The Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Award-winning creamy pumpkin pie recipe has a secret ingredient to make it extra special! This is the best pumpkin pie recipe and won the best pumpkin pie on the internet!

The BEST PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

I spent most of my life making the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of Libby’s pumpkin can.  It is a yummy recipe and produces a classic pumpkin pie. But it might just be a tad boring.  Most of my kids reach for any other pie but pumpkin so I set out to change it.

Last year, I made a simple perfect pumpkin pie using sweetened condensed milk. This year I decided to up the ante and really change up the classic pumpkin pie recipe. The result was pumpkin pie perfection.

Why you will love this Award Winning Pumpkin Pie:

• This isn’t your typical pumpkin pie recipe! Even people who say they don’t like pumpkin pie, actually love this pumpkin pie recipe. It is the secret ingredients that set it apart. It truly is the best pumpkin pie!
• You can make it ahead of time! Worried about preparing the entire Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day? You can make this pumpkin pie several days ahead of time and just keep it in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

This isn’t like the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can of pumpkin — it is BETTER!

So what makes this the best pumpkin pie recipe? Two ingredients — Cream Cheese and Butter. Instead of using evaporated canned milk, we add cream cheese and butter. Why have I not thought of this before? The creamy cheese and butter add a touch of rich creaminess to the pumpkin pie.

The cream cheese and butter also soften the strong pumpkin flavor. It is still a perfectly pumpkin flavored pie but is much creamier than the original. When paired with a buttery flaky pie crust and fresh whipped cream, it is the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert.

• Canned Pumpkin — use your favorite pure pumpkin puree. You want to use just pure pumpkin and NOT the pumpkin pie mix.
• Cream Cheese — this cream cheese makes the pumpkin pie so perfectly creamy. Use full-fat cream cheese and make sure it is softened to mix more easily with the pumpkin.
• Butter — this adds so much warmth and flavor to the pie and pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.
• Vanilla Extract — use a good-quality pure vanilla extract in this recipe.
• Eggs — this recipe calls for large eggs.
• Powdered Sugar — helps to create a smooth, silky texture while sweetening the pumpkin. If you want it less sweet, you can reduce the amount of powdered sugar.
• Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Salt — these spices bring out the warm flavors of the pumpkin.
• All Butter Pie Crust — this homemade pie crust recipe is so simple, using only 4 ingredients but is flaky and delicious.

How to make the Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

1. Start off by making the pie crust. I suggest making my homemade butter pie crust recipe. If you make it in a food processor, it is even easier! Roll out the pie dough and press into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Flute the edges. Cover and place in the refrigerator or freezer while making the filling.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add pumpkin and whip for another 5 minutes.
3. Add melted butter (make sure it isn’t too hot!) and vanilla and mix for 1 minute longer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and mix all together.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour the pie filling into the deep dish pie crust and place the pie plate on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and then LOWER the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 42-48 minutes. Watch the crust carefully to make sure it isn’t becoming too brown. Cover the pie with foil to prevent browning.
7. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour and then chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
8. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

How do I know when the pumpkin pie is done baking?

The pumpkin pie will slightly jiggle in the center of the pie. It needs to cool to room temperature and then be refrigerated. It needs time to cool at room temperature or it will sink in the middle if placed straight from the oven to the refrigerator. When it is chilled, it will set-up and become firmer.

How to avoid cracks in a pumpkin pie?

This is a popular question about how to keep your pumpkin pie from cracking. I will share some tips on how to avoid cracks.

Preventing cracks in a pumpkin pie recipe largely revolves around controlling the baking process:

1. Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can cause cracks. The edges of the pie should be set, but the center can still be slightly wobbly when you take it out. It will continue to cook as it cools.
2. Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes: Rapid changes in temperature can cause cracking. After baking, let the pie cool slowly on a wire rack.
3. Shield Edges: Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a pie shield for the first part of the baking to prevent them from overbrowning.

FAQ’s about pumpkin pie:

This Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe actually just won 1st Place in the Pumpkin Pie Bake-Off competition — Pumpkin Pie Bake-Off.  What a fun surprise!

This receives rave reviews every year from people who say that it is the ONLY Pumpkin Pie Recipe they will ever make again. It is that good. This is the best pumpkin pie with a tender, flaky crust and perfectly spiced pumpkin filling

My son, Carson, who will NOT even touch pumpkin pie, is in hog heaven with this pie.

What pie crust should I use?

The best pumpkin pie recipe starts with a homemade all-butter pie crust.  Click here for the recipe. I include step-by-step instructions on how to make butter pie crust. I use a deep-dish pie pan for this recipe since there is plenty of filling.

There’s nothing like homemade whipped cream. It begins with heavy whipped cream, whipped until soft peaks form. Powdered sugar is added to sweeten it.

Popular Pumpkin Recipes:

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Mini Pumpkin Pie Bites

Pumpkin Praline Butter Dump Cake

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Find the recipe for the Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe here:

Click the links below for more pie recipes:
Caramel Apple Pie
White Chocolate Macadamia Chocolate Ganache Pie
Double Chocolate Marble Pie
The BEST Pumpkin Pie 
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Sweet Cherry Pie
Traditional Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Caramel Banana Cream Pie

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Happy Baking, my friends! Find all of Modern Honey Thanksgiving Recipes on www.modernhoney.com/thanksgiving.