Pumpkin Pie · Classic
Silky Classic Pumpkin Pie
A smooth, warmly spiced pumpkin custard in a buttery single crust. It's the pie the holidays expect, and it's best made the day before.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 6 hr 25 min
- Serves
- one 9-inch pie
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- Single crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling ≈ 156 g
Swaps for all-purpose flour
Instead of all-purpose flour
- Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: The same amount, a blend that includes xanthan gum. A little grittier and more crumbly, browns faster and dries out sooner.
- Bread flour: The same amount. More gluten: chewier cookies and bread, tougher cakes.
- Whole wheat flour: Up to half of the flour. Nuttier, darker and denser.
All 4 swaps for all-purpose flour
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Swaps for granulated sugar
Instead of sugar
- Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
- Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
- Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.
- ½ cup unsalted butter, very cold, cubed ≈ 113 g
Swaps for unsalted butter
Instead of butter
- Salted butter: The same amount, with about ¼ tsp less salt per stick (½ cup) elsewhere in the recipe. Nothing noticeable once you cut the salt.
- Plant-based butter sticks: The same amount. The closest swap.
- Refined coconut oil: The same amount: solid when the butter is soft or cold, melted when it is melted. It is all fat, so bakes are a bit more tender and rich, with no butter flavor.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
- Filling
- 1 can pumpkin puree, 15 oz, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed ≈ 165 g
Swaps for light brown sugar
Instead of brown sugar
- White sugar + molasses: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (light) or 2 tbsp (dark). The same as store-bought.
- White sugar: The same amount. Crisper, paler cookies with less caramel flavor.
- Light and dark brown sugar: The same amount, either way. Dark brown sugar tastes stronger and makes bakes a bit darker and moister.
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Swaps for ground cinnamon
Instead of cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice: The same amount. Mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves: a little spicier.
- Ground allspice or nutmeg: About ¼ the amount. Much stronger and different, but warm in the same way.
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
Swaps for ground ginger
Instead of ginger
- Fresh ginger: 1 tbsp grated fresh for each ¼ tsp ground. Brighter and spicier.
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Swaps for ground nutmeg
Instead of nutmeg
- Ground mace: A little less. Made from the same fruit; slightly sharper.
- Pumpkin pie spice or allspice: The same amount. Warmer and more cinnamon-forward.
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
- 2 large eggs
Swaps for eggs
Instead of eggs
- Flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Binds well but gives less lift, so bakes are a little denser and flatter, with a mild nutty taste and brown flecks.
- Chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Works like a flax egg: good binding, little lift, slightly denser crumb.
- Unsweetened applesauce: ¼ cup for each egg. Moister and denser, with a soft, slightly gummy crumb if you swap more than one egg.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Swaps for vanilla extract
Instead of vanilla extract
- Vanilla bean paste: The same amount. Stronger, with visible vanilla seeds.
- Vanilla bean: The seeds of 1 bean for each 1 tbsp extract. A deeper, floral flavor and visible seeds.
- Alcohol-free vanilla: The same amount. Made with glycerin; a slightly milder taste.
Weights from USDA FoodData Central cup weights. Counted things (eggs, cloves, cans) stay as counts, and salt stays in spoons: kosher and flaky salts weigh very differently by brand.
Different pan? Written for 9-inch pie plate; rescale the amounts for an 8x8, 9x13, round, loaf or sheet pan.
Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.
Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.
Steps
- Make the crust:⏱ Chill dough: 45 minthe flour, salt and sugar, then
whisk (how to whisk)
Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoidthe cold butter with a pastry blender until pea-sized. Toss in ice water with a fork until a squeezed handful holds together. Form a disk, wrap and chill.cut in (how to cut in butter)
Cut in butter Break cold butter into the flour in small pieces, for flaky biscuits, scones and pie crust. 1. Cut very cold butter into ½ inch cubes and toss them in the flour.2. Press down through the butter with a pastry blender, two knives or a fork.3. Keep cutting and tossing so the bits stay coated.4. Stop while you still see butter. Done when: The mix looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces of butter left; those make the flakes. How to cut butter into flour: mistakes to avoid - Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower third.425°F
- Roll the dough on a floured counter into a 12-inch circle and ease it into a 9-inch pie dish. Fold the overhang under andthe edge. Chill the crust while you make the filling.
crimp (how to crimp)
Crimp Press the edge of a pie crust or pastry into a pattern that seals it and looks finished. 1. Trim the dough to about a 1 inch overhang and fold it under so it sits on the rim.2. For a fork crimp, press the tines into the edge all the way around.3. For a fluted edge, push the dough between the thumb and finger of one hand with a finger of the other.4. Chill the crust for 20 minutes so the edge holds its shape in the oven. Done when: The edge is sealed all the way around and stands up a little above the rim. How to crimp a pie crust: mistakes to avoid - In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and yolk, then the evaporated milk and vanilla until completely blended.
- Set the pie dish on a sheet pan and pour in the filling. Bake at 425°F (220°C) to set the crust.425°F⏱ Bake hot: 15 min
- Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly, like gelatin, when you nudge the pan. The center should read about 175°F on a thermometer.350°F⏱ Bake: 40 min
- Cool on a rack for 2 hours. The center finishes setting as it cools.⏱ Cool: 2 hr
- Refrigerate the pie until cold before slicing for the cleanest cuts.⏱ Chill: 2 hr
Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.
Tips
- Short on time? A store-bought refrigerated crust works great here.
- Cracks usually mean overbaking. Pull the pie while the center still wobbles a little.
- Pumpkin pie is a custard, so refrigerate it within 2 hours of baking.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.
Make ahead
Bake a day ahead and refrigerate. Let it sit out 30 minutes before serving if you like it less cold.
How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: pumpkin (September to November).
Quick answers
- Can I make it ahead?
Bake a day ahead and refrigerate. Let it sit out 30 minutes before serving if you like it less cold.
- What can I swap?
- Instead of all-purpose flour: Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
- Instead of sugar: Brown sugar, the same amount, packed.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 1,510 kJ
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugars
- 27 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Saturated fat
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 290 mg
Whole recipe, 8 servings: about 2,850 calories.
Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 16 of 16 ingredients.
How we estimate
We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 8 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.
Estimated cost
About $0.70 a serving
About $5.70 for the recipe as written (8 servings).
Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 8 of 16 ingredients, 98% by weight.
How we estimate
Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.
- pumpkin puree $2.45 ERS
- evaporated milk $1.10 ERS
- unsalted butter $1.00 BLS
- light brown sugar $0.60 ERS
- eggs $0.40 BLS
- all-purpose flour $0.20 BLS
- granulated sugar $0.05 BLS
Free: ice water (tap water).
Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): kosher salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, egg yolk, vanilla extract.
More dishes for less: cheap eats.
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Gear for this recipe
- See price on Amazon: 9-inch pie dish (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Rolling pin (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Pastry blender (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Nesting mixing bowls (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Balloon whisk (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Measuring cups and spoons (opens Amazon)
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- See price on Amazon: Half sheet pan (opens Amazon)
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See price on Amazon: Instant-read thermometer (opens Amazon)
Instant-read thermometer nice to have
175°F in the center means the custard is set.
Suggested: ThermoWorks
- See price on Amazon: Wire cooling rack (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Brands are suggestions; any similar item works.
Cleanup score 3/5 (some cleanup): 3 things to wash, pie dish, sheet pan, mixing bowl.
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