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.
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You can cook pumpkin pie made with real pumpkin. Yes. Sugar pumpkins to be precise. That realization knocked me right on my ass about a decade ago.
Before my pumpkin revelation it never occurred to me to do anything other than open up a can of pumpkin when it came time to make a pie. I mean that's what you do. You go to the store, buy a can, open it and let the blob of pumpkin slip out.
It just never occurred to me for some reason that you could make pumpkin pie by cooking a fresh pumpkin. Until one day I saw a sign. It said: Pie Pumpkins. I'd seen them before of course, but this time it actually clicked - Omgthesepumpkinsareformakingpumpkinpie.
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Pie Pumpkins.
Holy crap! I bought a pumpkin. I made a pie. I did it again and again, then proceeded to tell EVERYONE that this was a thing you could do. And it isn't even much harder than opening a can of pie filling. You just have to bake a pumpkin.
Pie pumpkins are smaller and sweeter than regular old pumpkins which makes them perfect for whipping into a pie. You just need to turn them into pumpkin puree.
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 small head. Like a toddler's head for instance.
- Your first job is to crack off the stem and then cut the pumpkin in half.
Inside it'll look just like a squash or a Halloween pumpkin does when you split it in half.
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.
If you're feeling particularly ambitious, save the pumpkin seeds for roasting.
*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.
One small pumpkin will yield around 3 cups. Plenty for one pie. 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.
About a cup of liquid will drain out of a 2.5 pumpkin, leaving you with around 2 cups of pumpkin.
Now you have cooked, strained pumpkin just like they sell in cans. YOU are fantastic. You did it.
What kind of pumpkin is used for pumpkin pie?
Like I mentioned, there are literally pumpkins named pie pumpkins. So obviously those are good for making pumpkin pie. BUT they aren't the only ones that make a good 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. But once you drain the liquid from the 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.
I haven't given you a recipe for pie dough because most people have their own dough recipe that they use, but I do want to remind you to blind bake the crust.
I'm using my biggest, deepest, Pyrex pie dish here but my favourite pie plates are dark, old aluminum ones. They get a superior crust.
How To Blind Bake
- Line unbaked pie with parchment paper, then fill with beans, dried peas, lentils or actual pie weights.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- Remove parchment and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes.
How much pumpkin is in pumpkin pie?
2 cups
1 small pie pumpkin will produce 3 cups of undrained pumpkin, and 2.5 cups of pumpkin puree.
So you need 1 pie pumpkin per pie. But to be honest I always buy and cook 2 *just* in case. You can freeze any extra puree to use later.
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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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
Ooo! I've never tried a Red Kuri squash! ~ karen
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.
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.
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!)
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!
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.
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
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!
Hi you say cloves like garlic cloves?
Love the recipe! Any chance you'd be willing to share your pie crust recipe too?
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!
I'm going to try this tonight...What's an alternative to using the cheesecloth to strain the pumpkin puree?
Try using a thin tea cotton tea towel. That should work fine. ~ karen!
Omg made by own ice cream to go with it, delicious
I just took mine out of the oven, I don't want to wait a couple of hours to eat it lol
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!
Amazing recipe! Definitely the best pumpkin pie my family has every had.
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!
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.
Indeed! ~ karen
Has anyone used Stevia in place of the regular white sugar?
Thanks again - pies look fabulous & the lazy pie is going into a trifle tomorrow with cake & cranberry sauce. :)
Your so awesome!! I am making this right now and it looks sooo good! Thank you so much for the recipe!
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
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!
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!
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!
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
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?
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!
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!
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
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!
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!