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.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Now we can make pumpkin pie.
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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lauren
I have made pumpkin pie from scratch the last couple years (definitely worth it) Although, the recipe I follow from a friend has us cut the pumpkin up, cut off the skin, cube it, boil it and then puree it. Your way of baking the pumpkin seems so much easier. I have 4 small pumpkins this year- I might use 2 my old fashioned way and 2 your way :) Am I crazy? Have you ever heard of anyone cutting up the pumpkin and boiling it? I wonder if there is any difference.
Karen
Hi Lauren - I have heard of other people doing that but I prefer my way for 2 reasons. Things that are roasted always have better depth of flavour, and the pumpkin loses moisture (which in this case is good) as opposed to gaining moisture from the boiling. ~ karen!
lauren
Thanks for the info. I made my pies today and your way was extremely easier! I was going to use 2 pumpkins my old way but after seeing how easy the first 2 were your way, I did them all like that :D Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen
Excellent! I'm happy you're pies turned out well Lauren. I'm Canadian so my Thanksgiving was actually over and done with a month ago ... but happy Thanksgiving to you! ~ karen
Laura
Thank you so much for this recipe! Being an Australian, I was introduced to pumpkin pie by an American friend of mine who celebrates Thanksgiving...and instantly fell in love at first bite! However, given that my friend's 'secret' ingredient was canned pumpkin (which is imported and RIDICULOUSLY expensive over here), it became a dish that I could only have once a year :( But, thanks to this recipe, I can have it whenever I like! Hooray!
Karen
Hurray! :) ~ karen
Heidi
Karen, hi!
I just made this pie and the crust came out all raw at the bottom. Did you blind bake? ´cause judging from your pictures it doesn´t seem like you did.
I´m probably gonna try blind baking next time because I have a lot of pumpking puree leftover. Delish, by the way...thank you so much.
Oh, and for how long do you think I can store it in the fridge before it goes bad?
Thanks again Karen, love your blog!
Karen
Hi Heidi! Oh for the love of the Lord, I can't remember if I blind baked it or not. I always do so I may not have mentioned it in the post. eep. Also ... the pie pan you use can make a huge difference. Nothing gets a better crust than a Pyrex/glass pie plate. The puree won't last more than a couple of days in the fridge uncooked. I froze some this year out of curiosity to see if it freezes well. I'm guessing no, but it's an experimental option. ~ karen!
Jenna
Love this! I've been in love with pumpkin lately and debating about the merits of making my own pumpkin puree. Do you know if you can freeze it if you make a bunch of it so you have it on hand if a pumpkin craving strikes in say February?
Karen
Hi Jenna - Yes. You can absolutely freeze pumpkin puree. You may need to re-strain it to reduce the amount of water again. Other than that it'll be fine. ~ karen!
Cherie
So I just finished pouring my pumpkin purée into the crust and I'm concerned its a little runny?? This is my first try with any sort of pie so maybe this is normal? I drained in cheese cloth over night and followed to a "T"....think it will be ok?
Karen
Oop .. probably too late for my answer now Cherie. Yes. It'll be fine. The filling looks so runny that it'll never firm up. Bit it does! Lemme know how it tastes. ~ karen
Tigersmom
I also have a rolling pin that is marble but mine is a dark green and came with a matching green marble stand to keep it from rolling away. I had the strange foresight to shell out the whole $15 I paid for it at an antique mall when I was surprisingly young to make such an astute purchase. The funny thing is that I almost got rid of it in a fit of purging. Really glad I didn't because I now use it to make cookies that I decorate for my son.
I thought your response to Deb Robins was spot-on and well written. I have a young son, but don't share your blog with him (except for the animal pics). I actually think I appreciate it even more as the rare thing I get to enjoy these days that is adult in nature. So, thanks for what you do. You do it well. You and David Sedaris are about the only people who can make me laugh out loud while I'm reading.
Karen
Tigersmom - That's about the highest compliment you could pay me. ~ karen!
Deb Robins
I like most of your details on making pie with the actual Pumpkin, but cannot share it with students because of your frequent use of profanity....Clean it up
Karen
Deb - I'm not sure what made you think this particular blog was a blog for kids, but it's not. I'm also not sure why you think I should clean it up for you. The one reader to complain about the "profanity". I prefer to cater to the half a million who read and enjoy it. It's a blog for like-minded adults who have a sense of humour. You know. The kind of people who aren't offended by HBO. Sorry. There's plenty of other blogs or you to choose from. ~ karen
Chris
Yes.
Laura
"SUBSCRIBE if you like to sweat, swear and do stuff."
Did you miss the part about swearing? lol
Liz S.
I made pumpkin pie with real pumpkins, frozen pie crust, and the maple whipped cream. I converted people who claim they hate pumpkin pie to loving pupmkin pie. Now I have to make 4 pies for Thanksgiving!
Karen
Hah! Sorry 'bout that. :) ~ karen
Jenna
I had to go and look at my cans of pumpkin that I had in my pantry. The main ingredient was pumpkin.
Karen
Good job! You should try the real pumpkin though. The difference is unbelievable! I was stunned! ~ karen
Tina Poe
I send this recipe to my husband and he made it last week. It was fantastic! Now I want to have pumpkin pie all year round.
Paulina J!
I made this recipe over the weekend and...they LOVED it!! Now, I'm usually not a pumpkin pie kinda girl, but it was SOOOO good. It's now in my recipe book. I didn't have evaporated milk so I just used some heavy cream. There was no way I was going to drive 20 minutes just for evaporated milk. Thanks Karen!
Anna
So which pie won?
Squash is really soft too, if it's straight from the garden, you can even peel it like a cucumber. It actually took two weeks of sitting on my counter for the acorn squash to get as hard as it does at the grocery store.
I don't know what kind of pumpkins are growing in my garden I didn't plant them. I'm really curious as to how they would taste in a pie, what happens if you use a halloween pumpkin for a pie? Does anybody know? Does it taste scary? Ha ha.
I make cranberry sauce, ever since I discovered how easy it is I bring it where ever I'm going and I even made it when I made turkey for Christmas two years ago. That said, I didn't make a pie.
Sweet potato pie sounds yummy.
Turnips are growing on me. It's taken years, still the thought of them in a pie is... I'd have to try it and be allowed to spit it out. LOL! gag.
Have you ever heard of Zucchini bread/Zucchini cake? You should try it. Yum.
Karen
Anna! I grow acorn squash too and you're actually supposed to let it cure for a couple of weeks ... so it being soft when you first pick it is normal! I HAVE had zucchini bread. And it *is* delicious. :) - karen! Oh and ... click here to see which pumpkin pie won!
Nina Bredell
Hi!! I have a rolling pin just like yours - scares all men...
Pam'a
Me too! But now I'm wondering where the danged thing IS. I usually cheat and buy crusts (but I make cranberry sauce for MONTHS when they're in season...whee!)
CB
I'm disappointed that you're being so adamant about the cranberry sauce, you could even use maple syrup instead of sugar...
Liz
I'm glad you said you can make this with squash. Although we can get pumpkins over here, they tend to be the biggish ones for carving up for hallow'een.
Butternut squashes are much easier to come by. Yum yum.
Janelle
Lo and behold I found sugar pumpkins at the grocery store and bought two...then learned that my mom already made pies for Thanksgiving dinner...but I'm hosting Christmas dinner. Do you think I can (1) store the pumpkins in a cool place until December (2) roast them then freeze the cooked pulp; or (3) roast them, add the other stuff and then freeze all that until Christmas? We always had pumpkin pie for Christmas dinner but obviously it always came from a can!
Karen
Hi Janelle! You have a few options. As you know! If I were you I would cook the pumpkin as I've stated, let it drain and then puree it. Then freeze it. When you go to use it in December, I would thaw it, re-puree it and then re-drain it. (to make sure the pulp still has a good consistency and isn't watery. I wouldn't bake the pie first and then freeze it. I don't think the pumpkin puree will maintain a nice consistency and I fear the texture will get a bit grainy. I don't think your pumpkins will last until December in a cool place. I'm not *positive* but I don't think so. The other thing you can do is make your pie out of butternut squash. I've never done it, but I know that a lot of pumpkin pie recipes call for butternut squash as an alternative to pumpkin! Let's face it ... the spices are what give pumpkin pie most of it's flavour anyway! Let me know how it all works out! - karen
Zina
8-12 weeks is about tops for a properly cured and stored pumpkin.
sera
Karen, don't listen to these people that demand you make cranberry sauce. That is precisely the thing that you farm out to one of your guests. In fact, I always volunteer to make cranberry sauce, precisely because I'M NOT HOSTING! In fact I usually make some other stuff too, but again, because I don't want to cook a damned turkey which is way more difficult and time consuming.
On the pie front, I actually prefer butternut squash pie. But you follow exactly the same instructions. go figure.
I love the pictures too!
Karen
Thank you Sera! You'll notice that of all the people who wanted me to make my own cranberry sauce, none a single ONE of them volunteered to make it, refrigerate it and then send me the whole thing, fridge and all via Purolator by Sunday afternoon. :) ~ karen p.s. I've heard squash makes excellent pumpkin pie. Perhaps I'll try it once pie pumpkins are out of season!
angie
Now I wish our Thanksgiving was in October, I can't wait to make this pumpkin pie! DO NOT make cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving! Make this cranberry relish for any night that's NOT Thanksgiving. Frozen or fresh cranberries sorted and dumped into a food processor, pulse until it's kind of like a fine relish. Now measure out how many cups of cranberry relish you have and add an equal amount of sugar. (2 cups relish? add 2 cups sugar) In a bowl stir it all up and let it sit in the fridge for a while, overnight is the best. Now serve it cold on top of almost any chicken or turkey creamy casserole, or on any turkey/chicken sandwich, or just eat it straight out of the bowl, 'cause it's soooo good.
Karen
Angie. O.K. You've convinced me. ~ karen
Rose in Ohio
Thanks so much for the pictures. Now I think I can do it!
Amy
ok, Have to put in my two cents. I have been reading up on taste buds. yes, apparently there are "tasters" and "nontasters". Us nontasters love everything, however we don't have a very delicate palate. We see it, we consume it. We like strong flavors. I swear I have had both canned and fresh pumpkin pie. I can't tell a lick of difference. Sad I know. But I can eat cilantro fresh by the handful too. Raw garlic is about the only thing that is a bit too strong. And I don't like the texture of liver, other than that, I love all food.
By the way, I can't tell the difference in honey roasted peanut butter and regular either. I like homemade cranberry sauce but that is because I put raspberry jello in mine and make it zippy. Ok that more like five pennies instead of two cents but it was good to share.
sharman
As I am relatively new to this wonderfully entertaining and informative blog, I was wondering if we have ever seen pictures of said big-headed/wonderful boyfriend. Just curious...