Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

Food, of course, is a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday and we think it’s fascinating to hear how different people celebrate. We thought we’d share with you our families’ plans and a couple of our holiday recipes including my grandmother’s Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Elizabeth made this pumpkin pie and took these beautiful pictures. I promise this pumpkin pie is not as hard as people make it out to be. And boy is it yummy!

I use my favorite easy homemade pie crust recipe to the pumpkin pie crust. This is the only item I make for Thanksgiving because we each contribute a different dish.

So I have time to make the crust. You may not have the time or the desire to. A store bought pie crust will save you time and works well with this pumpkin pie recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Recipe

• It’s easy! You mix everything in one bowl, pour it into the crust, and bake. It’s truly super simple to make.
• It’s a family recipe my grandmother adapted from the one on the Libby’s pumpkin can label many years ago. It has an extra egg, so it’s more of a pumpkin custard than a typical pumpkin pie.
• It’s a simple, make-ahead dessert, which feels like a gift on a busy holiday. Use your favorite homemade pie crust or a store-bought one if you’re short on time. Both work well.
• The leftovers! I always make two pies so I can enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving.

Ingredients to Make Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

• Pie crust: You need one 9″ unbaked pie crust. You can follow Elizabeth’s step-by-step instructions to make it or you can buy a premade one like Marie Calendar’s pie crust.
• Large eggs: The eggs give the pumpkin pie structure. And the addition of another egg makes the pie more like a custard than traditional pumpkin pie.
• Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree which Elizabeth uses to make her spiced pumpkin bread and pumpkin steamed pudding. Be sure to pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling which is already sweetened and flavored with spices.
• Granulated sugar sweetens the pie filling and adds to texture and moisture of the pie.
• Table salt enhances the flavor of the pumpkin and the cinnamon in the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Elizabeth likes to use table salt (Morton’s Iodized salt) when baking because it dissolves easily.
• Cinnamon: If your cinnamon is more than six months old, consider replacing it, because its flavor begins to fade and cinnamon is the only spice in this pie.
• Evaporated milk lends itself to making the filling rich and creamy adding to the smooth custard-like texture.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie

If you’re looking for pictures of pumpkin pie before you bake, here’s exactly what this one looks like at every stage, from the unbaked pie shell to the finished pie after its full hour in the oven.

Slightly beat the eggs and then add the rest of the ingredients to a mixing bowl in the order listed on the recipe.

Mix or whisk until combined. Pour into a frozen pie crust (store bought or this easy homemade pie crust).

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° and cook for another 45 minutes or until knife inserted into pie comes out clean. If the crust is getting too brown, you can cover with aluminum foil or pie making ring. Cool on a cooling rack.

Serving suggestions

I serve Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie with freshly whipped cream (made in my stand mixer) with a little powdered sugar added to it. I always make 2 pies so that there are leftovers. The best part of Thanksgiving for me is enjoying a slice of pumpkin pie with a cup of coffee for breakfast on the morning after Thanksgiving.

This pie also fits right in with your other favorites. Make it alongside corn pudding for the main meal, and add a batch of molasses spice cookies to round out the dessert table.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Tradition

Growing up, my grandmother and mother were the pie makers. They were applauded for making their own pie crust that I always thought was beautiful, flakey and the best part of the pie.

As an adult, I wanted to learn to make homemade pie crust, as it seemed like an important skill to have in my family and, honestly, I was quite impressed by the accolades they received. When I was young, my grandmother and mother made pie crust using shortening.

In the last 10 years, I have started to make it with butter and I use Mark Bittman’s recipe from my favorite cookbook How to Cook Everything. He suggests mixing the butter and flour in the food processor, which makes it amazingly quick and easy to make the pie crust.

This Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe I make was adapted by my grandmother from the recipe for Libby’s Pumpkin pie on the label of the can from many, many years ago. The pumpkin pie is more of a pumpkin custard than typical pumpkin pies, with an additional egg added to the recipe.

Our North Carolina Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, for the last several years, my family of 5 and my mother join my sister’s family at their house that’s a short 45 minute drive away. The focus of the day is for the 5 young cousins to be together and hopefully for the adults to not work too hard.

Each adult typically has a job of making one or two food items for the Thanksgiving meal. My sister makes corn pudding and a green vegetable, like roasted brussel sprouts.

My brother-in-law often makes an amazing apple and sausage stuffing and a new and different dessert each year. My mother makes a cranberry orange salad and brings rolls that are often the hit of the grandchildren.

My husband makes the turkey and has perfected the process using Alton Brown’s recipe for brining a turkey. (One year, my husband decided to make a beef tenderloin rather than a turkey and we are still hearing about this travesty from the 12 and under crowd.) I make the pumpkin pies.

I wouldn’t say the adults in our family are particularly fans of tradition, but this division of labor seems to work for us. The meal choices were mostly driven by what the individual members think must be present at the Thanksgiving meal. My husband is the one that says there must be pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving every year.

Thanksgiving Day Traditions

Thanksgiving Day means different things to different people. Some families have traditions that are very important to them to continue each year.

Other people may not have specific plans or may choose to spend the day with a small or large group of friends.  For some, it brings excitement and for others it can be a difficult day.

Elizabeth will be posting her Pumpkin Steamed Pudding recipe in the next day or so. And later in the week, we’ll be posting about essential self-care during this upcoming holiday weekend. Stay tuned.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie FAQs

What is the very best pumpkin pie recipe?

The best one is usually the simplest one, and this is the pumpkin pie my family has made for generations. It’s just seven ingredients, fifteen minutes of prep, an hour in the oven, eight servings, and it works just as well with a store-bought crust as a homemade one.

Why did my pumpkin pie crack?

Cracks usually mean the pie cooked a bit too long. The filling continues to bake even once you take it out of the oven. Start checking the pie 5-10 minutes before the baking time suggests since all ovens vary. Give the sheet pan it’s on just a tiny little jiggle and if the center still looks liquid, give the pie a few more minutes in the oven and check it again.

You can also check it by inserting a knife or tooth pick into the center. They’ll come out clean when the pie is done. There’s no need to worry if your pie does crack. It will still taste great and you can hide the crack with whipped cream.

Why is my pumpkin pie runny?

The most likely reason is the pie needs to bake longer. Another reason could be if you used fresh, steamed pumpkin instead of canned. I recommend using canned pumpkin puree because fresh pumpkin can result in an odd texture.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon?

Yes, you can make this swap if you’d like a pie with more spiced flavor. (We have not tried this swap ourselves).

How do I store pumpkin pie?

Once the pie has cooled completely, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 to 4 days. I take the pie out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before serving, but I don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.

What’s the secret to a good pumpkin pie?

Be sure to beat you eggs a bit before mixing the filling to ensure it’s smooth. Or if you add all the ingredients at once, whisk until smooth. And keep a close eye on the pie during the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time to prevent over baking.

• 

  Mashed Potatoes (Easy)

• 

  How to Make Easy, Homemade All-Butter Pie Crust

• 

  The Best Easter Basket Ideas for Toddlers to Teens