Mom’s Classic Pumpkin Pie – A Holiday Tradition

I got my love of baking from my mom. Birthday cakes, Christmas cookies, and of course holiday pies.

Every year she’d make a half-dozen pies for Thanksgiving: apple, pumpkin, pecan (this was long before my son was born, although if you love and miss pecan pie you should check out my pretzel pie), chocolate cream . . . Hands down my favorite was her classic pumpkin pie.

Just a bite of this delicious, creamy holiday pie takes me back to the years when she was still with us. And I couldn’t imagine a holiday without this classic pumpkin pie.

In fact, since we lost my mom we go away for Thanksgiving. But every year we make a pumpkin pie in our Airbnb.

Why You’ll Love It:

Let’s be real here . . . you might not love it.

Pumpkin pie is one of those divisive desserts. Some people love it. Some people hate it. If your one of the latter nothing I write here will convince you otherwise. So go ahead and check out my Cherry Pie recipe instead.

But if you do love pumpkin pie, you will love this recipe. It’s light and creamy and I make it with Splenda brown-sugar blend so my dad can enjoy it with us.

One of the reasons I love pumpkin pie so much is because it takes like happiness. In my family we only enjoyed pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And those two holidays are adorned with so many happy memories of family and laughter and fulfillment. So whenever I take a bite of pumpkin pie I’m transported back in time to my childhood when everything was simpler.

Pumpkin pie is my daughter’s favorite pie.

How to Make Classic Pumpkin Pie

How to Make Classic Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is relatively easy to make. Especially if you use canned pumpkin (which I usually do). But even if you use fresh pumpkin (like my mom always did), I’ve got a trick for you to make it much easier.

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Make the pie crust

You can make a homemade pie crust for this recipe. My daughter always does. She insists that pie crust is easy. If you want to make a homemade crust, use this recipe. Pumpkin pie is a one crust pie, so this recipe is enough to make two pies.

I rarely make homemade pie crust. My mom always said, “When Pillsbury does it this good, why would I waste the time?” Now that I’ve had homemade pie crust, I can honestly tell you it is better. But not that much better. So since pumpkin pie is a holiday treat for us and I’m usually up to my eyeballs in other recipes, I go with Pillsbury. There’s no shame in using a shortcut. (Pillsbury pie crusts have always been safe for peanut and tree nut allergies, but you know the drill. – read the package every time.)

Whether you use homemade or store bought, roll out the chilled pie crust on a floured surface and place it into a 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Crimp the edges with a fork or–what I usually do–flute the edges with your fingers. Then brush edges lightly with an egg wash. To make the egg wash beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp water. This step is optional, but it will give your crust that beautiful golden glow.

You are going to pre-bake the crust. Place a layer of aluminum foil over your crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans evenly distributed through the pie dish. This prevents the crust from bubbling up.

Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the beans or weights and the aluminum foil. If you used beans, discard them not. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to create steam vents and return the crust (without the foil and weights) to the oven for an additional 7-8 minutes or until the bottom is JUST starting to brown.

Do not overtake because the crust is going back in the oven with the filling.

Make the filling

In a large bowl whisk together the 1 15-oz can or 2 cups pumpkin, 3 eggs, and 3/4 cups of Splenda brown sugar blend until well combined. Then add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 15-oz can of evaporated milk. Whisk vigorously until everything is blended.

Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust. You only want to fill it about 3/4 of the way up. (If using a deep dish pie dish you might have a little bit left over. If using a regular pie crust you will have enough for two shallow pies. Do not overfill or you will have a mess in your oven.)

Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes. A small part of the center may still be wobbly–that’s ok.

Check the pie after 25 minutes of baking. You might want to cover the edge of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at 50 minutes, 55 minutes, 60 minutes, etc…

Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool. Allow the pie to cool for at least 3 hours before garnishing and serving.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree

When I was a child my Mom always use a milk pumpkin. It was a flat, creamy-orange pumpkin the color of a dreamsicle. She chopped it up into chunks, peeled the skin off it, boiled it until tender and then mashed it. It required a lot of muscle.

Where I currently live, we don’t have milk pumpkins. We have pie pumpkins. These are the small orange pumpkins that I always thought were for painting. To me, the different between homemade pumpkin puree from a pie pumpkin and the puree in a can is not enough to bother making the homemade puree. Again, I usually bake pumpkin pie at the holidays when I am doing a million other things.

However, if you prefer to use fresh pumpkin, I have found roasting is the easiest way to make pumpkin puree. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the pumpkin in half. If this is too hard, you can soften it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Just be careful because the insides might be hot.

Scoop out the seeds and rub the flesh with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and paper. Place the pumpkin flesh side down on the parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 45-60 minutes until tender. Allow to cool completely.

Scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Make the whipped topping

Add 2 cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon Splenda or sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate as desired.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!

I make my pumpkin pie with brown sugar because I like the rich flavor the molasses brings to the dish. I think it pairs beautiful with the warm spices. And I use the Splenda brown-sugar blend to accommodate low-sugar diets. You can easily substitute regular brown sugar or sugar (use 1 1/4cups).

Pumpkin pie is the classic Thanksgiving dessert. And it pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee or tea.

It also makes a killer breakfast before Black Friday shopping. Just saying!

Happy Eating!