Introducing our Harvest Hearth Pumpkin Pie, a powerhouse of pumpkin flavor that’s sure to elevate your holiday season! We’ve intensified the flavor profile of this pie by incorporating freshly roasted pumpkin, toasted spices, and our signature buttery Shortcrust Pastry as the perfect pie crust.
Our Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie is sweetened with condensed milk and brown sugar. Giving it a wickedly good custard richness that your family and guests will rave over. We create ribbons of pumpkin pie goodness by creating two custard fillings and swirling them together!
Chef’s Tip: Save time by preparing both fillings simultaneously or combine them for a simpler approach, though sacrificing the swirl effect. Amp up the cinnamon with 4 teaspoons total (2 in each batch), but adjust to taste for a milder flavor. This generous cinnamon infusion, when toasted with Pumpkin Pie Spice, enhances the pie’s flavor profile.
Our Pumpkin Pie packs a flavorful punch and has been a Thanksgiving table staple for years. Garnished with a dollop of freshly Chantilly Cream, it epitomizes the essence of autumn! This pie always disappears quickly, so be prepared to share the recipe with eager guests!
I’ve always had a weakness for crust, and for over 30 years, I’ve been loyal to this Shortcrust Pastry recipe. The only evolution? Realizing it’s a breeze to whip up in the food processor. Buttery, flaky, and versatile, it’s the ideal crust for practically any recipe requiring a refrigerated pie crust. And trust me, it’s not just a hundred times better—it’s also stunningly beautiful.
Of course, you can use the store-bought crust. But trust me the few minutes it takes to make Shortcrust Pastry is well worth the effort and it’s strong enough to hold up to our decadent Pumpkin Pie. Or any sweet or savory recipe you can throw at it, it’s an easy, tender, golden crust that is sure to please!
The Importance of Blind Baking Crusts: A Guide to Perfectly Preparing Your Tart Base
Blind baking crusts is a crucial step in certain recipes, particularly for tarts and pies with wet fillings, as it ensures that the crust is fully cooked and maintains its structure. This process prevents the crust from becoming soggy or undercooked when it’s filled with moist ingredients.
Blind baking involves partially or fully baking the crust before adding the filling, often with the aid of pie weights or parchment paper and dry beans to weigh down the dough and prevent it from puffing up excessively.
Directions for Blind Baking Crust:
- Preheat your oven to the temperature specified in your recipe.
- Roll out your pastry dough and carefully line your tart pan, ensuring it fits snugly against the sides and bottom.
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming.
- Line the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure it covers the entire surface and extends over the edges.
- Fill the lined crust with pie weights, dried beans, or rice, distributing them evenly to weigh down the dough.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Bake the crust for the time specified in your recipe, usually until the edges are lightly golden.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper or foil with the weights, and return the crust to the oven to bake for a few more minutes until the bottom is dry and fully cooked.
- Once blind baking is complete, remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before adding your desired filling.
Blind baking ensures that your tart or pie crust is perfectly crisp and ready to hold your delicious fillings, resulting in a finished dish that’s both visually appealing and delightful to eat.
In this IACP Award-winning A Food-Inspired Life video from Libbie Summers, she shares 20 decorative pie crimping techniques in 120 seconds. She is a master of her craft!
What Are Pie Weights?
Pie weights are tiny ceramic or metal balls designed to keep the crust in place while it bakes, ensuring it maintains its shape. If you find yourself without pie weights, dried beans or even dry rice can serve as substitutes (I often opt for beans). Usually, I use parchment paper, but it was in short supply during this particular baking session!
Exploring the Distinction: Canned Pumpkin vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Pumpkin Puree: Also known as canned pumpkin it’s cooked pumpkin with no additional flavorings. This is pumpkin in its purest form in the grocer, unless you make your own which I highly suggest. Keep reading for directions below!
- Pumpkin Pie Filling: Canned pumpkin sweetened and flavored with a variety of spices such as allspice, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. It’s the fast method of creating a pumpkin pie.
Exploring the Distinction: Canned Pumpkin vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
We’ve experimented with both canned and freshly roasted Cinderella Pumpkins for our pumpkin pie, and I must say, fresh always wins in my book! Roasting a pumpkin takes no more than an hour (size depending) and infuses the purée with incredible flavor. What’s more, if you roast a sizable pumpkin, you’ll have an abundance of fresh pumpkin purée ready to use in a variety of delicious fall recipes! Be sure to explore our simple Roasted Pumpkin Purée How-To for crafting your own homemade pumpkin purée that’s truly righteous!
Benefits of Cooking Pumpkin Pie Filling on the Stove Top
This additional step elevates any Pumpkin Pie Recipe. Cooking enhances the spices’ flavors and helps to evaporate excess moisture from the pumpkin, resulting in a more aromatic pie with a thicker, silkier custard and a significantly more flavorful filling. It’s definitely worth investing 10 minutes for!
Tips for Preventing Cracks in Pumpkin Pie
To prevent cracks when baking pumpkin pies, follow these steps:
Cook Pumpkin Pie Filling on the Stovetop: Cooking the filling before baking helps bloom the spices and removes excess moisture, resulting in a smoother texture and reducing the risk of cracks.
Use the Right Ratio of Ingredients: Ensure that your pumpkin pie filling has the correct ratio of wet to dry ingredients to maintain the proper consistency during baking.
Avoid Overmixing: Overmixing the filling can introduce air bubbles, which can contribute to cracking during baking. Mix the ingredients until just combined.
Use a Quality Pie Crust: A sturdy, well-made pie crust provides support to the filling and helps prevent cracks. Ensure that the crust is properly fitted into the pie dish without stretching or tearing.
Preheat the Oven: Preheating the oven ensures even baking and helps set the pie filling properly, reducing the likelihood of cracks forming.
Bake at the Right Temperature: Bake the pie at the recommended temperature specified in your recipe. High temperatures can cause the filling to overcook and crack, while low temperatures may result in an undercooked pie.
Avoid Overbaking: Overbaking can cause the edges of the pie to dry out and crack. Bake the pie just until the filling is set and the center jiggles slightly when gently shaken.
Cool Gradually: Allow the pumpkin pie to cool gradually at room temperature before refrigerating. Rapid temperature changes can cause the pie to crack.
By following these steps, you can help prevent cracks and ensure a beautifully smooth and delicious pumpkin pie every time.
Selecting the Ideal Pumpkin for Pumpkin Pie
You can check out our Roasted Pumpkin Puree Recipe for details on all types of cooking pumpkins! But the short answer here is that you’ll want to use easy to find Sugar Pumpkins (also known as Pie Pumpkins) or a Cinderella Heirloom Pumpkin, which is my personal favorite!
You definitely do not want to use a carving pumpkin, they are definitely better left for decorating your front porch!
Carving pumpkins are best left for carving, although you could most certainly roast and eat one. You’ll find the texture is slightly stringy and watery, so they are best used to decorate your porch!
How to Address Rapid Browning of Pumpkin Pie Crust
When baking a pie, I used to protect the crust from over-browning by wrapping strips of foil over the edges midway through baking. Which can be dangerous and not to mention a total pain.
In The Pie and Pastry Bible, by Rose Levy Berenbaum I picked up a method for keeping pie crust edges from getting too dark. The above link leads to Berenbaum’s site and gives you instructions for creating your own pie shield! Plus, if you don’t own her book and you love baking, then get that while you’re there!
Mrs. Beranbaum recommends cutting a circle of foil big enough to wrap over the pie and snipping out the center of the circle, forming a ring that securely protects the edges. Genius!
You can also purchase a pie crust shield but I prefer the tin foil due to it being ultra lightweight.
Identifying Signs of Undercooked Pumpkin Pie
Look for a loose center, your pie should be almost firm in the center before pulling it from the oven. As my Gran would say the center of the pumpkin pie should “jiggle like Jello, not wiggle like a wave.” Meaning, when you nudge the pumpkin pie, the filling should be firmer around the edges, but still jiggle in the center.
How To Tell When Your Pumpkin Pie Is Done
Shake the pie gently; it’s done when the filling near the rim is set and the center is a tiny bit jiggly. When you see it getting close to being firm pull it from the oven, the carry over cooking will finish cooking the pie through to the center.
How Long Should Pumpkin Pie Cool Before Serving?
Punch of Pumpkin Pie sets as it cools for a perfect pumpkin pie slice, allow it to cool for 2 hours, cover and refrigerate overnight. We suggest you make this a day ahead of service to allow the flavors to marry.
Can You Leave a Fresh Baked Pumpkin Pie out Overnight?
No, no, no! Homemade pumpkin pie can be left at room temperature for two hours, after which it is in danger of growing harmful bacteria. Store-bought pies that are sitting out are filled with preservatives that allow them to be left at room temperature. In short, make your pies!
Pumpkin pie is a custard, made of eggs and milk. Would you leave a quiche or cooked egg dish out overnight? No. Clearly not advisable. Get that pie into the fridge within 2 hours. We love it cold out of the icebox but you can always warm it up a bit in the oven if you prefer.
How to Reheat Pumpkin Pie
If you or your guests like a warm slice of pumpkin pie then preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Place the pie on a sheet pan and lightly cover with foil and heat for 15-18 minutes.
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Freezing Pumpkin Pie: Step-by-Step Guide
Cool the Pie: Allow the pumpkin pie to cool completely at room temperature before attempting to freeze it. This prevents condensation from forming inside the packaging, which can lead to a soggy crust.
Wrap the Pie: Once cooled, wrap the entire pumpkin pie tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Make sure to cover the pie completely to prevent freezer burn and odors from affecting its flavor.
Double Wrap for Protection: For extra protection, place the wrapped pumpkin pie inside a large resealable plastic freezer bag or wrap it again in aluminum foil. This provides an additional barrier against freezer burn and helps maintain the pie’s freshness.
Label and Date: Using a permanent marker, label the wrapped pie with the date it was frozen and any other relevant information, such as the type of pie and baking instructions.
Store in the Freezer: Place the wrapped and labeled pumpkin pie in the freezer, making sure it lies flat to maintain its shape. Avoid stacking items on top of the pie to prevent it from getting crushed.
Thaw Before Serving: When ready to enjoy the pumpkin pie, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. This gradual thawing process helps preserve the pie’s texture and flavor.
By following these simple steps, you can freeze pumpkin pie with confidence, ensuring that you have a delicious dessert ready to enjoy whenever the craving strikes.
How toMake Harvest Hearth Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- 9.75-in Deep Dish Pie Dish
- Parchment Paper or Foil
Ingredients
- 1 Shortcrust Pastry, or refrigerated pie crust
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (for brushing the edge of the crust before baking)
Light Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 15 ounces (425 grams) Roasted Pumpkin Puree, or 1 can pure pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or Kosher Sea Salt, finely ground
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs, room temp + lightly beaten
Dark Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 15 ounces (425 grams) Roasted Pumpkin Puree, or 1 can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup (180 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose white flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or Kosher Sea Salt, finely ground
- 2 large eggs, room temp + lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C
- Roll the pastry dough out if needed, loosely drape over a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan allowing the crust to nestle down into the dish. The excess dough is trimmed and then flute the edges by pinching with your fingers.
- Bake at 400°F/204°C for 15 minutes, transfer from the oven and lift the beans (or rice) out with the liner and return the shell back to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool, then proceed with your fillings.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°/218°C
Light Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Heat the pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until toasted and aromatic.
- Add 15 ounces of Roasted Pumpkin Puree and sea salt until thoroughly combined with the spices and heated through.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add the sweetened condensed milk and slightly beaten eggs and mix to combine.
Dark Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Heat the pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until toasted and aromatic.
- Add 15 ounces of Roasted Pumpkin Puree and sea salt until thoroughly combined with the spices and heated through.
- Now add the dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Stir until combined and sugar has melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then stir in the 2 lightly beaten eggs and mix till combined.
Assemble Punch of Pumpkin Pie
- Pour the Dark Pumpkin Pie Filling into the blind-baked pie shell.
- Now pour the light filling into the dark, use the tip of a knife to create a swirl pattern. Brush the edges of the pie shell with the beaten egg.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425°/218°C then REDUCE the temperature to 350°F/175°C and continue baking 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, cool. Garnish as desired and serve.
Notes
- Prep time is approximate.
- Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- To freeze Punch of Pumpkin Pie, allow the pie to cool completely. Wrap the pie tightly in layers of plastic wrap until it’s sealed. Then, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil for extra protection against freezer burn. Place on a level freezer shelf, and store up to a month.
- The day before serving, transfer from the freezer, unwrap, and defrost in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Thawing faster at room temperature causes condensation to form on the pie, and that moisture will absorb into the crust, making it soggy.
- If your pie has any dips or blemishes, remember that whipped cream makes for the perfect cover-up!
Creative Recipe Inspiration
Indulge in the delicate harmony of flavors with our Pear Almond Cream Cheese Tart. This elegant dessert features a buttery tart shell filled with a luscious almond cream cheese filling, delicately layered with ripe, juicy pear slices.
Indulge in a timeless autumn classic with our Caramel Apple Pie. This irresistible dessert boasts a flaky, golden crust brimming with a generous filling of tender, cinnamon-spiced apples, each slice enveloped in a luscious caramel sauce that oozes with every bite.
Step Into My Kitchen!
Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! Welcome to Mean Green Chef, where every dish tells a story and every recipe is a labor of love. I’m thrilled to share a bit about myself and the journey that led me here, stirring pots and sprinkling spices for over three decades!
So much pumpkin love in this recipe! Yum! I’ve got a pie pumpkin just waiting to roast too!
I’m getting ready to roast another Cinderella Pumpkin this morning, Kendra, so much fun creating with them! 🙂
this looks delicious! I will be trying later in the week!
Great, Yasmin! Be sure to share your results with us 🙂
Pumpkin pie is already delicious, but yours is absolutely beautiful AND delicious! That crust comes out perfect every single time. Thanks for sharing with us!
Thank you so much, Tamara! 🙂 The crust always comes out perfect, I swear it’s the easiest and best crust ever lol
What a gorgeous pumpkin pie! I love the crust.
Thanks so much, Erika! So glad that you like it 🙂
This looks lush, will have to give this a try!
Hope you do, Kay, thanks for stopping by to check it out! 🙂
Swirling the two fillings together like this is such a great idea. It has such a cool looking effect and I bet it tastes delicious. I think I’ll try this one out for Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, so glad that you like our recipe it bakes up beautifully! 🙂
The name of this pie totally draws me in and then the photos are just stunning. I am not sure who could dare cut into that gorgeous pie.
Thanks so much, Angela! I really appreciate the kind words 🙂
Beautiful pie and I love all your extra tips!
Thank you, Patrice, I’m glad that our tips are helpful too! 🙂
I have to try your recipe for pumpkin pie!! Looks so delicious and perfect:). You’re always making gorgeous recipes!!!
Awww thank you so much, Sonila!!! You totally made my day 😀
Just love your site and recipes. I have a pie pumpkin waiting to be made into lovely dishes and am savoring the idea of it for our Thanksgiving based on your guidance. I had no idea about straining the pumpkin puree and now will add that to my routine.
Thanks ever so much, Beth! So glad that you enjoy our site and more importantly learn new techniques to add to your ninja cooking skills! 🙂