This homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe that perfectly captures the essence of fall. This classic dessert is a blend of rich pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a buttery, flaky crust.
Table of Contents
Why youโll love this
Authentic Fall Flavors
This Pumpkin Pie recipe is a true celebration of autumn. With the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors, the pumpkin custard center will comfort wrapped in the pastry crust will comfort you and your loved ones.
Buttery, Flaky Crust
The buttery, flaky crust is the foundation of any great pie, and this Pumpkin Pie recipe delivers just that. Made from scratch, the crust perfectly complements the luscious pumpkin filling, adding a delightful crunch to each bite.
Ingredients and substitutions for Pumpkin Pie
- Plain flour: This is the best option for that flaky pastry, cake flour is not recommended here and if you live in the UK, see the FAQ's section as to a the type of flour to use here.
- Butter: Cold and cubed helps you press it into your flour without heating it up too much as you work it. Make sure that butter is fully coated with flour so no puddles form during baking. Unsalted was used here as this is fresher than salted, however, you could absolutely substitute salted butter here.
- Ice water: Ice water helps the water not soak into the flour too much which helps the gluten form in the dough whilst giving you that flaky texture!
- Canned pumpkin: The reason we use canned versus homemade pureed pumpkin here is because canned has less moisture in it. This ensures consistent results whereas using a homemade pureed pumpkin might be more closesly related to apple sauce in texture which would affect the custard filling.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream helps give a dense and creamy texture to the custard that compliments the canned pumpkin.
- Milk: The core ingredient of any custard is the milk which gives a solid foundation for our creamy filling.
- Brown sugar: This compliments the spice and maple syrup, giving our pie that warm fall flavor that superfine or caster sugar would not. You could substitute with raw sugar or a mixture of brown or superfine sugar.
- Eggs: As well as adding structure to the pumpkin custard filling, the eggs will bind everything together so are essential.
- Maple syrup: The syrup binds between the sugar and spice alongside the pumpkin, so adds depth of flavor. You could substitute in golden syrup in equal measure or honey.
- Pumpkin spice: The flavor powerhouse that gives the fall flavors to our pie. Creating an authentic result that any pumpkin pie lover will immediately recognize. See FAQ's for a homemade mix you can make yourself.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Pumpkin Pie:
Make the dough: Stir the flour and salt together and add the cold cubed butter.
1
Rub: Rub the and toss the butter into the flour to ensure itโs coated and no pieces are smaller than peas.
Ice ice water: Add in the ice water and stir to form the dough.
Press and shape: Press the dough together ensuring no dry portions remain in the base of your bowl and shape into a disc.
Cover and refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll it out: Roll the dough out, shaping to your pie dish and trimming the edges.
2
Fridge it: Return to the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
Pierce and bake: Pierce the pie crust, fill with baking beans and bake until golden.
3
Remove the beans: Remove the baking beans and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Remove and cool.
4
Make that filling: Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
5
Pour and bake: Pour the filling into your crust and bake until golden.
6
Cool: Allow the pie to cool completely.
Serve it up: Slice and serve with a little whipped cream.
Storage
The pumpkin pie is best kept refrigerated when not serving and covered and consumed within 3 days of making.
Equipment needed to make this
Rolling pin: A rolling pin will help you achieve a nice consistent pastry. However, you could substitute a wine bottle for similar results.
Pie dish: The pie dish used here is 18 cm / 7 inch which is around average, though a substitute would be a deep tart tin.
Fork: To pierce holes in your pastry before baking, you'll want to have a fork handy!
Greaseproof paper: To line your pastry before filling with baking beans.
Baking beans: Baking beans help keep your help to keep the pastry in shape as it bakes. Uncooked rice is a great substitute, but make sure you have sufficient to come right up to the edges of your crust.
Mixing bowl: A medium mixing bowl is needed for the homemade pastry and pumpkin custard filling.
FAQ's for the best Pumpkin Pie
Plain flour in the UK has a lower protein amount which contributes to the dough strength, type of crumb and texture of your pastry, in this case. Plain flour in the Unites States, for example has the same level of protein as Bread flour in the UK so the best flour to use here will be 175 grams / 1 ยผ cups bread flour. This will help you ensure a flaky pastry and make it easier to shape without being flimsy which is often the feeling of unbaked dough.
You can if you are short on time, store bought shortcrust pastry is the best substitute for homemade flaky pastry.
For those who cannot purchase premade pumpkin spice mix you can make your own with a combination of the following ingredients. ยฝ tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg, โ teaspoon ground star anise and โ teaspoon ground cloves.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Dough
- 150 grams / 1 ยผ cups plain flour
- ยผ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- 110 grams / 3.88 ounces butter chilled and cubed
- 62 milliliters / ยผ cup ice water
Pumpkin filling
- 425 grams / 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 250 milliliters / 1 cup heavy cream
- 125 milliliters / ยฝ cup milk
- 175 grams / ยพ cup light brown sugar
- 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
- 18 grams / 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 30 grams / 1 ยฝ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice see note
- ยผ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Instructions
Dough
- For the dough, place the flour and salt into a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and toss through the flour to coat completely in flour.
- Press each cube between your fingers to thin out and continue tossing through the flour, trying to ensure the butter becomes no smaller than the size of peas.
- Add in a little of the ice water and stir to combine, continuing 1 tablespoon at a time until a dough forms, but ensuring itโs not too sticky, but that there are no dry portions in the base of the bowl.
- Press firmly into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F.
- Lightly flour your surface and both sides of your dough and roll out to ยผ inch thickness.
- Flipping the dough and adding a small sprinkle of flour, where necessary.
- Roll the dough around your rolling pin and place into your pie dish.
- Pressing therein and trimming the edges, folding ยฝ inch of the dough under the edges and pinching firmly.
- Return the dough to the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
- Remove, pierce with a fork all over and lay greaseproof paper to cover the entire pastry.
- Fill with baking beans or rice right up to the edges of your crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are golden, remove the baking beans and continue to bake until golden all over, approximately 10 further minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool completely.
Pumpkin filling
- Meanwhile, place all the filling ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully combined.
- Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 180C/350F and baking for a further 40 minutes until set and lightly golden.
- Remove and allow to cool fully.
- Slice and serve with a little whipped cream.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Using storebought pastry: You can if you are short on time, store bought shortcrust pastry is the best substitute for homemade flaky pastry.
- Make your own pumpkin spice mixture: ยฝ tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ? teaspoon ground star anise and ? teaspoon ground cloves.
- Maple syrup: The syrup binds between the sugar and spice alongside the pumpkin, so adds depth of flavor. You could substitute in golden syrup in equal measure or honey.
- Canned pumpkin: The reason we use canned versus homemade pureed pumpkin here is because canned has less moisture in it. This ensures consistent results whereas using a homemade pureed pumpkin might be more closely related to apple sauce in texture which would affect the custard filling.
- Brown sugar: This compliments the spice and maple syrup, giving our pie that warm fall flavor that superfine or caster sugar would not. You could substitute with raw sugar or a mixture of brown or superfine sugar.
- Baking beans: Baking beans help keep your help to keep the pastry in shape as it bakes. Uncooked rice is a great substitute, but make sure you have sufficient to come right up to the edges of your crust.
Nutrition
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