How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie - from a Real Pumpkin, Not a Can! - Easily! With Step-by-step Directions, Photos, Ingredients, Recipe and Costs
Yield: 1 or 2 pies from 1 small pie pumpkin
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And if you want a unique and special pumpkin pie, try this pumpkin pie with a pecan topping - so good!
If you like this recipe, you'll probably also like my easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe, pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter, pumpkin soup and complete, easy directions to cook a Roast Turkey dinner, easy, tasty, healthy turkey gravy, applesauce, easy apple butter, cranberry sauce and cran-apple sauce. And if you have never canned or made jam, applesauce, apple butter, etc, before, never fear, it is easy with my canning directions. Don't forget to use see these Christmas tree farm pages to find a cut-your-own tree farm or fresh-cut farm or lot near you! They're loads of fun, often with Santa visits, sleigh rides or hayrides, sometimes even live reindeer and more.
Just have a Jack O Lantern? If all you have is a Jack O Lantern pumpkin (no pie pumpkin or butternut squash) then see this page for the recipe to make a pie from an ordinary carving pumpkin.
Directions for Making Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
Yield: It really depends on the size
of the pumpkin and the size of your pie plate. If you use a 6" pie
pumpkin and a full deep dish 9" pie plate, then it should fill that pie
to the brim and maybe have enough extra for either a small (4 inch) shallow pie
(or a crustless pie - see step 11).
Some people manage to make 2
full pies, especially if they use shallow pie plates and/or 8 inch pie
plates.
Ingredients and Equipment
Equipment
- A sharp, large serrated knife
- an ice cream scoop
- a large microwaveable bowl or large pot
- 1 large (10 inch) deep-dish pie plate and pie crust (Click here for illustrated pie crust instructions! they will open in a new window) - or two small pie plates (9 inch) and crusts (Metric: a 10 inch pie plate is a pie plate with a diameter of 25 cm, and a depth of almost 5 cm)
Ingredients
- a pie pumpkin (see step 1; you can use different types of pumpkin or even a butternut squash)
- 1 cup sugar (see step 10 for alternatives) (metric: 200 grams)
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon (metric: 3.8 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves (metric: 2 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice (metric: 2 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (metric: 1.25 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (metric: 20 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any)
- 4 large eggs - to reduce fat and cholesterol, you may use egg whites (like "Egg Beaters) instead, and vegans may want to use Ener-G (see this page for more information about egg substitutes)
- 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok... "sieved, cooked pumpkin") (metric: 0.7 litre)
- 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated
milk (I use the nonfat version) for best results. (metric: each can
is about .35 liter, or about a half liter total))
If you can't get canned evaporated milk, make your own from nonfat dried milk and make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box call for!
If you can't get nonfat dried milk, just use milk.
If you are lactose-intolerant, use lactose-free milk.
Note: if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice". It's not exactly the same, but it will do.
Note: If you can't get evaporated milk, you can substitute nonfat dried milk - make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box say to reconstitute it. It won't be the same as evaporated milk, but it ought to come close.
Recipe and Directions
Yield: One 9-inch deep dish pie or two 8-inch shallow pies
Step 1 - Get your pie pumpkin
"Pie pumpkins" are smaller, sweeter, less
grainy textured pumpkins than the usual jack-o-lantern types.
Grocery stores usually carry them in late September through December in
the U.S. In some parts of the country, they are also called sugar
pumpkins or even "cheese pumpkins". Go figure that one. Note: the Libby's can of cooked pumpkin is just there
for reference - it is the small can, so that gives you an idea of the size
of a typical pie pumpkin. They're only about 6 to 8 inches in diameter
(about 20 to 24 inches in circumference).
TIP: If you're in a pinch and can't find a pie pumpkin, here's a tip: butternut
squash taste almost the same! Commercial canned pumpkin is from a
variety of butternut, not true pumpkins! If you insist on using a regular Jack O'
Lantern type pumpkin, you may need to add about 25% more sugar and run the
cooked pumpkin through a blender or food processor to help smooth it out.
Just like selecting any squash, look for one that is firm, no bruises or soft spots, and a good orange color. One 6" pie pumpkin usually makes one 10 inch deep dish pie and a bit extra; or two 9 inch shallow pies! If you have extra goop, you can always pour it into greased baking pans and make a crustless mini pie with the excess (and the cooked pies do freeze well!)
If you live in the Far East (Thailand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, etc.) and cannot get a pumpkin or a butternut squash, I'm told that Japanese pumpkins make a great substitute. Just cube the meat into small cubes and steam them for 35 minutes. The rest of the preparation is the same and I'm told the taste is great.
Step 2 - Prepare the pumpkin for cooking
Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or
warm water, no soap.
Cut the pumpkin in half. A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best - a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you! A visitor suggests using a hand saw.
Step 3 - Scoop out the seeds...
And scrape the insides. You want to
get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface. I
find a heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
Note: SAVE THE SEEDS:
The seeds can be used either to plant pumpkins next year, or roasted to eat this year! Place them in a bowl of water and rub them between your hands. then pick out the orange buts (throw that away) and drain off the water. Spread them out on a clean towel or paper towel to dry and they're ready to save for next year's planting or roast. Click here for roasting instructions! (opens in a new window)
Step 4 - Cooking the pumpkin
There are several ways to cook the pumpkin; just choose use your preferred method. Most people have microwaves and a stove, so I'll describe both of those methods here. But others make good arguments in favor of using a pressure cooker or baking in the oven. At the end of this document, I’ve included alternative instructions to replace step 4, if you’d rather use a different method.Method 1 - Put it in a microwaveable bowl
Remove the stem, and put the pumpkin into a
microwaveable. You may need to cut the pumpkin further to make it fit.
The fewer the number of pieces, the easier it will to scoop out the cooked
pumpkin afterwards.
Put a couple of inches of water in the bowl, cover it, and put in the microwave.
Method 2 - Steam on the stovetop
You can also cook it on the stovetop; it takes about the same
length of time in a steamer (20 to 30 minutes). I use a double pot steamer, but you
could use an ordinary large pot with a steamer basket inside it!:

Method 3 - bake in the oven
I'm testing this one right now. Basically, you cut and scoop out the pumpkin as for the other methods, place it into a covered oven container, and bake at 350 F for 90 minutes or until soft.
Method 3 - Bake in the oven
You can also bake the prepared pumpkin in the oven, just like a butternut
squash. This method takes the longest. Just put the prepared pumpkin in an
ovenproof container (with a lid), and pop it in an 350 F (200 C) oven. It normally takes about 45
minutes to an hour and a half (it can vary a lot!); just test it periodically by sticking it with a fork to see
if it is soft!

Step 5 - Cook the pumpkin until soft
Either
way, cook for 15 minutes on high, check to see if
it is soft, then repeat in smaller increments of time until it is soft
enough to scoop the innards out. Normally it takes 20 or 30 minutes
in total.
Step 6 - Scoop out the cooked pumpkin
Whether
you cook the pumpkin on the stove, microwave, or even the oven, once it
is cooked until it is soft, it is easy to scoop out the guts with a broad, smooth spoon, (such as a
tablespoon). Use the spoon to gently lift and scoop the cooked pumpkin out of the skin.
It should separate easily an in fairly large chucks, if the pumpkin is
cooked enough.
Many
times the skin or rind will simply lift off with your fingers (see the
photo at left) . I'll bet you didn't realize making your own
pumpkin glop... err, "puree" was this easy!
Note: there are many varieties of pumpkin and some make better pies that other (due to sugar content, flavor, texture and water content. Drier, sweeter, fine-grained pies; the small (8" across) ones called "pie pumpkins" are best.
Watery pumpkin?
If your pumpkin puree has standing, free water, you may want to let it sit for 30 minutes and then pour off any free water. That will help prevent you pie from being too watery! Beyond, that, I have not found that the water makes a difference - I wouldn't be TOO concerned about it!
Tip on using the liquid: A visitor writes on November 26, 2009: "Any suggestions or use for the pumpkin juice left over after draining the cooked pumpkin? I keep thinking there must be some good use - maybe soup or in cookies or something?"
Yes! ! You can use it as a replacement for water, and in some cases, milk, in recipes, like soups, cookies, breads, muffins and even pancakes and waffles, where it adds a very nice flavor!
Tip from a visitor: "I make my own pumkin pies from scratch all the time. To eliminate watery pumpkin I strain my pureed pumpkin through a cloth overnight. If I use frozen pumpkin I do the same again as it thaws out. It works great and my pies cook beautifully."
Another visitor reported success using coffee filters in a sieve to drain out excess water.
Again, don't go to great lengths to remove water; the recipe accounts for the fact that fresh pumpkin is more watery than canned!
Step 7 - Puree the pumpkin
To
get a nice, smooth consistency, I use a Pillsbury hand blender. By
blending it, you give the pie a smooth, satiny texture; rather than the
rough graininess that is typical of cooked squashes.
A regular blender works, too (unless you made a few frozen daiquiris and drank them first..). Or a food processor or even just a hand mixer with time and patience.
With the hand blender, it just takes 2 or 3 minutes!
Another visitor says using a food mill, like a Foley Food Mill, with a fine screen, accomplishes the blending/pureeing very well, too!
Step
8 - Done with the pumpkin!
The pumpkin is now cooked and ready for the pie recipe. Get the frozen daiquiris out from step 7 and take a break! :)
Note: You may freeze the puree or pie filling to use it later! Just use a freezer bag or other container to exclude as much air as possible. It should last a year or more in a deep freezer On the other hand, you may NOT "can" it: See this page for the safety reasons why you shouldn't can it.)
Step 9 - Make the pie crust
Yes, I know there are ready-made pie crusts in the frozen section at the store, but they really are bland and doughy. A flaky crust is easy to make! Again, note that unless you use large, deep dish pie plates, you may have enough for 2 pies.
It is also time to start preheating the oven. Turn it on and set it to 425 F (210 C, for those in Europe)
Click here for illustrated pie crust
instructions!
(it will open in a new window)
Step 10 - Mix the pie contents
All the hard work is behind you! Here's
where it gets really easy. If you start with a fresh 8" pie pumpkin, you
will get about 3 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin. Th
e right amount of
ingredients for this is as follows:
- 1 cup sugar - or 1 cup Splenda, or 3/4 cup honey (honey may make a heavier pie, though)
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- one half teaspoon ground ginger
- one half teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any)
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok... "sieved, cooked pumpkin")
- 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk (I use the nonfat version) (note for those in France: evaporated milk in France is called "lait concentre'"; "lait evapore'" is powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (metric: 20 grams)
Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.
Note: You may substitute 2 tablespoons of "pumpkin pie spice" instead of the cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger. But I think you get better results with the separate spices.
Note: The vast majority of people tell me this is the best pumpkin pie they've ever had. It's light and fluffy - however... if you want a heavy, more dense pie, use 3 eggs instead of 4 and 1 can of evaporated milk instead of 1.5)
Step 11 - Pour into the pie crust
I like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right
up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.
Don't be surprised if the mixture is very runny! It may start as a soupy liquid, but it will firm up nicely in the oven! Note: the pie crust is brown because I used whole wheat flour! Tastes the same, but is healthier.
TIP: What do you do if you end up with more filling than will fit in your pie crust(s)? Easy! Of course, you can make another, smaller pie crust and fill a small pie pan... or just grease any baking dish, of a size that the extra filling will fill to a depth of about 2 inches (see the photo at right), and pour the extra filling in.. then bake it. It will be a crustless pumpkin pie that kids especially love!
TIP: You may want to cover the exposed edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning!
Step 12 - Bake the pie
Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then
turn the temperature down to 350 F ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to
60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out
clean.
Here is the finished pie, right out of the oven:
I use a blunt table knife to test
the pie. The one at left has already been stuck in the pie, and you
see it comes out pretty clean, when the pie is done.
Step 13 - Cool the pie
And enjoy!
Warm
or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all - it's great!
Alternative Cooking methods for step 4
If you don’t have a microwave, or prefer another method, try these:Stovetop steaming – Place your steaming basket or grid in the bottom of a large pot. Put enough water so it won’t boil dry in 20 minutes, and yet is not so high that the pumpkin is touching the water level. You may need to add more water during the cooking. Add the pumpkin prepared in step 3, and get the steamer going. The cooking time is only between 8 and 12 minutes, depending on the range (gas or electric), and the pumpkin literally falls off the skin.
Pressure cooker – Place your grid in the bottom of the pressure cooker. If your pressure cooker came with directions, follow those for pumpkin and/or winter squash, like butternut squash. If, like most people, you’ve long since lost the directions, try this: Add enough water to just touch the bottom of the grid or shelf that you will place the pumpkin on. Add the pumpkin prepared in step 3, put the lid with the gasket, the weight and anything else your cooker requires in place, and turn the heat on high. Once it starts hissing, turn it to medium or medium high. The cooking time should only be about 10 minutes, and the pumpkin should literally fall out of its skin.
Tips from Visitors
Making a pie with a Jack O' Lantern: A visitor writes on November 10, 2008: "I have a suggestion for those who want to use a jack o lantern pumpkin. My son was so happy when he went on his first field trip to the pumpkin patch. He made me promise to make pumpkin pies with his big giant pumpkin. I did just as you said baked it, put it in the frig over night. Then I put the pieces in a pot and cooked it until it was like mush added a big cinnamon stick and and the sugar boiled some of the water out and 4 great pies. Thank you for your recipe it worked wonder full!!!"Excess pumpkin goop? A visitor writes on November 30, 2009: "I love your pumpkin pie recipe! I've used it for two years now and the recipe is so dependable and thorough. One great way to use up the leftover pie filling is using it to make Pumpkin French Toast - it already had the eggs, milk, and spice. Just dip the bread in the filling and throw on the skillet. The toast goes great with a bit of melted butter, powdered sugar and some maple sugar! "
Covering the edges of the crust: A visitor writes on November 19, 2008: "After having lost my old beloved recipe, I tried this one and have to say this one is top notch! One tip that might help to pass on (especially to new pie makers) is to cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent the crust from burning. It really works and makes those yummy pie crusts as delicious as the rest of the pie!"
Mashing the cooked pumpkin: A visitor writes on November 26, 2008: "Hello, great site here. I tried your pumpkin pie recipe and it came out great. Just wanted to add my two cents on pumpkin pie making. After cooking the pumpkin and scooping it out, you can use a potato ricer to mash it. When you first put the pumpkin in ricer and squeeze the handles together you get a decent amount of water squeezed out first. Then I put the ricer over bowl and squeeze the pumpkin out. The ricer mashes and gets water out at same time. Plus, another good thing is that a lot of the fiberous strings in pumpkin gets trapped at bottom of the ricer cup and not in the pumpkin puree. I bought my potato ricer at bed bath and beyond for fifteen bucks, so its cheap too. Hope this helps."
Maple syrup instead of sugar: A visitor writes on December 08, 2009: "Really like your site wanted to comment on the sugar alternatives , we use maple syrup 1 cup boiled down for thickness adds great flavor. Thanks "
Baking tips:
A visitor writes on November 19, 2008: "I learned a trick about baking large squashes and pumpkins many years ago. I just poke a few holes in it, put it on a baking sheet whole, and bake it at around 325 degrees until the squash/pumpkin is tender. When it's cool, it's easy to cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and peel. It is also much less watery this way. This has always worked well for me. You do have to start a little earlier, though. Baking it this way and then letting it get cool enough to handle
A visitor writes on November 20, 2008: "I have made pumpkin pies from pumpkins for years and the best, most flavorful method is to cut in half, oil and roast, face down on high heat -- it carmelizes a bit, then I do drain it and boil down the water til it is thick and medium caramel color and add it to the puree -- adds a lot of flavor. yum :)"
Oven prep method: A visitor writes on November 26, 2008: "Another way to prep pumpkin that seems to get a consistent non-stringy finish regardless of pumpkin species: 1. Halve pumpkin and remove innards. 2. Place halves face-down on a greased cookie sheet. 3. Roast at 400 long enough for skins to visibly darken. 4. All species will come out firm, golden, and generally already separated from the shell. 5. Puree can be accomplished with a potato masher if desired. More watery pumpkins will drain and cook like pie pumpkins. Though messier in your oven, I have the best luck using a flat cookie sheet that allows the water to drain off and burn in the oven."
Starting with a frozen pumpkin: A visitor writes on November 27, 2008: "Just wanted to add to your ideas about making pumpkin pies out of fresh pumpkins. I was preparing to make my pies for Thanksgiving and realized I had forgot to buy pumpkin. I read your site about the different ways to make pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkin ~ and, having pumpkins on my front porch for fall decorations, I went and grabbed one to use only to discover it had been frozen solid! (Our temps had dropped to 7° a few days before.) I had no choice but to give it a try. As it started to thaw it became soft. Here's what I did: Cut out the stem, cut the whole thing in half, scooped out the seeds, peeled the halves - I actually cut those in half to make peeling easier - and cubed the remaining into little bitty pieces. I put it all in a large covered sauce pan and slowly cooked it. Once they got soft enough I took a potato masher to it and cooked some more. Worked GREAT! I'll put it in a blender before using, but it was easy! Just cook real slow so as not to burn or scorch. But the frozen pumpkin started the break-down process and made cooking them much quicker and simpler. Just thought it a good alternative if anyone was interested. Thanks for the great site!!"
What to do with extra pumpkin goop: A visitor writes on November 03, 2009: "I didn't read too carefully and only bought one 9 in pie crust, I had so much left over mixture! I quickly grabbed my muffin pans and those cute little paper inserts- I put approx 5-6 mini marshmallows in each one then filled 16 spots with the mixture. It was exactly the right amount of mixture. Let them sit for just a moment to allow the mellows to rise to the top (always add the mellows first because when pouring the mixture on top of them it coats the mellow to make the top brown in the oven much better) then finished filling them (the levels lower as the mellows rise). Baked at 350 for approx 30 minutes. They were GREAT and so easy to bring to work the following morning! as a side note - i have 2 more pumpkins and look forward to making more goodies in the coming week or so. I LOVE this site, its easy to follow and with all your pictures I know i'm doing things right. I DONT cook or bake on a regular basis. In fact, this was the very first pie i EVER attempted - homemade OR canned. Anyway, i think that the mini-pies are really great addition to those wishing to share the desert with co-workers or family members. no cutting or serving. also, the marshmellows add a little something! mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm good! ~J"
Using a "Cinderella" pumpkin - Be sure to drain the pumpkin very well before mashing it or putting it through the food processor. These pumpkins are very runny. It should be similar in consistency to canned pumpkin - otherwise the pies may not "set up" and be runny.
Pumpkins roasting over an open fire? A visitor writes on November 08, 2009: "I took another alternative to cooking my pumpkin... I wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it out in a bon fire... cooked it really well. Then let it chill in the night air, the next morning it was so easy to work with. It was great and very energy saving."
Using Japanese Pumpkins: A visitor writes I am in Hokkaido, Japan, and locally grown kabocha (Japanese pumpkins) are easy to come by. I gave your recipe a try and figured out the following things. Yes, they work very well! Kabocha are also naturally VERY sweet; you have to reduce the sugar a bit. One kabocha looks about the same size as one pie pumpkin, but kabocha have very thin shells. (At least, the ones in Hokkaido do.) So out of half a kabocha I got about two cups of "glop". The texture is naturally very smooth. It took me very little effort to get very smooth glop, even without a hand mixer or blender. My husband loved the pie. We hadn't had a good pumpkin pie in a long time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I would like to make your pumpkin pie from scratch for my family for Thanksgiving. What would be the best way to do this? Can I make a pie now and freeze it? Can I buy the small pumpkins now and hold on to them until the week before Thanksgiving and make the pie?
Yes, the cooked pumpkin pies freeze pretty well, but of course, everything's a little better fresh. Pie pumpkins keep very well in a cool basement or garage (between 40 F and 60F), and they'd certainly keep until Thanksgiving if they are in good shape now (no bruises or soft spots).
Q. I live in Europe, so I do not have all of the U.S. ingredients over here. I'm also not that clear on the measurement conversions for Example: 1 Cup = how many oz or grams (better for me) dry goods-flour and from oz to grams or liters for wet goods-cream? I was wondering if you would also possibly know substitutes for the following items: Allspice (cinnamon?), Evaporated milk (Lowfat Cream? But then not sweetened! Add more sugar?), Crisco Vegetable Shortening (Help - no idea!)
No problem! I lived and worked in Europe for 7 years, so I found a lot of good substitutions.
1 cup = 1/4 liter - about 250 ml
A visitor tells me that according to New Zealand's most trusted cookbook, Edmonds:
1 cup of Flour = 175 g (6 oz)1 cup of Sugar = 225 g (8 oz)
Evaporated milk is unsweetened milk that has the volume reduced by removing some of the water - it is sort of like concentrated milk - about 50% reduced, still quite watery. You could make your own by adding 100 ml (by volume) of instant dried milk to each 100 ml of regular lowfat (or skim or nonfat) milk.
Allspice is it's own spice! It is the dried, unripened fruit of a small evergreen tree, the Pimenta Dioica (typically grown in Jamaica). The fruit is a pea-sized berry which is sundried to a reddish-brown color. Pimento is called Allspice because its flavor suggests a blend of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. So you could make a blend of equal parts of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg instead.
Crisco shortening is a vegetable substitute for lard, and adds no flavor. You could use butter, margarine, or even (ugh!) lard, in place of it. If you are the UK, there is something called Trex vegetable fat in the refrigerated section of the supermarket near the butter. I'm told it a good substitute for Crisco.
Q. My 8 year old son grew some pumpkins this year, so I tried your pumpkin pie recipe. I following all the instructions and the only thing I didn't do was make my own pastry I used the frozen variety. Unfortunately the pie only partially set and was full of clear liquid at the bottom making the pastry base soggy. I don't know what I did wrong?
Most likely it was the variety of pumpkin you grew – some are more watery. The small (8 inches across) “pie” pumpkins like they sell in Kroger are best. Next year choose a variety to grow that says it is good for pies, such as “Connecticut Field” or “pie pumpkin”. Generally, these varieties are also more sweet, finer grained and less watery than Jack O Lantern pumpkins.
Easy solutions, if you must use a Jack O’ Lantern type pumpkin are to let the pumpkin pulp sit in the fridge for a few hours. The water will separate and can be poured off. Another solution is to add 2 more eggs to the recipe and also cook another 20 minutes longer to get a firmer set.
Q. Hi, I tried making a pumpkin pie yesterday with some fresh pumpkin. I was mostly successful at it. Then I went out today, and bought another pumpkin to puree and freeze for a later time. The second one, although it was also a sugar pumpkin was much harder to work with, and was extremely watery. I pureed it anyway, and figured I could strain it in a colander, but the holes were too big. Then tried sieving it, and it only took out some of the water. The consistency was still pretty thick, but for the future, how is the best way to extract the water? Why are some more watery than others?
It’s easier than you’d imagine! Just pour the cooked pumpkin, before pureeing, into a strainer or colander with a bowl underneath it, then set the bowl in the fridge overnight. Normally , quite a bit of water comes out.
There are many conditions that affect the water content of a given pumpkin: weather (rainfall, temperatures), soil conditions, the specific variety of pumpkin all affect it!
Feedback and Results
- A visitor writes on November 27, 2009: "I guess this is the place for this, and all I can say is yum, yum. I fixed the pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday using your recipe. It was so delicious and even better today when I wasn't so full! My hubby even commented on it being so runny before hand (I'm glad you specified that), but it firmed right up (also just like you said). You wrote about Alton Brown's suggestion. I try not to use Crisco or shortening so instead I used 3 tbs. (1/6 c.) coconut oil and 1/3 c. butter and the crust turned out flaky and fabulous! I also used a large can of evaporated milk and a small 5oz can because I didn't want to buy 2 big ones and not know what to do with the rest. I was an ounce short by the recipe but it was still fabulous. This will definitely be my go to pumpkin pie recipe! Thanks so much."
- A visitor writes on November 26, 2009: "Cooking in France - I hope this is the right place to comment on the (fantastic) pumpkin pie recipe; here goes anyways. I'm studying in France for a year and just wanted to leave some notes on doing the recipe in France for anyone who's interested. First of all, the pumpkins available here (potirons) are squat, ugly, brownish dirty things but the flesh is a wonderful orange color. You buy them pre-quartered; I bought a big one and it gave me 3 1/2 cups. I steamed it and that worked really well, but it's so thick I had to chop it into 8 sections. It ended up being pretty watery, so I tried to boil off just a bit of the water after I pureed it (using a stick blender) - baaad idea. Let's see: evaporated milk in France is called "lait concentre'"; "lait evapore'" is powder. Also, if you're going to buy a crust, you want "pate brisee", instead of "pate feuilletee" which is too flaky. That's it!"
- A visitor writes on November 26, 2009: "This is the first time I have EVER baked a pumpkin pie from scratch. I began my interest when I went to a farmers market to go shopping for a Halloween pumpkin. when I was there, the farmer had so m any different types of pumpkins, colors, shapes and varieties. The one I found most interesting was a blue pumpkin (actual color is greyish). The farmer told me those are the best for making pies so I just bought one...before looking at your site. I ended up with a quite large pumpkin that made 7 of the very best pumpkin pies me and my friends have EVER had EVER. Your recipe is so user friendly and very helpful especially when I came up with A LOT of extra mixture, I plan on using that to make a good sized crustless pie. Thank you so much!!!"
- A visitor writes on November 26, 2009: "I love your recipe for pumpkin pie from scratch. I have made it twice this year and had great results using 1/2 cup honey and balancing it with a little extra sugar. I've been told this is the best pumpkin pie ever. My only neutral feedback is that my pies seem to take a lot longer to set. I know ovens vary, but in most recipes, mine runs about typical. In this one, I find myself cooking at the higher temp for 15 minutes and then the lower temp for approximately 75 minutes.
- A visitor writes on November 21, 2009: "Hi! I am an American living and working in Yerevan, Armenia. True pumpkins aren't generally available here, and nor is canned pumpkin puree; however, there is plenty of butternut squash. Since you mentioned that most canned pumpkin puree is actually squash anyway, I thought I'd try your recipe with fresh butternuts. Let me tell you, it turned out wonderfully! I had to make a few adjustments for altitude -- Armenia is a very mountainous country, and even here in relatively lowland Yerevan, we are over 3,000 feet above sea level -- such as less sugar and lower oven temperatures. Also, I couldn't find any evaporated milk, so I had to use condensed...I was a little nervous about this part, but I went ahead and used about 1 and 1/4 can, and it was fine. Thanks for showing metric conversions on your recipe, by the way. You showed me how easy it is to make really fresh 'pumpkin' pie, and it was better than any from-the-can pies I've ever made in the past! I'll never go back!"
- A visitor writes on November 08, 2009: "This message is in regards to your homemade pumpkin pie recipe. I just wanted to say thank you for such easy to follow and thorough instructions! I am a college student and have never baked a pie IN MY LIFE. I am committed to eating as naturally as possible so making a pie from a real pumpkin was something I wanted to do to cook with seasonal plants, support local farmers, and make the most natural choices possible for my diet. It proved to be quite an adventure! I wouldn't have been able to do it without your instructions. It came out perfect on my second attempt (due to my own errors and need for perfection!) but trying again was so worth it!!! My pie--your recipe--was a huge hit among family, friends, and coworkers and I felt like I accomplished something :) Your recipe allows the pumpkin flavor to be the star of the show. Thanks again!!!"
- A visitor writes on November 02, 2009: "Dear Folks: I made two Pumpkin pies. I used light brown sugar instead of white sugar. I recommend you try it. It adds to the pie. I am going to make Pumpkin bread using it as well. Regards, Peter , (a 74 year old baking neophyte)"
- A visitor writes on November 01, 2009: "Thanks for your great pumpkin pie recipe! I just made 2 pies from a big pumpkin that we scooped out to make a lantern for hallowe'en, so I suppose that it was what you call a 'Jack O' Lantern'. I used someone's conversion of 'cups' into millilitres and grams so that I could make the pies. Anyway - fantastically delicious, and we are glad we got two of them. I used 'soft light brown sugar' because I love its taste and I also added about one quarter of a vanilla pod before blending it all. I also poured off the majority of the pumkin liquid after microwaving. Even so, it was incredibly runny before going in the oven, so I filled up the pie once I'd placed it in the oven. It came out and cut like a professional pie. Full marks for your recipe! "
- A visitor writes on October 26, 2009: "I found that your pumpkin pie recipe was perfect. My pumpkin yielded almost 4 cups of the pumpkin glob stuff. I also had forgotten to buy 2 cans of evaporated milk, so I used only one. It was still perfect. I don't think I could use canned pumpkin anymore."
- A visitor writes on October 25, 2009: "FABULOUS recipe! I can not tell you how great it was preparing a pumpkin pie from scratch. The cost was very low, the pumpkin cost $1.50 (USD) and I had everything else already in my kitchen. I even roasted the seeds (bar-b-que flavor, if you were wondering). This site it going into my favorites."
- A visitor writes on October 25, 2009: "Just wanted to thank you for the pumpkin pie recipe from scratch! Tried it today and my pies turned out wonderful! I added 4oz of softened cream cheese to the mix. I usually add cream cheese when using the canned pumpkin as well. Happy to report the "homemade" version is fabulous! My hubby and son are very pleased as well. "
- A visitor writes on October 22, 2009: "I don't know if I am sending this to the correct place but, I just wanted to tell you that your pumpkin pie recipe/instructions was amazing. My wife and I are a young couple and we are new to cooking (21 & 20 years old). We made it with a 6 inch pie pumpkin we purchased from here in Florida. It was so much fun and the 3 pies we made with it were all PERFECT! and it was so easy and fun. I had my 7 year old brother carving pumpkins at the same time and we all had a blast. I will be sure to bookmark/share your site with everyone I know. Anyone can bake or cook anything with your instruction!
- A visitor writes on October 18, 2009: "I tried your pumpkin pie recipe. It was awesome! I have to say, I was skeptical if the pie would "set", because it was so "soupy" as you said. I remembered you said it "will" set. And it did! I have to agree with you, it isn't as heavy as store bought pumpkin, and the taste is so much better. Thank you for having this page! I also tried the pumpkin bread and it was fabulous too! These recipes, I will use again and again!"
- A visitor writes on October 13, 2009: "Thank you so much for your pumpkin pie recipe. I just finished baking the first of two pies AND my first pumpkin pie from scratch!!! It turned out amazing and it was so very simple. I know what my daughter will be asking for every fall from now on.... :)"
- A visitor writes on October 11, 2009: "Thank you very much for the pumpkin pie recipe! I live in Spain and most classic American dishes have to be made from scratch. There is no such thing as canned pumpkin or ready made pie crusts. I made this recipe last year for Thanksgiving and my boyfriend's family loved it! I will be making it again this year. It was nice to have a taste of home on the other side of the Atlantic. Great job! "
- A visitor writes on October 04, 2009: "Hi! We just finished our first slice of your pumpkin pie recipe--incredible! A perfect way to bring in the fall. We liked it so much, we gave one to our neighbors since it yielded enough for two pies. I wanted to share that the pie pumpkin I choose only yield a little over 2 cups of pumpkin "mush" so I subbed plain applesauce since I had it on hand. The pie came out perfect and we couldn't tell applesauce had been added at all. Thanks for sharing such a fun and yummy recipe!"
- A visitor writes on September 29, 2009: "I used the recipe on this site to make pumpkin pie and it turned out completely glorious. Everyone is loving it. I've never made pumpkin pie before, let alone from scratch. I consider myself a fairly advanced baker when it comes to cakes etc. But I've made very few pies. These instructions were simple to understand and I had no issues at all. We were so pleased, but I have SO MUCH of the filling leftover! I filled my crust and made several little pie tarts in cup cake tins, but there's still about three cups of filling leftover.
- A visitor writes on September 21, 2009: "Thank you for posting that great pumpkin pie recipe. The first time I ever cooked a pumpkin or made a pie from scratch, and it was a success! My friend says it's the best she's ever tasted, and I must agree. Fabulous!"
- A visitor writes on September 20, 2009: "We had a bumper apple crop and I made pies. My 8 year old HATES apple pie so we promised her a pumpkin pie as well since my husband was running to the store. He returned with No canned pumpkin. We are fortunate enough to live across the street from a pumpkin farm and I sent him to Bonnie's to get a pie pumpkin and she was all out! She sent him home with a squash I'd never seen before! She called it a turban squash and told him it made better pies than pumpkins and to make it the same way. I was dubious. But I followed your scratch pumpkin pie recipe. It was a little less watery than a pumpkin and I used only one can of evaporated milk but it turned out beautifully and I may just be a turban squash convert! Thank you for helping me keep a promise!"
- A visitor writes on August 21, 2009: "Hello, So my 5 year old son asked last year about planting a garden in our backyard (3 acres)for this summer. I have never grown anything other than easy flowers from seed. This year on mother's day my gift from my son was tomato, watermelon, cantaloupe, corn, half runners and of course PUMPKIN seeds. With a little help from my neighbors I tilled the ground and we planted our seeds, never really expecting a whole lot of results because I am not a farmer. I was surprised and my son was so excited to see his seeds making a pretty good run. My pumpkins have done the best and I thought man I can't carve all of these pumpkins this year. So once again my son says "Mommy we can make pies!" I picked a few last week (August) and found your recipe. My husband even offered to help bake them. WOW! He cannot cook mac and cheese from a box. I have never even made pumpkin pies from a can before. I used 3 small pumpkins and made 6 pies out of them. I still was sitting here as they baked wondering how they were really going to taste. My first pie came out perfect and when we tasted it, it was better than any other pumpkin pie I tasted. Hubby and I told our son who helped make them what a good job he did. Of course we patted ourselves on our back as well. :) Thank you for providing this recipe I feel like Julia Childs right now. It was very easy to do ( a little time consuming) but a lot of fun to do with my hubby and our son. You are definitely book marked now. Off to make some pumpkin bread with my left over pie glop. Thanks A lot, Melinda Wolf"
- A visitor writes on October 10, 2008: "Just wanted to say i've been using this recipe for about 3 years now and everyone who tries it loves it. even the ones who claim to dislike pumpkin. My Mom is a chef and has her own recipe that she uses, but people still prefer my pie/your recipe. so just wanted to say to anyone searching the net for an easy to follow, delicious pie, look no further. Thanks."
- A visitor writes on October 18, 2008: "Your pumpkin pie recipe is awesome. People who had it last year loved it, and it was absolutely the best pumpkin pie I've ever had. I used a small Jack-O-Lantern last year, and this year I have a pie pumpkins. I'm looking forward to making it again, this time with the recommended produce, too! Simple stuff always tastes better. Thanks for this. It's a great site.
- A visitor writes on November 01, 2008: "I'm not sure if this is the right place to leave comments about your recipe, but here it goes. Yesterday for Halloween I tried making a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin. I had some trouble cooking it and it seemed like I just kept running into problems (of my own fault), but I was determined to make this pie! When I finally got all the ingredients together I thought I had ruined it! I knew you said it would be pretty soupy but I never thought it would be like that. Plus I had TONS of left over filling! Long story short though, when I finally brought the pie out of the oven I knew my hours of labor had been worth it! It was absolutely the BEST PUMPKIN PIE my family ever had. My father, who is quite health conscious by the way, finished off half of the pie by himself! It was totally worth it and I am so excited to make more for Thanksgiving. Plus I took your advice and with the extra pumpkin filling made pumpkin pie bars, which I'm sure will be gone in no time! Thank you so much for this recipe and the step by step instruction made all the difference in the world! Signed, A Very Satisfied First Timer"
- A visitor writes on November 04, 2008: "Coming from Argentina, I had never tried pumpkin pies before coming here. i LOVE THEM!!!!! I have been using your recipe for two years now and it is the ABSOLUTELY BEST PUMKING PIE EVER. Thanks for sharing it! "
- A visitor writes on November 20, 2008: "After pureeing my pumpkin, I put into a piece of cheesecloth folded in half, place the whole thing in a colander over a bowl or pot & leave it over night. Next day, there's not a watery drop in sight - just nice, firm pumpkin glop! "
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