Classic Pumpkin Pie

This pumpkin pie recipe makes the best pumpkin pie! It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, with a homemade flaky pie crust and warm fall spices. It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or the holidays! This is the pie that I make every year for my family’s Thanksgiving dessert. It’s best made one day ahead, since the flavors develop as it rests in the refrigerator overnight and it tastes even better on the second day. See the notes below the recipe for storage tips, how to use fresh pumpkin, pie crust tips, and more.

Ingredients
For the crust:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons ice-cold water

For the filling:
15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree (1¾ cups) , not pumpkin pie filling, or use homemade pumpkin puree*
3 eggs
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Make the pie crust:
Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. (Alternatively, the pie dough may be made by hand in a large bowl using a pastry cutter to blend in the butter and a fork to bring the dough together.)
Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas, about 8 pulses. Add the ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together, adding more water by the teaspoonful as needed.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a round disk. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer dough round to a 9-inch pie dish that is 2 inches deep by wrapping it partway around the rolling pin. Gently fit the dough into the pie dish, but do not press it down firmly against the dish. Trim the dough edges as needed around the pie plate and then fold edges under. Use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pie crust as desired. Place pie crust in refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Make the pumpkin pie filling:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, heavy cream and milk. Whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined and no clumps of cornstarch or spices remain.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 375° for 40-55 minutes. Halfway through baking, check on the pie and loosely cover the pie crust with foil or use pie protectors to prevent the crust from over-browning The pie is done when the filling is set but the center jiggles just a little bit when you wiggle the pan. The pie will continue to set up as it cools. (Overbaking can cause cracks in the pie filling as it cools.)
Cool pie on a wire rack for 3 hours and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight before serving. The pie flavor will develop overnight and it will taste even better on the second day.

Notes:
– Pie crust: You can use a store-bought pie crust if desired. My pie crust dough recipe can also be made ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before rolling it out.
– Fresh pumpkin: If you use fresh homemade pumpkin puree, I recommend draining it to remove some of the moisture. This can be done by placing the pumpkin puree in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and placing it over a bowl in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours. The liquid can be saved and used in place of water or milk in bread recipes. It’s a good source of beta-carotene!
– To use pumpkin pie spice: Substitute 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices. Be sure to still add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
– How to par-bake the crust: (This step is optional, and will give you a slightly flakier/crispier bottom crust. I usually save the effort and bake the pie in an unbaked pie shell.) Prick the crust all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Chill pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Cut out a 12-inch round of parchment paper and fit it into the pie crust. Fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake at 375° F for 18 minutes. Then remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Return pie crust to the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes more, until barely golden brown on the bottom. Add the pumpkin filling and bake pie as directed in the recipe.

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