This homemade pumpkin pie recipe has the most delicious filling and the golden, flaky crust is out of this world. Your search for the perfect pumpkin pie is over.
I love pumpkin pie, especially using this recipe that we have perfected over the years. The filling is outrageously simple and made with heavy cream instead of sweetened condensed milk, which makes it super rich and creamy.
This pie’s filling can be made in under 5 minutes and tastes amazing. You can use canned pumpkin (it’s excellent!) or make your pie from scratch with homemade pumpkin puree. This recipe is a keeper!
Key Ingredients
- Pie Crust: You can use your favorite homemade pie crust or a store-bought one. I love using my homemade butter pie crust for this classic pumpkin pie. It hasn’t failed me yet.
- Pumpkin: This pie recipe works well with either canned or homemade pumpkin puree. I love using canned puree (I use Libby’s), but making your own fresh pumpkin puree is easy and means your pie is 100% homemade. Plus, when you make your own puree, you get to roast the pumpkin seeds! If you prefer sweet potatoes, I highly recommend our sweet potato pie.
- Eggs: I use 3 eggs to help the pumpkin pie filling set up. They also add a rich flavor that you’ll love.
- Sugar: This pie is less sweet than other pumpkin pie recipes. I hold back on the sugar but love using both granulated and brown sugar together. The brown sugar adds a bit of extra flavor.
- Cream: Instead of sweetened condensed milk, I use heavy cream, which makes the pie filling super smooth, rich, and delicious.
- Spices: I like tasting the pumpkin in the pie, so I don’t go overboard with my spices. I love using vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and some salt. Since publishing this recipe, we have shared our pumpkin pie spice blend, which you can use in our recipe below (tips are below the recipe).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Pie
Tip 1: Watch our video! Our pumpkin pie filling takes less than 5 minutes to make. You’ll whisk the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cream, and spices until blended. Watch our video in the recipe below to see just how easy this pie is to make!
Tip 2: Use a great pie crust. I highly recommend using our flaky butter pie crust (pictured below), which you can make well in advance (I’ve shared make-ahead tips in my pie crust recipe).
This is a single-crust pie, so you’ll need to roll out enough pie dough to fit into the bottom of your pie dish (watch the video to see how I do it). Then, you’ll pour in your pie filling and bake!
Tip 3: Don’t blind bake the crust. I do not blind-bake my crust for pumpkin pie. Blind baking means partially cooking the crust before adding the filling, which helps it stay crisp and flaky. I actually love the more soft and tender bottom crust when you don’t blind-bake the crust in this recipe. The bottom of the crust is golden and flaky, but where the crust and filling meet, it’s softer and tender.
If you’d prefer to bake blind, feel free! I have shared tips for blind baking the crust in my pie crust recipe.
Tip 4: Use two oven temperatures. I use two oven temperatures when baking pumpkin pie. First, I preheat my oven to 425°F. The pie bakes for 15 minutes, and then I reduce the oven temperature to 375°F for the remaining bake time.
Tip 5: Cool your pie. From there, you want to cool your pie to room temperature and, if you have the option, refrigerate it overnight. I do this with both pumpkin and sweet potato pie. Refrigerating overnight improves the texture of the custard filling. It also makes this pie perfect to make in advance!
More Holiday Recipes
I love making this pie for Thanksgiving. For more classic Thanksgiving recipes, see my favorite apple pie, this incredible homemade apple cobbler. I also have to share this garlic herb butter roast turkey with you (it seriously makes the best Thanksgiving turkey).
Easy Pumpkin Pie
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this easy pumpkin pie recipe. You can use canned pumpkin or our homemade pumpkin puree to make a fresh pumpkin pie from scratch. I prefer a lightly spiced pie. For more spice, increase the cinnamon and ginger a little.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 (9-inch) single crust homemade pie crust, our recipe makes enough for 2 single crust pies
3 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
⅓ cup light brown sugar (65g)
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree or 1 ¾ cups homemade pumpkin puree (420g)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream (175ml)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Homemade whipped cream, for serving
Directions
- Prepare Crust
1Roll out half of the pie dough to fit a 9-inch pie dish (keep the remaining dough chilled). To prevent sticking, sprinkle flour on your work surface and rolling pin. Roll from the center outwards for even thickness, lifting and rotating the dough by a quarter turn as you go. Check the size by inverting the pie dish over the dough (it should be about 2 inches larger).
2Grease your pie dish with butter, then carefully place the dough into the dish without stretching it, and trim the edges to within 1 inch of the dish. Refrigerate while you prepare your filling.
- Pumpkin Pie Filling
1Whisk the eggs and both sugars together until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
- Bake the Pie
1Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Set aside a large baking sheet.
2Place the pie dish on your baking sheet. Pour the pumpkin filling into the pie shell.
3Bake the pumpkin pie at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife plunged it into the pie, about 2 inches from the edge, comes out clean. Rotate once or twice during baking. If, while the pie is baking, the top of the crust becomes too dark, cover it with a thin strip of aluminum foil.
4Cool completely on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours or until room temperature. Serve or refrigerate overnight (the pie sets even more after a night in the fridge).
5Cut into eight wedges and serve alone or topped with whipped cream.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Since this recipe has eggs and cream, we recommend storing it in the refrigerator unless you are serving it. It can sit out at room temperature for 2 hours. Homemade pumpkin pie will last in your refrigerator for up to three days. As a bonus, the texture of the filling improves after some time in the fridge.
- Freezing pumpkin pie: Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in foil before freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen pumpkin pie overnight in the fridge.
- How to tell when your is done: Take the pie out of the oven when the majority of the pie looks shiny and set on top. It should jiggle a little like jello, but not much more. The middle will still look wet on top. It will continue to cook as the pie cools on the counter. As a final test, grab a toothpick or thin knife, then plunge it into the pie, about 2 inches from the edge. If it comes out clean, the pie is done.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Substitute 2 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Here’s our homemade pumpkin spice blend.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Hi! I have a question. Can I use evaporated milk instead of the cream? And how much? Same amount as the cream?
Thank you!
Hi Marina, I’d look for a recipe that calls for evaporated milk as it will be a bit different to ours.
I just made this pie and it is delicious! So quick and easy to make. This will be my go to pumpkin pie recipe from now on.
I followed your recipe using my own puree that thawed in refrigerator for 3 days which have it time to drain excess liquid. Instead of heavy whipping substituted 3/4 c. Greek Yogurt and lightly buttered both sides of pie crust. It looked beautiful and tasted fantastic!! I will definitely use this recipe again!! Thank you!
My pie came out quite dark.what did I do wrong.
I made this pie a few days ago for my husband and he loved it. Now I’m making another one for him. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi – can I replace the pumpkin with butternut squash? Do I make any changes to the spices? Thanks.
Hi Amanda, Yes, you can replace the pumpkin with butternut squash. Just cook and purée it until very smooth. No need to change the spices. The pie should turn out almost identical in flavor. Let me know how it goes!
I have been making this recipe for the past two years with our surplus pumpkins from the allotment and we absolutely love it, its so easy to make and so delicious!
Thank you ! So easy 😋
It turned out great. I half blind-baked the pastry, and put tin foil round the edges after adding the pumpkin ingredients. I used 3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice which was perfect for my taste. I advise, if using fresh pumpkin like I did, that the puree is drained of excess water; the first batch I did was too wet, my fault for not draining it through a sieve. I’m going to cook my wet first batch tomorrow without pastry,hoping it’ll be ok. This recipe is good and I’m going to use it every time.
Hi Hazel, Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m glad it turned out great for you, and your notes are really helpful. When I make purée using roasted pumpkin, I don’t usually do this, but if the pumpkin seems especially wet, draining is a fantastic idea! It makes such a difference. Baking the extra filling without pastry should work just fine, more like a pumpkin custard. I’m so happy the recipe is one you’ll use again.
This pumpkin pie looks amazing!!! I just have one question…..do you blind bake the crust first and then add the filling or just add the filling right away to the crust and bake? Hope this makes sense.
Thanks 😊
Hi Tammy, Thank you! I don’t blind-bake the crust for this recipe. The filling goes straight into the unbaked crust, and it bakes together. It turns out tender and fully cooked without the extra step. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Do the eggs and/or cream need to be at room temperature?
Hi Tracey, I’ve made this pie with the eggs and cream straight from the fridge before without any issues.
I’ve made the standard Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe for years. Last year I used this recipe. Everyone noticed it was different and raved that it was the best pumpkin pie they had ever had. I’m making it again right now. To practice with a sourdough discard crust. Don’t know how the crust will turn out but the pie will be delicious.
Would it be worth blind baking the pie crust before filling it?
Hi Patricia, It is really up to you. I like the slightly wetter crust where the filling and crust meets (the bottom is still golden and flaky). If you like it a little firmer, you can blind-bake (instructions are on our pie crust recipe).
I absolutely love this pumpkin pie recipe. I make it every time my family requests it and it also made me like pumpkin pie now. Question if I wanted to make hand pies with this recipe what do I need to tweak so it’s not to runny and spill out from the hand pies ?? (Please help me)
Hi Kathy, Thanks so much! We’re so glad this recipe has become a family favorite. You’re absolutely right to be concerned about the filling; the standard pie filling would be too soft and runny for hand pies. To make it work, you’ll need to thicken the filling so it holds its shape. If you wanted to experiment, you’d need to significantly reduce the amount of cream in the recipe.
Love the recipe. I’ve made it 3 times. Will make it for the holidays !
That’s amazing PC! Thank you for coming back and letting us know!
I have made this twice. My family love it. I know it’s an American dessert but I live in Perth Western Australia ☺️ And I love it
My husband proclaimed this the best pumpkin pie he’s ever had! I humbly agree. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
Thank you for this recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe said and it turned out lovely, although I had shallow pie tins so divided the filling between two pie crusts. Please could you advise me whether the pie freezes OK?
Hi Emma, You can freeze this pie. Here are the tips for freezing from the recipe: “Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in foil before freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen pumpkin pie overnight in the fridge.”
The first time I made this, I followed the recipe exactly as written and it tasted a little odd to me because of the vanilla. So the second time I made it I left out the vanilla and it tasted so much better. The flavor is perfect. I also made the pie crust recipe and it turned out great.
Delicious recipe, will make again
I love this recipe, and it’s earned me lots of compliments and requests for second helpings, also requests for the recipe itself for others to use. Thank you 😊I used the full pumpkin spice mixture with the allspice and nutmeg added to the other spices. By the way, I’m not good with shortcrust pastry and I’ve started adding a small amount of ground almonds to the flour, and this seems to have improved the texture
This looks like a great pumpkin pie recipe I’d like to make. I’d like to have it less sweet by cutting the amount of sugars in half. What should I do to make up for how this might affect the overall texture of the pie? Thanks!
That’s a great question! We’ve only tested this recipe as written, so we can’t guarantee results if you change the sugar content. Reducing the sugar could affect the pie’s texture and consistency. Sugar plays a role in browning, moisture, and overall structure. On a personal note, I don’t like super sweet desserts and love this pie.
It would be worth experimenting with using a 1:1 sugar substitute like swerve to replace some of the sugar in this (if you’re worried about sugar content). Or, I wonder if a splash of bourbon would provide a nice foil to the sweetness if you are just worried about taste. I actually did find this one borderline too sweet, personally. I normally use the old school Festal Golden Pie recipe for pumpkin pie. It doesn’t actually use less sugar, but uses more milk and a different ratio of spices so maybe that’s why. Also, brown > white sugar for pumpkin pie
this was lit