Google+

Life Currents

Celebrating a love of food with tasty recipes

Navigation

This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously!

by 100 Comments

Share

I highly recommend that you take a little extra time for the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie this year and make this one. Heck, make two; it’s that good! This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously! Take a look at the comments below or on Pinterest to see how other people love this pie!

Post contains affiliate links, which if you click on them and buy something, I earn a little money, and it doesn’t cost you any extra.

 

This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously! A nice slice of Pumpkin pie on a plate with whipped cream, and the rest of the pie in the background

Reviews!

Read the comments below for reviews of this Great Pumpkin Pie.

Also, take a look at Pinterest, for more reviews.

I’m so happy to have helped so many people find a great pumpkin pie that they can be proud of!

This is the Best Pumpkin Pie ever! Seriously! Life Currents thanksgiving fall autumn dessert traditional

Pumpkin Pie is my favorite kind of pie. This one may be more work, but it’s worth it!

Best Ever Pumpkin Pie

Ok, I’ve made many a pumpkin pie in my life. After all, it’s my husband’s favorite pie. Homemade pumpkin pie is so good and so easy to make. Just stir it all together, pour it in the crust, and throw it in the oven. (seriously, you can make a much better one than you can buy, and it isn’t much work at all!) And, when America’s Test Kitchen said this one was better than the rest I had my doubts. In fact, I didn’t even want it to be better than the rest because it’s more work.

What? You have to pre-cook the filling? And then you have to strain it? What? I’m not going to all that work when I’m sure it tastes just like all the rest.

Well, let me say that I’ve been wrong before, and it happened again here. This is simply the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. Creamy. Pumpkin-y. Custardy. Sturdy without being heavy. Good balance of spice. But, I do have to disagree with them on one matter: pre-baked crust. Both the husband and I love the pie soaked crust. So I don’t pre-bake.

This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously!

This is the Best Pumpkin Pie ever! Seriously! Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com thanksgiving fall autumn dessert traditional

Amazon affiliate links for things I suggest in the recipe:

More info on America’s Test Kitchen
canned pumpkin puree
canned candied yams
instant-read thermometer
regular canned yams

Other amazing holiday desserts that your whole family will love. Click on the picture for the recipe:

My Favorite Pecan Pie

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert. Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust. All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it's like heaven on a plate!

No-Bake Blonde Chocolate Ganache Tart is rich and creamy, elegant, and easy to make. No baking required.

This is the Best Pumpkin Pie ever! Seriously! Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com

This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously!

Print

The Best Pumpkin Pie

I highly recommend that you take a little extra time for the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie this year and make this one. Heck, make two; it's that good! This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin pie, the best
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Debi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can*
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
  • 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and place rimmed baking sheet on the rack.
  2. Whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl, and set aside.
  3. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Re-whisk mixture.
  5. Place pie crust in pie plate and carefully place plate on the preheated baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pie crust, and bake for 10 minutes at 400° F. Without taking the pie out of the oven, reduce the heat to 300° F, and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175° F), 20 to 35 minutes longer. The center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly; the pie finishes cooking with residual heat.
  6. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature and not in the refrigerator to ensure that the filling sets, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Makes one 9-inch pie
Cook’s Notes: If candied yams are unavailable, regular canned yams can be substituted.

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen


This is the best Pumpkin Pie ever, seriously! Make your own this Thanksgiving and Christmas, you'll be happy you did!
Share

Comments

  1. Hello Debi,
    One of my favourites is pumpkin pie and I always make mine from scratch. I have never put yams in it though. This does sound good. Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

  6. I love your pictures and recipes. We would love
    to invite you to register with foodepix.com and upload your pictures.

    Hope to see you there. 🙂

  7. Just finish cooking the pies for this years Thanksgiving and once again I used this amazing recipe. This has to be one of my favorite Pumpkin Pie recipes, it does requires a little more work but it is well worth it for the final product. The yams and maple syrup made the pie a bit sweeter and enhanced the pumpkin flavor. While the cooking temperature really made for a lighter and creamy texture. One trick I tried this year was to use a blender or a food processor instead of the strainer to thoroughly mix and remove any lumps in the filling. Great post thanks.

  8. I seem to have a lot of filling leftover. Can I freeze this and re-use at another time? Or do you have suggestions on what to do with the extra filling?

  9. When I have extra filling, I usually pour it into small oven proof ceramic dishes and bake them along with the pie. They will not take as long as the pie, so check them about 10-20 mintues before the pie is done. Now you have pumpkin custards (and, I love to top them with some sour cream). Actually, this is my favorite way to each pumpkin pie… As a custard with no crust but with sour cream.

  10. I tried this recipe for Thanksgiving. I was unsure as to whether or not to drain the excess liquid from the candied yams or use it, so I used it. The pie ended up not setting up perfectly and took about 15 minutes longer to bake. I think next time, I won’t use the extra liquid. Regardless, this pie was absolutely beautiful – it almost looked fake (I’m big on presentation when it comes to baking so this was a big bonus for me :), and the flavor was the best of any pumpkin pie I’ve ever tried, and I LOVE pumpkin pie. It was so rich and creamy! Definitly worth the extra fuss. Thanks for sharing.

  11. Thank you so much for the comment and the feedback! This is what makes doing the blog worth it. And, thanks for the clarification on the yams (drained or not). I’ll go back and clarify the recipe that it should be the drained solids only. Thanks!!!!! 🙂

  14. This pie sounds delicious and I’d love to try making it this Thanksgiving. Just to clarify, after you put the pie crust in the plate, do you immediately add the filling and bake as directed (10 min at 400 degrees and 20-35 min at 300 degrees)? Or do you bake the crust alone 10 min, then add the filling and bake 20-35 min at 400? Lastly, should the pie be baked the whole time on the lowest rack? Thanks so much!

  15. Let me know how you like it. I’ll be making it for T-day as well. Personally, I like the pie soaked crust, so I don’t pre-bake the crust. America’s Test Kitchen said the crust should be pre-baked. So, I guess it’s personal preference, but I think it’s easier and tastier to NOT pre-bake the crust. So, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes – this sort of sears the pie. Then turn the heat down to 300 and continue baking at 400 degrees for 20-35 minutes longer. I think I’ll add a little more detail to the recipe. Thanks for the question on that. And, yep, bake the pie on the lowest rack the whole time. Once the pie is in the oven, no need to take it out until it’s done.

  16. I was in search of the best pumpkin pie recipe for my first try, and boy, did I find a winner! The flavor and silky smoothness of the pie is just wonderful. My husband and children loved it! My husband even declared the pie to be better than his great-grandmother’s, and she was an amazing cook/baker. Thank you so much!

  17. Debbie, you are very welcome! I’m so happy it was a hit! 🙂 And, than YOU for taking the time to write me such a wonderful comment; you made my day! 🙂 🙂

  18. I love pumpkin pie! I make it all throughout the year. I think mine is amazing, but I love the way this calls for the yams. I’m making it soon. I can’t wait. Thank you. 🙂

  22. Debi,

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I have a very small oven though – do you think it would be alright to bake without the cookie sheet underneath??

    Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

  23. It would be fine. I always bake with a sheet under because I’ve had the filling bubble over on several pies. It saves me from having to clean the oven. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!!! 🙂

  24. I really dislike pumpkin pie. I want to like it, but it’s just too….well, pumpkiny. This year, we’re hosting my in-laws for Thanksgiving and I let my father-in-law choose what pie I’d make. You guessed it- pumpkin! I found this recipe and just got the pie in the oven. I have already eaten all of what didn’t make it through the strainer! I can’t believe how much I love it!!! I’m so glad I won’t have to choke down gross pie tomorrow… THANK YOU!!!

  25. First off, you totally just made my day!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this to me and let me know. This is why I write a blog. This is why I love to share. So, thank you. Thank you. And, happy Thanksgiving to you and to your father-in-law! 🙂

  26. I just made this but it took nearly an hour and half to be done in the middle…and then I woke up this morning and the entire middle is all cracked! I kept checking the temp and watching it so I’m doubtful that I overcooked it but maybe? Any idea?

  27. This pie was extraordinary! I have a deep-dish ceramic pie pan and the filling was the perfect amount to come all the way to the top. Texture was, as promised, creamy, smooth, velvety. I cut the white sugar to 1/2 C, since I used candied yams, but the maple syrup I use is grade B for rich flavor. I also adore cloves, so I added an additional 1/4 t. of ground cloves. This is my official Thanksgiving pie from now on!!

  28. I’d guess that it was overcooked. You want to wait for it to be just slightly undercooked (The center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly) because the heat stays in the pie and it actually finishes setting up while it rests on the counter. And, I’ve always believed that some cracks in the top are ok, because, really it’s all about how the pie tastes, no one cares if it’s cracked. 🙂

  40. I think it would be fine to use homemade puree rather than canned. I’ve made many pumpkin pies with fresh puree, and the puree seems about the same. If your puree is a little watery (as I’ve seen some homemade ones), I’d say you’ll want to drain it a bit until it’s thick like the canned stuff. This really is a great pie! I can’t wait to make it for Thanksgiving this year!

  41. All of the cans of candied yams are full of corn syrup, which I am trying to avoid. However, I did find some organic pureed sweet potato (not candied) do you think this would work? Thanks

  42. Yvonne, yes, I think sweet potato puree would work as well. Also, regular canned yams can be substituted; I’ve seen cans of organic canned yams at the store as well. Happy Thanksgiving!

  46. Wow. This pie came out amazing. It tastes smooth and creamy and delicious. And it looks beautiful too! Thank you!!!!!

  47. Made this pie for Thanksgiving. I did not like it. Way to sweet and I even cut back in the sugar also,way to creamy. Not like traditional pumpkin pie. It does have good flavor However, taste like a creme brulee in a pie than a traditional pumpkin pie. On the search for a better pie.

  49. I’m in charge of bringing pies this year to the family Thanksgiving dinner. My husbands favorite pie is pumpkin. I’m going to try this and see what he thinks. Question: if I only have 1% milk is that ok or should I go buy whole milk? Thank you!

  50. Kristen, honestly, I’d love to say use 1% (cause it’ll save calories and fat), but in reality the added creaminess of the whole milk will make it much better. It’ll help it have a good mouth-feel and help it set up. So, I’d recommend sticking with the whole milk. Thanks for the comment. You’re gonna love this pie!

  51. I notice the spice amount are what’s different between this recipe and the one on America’s Test Kitchen. Did you test both and like it with less spice? What is the reason for the adjustment? Which recipe should I prepare? Thanks.

  52. Laura, the spice amounts are what they had on their recipe when I posted this back in 2011. Seems they must have updated theirs to have more spice. I like the spice balance in this version, and have never tried their new updated version. I’d be curious what they are calling for now, if you want to add a comment as to what they have in their updated recipe I’d love to read it. I usually like a fairly spiced pumpkin pie, but if they call for more than this amount, I guess I’d be a little concerned that it would be too much spice. Go with what you and your family like best, spicy or not so much spicy. Personally, I’ll stick with the amounts of spice I have listed here, as I really liked the balance of flavors.

  53. Thanks Debi! They are now calling for 2 tsp. of ginger which I thought was way too much. I wasn’t happy with how the other pumpkin pie recipe on their site came out – way too much spice. Many thanks! I will try the recipe you have posted here!

  55. Hello! I am going to give this a try for my first pie this thanksgiving. Do you think that I can use half and half in place of heavy cream? And 2% milk in place of whole? I thought i’d ask since i’m already buying those ingredients for other recipes and would love to save some money.

    Thank yo!

  56. Hi Lea, with most recipes I think it’s fine to use 1/2 & 1/2 or 2% in place of those higher fat milks, however, in this recipe, part of the great flavor and feeling of the pie comes from those slightly higher fat dairy ingredients. While I think it would work, it may not set up as firmly, and it won’t be quite as rich. So, I guess I’d say that I recommend using the dairy called for in the recipe, but if that means you won’t make the pie (due to all those things you’ll have to buy at the store), then go with the lower fat dairy. That being said, if you do try it with the substitutions, please let me know, as I have gotten this question before. I think after Thanksgiving this year I’ll have to make a test version with the lower fat dairy and post the results. Thanks for the question!

  58. Mariz, I think it would work great that way. I often have a little filling leftover after filling the crust, and bake it up in custard dishes. You’ll just want to shorten the baking time. Keep an eye on it, as the muffin tins will mean short work of the baking time. I’d guess about 20 minutes total, but that’s just a guess. Happy Thanksgiving!

  59. This pie looks amazing! Unfortunately I don’t any yams at home and do not have the time to go out and get some. Would this be a big issue? Should I add more pumpkin instead? Thank you!

  60. Angela, I’ve never tried it without the yams, so I’m only guessing. It would definitely change the flavor, and probably the texture, but I suspect that you could mimic it by replacing the yams with pumpkin puree. It’s a 15 ounce drained can, so I think you’d want to use 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree. If you do try it, please let me know how it comes out. Thanks!

  64. Trena, a deep dish pie shell would be better as there’s lots of filling.But I have made it many times with a regular pie shell and taken the leftover filling and baked it up in custard ramekins (just bake for less time so they don’t over cook).

  65. This is an amazing pie! A treasure I plan on making frequently! Thank you it’s so different and so worth the effort!

  66. Hi Debi! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving:) I have two questions for you..I was wondering if this mixture could be stored in Mason jars for a couple days prior to baking? Also would you suggest adding the mixture to a frozen or partially thawed pie crust? Thanks Debi..looks amazing by all the comments and interest:) Erin

  67. Hi Erin, and happy Canadian Thanksgiving to you as well! I think the mixture could be made ahead, though I’ve never tried it. I think it’s a great idea. I have noticed that pumpkin goes bad quickly once opened, so no more than 2 days ahead, I’d guess. And, for the crust, I’d thaw it. I would be afraid it might not bake up correctly if it were frozen. Enjoy!

  68. Holy Great Pumpkin!!! This is seriously the best pumpkin pie, EVER! The maple syrup is such a natural shoe-in to make this recipe a blue ribbon winner; fantastic job with this one!

  70. Debi, Debi, Debi! I have never had the chance to try your infamous pumpkin pie, and am so glad you posted it with that incredible video…go Dan! I am having knee surgery Friday and am not in charge of Thanksgiving cooking at my house this year (oy!!), but I am sending your recipe to my daughter hoping she will make it for us!! I will also share it around for you! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! xoxo

  71. Oh Linda, you are so sweet. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be sending you happy healing thoughts on Friday and through your recovery. I know that you and your family will have a wonderful Thanksgiving together. Thanks for the kind words on my pie and the video!

  72. Hey Debi,

    I have made it last thanksgiving and it was incredible, “it was my first homemade pumpkin pie!” My boys and I loved it so much that I’m making one tomorrow for thanksgiving, it’s like a tradition now thanks to you…

    Blessings

  73. Oh my, thanks so much for leaving this comment. I’ve been busy in the kitchen all day cooking and this simply makes my day! Happy Thanksgiving to you! And happy holidays!

  74. Follow-up! Debi, we absolutely adored your pie! Hubbie and daughter followed your step by step directions seamlessly. We used Wholly Wholesome’s whole wheat crusts and had enough filling to make 2 pies. Everyone loved it…a new holiday dessert staple! Thank you my sweet friend and have a wonderful holiday season! xoxolinda

  75. want to make pumpkin pie even better replace about I/4 of the cream with Baileys Irish Creme

  77. Unfortunately, I did not have the same result as some many of you did with this pumpkin pie recipe when I made it at thanksgiving for my family of pumpkin pie enthusiasts. I personally do not like pumpkin pie, and this recipe did not change my tastes, so I am sharing the reactions from family members. Their complaints centered on texture and lack of taste. After showing the recipe to them, they thought maybe less liquid and more of each seasoning would have helped.
    I have been stripped of my pumpkin pie duties for future gatherings! Back to my tried and true Apple pie! 🙂

  78. Cath, it sounds to me like you may not have cooked the filling long enough on the stove top to get all the water out. And, I’m always surprised by the number of people who don’t like pumpkin pie. Happy Thanksgiving.

Trackbacks

  4. […] rolls, but this year I’m giving these a try instead. With a big smear of honey butter.. -Pumpkin Pie via Life Currents, originally from America’s Test Kitchen I’ve completely forgotten what recipe I used for pumpkin pie last year, so I’ve found a […]

  20. […] She still loves coconut, so I make her coconut desserts fairly often. This pie was actually a request for Christmas Brunch from my husband. I dare say that Coconut Custard is one of his favorite desserts. Perhaps that and Pumpkin Pie. […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Find my Privacy Policy Here

annoucement picture Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Tasty Query - recipes search engine

Share
%d bloggers like this: