Everyone has a recipe for the perfect pumpkin pie. What makes a pumpkin pie good other than loads of fresh whipped cream? The right balance of spices and a smooth and creamy custard. Have you ever had a cracked or weeping custard? Nothing is worse than an over-baked custard where the eggs separate and you see the telltale crack on top with water forming. Well…there is something worse. The soggy pie crust along with an over done pie. How is that even possible?

I’m not very good at forming pie crust due to my injury, but I muddled through. If you want to skip this tedious step, buy a deep dish pie crust and bake it before filling. Also, I found that by pre-baking the crust, you don’t get the soggy bottom and burnt edges notorious in most recipes. A good custard pie is never baked at a high temperature. A good custard is slow and steady until the middle wobbles and it finishes cooking out of the oven.

This is a really easy recipe that uses egg yolks and the principles of making a custard to allow the pie to have a creamy, delicate texture that just melts away in your mouth. Take it up a notch by taking the time to make your own crust. Finally, no more cracked, over baked, weeping pies with burnt crusts and gooey pie shells. Time to put a British twist on an American classic and finally create the perfect pumpkin pie.

We have since made more pumpkin pies and grabbed a few more photos for you to enjoy. The pie above was 11″ whereas the one below is a traditional 9″ pumpkin pie. No matter the size, it will taste absolute delicious. Happy baking!

Pumpkin Pie

Bake this pie like a true custard instead of the way the canned pumpkin tells you gives a better texture and flavor. No more split pies, burnt crusts or weeping tops. Just creamy melt in your mouth pumpkin!

Print Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time55 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings8

Calories 329.3

Ingredients

• 15 oz (425g) canned pumpkin
• 12 oz (354mL) evaporated milk
• ½ cup (113g) brown sugar
• 4 large (80g) egg yolks
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
• 1 tsp (2g) cinnamon
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt
• ½ tsp (1g) ginger
• ½ tsp (1g) allspice

• 9" pie crust

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C.)
• Blind bake a pie crust 15 minutes by filling with crumbled parchment paper and topping with rice, noodles or beans. Remove parchment paper and rice, bake an additional 5 – 10 minutes or until crust is a light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Separate egg yolks from the whites. You will not need the egg whites for this recipe.
• Combine sugar and spices, including the salt in a large bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Pour over cooled crust.
• Bake 40-60 minutes or until the center of the pie temperature reaches 175°F (79°C.) The center should slightly jiggle when shaken but not be liquid. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. It will finish setting as it cools.
• Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
• Immediately refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

For a richer flavor, substitute evaporated milk for cream.  You can also replace evaporated milk with regular milk, but reduce the amount to 1 1/4 cups or 10 ounces.

If you like a less sweet pie, reduce sugar to 1/2 cup or 100 grams.

Feel free to add cloves and nutmeg for a more complex flavor at 1/4 tsp each.  Allspice was traditionally used in place of these spices due to their high cost and difficulty in locating in many areas.

Make it a lighter dessert by skipping the crust! 
Crust Free Nutrition:  154.3 Calories – 5.5 Fat – 3.0 Saturated Fat – 225.0 Sodium – 21.2 Carbohydrates – 1.3 Fiber  – 4.8 Protein

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Pie

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

329.3

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

16.5

g

25

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Sodium

 

297.6

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

37.7

g

13

%

Fiber

 

1.3

g

5

%

Protein

 

7

g

14

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.