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    Home » Cooking Stuff

    How to Make a Pumpkin Pie from Scratch with a Real Pumpkin

    October 8, 2024 by Karen 209 Comments

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    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.

    A slice of homemade pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and a pastry maple leaf.

    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.

    4 pie pumpkins on a countertop with a small bale of straw.

    Table of Contents

    • Pie Pumpkins
    • How Do You Make Pumpkin Puree?
    • TIP
    • Special Notes
    • What kind of pumpkin is used for pumpkin pie?
    • Pumpkin Pie Making Tips
    • Classic Pumpkin Pie
    • PUMPKIN PIE MADE WITH ... GASP ... PUMPKINS!

    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. 

    Cracking stem off of pie pumpkin to the left of photograph and slicing through the centre of the pumpkin with a chef's knife to the right.
    1. Your first job is to crack off the stem and then cut the pumpkin in half with a good chef's knife.
    1. 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*


    Cooked, steaming, sugar pumpkins on a dark baking sheet
    Cooked pie pumpkins on a baking sheet.
    1. The pumpkins are done when they're easily pierced with a fork.
    1. 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.
    Stick blender resting on an ironstone bowl with fresh cooked pumpkin puree in it.
    Pumpkin puree in cheesecloth and a strainer.
    1. Puree your pumpkin either in a traditional blender or with a hand blender.
    1. 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.

    Lifted cheesecloth full of pumpkin puree, draining into bowl.

    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.

    Homemade pumpkin pie on a wood board and marble countertop with lemon.

    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!

    Here's the best thing. You can make this pumpkin puree then freeze it to use whenever you want!
    4.31 from 83 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: pumpkin pie
    Prep Time: 3 hours hours
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 8 pieces of pie
    Calories: 329.86kcal
    Author: Karen

    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

    Serving: 1piece (⅛th of pie) | Calories: 329.86kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.31g | Protein: 7.74g | Fat: 10.84g | Saturated Fat: 4.46g | Cholesterol: 78.16mg | Sodium: 306.82mg | Potassium: 644.33mg | Fiber: 4.48g | Sugar: 30.28g | Vitamin A: 19695.56IU | Vitamin C: 23.1mg | Calcium: 205.94mg | Iron: 2.59mg

    Tools For Successful Pie Making

    Anchor Hocking 9.5-Inch Deep Pie Plate

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    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

    Photo Credit: amazon

    My immersion blender is so old they don't sell it anymore but this one is as close to mine as I could find.

    →Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←

    How to Make  a Pumpkin Pie from Scratch with a Real Pumpkin

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    1. Jen

      November 13, 2019 at 8:50 am

      Once you go fresh, you'll (almost) never go back. I do this to all my winter squash and freeze it for later. And I recently roasted a Red Kuri squash and I cannot wait to make a pie out of it. The texture was beautifully dry (excellent for adding all kinds of liquids to for a pie) and so sweet. I'm also going to make one from the Long Island Cheese squash I grew and compare them. #gardennerd

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 13, 2019 at 9:02 am

        Ooo! I've never tried a Red Kuri squash! ~ karen

        Reply
    2. Sarah

      November 13, 2019 at 8:41 am

      I have actually done this before. I'd recommend placing your freshly baked pie away from the edge of the counter to cool. I put mind on a narrow run of counter and my cat jumped up to check it out, and landed in the pie. Needless to say, we had pie on all the kitchen walls, the floor and kitty took off running through the house with pie on his butt. It was a disaster! I've never made a pumpkin pie from whole pumpkins again.

      Reply
    3. MaryG

      November 13, 2019 at 6:15 am

      I love your article and the comments. I just want to add that years ago I read that if you use canned ( I said it!) pumpkin to give it a quick purée in the food processor or blender first to make it smoother. It seems there are fine bits of stem and peel in the canned pumpkin.... Also, to freshen up the canned taste of the pumpkin cook it on the stove top over low heat for a couple of minutes. All this does help if you use canned pumpkin. But why bother? I love fresh pumpkin in my pie too! Thanks for this article.

      Reply
    4. Chris

      November 13, 2019 at 3:52 am

      Here in Australia we don't have canned pumpkin (or at least I've never seen it). And I've never seen pumpkin pie anywhere.
      So it's almost pumpkin planting time and maybe time to start thinking about pie! (There's only so much soup you can eat!)

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 13, 2019 at 9:01 am

        Give it a shot! It could be one of those regional things that someone else tries and thinks GROSS, lol. But I don't think so. ;) More than anything it tastes like fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. ~ karen!

        Reply
    5. Hassan Jamal

      May 19, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      It's interesting to me how we have very different experiences with the same recipe. I absolutely loved this pie. I made it exactly like the recipe, using a sugar pumpkin which I pre-cooked a few days prior. I typically make scratch pumpkin pies when the pumpkins are available & this is my very fave recipe so far. The filling set up beautifully. The flavors are perfect. I prebaked the crust just until it was set, maybe 5 minutes, vs 12 minutes suggested & used a crust guard for the remainder of the baking.

      Reply
    6. Madison

      November 25, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      So I've been making this pie for Thanksgiving for three years now. It has now become a tradition for me to make this pie! Every one of my friends and family LOVES that it is made from a real pumpkin! However I do live at 4,900 feet, so if you are at a higher elevation, expect a longer cook time. For me, it is an extra 30 minutes. <3

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 28, 2019 at 4:53 pm

        That's great! I'm actually making this pie today. For myself. Just because, lol. I'm amazed at the difference in cooking time for higher elevation. Another 30 minutes is huge! Thanks for letting me know. :) ~ karen!

        Reply
    7. Michele

      November 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Hi you say cloves like garlic cloves?

      Reply
    8. Jill

      November 25, 2015 at 4:29 pm

      Love the recipe! Any chance you'd be willing to share your pie crust recipe too?

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 25, 2015 at 9:30 pm

        Hi Jill! I always use Ashley English's recipe for pie crust out of her Pie book, but she has the recipe on her site http://www.designsponge.com/2012/11/small-measures-making-perfect-pie-dough.html I normally use half butter and half lard instead of the all butter she uses. ~ karen!

        Reply
    9. Adama N Pitts

      November 07, 2015 at 8:33 am

      I'm going to try this tonight...What's an alternative to using the cheesecloth to strain the pumpkin puree?

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 07, 2015 at 11:02 am

        Try using a thin tea cotton tea towel. That should work fine. ~ karen!

        Reply
    10. Victoria

      November 03, 2015 at 8:42 pm

      Omg made by own ice cream to go with it, delicious

      Reply
    11. Victoria

      November 03, 2015 at 7:06 pm

      I just took mine out of the oven, I don't want to wait a couple of hours to eat it lol

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 03, 2015 at 8:16 pm

        That's it. I'm making a pumpkin pie immediately. If I don't have the ingredients on hand I don't know what I'm going to do because I just got out of the shower. ~ karen!

        Reply
    12. Jenn

      November 02, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      Amazing recipe! Definitely the best pumpkin pie my family has every had.

      Reply
      • Karen

        November 02, 2015 at 6:43 pm

        Stop that. Stop that right NOW Jenn. I haven't made it yet this year and comments like this aren't helping. I might have to make it this weekend. And it's all your fault. ~ karen!

        Reply
    13. Margaret Mendyk

      October 21, 2015 at 4:08 pm

      I make fresh pumpkin all the time LOVE LOVE it you. An add as much of the seasonings as you like it taste so gooood! Never go bake to the can. It freezes great,I buy a few extra bake them and freeze for future pumpkin recipe, all winter long.

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 21, 2015 at 5:38 pm

        Indeed! ~ karen

        Reply
    14. Hannah

      October 19, 2015 at 2:38 pm

      Has anyone used Stevia in place of the regular white sugar?

      Reply
    15. Laura Bee

      October 11, 2015 at 10:07 am

      Thanks again - pies look fabulous & the lazy pie is going into a trifle tomorrow with cake & cranberry sauce. :)

      Reply
    16. hannah johnson

      October 07, 2015 at 6:48 pm

      Your so awesome!! I am making this right now and it looks sooo good! Thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 08, 2015 at 12:06 am

        I'm just getting ready to roast my own pumpkins for this for Thanksgiving weekend (in Canada)! Good luck and enjoy. Don't forget the maple syrup whipped cream! ~ karen

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          October 10, 2015 at 12:16 am

          Hi Karen, I got my sugar pumpkins today and found your receipt and blog. Thanks for that!
          One question: How big is the pie pan? It looks like a 10" to me but want to be sure before I start preparing. Thanks!

        • Karen

          October 10, 2015 at 12:42 am

          Hi Adrienne! It's slightly smaller than a regular pie plate because my pie plates are vintage and therefore a bit smaller. BUT the recipe is for a standard pie plate so you'll be just fine. ~ karen!

    17. BethH

      October 06, 2015 at 9:20 am

      Warning: Contains babble. Do not read if you have a specific question and don't want to be bothered with reading through all the comments, which I have greatly enjoyed this morning! Hey Karen, have you ever even HAD a garden?! Hahahahaha!

      Okay, so I just harvested my crop of pumpkins, I mean squash, and I grew exactly three sweet little sugar pumpkins this year. Upon contemplating their beauty, I decided to make my first from scratch pumpkin pie, and who else would I turn to for a recipe? I was sure that you had one, and sure enough, you didn't disappoint! I haven't done it yet, but am sure the results will be pleasing. It's amazing how many of us have that marble rolling pin! Thanks for a terrific post, Karen. The step-by-step with pics is priceless. Now, I have to go back and reread the original post because I overlooked all that profanity and want to see if I can pick up any new swear words!

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 06, 2015 at 10:35 am

        I really should stop posting, clearly I'm not smart enough to have a blog. Or experienced enough. Mainly I should probably just go to bed and nap to get over the disappointment of being me. Don't forget to strain your pumpkin after cooking it BethH. VERY important! ~ karen

        Reply
    18. Melissa

      October 05, 2015 at 11:01 am

      FYI pumpkin IS a squash! I live in central IL, where the farmers work hard to grow these "squash" in their fields every year and then they get trucked to the nearby town of Morton, IL. Morton, IL is known as the pumpkin capital of the world, by the way, and I myself will continue to support our local farmers and businesses. Have you ever even grown a pumpkin or even had a garden?

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 05, 2015 at 11:16 am

        Wow Melissa. You're so smart. I mean, very hostile and rude, but SO smart. I think that's the point you were trying to make, right? ~ karen!

        Reply
    19. Mackenzie

      September 30, 2015 at 11:19 am

      My daughter brought home a pumpkin seed planted in a cup at the end of her kindergarten year this past May. Never planting pumpkin seeds before, we gave it a shot. That one seed in a cup has yielded 24 pie pumpkins! No, that's not a misprint. Her one request is pumpkin pie from a pumpkin. I can't wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Karen

        September 30, 2015 at 11:46 am

        24??!!! LOL!! That's INCREDIBLE. Pie pumpkins are one of the few pumpkin/squash types I've never grown. Most pumpkin or squash plants only grow 2 or 3 fruit per plant so 24 is hilarious! Good job! ~ karen

        Reply
    20. Leanne

      September 22, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      Hi! This recipe looks amazing. How long will the pie last once it's baked? Online it says 2-4 days but I wanted to see if you had any ideas since this is a fresh pumpkin. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Karen

        September 23, 2015 at 9:31 am

        Hi Leanne. It'll last the same amount of time in the refrigerator (it needs to be kept in the fridge) as canned pumpkin. The length of time the pie lasts once baked is based more on the fact that it contains evaporated milk and eggs. Whether the pumpkin is canned or fresh doesn't have any effect on how long the pie lasts. Hope that helps. ~ karen!

        Reply
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    My name is Karen Bertelsen and I was a television host. In Canada. Which means in terms of notoriety and wealth, I was somewhere on par with the manager of a Sunset Tan in Wisconsin.

    I quit television to start a blog with the goal that I could make my living through blogging and never have to host a television show again. And it’s worked out. I’m making a living blogging. If you’re curious, this is how I do that.

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