This homemade pumpkin pie recipe is the best I’ve ever made! With a golden, flaky pie crust filled with the easiest, most delicious pumpkin pie filling, your search for the perfect pumpkin pie is over.
I love homemade pumpkin pie, especially this one. 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 pumpkin 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).
How to Make My Favorite Pumpkin Pie
Our pumpkin pie filling takes less than 5 minutes to make. You’ll whisk the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cream, and spices until blended. For our crust, I use my butter pie crust, 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!
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 pumpkin pie 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.
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.
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!
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 turkey with you (it seriously makes the best Thanksgiving turkey).
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this easy, homemade 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
Homemade Pie Crust, our recipe makes two crusts, you will need one
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (65g) light brown sugar
1 (15oz) can of pure pumpkin puree or 2 cups (440g) homemade pumpkin puree
3/4 cup (175ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 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).
2Carefully place the dough into the pie 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 pumpkin pie 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 pumpkin pie 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.
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I’ve been making this recipe for years. It has had rave reviews. I dare say it helpte dto ingratiate myself to my then boyfriend’s, now fiance’s family! Among the very best recipes I’ve ever found online. I’ve tried their apple pie too. It’s also a hit. I highly recommend it.
Thanks so much, Cindy! We appreciate you so much for coming back.
My first review, ever. Made this pie tonight using a real, fresh pumpkin. Absolutely exquisite!!!! Never tasted a better one. Followed the recipe to the T except, I purchased the Pumpkin Spice mix from the store and the pie turned out so tasty, creamy… Talk about outstanding. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE RECIPE I’LL ALWAYS USE FROM NOW ON FOR PUMPKIN PIE!!! Never had a better one from a fresh pumpkin! Definitely a keeper!!! Try it and you won’t be disappointed, believe me!
Hi E.J., Thank you so much for coming back. We are thrilled that you’ve fallen in love with out recipe 🙂
The crust was perfect, so was the filling. Wish I had found this recipe before Thanksgiving but now that I have it, I will always use it. Thank you!
Made all of it from scratch exactly as the recipe called. The crust, the pumpkin itself, and the filling. I am in Italy and like another person said, appreciated not having to convert everything. It was the best spiced pumpkin pie I have ever made! Grateful to have a taste of America during Thanksgiving while abroad in Italy!
Made it all! The pumpkin from scratch, the pie crust from scratch, and the pie filling. All were wonderful. Made 2 pies. This was the best spiced pumpkin filling I have made. Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow, this is amazing!! Well done, and thank you so much for coming back and letting us know.
This is hands down the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever made. I used fresh pumpkin and man oh man…. everything about this pie is perfect. This will be made for years to come
Baked this dish with my daughter. Was excellent. A definte place in my recipe book:)
Wonderful! Thanks for coming back, Adele.
I’m an American in the UK. In the nearly 20 years I’ve lived here I’ve never seen pumpkin pie in the shops. Before tinned pumpkin puree was accessible online I had to find a pumpkin, bake it and puree it! Now there are PLENTY of pumpkins and I can order Libby’s with just a few clicks! I ran out of canned condensed milk so searched for a recipe that didn’t use it. I am so glad I found your recipe! It’s less sweet than others I’ve tried and was absolutely delicious! I can’t eat wheat so I used a store bought gluten free pie pastry for the crust. Thank you so much! My second pie is in the oven now. I’m looking forward to a slice with a cup of tea later!
Hi Felicia, I am so happy that you found our recipe! Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know.
This was the most helpful information. I’m excited to make this Pie tomorrow now that I fully understand the recipe. Thanks ! I’m quite sure my Thanksgiving dessert will be delicious. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !
How wonderful! We hope you enjoy it and have a lovely holiday.
I made this, but doubled it to made two pies. This is absolutely the Best Pumpkin Pie I have ever eaten. The only thing I did slightly different was : I used store bought Pie Crust, baked a Pumpkin & made my Purée, instead of your spices I used Pumpkin Pie Spice, about a 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, & a scant of Allspice. I didn’t read to pack the Brown Sugar, which I did. We ate one pie, but I froze the other. I have another Pumpkin to bake, and will definitely will be using this recipe many times. The Best tasting, Light Pie. Thanks ! Happiest Thanksgiving !
What a wonderful comment, thank you so much for coming back and sharing!
This recipe is awesome! Thank you SO MUCH for putting the equivalents in grams and milliliters!! Living in Switzerland but loving American food it’s so tedious to have to calculate the mesures often times! So this is my new go-to-recipe and -website😃
Do you have heavy cream in Switzerland? If not, what did you use as an alternative? I’m in Germany and can’t get heavy cream.
Double cream should do the trick. Here, in the US, heavy cream has around 36% fat. If you find something close to this, you should be fine.