This Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe is smooth, creamy, and full of warm fall spices. With a flaky crust and rich pumpkin filling, it’s a simple holiday dessert everyone will love.
There’s nothing quite like a slice of homemade pumpkin pie to bring warmth and comfort to your table. With its smooth, spiced filling and flaky crust, this dessert captures the essence of fall in every bite. It’s a must-have for Thanksgiving, but just as welcome at any cozy autumn gathering.
What makes this pumpkin pie so special is how effortless it is to prepare. Using simple ingredients and straightforward steps, you’ll have a pie that tastes bakery-worthy without the stress. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or making pumpkin pie for the first time, this recipe is easy to follow and always turns out delicious. It’s one of the easiest Thanksgiving Pie Recipes.
The only thing that could possibly make this pie better is homemade whipped cream. If you have a few extra minutes, go ahead and make some. It’s so easy and I promise it’s the perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
You may also love this Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Pie Recipe, Sweet Potato Pie Recipe or No Bake Pumpkin Pie.
Try this Butternut Squash Pie Recipe for another delicious dessert recipe.
What's in this post: Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Why We Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples, this pumpkin pie comes together easily without any fancy tools or complicated steps.
- Rich, creamy texture: The smooth pumpkin filling is perfectly spiced and melts in your mouth with every bite.
- Make-ahead friendly: This pie tastes even better the next day, making it a great option for holiday prep.
- Classic flavor: It delivers that traditional pumpkin pie taste everyone loves. Comforting, sweet, and perfectly spiced.
- Crowd favorite: Always a hit at family gatherings, potlucks, and holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- Store-Bought Pie Crust – Use an unbaked pie crust for this recipe to achieve the best flaky texture. You can also use a homemade 3 Ingredient Pie Crust Recipe crust if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar – Adds a warm, rich sweetness to the pie. You can even make your own with a simple Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe.
- White Sugar – Balances the molasses flavor of the brown sugar and helps create a perfectly sweet filling.
- Eggs – Use large eggs to help bind the filling and give the pie a creamy, custard-like texture.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, since that already contains added sugar and spices.
- Evaporated Milk – Gives the pie its smooth, velvety consistency. For the best results, avoid substituting with other types of milk.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients and nutritional information.
Variations
- Warm Spices – For extra flavor, add a teaspoon ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of ground ginger to the filling. You can also include a teaspoon of nutmeg and a teaspoon of cloves for a cozy, aromatic touch. These spices bring out the pumpkin’s natural sweetness and make the pie even more flavorful.
- Maple Flavor – Add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup or a few drops of maple extract for a richer, slightly caramelized taste.
- Creamy Texture – For an extra smooth pie, replace half of the evaporated milk with heavy cream or half-and-half. This gives the filling a silky, custard-like texture.
- Crust Options – Swap the traditional pie crust for a graham cracker crust or gingersnap crust for a fun twist that pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
- Mini Pies – Instead of one large pie, divide the filling into mini tart shells or muffin tins for single-serve pumpkin pies that are great for parties or holiday gatherings.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1 – In a small bowl combine sugars, salt, pumpkin pie spice.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then stir in fresh pumpkin purée followed by the dry ingredients into the mixture.
Step 3 – Slowly stir in the 10 ounce evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk) and mix to combine.
Step 4 – Pour pumpkin pie filling into pie dough and bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and then bake an additional 40-50 minutes. Then cool on a wire rack. Once cool, slice and enjoy.
Pro Tips
- Combining Ingredients – Whisk the pumpkin, sugars, eggs, milk, and spices together until smooth and fully combined. Make sure there are no lumps for a silky filling.
- Baking the Pie – Bake the pie in a 9-inch pie pan. Start at a higher temperature for the first 15 minutes to help set the edges, then reduce the heat to finish baking so the filling cooks evenly without cracking.
- Cool Completely – Allow the pie to cool fully before serving. For best results, make it the night before so the filling has time to set and flavors meld together.
- Use Pure Pumpkin – Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling. Puree ensures you control the sweetness and spice level.
- Prevent Cracks – Avoid overmixing the eggs into the filling, and do not overbake. A gentle jiggling in the center when done is perfect. It will firm up as it cools.
- Even Baking – Place the pie in the center of the oven and consider using a foil shield around the edges if they start to brown too quickly.
- Check Doneness – Insert a knife or toothpick near the center; it should come out mostly clean with a little moist filling clinging.
Storage
Room Temperature: Pumpkin pie can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours if serving immediately.
Refrigerator: Store the cooled pie in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. It will keep for 4–5 days and maintain its creamy texture.
Freezer: Can you freeze pumpkin pie? Yes! Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you see watery on top of the pie after it has cooled, then it is simply the condensation. If it is watery after pulling from the oven, it could mean that the pie was overcooked. The proteins in the custard have thickened to much.
If you have trouble with your pumpkin pie crust from getting soggy, you may need to pre-bake your crust. This gives a head start on baking and allows it to slightly cook before adding in the pumpkin filling. Feel free to put a piece of parchment paper down in the crust before baking.
Making a homemade pie crust for this best pumpkin pie recipe is easier than you think. This Homemade Pie Crust only requires 3 ingredients and is simple to make. But feel free to use a premade pie crust or a frozen pie crust to make this pumpkin pie recipe.
You can also use a graham cracker pie crust if you prefer.
This pumpkin pie takes about an hour to cook. You will know when the pumpkin pie is done when the custard edges start crack. The center of the pie will be a little wet but will set as the pie cools.
The recipe indicates, it is important to blind bake this pie at high temperature of 425 degrees for 15 minutes. This makes sure the crust cooks completely. Then the temperature of the oven needs to be reduced to 400 to finish cooking.
More Easy Pie Recipes
- Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
- Sprite Pie Recipe
- Quick and Easy Reese’s Pie Recipe
- Easy Pecan Pie Recipe
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
If you make this classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe from scratch make sure to leave a comment and star rating review. We love hearing from you.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust unbaked (9 inch)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl combine sugars, salt, pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs then stir in pumpkin puree followed by the dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the evaporated milk and mix to combine.
- Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 40-50 minutes.
- Cool on baking rack until completely cooled (at least 2 hours).
What are we reducing the oven from? It’s says reduce after baking 15 minutes to 350, but doesn’t give a starting temp. 🙂
I’m so sorry about that! I have updated the estimate. You start with the oven to 425 degrees F and then reduce the temperature down to 350 after cooking for 15 minutes. Thank you!