Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use condensed milk or evaporated milk in pumpkin pie? ›

As the name suggests, sweetened condensed milk makes the pie sweeter and gives it a denser, creamier texture. Evaporated milk, on the other hand, yields a lighter, airier result. Evaporated milk isn't sweetened either, which is why you can't simply swap one thickener for the other.

The pie is generally flavored with pumpkin pie spice, a blend that includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. The pie is usually prepared with canned pumpkin, but fresh-cooked pumpkin can be used.

A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Sugar Baby Pumpkin

Also known as Sugar Pie pumpkins, these thin-skinned squash are smaller (4-8 lbs.) and have a sweet, dense flesh with a fine-grained, smooth texture. The cooked flesh is a bit drier, which makes a great pie filling.

Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.

Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.

These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other.

To complement pumpkin with sweet flavor pairings, consider using spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, or sweet ingredients like chocolate, maple, honey, cranberries or brown sugar. Create savory dishes by pairing pumpkin with spices like chilies, cajun, cayenne or pepper.

Yes, the actual pumpkin in the dish is quite healthy, but the butter and flour in the crust as well as the cream and sugar needed for the filling add a good dose of saturated fat and calories. But a healthy pumpkin pie is possible!

Pumpkin Pie Problem 1: No Pumpkin Taste

Look for pumpkins labeled "sugar pumpkin" or "baking pumpkin." The pumpkins typically used for jack-o'-lanterns are stringy, watery, and bland. If you can't find straight-up pumpkin, kabocha squash or even butternut squash can make a good substitute.

If you'd rather have flaky layers, par-bake the crust and let it cool before adding the filling. But don't dock it (docking is aerating the crust before baking by poking it with the tines of a fork). This will cause the custard to seep out into the bottom crust, defeating that whole "flaky" thing you were going for.

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

for pumpkin pie when the filling still ripples in the center. the pie is underbaked and the filling won't completely set up. when the center of the pie wobble slightly it will continue to bake.

Pick a winner at the pumpkin patch

Make sure it has no cracks, splits or soft spots that are a sign of rot. Gently press a fingernail into the rind. If you can easily push through the surface, the pumpkin was probably picked too early and will rot. A mature pumpkin will not easily scratch.

Before baking or cooking, mix the pumpkin with any spices or flavorings called for in the recipe. For example, if you're making a simple pumpkin pie, mix the filling ingredients and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before filling the pie shell and baking. This works for savory recipes, too.

You may have heard that the purée in your canned pumpkin isn't the gourd you think it is. No matter, it still makes a delicious Thanksgiving pie. For our latest taste test, we tried nine varieties of canned pumpkin and determined the best for pie to be what America has trusted for years: Libby's.

The main distinction is the addition of sugar in condensed milk, which yields a different texture and flavor profile. As Leal explains: "Evaporated milk offers creaminess without sweetness and is suitable for savory dishes and some desserts.

Although it may be tempting, because of the added sugar, you should generally avoid substituting sweetened condensed milk in any recipe that calls for evaporated. If you don't have evaporated milk available, it's possible to substitute a cup of light cream, or you can make your own.

Evaporated milk and condensed milk are both shelf-stable canned milks that are easily found at most grocery stores. The main difference is that condensed milk is very sweet, and evaporated milk is unsweetened.

Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.