The Best Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe

If you are looking for the BEST Homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe, look no further! Seriously, throw away any other recipe that you have and save this one.

Ok, if you have your Grandma’s handwritten pie recipe, keep it. But put it in a frame and hang it as a keepsake or have it transcribed onto a cutting board or kitchen towel and put it on display.

Because once you try this recipe it will become your favorite pumpkin pie of all time! It is smooth, silky, creamy and absolutely mouth-watering delicious!

So what makes this pie so great? It is a combination of the perfect ratio of ingredients in addition to some simple baking techniques.

Although it has taken me years to perfect this recipe, the flavor and texture of the filling is what makes this pie so delicious. In fact, it is so good that around the holidays, when time is short, I skip making my Easy Homemade Pie Crust and put it in a store bought pie crust instead.

And I promise you, you won’t even notice the difference!

The Best Homemade Pumpkin Pie

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, diced
• 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée or homemade pumpkin puree*
• 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1 pie crust, chilled

*Although I do make our own Homemade Pumpkin Puree from pie pumpkins, I actually prefer the store-bought cans when making pumpkin pie.

The canned variety tastes a little milder and the flavor is more consistent than homemade pumpkin puree. In fact, it might surprise you that those cans of pure pumpkin puree aren’t actually made from pie pumpkins.

Instead, they are made from winter squash. Therefore, when I make homemade pumpkin puree I freeze it in one cup portions to use in smoothies, cheesecakes, cookies, and donuts.

Although be cautious when you head to the grocery. You must be sure to purchase 100% Pumpkin Puree and NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling.

The two products are not interchangeable, even in this homemade pumpkin pie recipe. Pumpkin pie filling contains additives including sugar and spices.

Although you can make a pie from the filling by following the instructions on the back of the label, the pie tastes better when you add your own sugar and spices to this recipe. Then once you have your filling ready it is time to pour it into a pie crust.

The Pie Crust

As mentioned above, around the holidays I don’t make my own pie crust. Sure I have in the past and I do when time allows.

However, there is already enough to do around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and making a homemade pie crust doesn’t always get the priority.

Instead, I use a good-quality refrigerator pie crust. I prefer the rolled, refrigerator pie crust that is found near the canned biscuits and crescent rolls at the grocery store.

And this is one time that I will splurge and purchase the name brand pie crust. However, no matter what brand you use, the key is to keep the crust chilled until you are ready to use it.

Otherwise, it will become too soft and it will be difficult to manipulate.

INSTRUCTIONS

Now that you have the ingredients, it is time to make the best homemade pumpkin pie that you have ever had. And as mentioned above, it all starts with the filling.

Start by placing two large eggs and 1 additional egg yolk in a large bowl. Whisk until well incorporated.

Then add the granulated and brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice to the eggs. Although I have tried various ratios of white to brown sugar, I have found that the ratio listed in the recipe below produces the best results.

The Surprise Ingredient In Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Next add the surprise ingredient, lemon zest. Lemon zest actually enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

However, be sure to finely chop the zest so that you don’t get large pieces or see the zest throughout the filling.

I use a fine mesh zester to make easy work of the process. This tool eliminates the need to chop the zest as it is already super fine when it comes off the lemon peel.

Mix the zest with the egg mixture. Then add in the pumpkin puree and evaporated milk. Mix one final time and set aside.

And for those who think that lemon zest shouldn’t be in pumpkin pie, it’s okay. You can simply eliminate it, but my family and friends prefer the taste of the pumpkin pie when lemon zest is added.

Prepare The Pan

Spray a 9 inch pie pan with non-stick spray. Carefully place the pie crust into the pan and gently push the crust into the bottom and sides.

Crimp the top crust into the desired shape. Do this by placing your index finger behind the pie crust and use your thumb and index finger of the opposite hand to crimp the dough in place.

Continue to work your way around the edge until the crust is completely shaped. Then prick the bottom of the crust with a fork in several areas.

Pricking the bottom of the pie dough with a fork is called docking. The purpose of this step is to help air escape during the baking process, preventing large bubbles from forming in the bottom crust.

*For a crisp, golden brown crust, place the crust in a preheated oven set at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and let it cool.

If you prefer a softer crust use a glass pie plate and skip pre-baking the pie crust in the oven. The crust will be softer but will still hold together when served.

Once the crust is prepared and ready, pour the homemade pumpkin pie filling into the crust. Spread the filling evenly across the surface, being sure the filling touches the edges of the crust.

Baking Instructions

Before placing the pie in the oven, there is one thing that you can do to prevent the top of the pie from cracking.

Place a baking pan filled with water on the bottom rack of your oven. The extra moisture during the baking process will keep the pumpkin pie filling nice and smooth on top.

Now place the pie in the preheated oven. You can do this directly on the middle rack of the oven or place the pie pan on a baking sheet.

After 15 minutes of baking, reduce the oven temperature and continue to bake for an additional 45-55 minutes.

Halfway through the baking time, apply a pie shield or foil around the crust to prevent it from browning too much.

When To Take The Pie Out Of The Oven

So how do you know when the pie is baked perfectly? The first test is to slightly jiggle the pie pan.

If the center of the pumpkin pie jiggles, it needs more time to bake. However, if only the very middle of the pie (the size no larger than a dime) jiggles slightly, the pie is ready to come out of the oven.

Place the pumpkin pie on a cooling rack and let it completely cool for at least 2 hours.

Once it cooks, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

As always, feel free to email us at thefarm@owgarden.com with comments, questions, or to simply say hello! You can sign up for our free email list in the subscribe now box in the middle of this article. Follow us on Facebook here : OWG Facebook. This article may contain affiliate links.