Easy Pumpkin Pie
This is hands down the best and easiest homemade pumpkin pie recipe! It's smooth, velvety and loaded with the perfect amount of pumpkin pie spice.
The flaky homemade pie crust and whipped cream help to make this the perfect pie for Thanksgiving dessert!
Nothing says welcome home for the holidays like a big slice of homemade pumpkin pie!
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, we always serve up the classics like slow cooker holiday ham, green chili corn casserole, candied nuts and of course pumpkin pie from scratch! It's just one of those must-have desserts during the holidays.
This classic dessert starts out with a delicious all-butter pie crust that's tender and flaky. The luscious pumpkin pie filling is rich and creamy with just the right amount of sugar and spice.
A big dollop of homemade whipped cream makes this pie the perfect ending to a holiday meal!
This pumpkin pie recipe uses half and half instead of evaporated milk and lots of cinnamon to really amp up the flavor. It's the best pumpkin pie recipe you'll find!
Make sure to check out our pumpkin pie crumble bars too!
What you need
What is this easy pumpkin pie filling made of?
- pumpkin purée - Use canned pumpkin puree, which is 100% pure pumpkin. DO NOT use canned pumpkin pie filling which contains sugar and spices and other ingredients.
- sugar - The recipe calls for light brown sugar and granulated sugar but it can be made using all of one or the other.
- half & half - Half & half gives the pie a creamy richness.
- cream cheese
- large eggs
- vanilla extract - Homemade vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract can be used.
- cornstarch - Can be substituted with all-purpose flour.
- spices - Pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon.
- pie crust - My recipe for an all-butter pie crust makes 2 (9") pie crusts so you will need to cut the recipe in half or freeze the second pie crust. A pre-made pie crust will work with this recipe. We also have a recipe for sourdough pie crust.
Equipment needed for making pie
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How to make it
Prepare the Pie Crust. Make a half-recipe of my all butter pie crust. Roll the dough out to a ⅛" thickness and line a 9" pie plate with the dough. Trim and flute the edges. Place the dish in fridge for the dough to chill for 30 minutes.
Blind Bake Pie Crust. Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Remove the crust from the fridge and use a fork to poke holes on the surface of the dough.
Lay a piece of parchment paper over the pie dough and pour pie weights or dry beans in the center. (I used black beans.)
Bake the crust for 20 minutes and then remove the parchment paper and weights. Put the pie pan back into the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
Remove the pie pan from the oven and lower oven temperature to 350°F (176°C). Set the crust aside.
Prepare Pumpkin Pie Filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs, half & half, cream cheese, vanilla extract and spices until smooth.
Assemble. Pour the filling into the pie crust, making sure it's only ¾ full. Place a pie shield around the edges during the first 25 minutes of baking to prevent the edges from over-browning.
Bake for 25 minutes, remove the pie shield and bake an additional 30-35 minutes. (60 minutes total baking time)
You'll know the pie is done when the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
Let cool at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours before slicing.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
How to store and freeze
Store leftover pumpkin pie loosely covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Pumpkin Pie is a custard base pie which is perfect for freezing. Once the pie is completely cool, wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap.
For added protection add a layer of aluminum foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When ready to serve, allow the pie to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the pie on the kitchen counter and let it come to room temperature.
Commonly asked questions
According to the FDA, homemade pumpkin pie can be left at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that it needs to be refrigerated so that it does not grow harmful bacteria.
Whole milk can be substituted for half and half in this pumpkin pie recipe.
More easy pie recipes
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Easy Pumpkin Pie
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (9") pie crust
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
- 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flour (or cornstarch)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Egg wash
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make Pie Crust. Prepare a half recipe of all-butter pie crust. Roll out the pie crust into a 14" circle to a ⅛" thickness. Lay the pie dough into a 9" pie pan and gently press it into place. Trim the edges leaving a 1" overhang over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself even with the rim. Let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Blind Bake Pie Crust. Preheat oven to 400°. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash. Place a piece of parchment paper onto the bottom of the crust and fill with 1 lb. of dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C).
- Mix Filling. In a large mixing bowl whisk the pumpkin puree, softened cream cheese, sugars, half and half, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt and cornstarch until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while mixing.
- Bake. Pour the filling into the pie crust and place a pie shield around the edges. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the pie shield and bake an additional 30-35 minutes. (55-60 minutes total)
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 3 hours before slicing.
I am in love with your sourdough pumpkin bread recipe that adds a little orange juice to brighten up the flavor. Curious if adding orange juice to this recipe could work in the same way, or if you’d recommend some specific adjustments because of adding more liquid?
I made this pumpkin pie recipe last night. It was easy and the taste was great, however, I could not get the cream cheese to incorporate leaving bits of white showing throughout the pie. I didn't have a deep dish pie crust, so I'll change that up before Thanksgiving. Does anyone have a trick to get the cream cheese to mix better. I could also do this in the stand mixer with the whip attachment. I was also thinking of only using 4 oz of cream cheese. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Flavour and texture is amazing! I would recommend blending the pumpkin puree with the cream cheese first, maybe half the puree at a time. We had a hard time getting the cream cheese to fully incorporate, so we had bits of white in our pie. BUT the taste is so good!
it also made 2 shallow pies - not sure if it would have all fit in a deep dish. And we still had extra so just baked it in a ramekin dish.
I made this with your sourdough pie crust recipe and it was mostly good, but the cream cheese (softened) did not mix well, and I had almost half the filling remaining that I baked in a second pie dish. My pie dish claims to be for deep pies (10-3/4" diameter, 2" deep). For mixing the filling, I followed the instructions and put everything all at once, but had I been less distracted by children, I would have first mixed the softened cream cheese then added the sugars and egg and other components. The tanginess of the sourdough crust and the cream cheese were tasty though! Just lots of chunks of cream cheese throughout.
Hello! This recipe is excellent. I’ve been making this for the past two years with the sourdough pie crust recipe. It’s so easy to understand, and my family loves the taste! Thank you.
Is the cream cheese supposed to blend well? Should we have softened it? The recipe didn’t call for that to be done but mine is chunky and not blending well
Yes, the cream cheese should be softened. We are very sorry that it was not in the instructions, we will get that corrected. I truly apologize for any inconvenience!
I just made this and I only used half of the pie filling! What did I do wrong?
H Jenn, It sounds like your pie crust might have been too shallow. Did you use a shallow pie dish or a deep one?