the pie set. Let me know how it turns out! ~ karen
I am made this recipe three times, the first two times I was still tweaking my pie crust recipe so the main flaw was the crust. I recent made it again after many more pie crusts, and I realized for this recipe...
Prebake the crust with dried beans or pie beads for about 15 minutes at 350.
It helps the crust set a tad better.
That's true! I always blind bake my crusts. Looking back on the recipe (it's a few years old) I have no idea why I didn't include that! ~ karen
thanks for this great recipe! Made two pies using this recipe this morning! They look gorgeous and smell incredible. Can't wait for dessert.
Thanks for the recipe! I am definitely making this for Thanksgiving.
I have that rolling pin too! My grandma had while I was growing up and its now too heavy for her. She gave me the cutting board to match too! Happy Thanksgiving!
No problem Erin! Have a great Thanksgiving week. (I'm Canadian so I've already had the turkey explosion) ~ karen!
40 years ago I bought a pumpkin for 50¢. I said to my husband,could I make a pie from this?I
I have been doing this ever since. Yes it does take time,but so worth it. I did find your use of the
immersion blender immensely helpful. The quickest puree job I ever did. Once you try this,you
Will never go back to canned!!! The family loves it.
I love my immersion blender! ~ karen
How long can I store the cooked pumpkin in the refrigerator?
My first time making thus from scratch. Followed your recipe... AMAZING! Thank you ☺️
That's great Kindra! Now that I have you hooked on my pumpkin pie recipe, you should try to make the pumpkin soup recipe, lol. (It's allllll about the maple/bacon topping) https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/pumpkin-soup/ ~ karen!
Actually, if you put the baked pumpkin halves in the refrigerator and let them get cold, you can forget the spoon and just peal the pumpkin skins right off. Easy as pie! Takes far less time and it's far less messy to peal than to scoop with a spoon.
Thanks for your response! I have a pie pumpkin sitting on my counter. I thought it might not last very much longer. So I wanted to roast it now and use later!
That's what I figured. :) Depending on where you are in the world you can keep it outside and it'll last for a week or two. You need to keep it cool (50 degrees or less). ~ karen!
Ok, I am going to do this, but wondered if you can make the pumpkin a couple of weeks ahead? Can you freeze it or refrigerate it for that long?
Hi Terri - You definitely can't refrigerate it for a couple of weeks, but you may be able to freeze it. The one thing I think could go wrong is it'll become more watery, so you'll have to drain it again. Is there a reason you want to do it 2 weeks in advance? ~ karen!
An alternate method for getting the pumpkin meat ready for the pie is to cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, cut the halves into manageable sections, pare off the rind, and cut the strips into chunks about a couple of inches square. Steam the chunks over, but not in, boiling water for about 15 - 20 minutes. The pumpkin will then be soft enough to mash with a potato masher. This may sound complicated but it actually takes a lot less time (and uses less energy) than baking the pumpkin in the oven and deals with the problem of too much moisture.
When we had a pumpkin patch on our own country property when our sons were growing up, I could harvest, prepare and package in one day, enough 2 cup tubs of pumpkin to freeze to make 26 pies - one every other week until pumpkin season rolled round again.
Talk about family favourite! - and the recipe I used was almost identical to the one shown here.
Hi Meg - Forgive me, but how is that easier than cutting it in half and putting it in the oven? ~ karen
Haha agreed! And there is a tremendous amount of water then and it's not as sweet.
Hi all,
I don’t even bother cutting in half! I cut a hole in the top where the stem is like I do with Jack o’lanterns (but much smaller since I don’t want to waste any pumpkin), then I put it on a tray and bake it, seeds and all for one and half hours at 400 degrees F. When done, I sliced it down the middle. It’s so much easier to cut a cooked pumpkin, clean out the seeds, and usually the skin peels away easily. Scrape and purée in food processor.
This was THE best pumpkin pie I've ever made and tasted. Made 2 for thanksgiving and they were a HUGE success. Thanks for the recipe and never again will I buy canned pumpkin!
Okay, this post (like many others I must say) has inspired me! Yesterday while shopping I came across Pie Pumpkins and though....."Why the hell not? Karen has enlightened me!".....:D THE pie is in the oven as we speak and the house is abuzz with excitement as we can't wait to try a 'real pumpkin' pumpkin pie! Thanks!!
That's exciting on a whole variety of levels! Hope it turns out well. Happy thanksgiving! ~ karen
Karen.....my 'real pumpkin' pumpkin pie....WAS....AN....EPIC....SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!! from this moment on, it will be the only version of pumpkin pie I make! :) Thanks!
Yesssssss! Glad it was a hit for you! Kay. I have to finish cleaning the kitchen. On hour 14 now. ~ karen!
I cook my pie pumpkins in the microwave....simply pierce all over with a skewer....zap on high approx 10 min on a paper towel...when cool...skin pops off and scoop out seeds...mash 'meat'. Simple. :)
Hi Lynne - That's a great idea! For most things, like soup or side dishes I'd prefer the taste of a roasted pumpkin, but for pie, the microwaved version would be great. ~ karen!
Thank you so much for the great recipe and detailed information! This is great! I am making the real pumpkin pie for this Thanksgiving and cannot wait to use your recipe! :D
Excellent! It'll be good. I'm Canadian so our Thanksgiving is long gone. Have a piece for me. ~ karen!
Thank you for this. Compliments galore and I actually dreamed about pie last night. In my dream I pulled out a second pie. Oh, the happiness radiated from that pie. It was visible. An orange glow of goodness and thankfulness.
Thanks lady, I'll never use canned again.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious! Unfortunately my pie pumpkin was a tad too small (yielding only 1 cup) so for the other cup I used an acorn squash. It still turned out delicious. This is now my go to pumpkin pie recipe!!
Excellent! Sigh. I wish I had pumpkin pie right now. ~ karen!