This classic pumpkin pie recipe has been in my family for years. The crust is flaky and moist, the filling is spicy and sweet. The perfect dessert to bring to your Thanksgiving table.
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Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving dish, the one you look forward to all of November.
That’s the thing I love about Thanksgiving dinner, most of the dishes I don’t eat until Thanksgiving. I mean, how many times a year do you eat green bean casserole? So as Thanksgiving gets closer my excitement to enjoy my favorite dishes grows more and more.
One of those favorite dishes is my mother’s pumpkin pie. My mom has made this pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas since I can remember and it. is. amazing.
The crust is made with half lard and half shortening which makes it perfectly flaky. The filling is creamy with just the right balance of pumpkin and spices. Put a dollop of whipped cream on top and you are in for something special!
For the longest time, my pumpkin pies didn’t come out quite right. It was the crust, it wasn’t flaky and came out too dense. It wasn’t until I got a step-by-step tutorial from my mom on how to make the perfect pie crust that my crust came out perfect.
To give the crust an extra Autumn vibe, I used mini autumn cookie cutters and cut out mini leaves with the extra dough.
tips for the best pumpkin pie
-Homemade pie dough is the best, but store-bought or frozen crust can be used also.
-Give the pumpkin filling a good stir right before you pour it into the prepared pie crust. This will ensure the spices haven’t sunk to the bottom.
-Start baking the pie at 400 degrees and finish at 325 degrees. This allows the pie to bake without curdling and will come out silky smooth, not grainy and watery. Use a knife to insert it in the middle to see if it is done. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done.
-If you don’t want to mark your pie up with a knife, another way to check it is to gently shake the pie. The edges should be set and the center with a slight wobble to it. The pie will continue to set while cooling.
-Place the pie on a wire rack to cool. Cool on the countertop or next to a window. Never cool a warm pie in the refrigerator, it can cause condensation in the pie and sogginess.
-Serve with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon or a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cupp cooked pumpkin or pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cream or whole milk
- 4 teaspoons molasses
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoons ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Beat eggs slightly; add all remaining ingredients and mix together.
- Pour into a pie dish with prepared pie crust. See how to make the perfect pie crust for the recipe.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick to the center of the pie comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely and enjoy with whipped cream.
Leaf Crust (Optional)
- Using the extra pie dough, cut out 40-50 leaves. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until browned.
- While the pie is cooling, place the leaves on around the crust and on the pie.
oh, roll em up! Dang, I miss those. Mom always made them, and I miss how flaky and delicious they are!
They are so delicious! I look forward to them every time I plan to make a Pie!
Best post yet! I love your photographs.
I recently discovered brushing the dough with butter before adding cinnamon and sugar for the roll em ups makes them even more tastier!