Classic Pumpkin Pie
A delicious homemade pumpkin pie made with premade crust and just enough spice for wonderful flavor.
Ingredients
For the Pie:
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry/pie shell
- 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin (not the canned pumpkin "mix")
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
For Serving:
- Whipped cream or Cool Whip Topping
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Equipment
- 9-inch pie pan
- A cookie sheet/pan with sides (optional)
Instructions
For the Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (the pie will only bake at this temperature for 15 minutes and then the heat is turned down to 350 degrees F. for the remaining baking time).
- For the Sugar and Spice Mixture - in a medium size bowl, add brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and the spices (ground; cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves). Whisk together until combined and set aside.
- For the Pie Crust - bring the premade crust to room temperature according to the package instructions.
- On the top edge of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan, lay the roll of premade pie crust dough. Roll out the pie crust dough towards the opposite edge of the pie pan.Adjust the pie crust dough (if needed) so that the amount hanging over the sides of the pan are as close to equal as possible all the way around the pan.
- Press the crust firmly against the bottom and the sides of the pie pan. Fold the excess edges of the crust under so that it lays on top of the edge of the pie pan (don't let it hang over the edges).
- Try to fold the edges of the pie dough so that the thickness (of the dough edge) is about the same all the way around.
- The pie crust can be sealed by pressing the back side of a fork to crimp the edges. For this pie I sealed the crust by pinching (fluting) the edges with my index finger and thumb.Another option for fluting the edges of pie crust is to push your thumb from one hand in between the thumb and index finger of your opposite hand. Set the pie crust aside.
- For the Pie Filling - In a large mixing bowl, add beaten eggs. To the mixing bowl, add the pumpkin and the sugar and spice mixture. Whisk together until combined.
- To the pumpkin mixture add about half of the canned milk. Whisk together until combined. Then add the remaining amount of canned milk and whisk together until combined.
- For Filling and Baking the Pie - Optional; set the pie pan (with the crust in it) onto a cookie sheet/pan.
- For ease of pouring the pie filling into the crust, an option is to transfer the filling into a large (4-cup) pouring-type measuring cup.
- Pour the pie filling into the crust just until it reaches the top of the pie cavity (there may or may not be pie filling left over).Be careful not to let the filling overflow into the edges of the pie crust.
- Holding on to the cookie pan, while keeping the pie completely level, put the pie (including the cookie sheet/pan) in a preheated oven.
- Let the pie bake in an oven that's preheated to 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean (about 42 minutes; however, time may vary).
- If the crust on your pie isn't as dark as you like it, leave the pie in the oven for a slight bit longer but watch it carefully so it doesn't get too brown.
- Cooling the Pie - Set the pie on a rack and let it completely cool before serving (for at least 4 hours).
- If making the pie ahead of time, after the pie has completely cooled, gently and loosely cover it with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator before serving.
For Serving:
- Serve each piece of pie topped with whipped cream or Cool Whip Topping. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon on top of the whipped cream topping for garnish.
- Store leftover pie covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Notes
TIPS:
When buying the ingredients:
1. Before shopping for ingredients, check the "use by" dates on the spice containers in your pantry (ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves). If they're out of date a replacement may be in order. 2. When buying the spices, if it's a spice that's not used very often, see if there's a smaller container of spice available rather than buying the larger size. 3. When buying the canned pumpkin, make sure it's the pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin) and not the one that is a "mix" (sweetened and flavored). 4. When buying the premade pie crust, check the "best if used by" date on the packages. Try to find the package with a date that's furthest out. This should be the freshest option.Starting with the first step in this recipe, mixing the sugars and spice:
5. Use fresh brown sugar - Old brown sugar may have lumps in it that are hard as rocks. 6. While the sugar and spice mixture is setting aside, it gives the sugars time to take on the wonderful flavor of the spices.For the pie filling:
7. Add the eggs to a mixing bowl first before adding other ingredients - just in case an egg is bad 8. Opening the can of canned milk may just be the hardest thing about making this pie - If your can opener isn't a great one an option may be to use a bottle opener (the kind with the pointed end). And make 2 openings on the top edge of the can (on the opposite sides from one another). Then pour the milk out from one of the openings.Filling the pie crust with pie filling:
9. Before pouring the pie filling in the pie crust, put the pie pan (with the pie crust already in it and the edges fluted) on a cookie sheet/pan with sides. The cookie sheet/pan is helpful in two ways:- it gives you a little more leverage when walking with the pie from the kitchen counter to the oven (one little tilt and the pie filling will seep on or over the edges of the crust); and
- just in case the pie filling spills over in the oven, the mess will just be on the cookie pan and not on the inside of the oven.