A truly great pumpkin pie recipe has to nail three things: a silky, well-spiced filling, a crust that’s flaky yet tender, and the kind of irresistible appeal that earns its place on an already crowded Thanksgiving dessert table. This one delivers on all fronts. As one reader put it, “I don’t think there are enough words in the English vocabulary to describe just how wonderful this homemade pumpkin pie is.”
Here are the key takeaways: 1.) Sweetened condensed milk gives the custard a rich, velvety texture. 2.) Using individual spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves—as opposed to a pre-made mix lets you fine-tune the flavor to your liking. 3.) Canned pumpkin purée (it’s Libby’s for us) delivers consistent texture and pure pumpkin flavor; we wouldn’t be caught at Thanksgiving without a couple of cans. 4.) A jiggle is your sign of success. The filling bakes gently in a flaky blind-baked crust until just set and ever-so-slightly wobbly in the center—it’ll firm up as the pie cools, yielding a creamy, custardy slice that needs nothing more than a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Tips for the best pumpkin pie
- Start with a cold crust. Chill your rolled and shaped pie shell before blind-baking to help maintain those defined crimps and maximize the flaky layers.
- Use canned pumpkin, not pie filling. Unsweetened pumpkin purée gives you control over sweetness and spice.
- Customize your spice blend. Prefer more ginger or a touch less nutmeg? Adjust to taste—that’s the advantage of skipping store-bought pumpkin spice mix.
- Mind the bake. Pull the pie from the oven when the center still jiggles slightly—overbaking can lead to a stiff, dry filling and unsightly cracks.
- Attack the crack. If your pie does develop fissures as it cools, don’t worry. Just pile whipped cream all over the top and remember: You always intended to serve it that way.
- Make ahead. Pumpkin pie tastes even better the next day. Bake, cool completely, then wrap and chill up to 24 hours before serving.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours (plus 4 hours 30 minutes for chilling)
Yield
Makes one 9" pie
Ingredients
1
3
1
⅓
1
¾
½
¼
¼
2
⅔
⅓
2
2
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out 1 disk Perfect Pie Crust on a lightly floured work surface to a 14" round. Transfer to a 9" pie dish. Pick up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish, letting excess dough hang over dish. Trim, leaving about a 1" overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch and crimp. Chill 30 minutes.
Step 2
Line dough with parchment paper or foil, leaving some overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edges and just beginning to brown, 25–35 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights and reduce oven temperature to 350°. Lightly beat 1 large egg, room temperature, in a small bowl just to blend, then brush over inside of crust (not the crimped edges) and continue to bake until crust is set and beginning to lightly brown in the center, 10–15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Do Ahead: Crust can be baked 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and store at room temperature.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly beat 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, and remaining 2 large eggs, room temperature, in a clean small bowl just to blend. Whisk ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, and ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg in a large bowl until no clumps remain. Add egg mixture, 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin purée, ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk, ⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Bake pie until edges are set and slightly puffed but center is recessed and wobbles like Jell-O, 60–75 minutes (it will continue to set after baking). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 3 hours before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.
Do Ahead: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and chill. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can also freeze pumpkin pie up to 3 months in advance.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in November 2016 as part of BA’s Best, a collection of our essential recipes; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts →