Pumpkin Pie From Scratch

How to make the best homemade pumpkin pie recipe from scratch made with fresh pumpkin puree and a creamy, sweet and slightly spicy filling on a crispy and buttery homemade pie crust.

Fresh Pumpkin pie

The pumpkin pie recipe is a classic dessert during the fall season and all those pretty pumpkins for all the pumpkin lovers to enjoy.

And it's not just for our savory recipes, we also make fabulous sweet desserts with pumpkin, like this delicious moist pumpkin bread and its streusel crumb topping.

I really like this homemade pumpkin pie from scratch recipe, because it's made with fresh pumpkin puree as a change from canned pumpkin and you can taste the difference in flavor.

This recipe is made with a easy homemade crust, a pie crust that I use in all my pie recipes and that has a crispy, flaky texture more like puff pastry.

And a filling made with pumpkin puree and flavored with spices, a pumpkin spice mix, made up of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.

It has a sweet and delicious flavor and we love its spicy taste and very creamy texture. Pumpkin pie is a delicious dessert to share with the family with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chopped pecans.

>> See all the pies recipes of the blog

Homemade pumpkin purée

It's easier to find canned pumpkin puree in some places than in others. And to avoid having to run to the supermarket to buy it, I simply explain how you can make your own fresh pumpkin puree.

First you have to cook the squash in advance, cut your pumpkin flesh into small pieces and bake either in steam or in boiling water, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until you can easily stick a knife into its flesh. 

Next, you need to smash the squash into a smooth puree using a potato masher or electric blender, which will give you a nice smooth filling without lumps.

You will then need to let the squash puree cool completely before using it in this from scratch pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients and substitutions

Pie dough :

This homemade pie crust dough is crispy and buttery recipe that reminds a bit of puff pastry and it's the easy way with only one bowl and no food processor.

You can easily replace this bottom crust with a shortcrust pastry, sweet shortcrust pastry or almond meal shortcrust pastry.

Pumpkin pie filling:

• Sugar: A mixture of white sugar and dark brown sugar or cane sugar.
• Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin puree, the texture will be a little different depending on whether you use one or the other. Use sugar pumpkins or butternut squash rather.
• Heavy cream: To softens the texture and taste of the filling, the more you use, the creamier the consistency will be. If you reduce the amount, the texture will be thicker, less creamy and more spicy. You can also replace it with unsweetened condensed milk.
• Eggs: at room temperature.
• Cornstarch: in combination with the eggs, it helps to firm up the texture, it is an essential ingredient that you can eventually replace with flour. 
• Spices: essential, here I have slightly dosed the quantities of some spices, like ground ginger, nutmeg or ground cloves, only cinnamon is dosed more because it is the one I prefer. You can use a pumpkin pie spice mix directly, which is perfectly suitable.
• Vanilla and salt: Indispensable to perfume and bring out all the flavors.

⚠️ You will find the quantities and instructions in the recipe card below

How to make pumpkin pie from scratch

1 - Pie crust

1. Put the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl and add the cold butter cut into pieces.
2. Use your hands to rub the ingredients together until you get a sandy texture with a few pieces of butter still visible.
3. Add the cold water and bring the dough together to form a ball that is not very homogeneous.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
5. Grease a pie pan with butter or line it with parchment paper so that the dough doesn't stick after baking.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of baking sheet to a thickness of about 3 - 4 mm.
7. Cover the inside of the pie dish, cut out and shape the edges (as shown in the photo).
8. Prick the bottom of the pie with a fork and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes while preparing the filling.

Tips: Homemade pie dough is very easy to make and is much better than store-bought dough. To save time, you can prepare it 1 to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Or use frozen pie crust if you have some in your freezer.

2 - Pumpkin filling

1. Combine all dry ingredients, flour, cornstarch, salt and pumpkin pie spices and set aside. 
2. In another bowl, put the eggs with the sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and beat with a hand whisk for about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and then the heavy cream and mix again until smooth and liquid.
4. Add the dry ingredient mixture and gently mix to incorporate.
5. Fill the inside of the pie shell with the entire pumpkin pie filling.

3 - Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Bake pumpkin pie halfway through for about 1 hour until golden brown on top and filling is firm.
3. Cool completely to room temperature,then unmold and place on a wire rack or place directly on in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. Serve slice of pumpkin pie cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tip: Pumpkin pie is best served cold, so let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Storage and freezing

In the fridge:

Pumpkin pie can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. It is best when completely chilled before serving. 

In the freezer:

You can freeze pumpkin pie for up to 3 months. After cooking, when it is cold, cut it into small slices and place it in a storage box. 

Defrosting:

Let the pumpkin pie slowly return to the refrigerator until it is completely thawed.

Frequently asked questions

More Pie recipe

• Apple pie
• Lemon cream pie
• Walnut pie
• Chocolate mousse pie
• Key lime pie
• Maple pecan Pie
• Cinnamon pie

More pumpkin recipes

• Pumpkin spice latte
• Iced Pumpkin spice latte

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