I vaguely remember the first time I made my first pumpkin pie. My father, a diabetic, commissioned me to bake him a sugar-free version so he wouldn’t be tempted by all the sugary desserts during Thanksgiving dinner. I was 11 years old without a mixer, pie plate, or a cookbook to guide me. What I decided to do was follow the pie recipe on the back of a Libby’s pumpkin can and use a frozen pre-made pie shell. I followed the instructions exactly as written and was excited when I saw there no were cracks on the baked custard surface and that my pumpkin pie actually looked just as I hoped it would. My excitement only lasted a brief moment and turned to disgust rather quickly. I took a bite and had to spit it out into a napkin. Pumpkin pie without any sweetener is so bland tasting I thought I was eating store-bought baby food in a jar -yuck!
Over the years I’ve experimented with different recipes and sweeteners in search of the perfect pumpkin pie. I know people have different qualifiers in what makes a good pie. For me, I like homemade pies to be dense with a tad bit more spices than the Costco pie variety. I also like my pumpkin pies not to be too sweet, otherwise I can only eat a sliver of a slice because the pie is so sweet it distracts the flavor of the spiced pumpkin custard.
What I have for you is a pumpkin pie worthy of being your primary Thanksgiving Day dessert. You can never go wrong with a homemade pie considering so many people are used to eating store bought/Costco ones. Friends and family always appreciate scratch baking and this pumpkin pie is the perfect ending to your holiday dinner. Don’t forget to serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a cup of coffee. Enjoy.
- 1-15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 -9 inch unbaked pie crust (I use a no-roll pie crust)
- Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Set a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- Add eggs, evaporated milk, and heavy cream.
- Mix everything until completely smooth (about 3 minutes in my KitchenAid mixer on medium speed).
- Pour pie filling into an unbaked deep dish pie shell.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for an additional 50-55 minutes until the center of the pie does not jiggle (loosely).
- In my opinion, it's best to allow the pie to cool on the counter and then chill it in the refrigerator before serving.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
- **The pie can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator covered.
- Whipped Cream:
- Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until medium peaks form.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
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