Who wants the Best Pumpkin Pie recipe baked in a Pumpkin Spice Pie Crust! After-all, we wait all year for this rich pumpkin custard and its exotic spices.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
This Pumpkin Pie Recipe is on steroids, simply because the Pumpkin Pie spice blend, which is in the custard and in the crust, is homemade.
The homemade pie crust has pumpkin pie spice in it, as does the freshly roasted pumpkin filling; yummy enough to eat as a custard.
Put it all together, with a pressed pie crust on top, and you have the Best Pumpkin Pie recipe on the planet!
Pumpkins
As the bright round happy warm sun of summer beings to wane, thank goodness it is fast replaced with that big round happy orange ball of the Pumpkin!
If it weren’t for the exotic aroma of Pumpkin Spice, making it’s annual debut every September, I would probably cry my way through the winter!
Autumn and Pumpkins
Pumpkin Pie has become a classic American Autumn dessert.
All those warm spices that fill the kitchen with aromas we have now come to think of as Autumn, have found their way into every candle, potpourri and house scent for the months that follow summer.
Just for the fun of it, I started pumpkin seeds in our greenhouse during the dead of winter.
Imagine my surprise when those little pumpkin seeds turned into enormous trailing plants that were in a big hurry to be transplanted outside as soon as possible.
Thankful For Pumpkin Farmers
That is when things went awry.
A designated area to grow a few pumpkins, quickly turned into a massive jungle of meandering vines that seemed to double in size overnight.
It reminded me of the film Jumanji!
By September I was so excited at the possibilities growing in my yard, until it was time to harvest the pumpkins.
I found only six or so pumpkins worth picking. Grrrrrr.
Never again! I have a whole new respect for pumpkin farmers.
Pumpkin Everything
From pies to candles, coffee to seltzers and the bright orange balls popping up everywhere, trying to get your mind off the sun that is soon to grow cold.
I had to ask myself, what is it exactly, that inspires a new sense of wonder and celebration each September.
Oh sure, since the day I had my first child, to this day with several grandchildren, a trip to a local farm or farmer’s market with the kids to pick their favorite pumpkin.
But why? Pumpkins seem somehow, not only a special occasion excursion to a pumpkin patch, and totally a photo op, but there’s something more to it than the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Spice Lure
Perhaps its the aromatherapy that wafts at every corner, luring me to sniff, helps ease the loss of my beloved summer.
Even those Cinderella white pumpkins, which look like whitewashed pumpkins, are catching my attention.
Is it because next to a mound of colorless pumpkins, is often a pumpkin candle burning, tricking the memory of my senses as it smells the spice we associate with pumpkin.
Let’s be honest, we definitely have a passion for that addictive Fall Flavor!
Pumpkin Passion
Quite honestly, I am not sure why Pumpkin became the infamous holiday dessert instead of using sweet potatoes.
In my opinion, sweet potatoes have so much more natural flavor for a pie.
Pumpkin, that gorgeous summer squash, has very little flavor on its own, at least for a dessert.
Therefore, I give every ounce of attention to every aspect of bringing flavor to a pumpkin pie.
Good Better And BEST Pumpkin Pie Recipes
So many pumpkin pie recipes rely on tons of sugar (like, 2 cups, yuk), store bought canned pumpkin, store bought pumpkin pie spice, and maybe some rum or something to get your mind off the fact that there is little to no flavor to the pumpkin.
The custard aspect of pumpkin pie, is a yummy custard sitting on top of a pastry, with a spice blend in both pastry and custard to elevated every aspect of flavor.
Buy a beautiful, small pumpkin, roast it, using the meat of the pumpkin for your baking recipes.
Since we only do this once a year, why not make it a tradition to visit a farmers market or pumpkin patch to pick your own!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend is what we rely most on to make that pumpkin sing! Because, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg are probably already in your pantry, why not mix the blend yourself.
If you really want fantastic flavor, try adding a little fresh ginger and orange rinds to the pumpkin recipe, along with pumpkin spice powder blend.
DIY Pumpkin Spice Blend
Usually, in store bought pumpkin pie spice blend, you will find ginger and orange rinds, but they are dried.
So why not grate both the orange rind and fresh ginger yourself right there in that yummy Pumpkin Pie filling!
The second reason to make your own spice blend, is because it is way more cost effective.
Making your own spice blend, assures you that you can have it whenever you want it!
Pumpkin Pie Crust
What’s a great pumpkin pie without Pumpkin Pie Spice Pie Crust!
Without a fabulous pie crust, this would just be a custard with some dough!
So why not make the most amazing pie crust, even go so far as to put the pumpkin pie spices right there in the crust too!
And while we’re at it, since most pumpkin pies are an open pie, why not use the scraps from the pie crust, roll them out, press pretty shapes, and place it on top of the pie!
Individual Pumpkin Pies or Tarts
For large gatherings or just baking for two, I find making individual size pies or tarts is the smart way to go.
Your not left with a messy pie pan to wrap and keep for later.
Easier also, to freeze the small portions for another time.
Also, for a large gathering, it feels special for each guest to get their own little mini pumpkin pie.
Do Ahead Pie Crust
My motto for pie making has always been; if you’re making pie crust, why not make plenty, fill lots of small tart pans with the pie crust, and tuck them in the freezer.
Most efficient and cost effective way to go about this, is with Ball Mason Jar Lids, That’s right, just the lids, which make the perfect individual size mini pies, and are easy to pop the pie out of the form.
Certainly the use of individual ceramic pie or tart baking dishes look lovely to serve in, but we many not have a large collection of them.
Definitely for small dinner parties, a few ceramic baking dishes solve the decision of what to serve the pie on, but for a larger gathering, the jar lid technique allows us to serve many on pretty platters.
More Pumpkin Recipes To Love – Both Sweet And Savory
While living in Brazil, a few years ago, I was surprised that no one made desserts or breads out of pumpkin.
Usually pumpkins were treated as a squash, a vegetable in most Brazilian recipes, which makes sense since pumpkin has the mild taste of other types of squash.
However, a pumpkin is actually a fruit and not a vegetable, so why not treat it as both in a variety of recipes!
- Spicy Pumpkin Hummus with Chili Oil – Spicy Pumpkin Hummus with Chili Oil is an Autumn twist on a classic Mediterranean hummus recipe with fresh pumpkin and the heat of chili oil.
- Pumpkin Pita – Pumpkin Pita Bread Recipe, is an elevated pita bread made with fresh pumpkin and walnut oil; a spectacular dipping bread for favorite Autumn Eats!
- Maple Pumpkin Bread – Quick Maple Pumpkin Bread – Winning Recipe On PBS, with all the spice flavors of Autumn, in loaf or individual muffins, for your pumpkin passions.
- Keto Chocolate Pumpkin Bread – Keto Chocolate Pumpkin Bread, a vitamin rich pumpkin bread with almond flour and drizzled with stevia infused chocolate.
- Pumpkin Ganache Spiced Cake – This pumpkin ganache spiced cake is rich with Guinness, molasses and spices, a pumpkin ganache and a cardamom foam.
- Pumpkin Seed Cake – Caramelized pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, sweetened with dates makes it an autumn celebration must have.
- Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms – Beautifully delicate Pumpkin Blossoms, Stuffed with an egg, sage and cheese filling are gently Sautéed, not fried!
- Fesenjan – Fesenjan Chicken Walnut Stew is a flavor rich Persian stew, made with walnut and pomegranate sauce, often pumpkin with other exotic spices.
Ingredients Needed
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Butter
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Water
- Pumpkin Puree
- Molasses
- Cream
Equipment Needed
- Mason jar lids – for individual pies or pie dish
- Food processor or standup mixer
- Rolling pin
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Cookie or Biscuit press or shot glass – for the small crust topping
- Baking sheet pan
- Oven
Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe With Pumpkin Spice Crust
Equipment
- 9" Pie pan or 6 individual tart tins
- Rolling Pin
- 4" Biscuit cutter if making tart size pies
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter cold
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour more for dusting
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg lightly whipped
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin spice homemade
- 1 tbsp Cold Water as needed
- Pumpkin Filling
- 2 cups Pumpkin Puree fresh pumpkin puree baked and pureed from real pumpkin or canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Molasses or maple syrup
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Heavy Cream sweetened condensed milk or coconut cream can be used
- 1 1/2 tbsp Pumpkin pie spice homemade from individual spices
- 1 tsp Orange zest
- 1/2 tsp Fresh ginger grated the secret ingredient for extra zing
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Pumpkin Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven temperature to 400Place parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. Choose to use either a 9-inch pie pan for a traditional pumpkin pie or wide-mouth Mason jar lids for individual easy pumpkin pies to serve on a platter.
- Place butter, flour, sugar, salt and spice in the food processor and pulse a few times. Pour in the pre-whisked egg and turn the machine back on until a ball is formed. If dry, add a little cold water at a time. If too wet, add a little flour at a time until a ball is formed.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and with a rolling pin, roll out the pie shell to fit the pie dish or individual tart pans. Carefully transfer the uncooked crust to the pie dish. The best way to do this is to the roll the dough around the rolling pin, and then unroll it over the pie plate. If using individual tart pans, you will simply press out rounds in the dough with a biscuit cutter, the size of the tart tins. Place each round of dough into the tins and shape into place.
- Once the dough is in the pie dish or tart tins, crimp the edges and with a fork lightly prick the bottom of the crust. Set aside any extra dough to make cutouts on top of the pie. Crust is now ready to fill.
- Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Whisk the eggs with sugar. Add pumpkin and molasses and whisk well. Sprinkle the spice, zest, ginger and salt on top and whisk again. Slowly pour in the cream while whisking.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust or tart crusts, taking care not to put too much filling in, about 3/4 the way up.
- Transfer the pie dish or tart pans onto the prepared sheet pan. Place in the oven for just 10-minutes. Now is the time to roll out the extra dough, if you are choosing to place dough cutouts on top.
- After 10-minutes, turn down the oven to 325, take the pie out to place dough cutouts on top, place back in the oven and continue to bake until the custard is firm and shows signs of beginning to form little cracks in the custard. The time will vary, depending on the pan, about 40-minutes for a deep dish pie plate and about 18-minutes for the small tart size pies.
- If you are not placing an added dough cut out on top of the pie, a simple and luscious dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice will be delicious too.
Video
Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe With Pumpkin Spice Crust
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
