Are you searching for the ultimate, iconic dessert to be the star of your holiday table? A magnificent, from-scratch pumpkin pie so perfect, so packed with a silky-smooth, custardy filling and warm spices, all nestled in a shatteringly flaky crust, it will become the stuff of family legend? This incredible, Classic Pumpkin Pie is that perfect recipe. We’re talking the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, made better, with a filling that sets up beautifully every single time without a single crack in sight.
This isn’t just another pie recipe; it’s your definitive guide to mastering an American classic. Forget the watery fillings, cracked tops, and soggy bottoms of years past. We’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless, all-butter-and-shortening crust and a rich, foolproof filling that slices like a dream. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive dessert that is destined to be the highlight of your feast.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “No-Soggy-Bottom” Pumpkin Pie
What makes this Pumpkin Pie so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its perfect combination of textures. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic American baking, elevated with a few brilliant techniques. The foundation is a classic, from-scratch all-butter-and-shortening pie crust, which bakes up unbelievably flaky and tender. The real magic, however, is in the two-stage baking process. The crust is first fully blind-baked to a golden-brown crisp, creating a waterproof barrier. This is the foolproof secret to a pie that holds its shape beautifully and has a perfectly crisp bottom crust. The filling is a classic, rich, and custardy blend of pure pumpkin, heavy cream, and eggs, warmed with a traditional spice blend.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 4 hours (includes chilling & cooling) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 8 slices |
The Baker’s Orchard: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, classic ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.
- The Flaky Pie Crust:
- Butter & Shortening: The secret to the ultimate pie crust is using a combination of fats! Butter provides an incredible, rich flavor, while vegetable shortening is the key to a wonderfully tender and flaky texture.
- Cold Ingredients: The number one, non-negotiable secret to a flaky crust is to use very cold butter, cold shortening, and ice water.
- The Silky-Smooth Pumpkin Custard:
- Pure Pumpkin Puree: It is crucial to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- The Spices: A simple, classic, and perfect combination of warm cinnamon and fragrant, freshly grated nutmeg.
The Baker’s Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Pie
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Blind Baking is NON-NEGOTIABLE!: This is the most important secret to preventing a soggy bottom. A pumpkin pie filling is a very wet, liquid custard. By fully pre-baking the crust until it is golden brown and cooked through, you are essentially creating a crisp, waterproof shell for your filling. This guarantees a beautiful, flaky crust from top to bottom.
- The “Jiggle Test” for a Perfect Set: The secret to a creamy, custardy filling that is never rubbery or cracked is to not overbake it. You will know the pie is perfectly done when the edges are set, but the very center still jiggles slightly, like Jell-O. The pie will continue to cook and set up from the residual heat as it cools.
- The Long, Slow Cool is CRUCIAL!: You must let the baked pie cool completely on a wire rack for several hours. Cutting into a warm custard pie will result in a soupy mess. This patient step is the non-negotiable key to a perfect, sliceable filling.
Step-by-Step to the Best Classic Pumpkin Pie
This elegant, festive dessert is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Flaky Pie Crust
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together your 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons of cold vegetable shortening, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until it looks like fine meal. Add your 12 tablespoons of cold, diced butter and pulse until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of ice water and pulse just until the dough begins to come together.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until it is thoroughly chilled, for at least 1 hour. (This recipe makes enough for two crusts; you can freeze the other half for another pie!)
Part 2: The Foolproof Blind Bake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$).
Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, roll out your chilled dough into a 12-inch disc and ease it into your 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom and sides all over with a fork and chill the crust for at least 1 more hour.
Step 3: Line the chilled dough with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden.
Step 4: Carefully remove the foil and the weights and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the entire crust is a beautiful golden brown all over. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.
Part 3: The Silky Filling and Final Bake
Step 1: In a large bowl, gently whisk together your 1 can of pure pumpkin, the 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream, the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, 2 of the large eggs, the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 2: In a small bowl, beat your remaining 1 egg. Brush the edges of your cooled crust with this egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if you’re using it.
Step 3: Pour the pumpkin filling into the cooled crust and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. You will know it is perfectly done when the edges are set but the middle still has a slight jiggle.
Step 4 (The Most Important Step!): Let the baked pie cool completely on a wire rack for several hours before you slice and serve it.
Classic Pumpkin Pie (A Foolproof Holiday Recipe!)
A classic, from-scratch recipe for ‘The Best Pumpkin Pie,’ the quintessential dessert for a holiday feast like Thanksgiving. The recipe includes instructions for a flaky, all-butter and shortening pie crust made easily in a food processor. The crust is blind-baked to ensure it stays crisp. The filling is a smooth, rich custard made with pure pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, and a warm blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The pie is baked until the edges are set and the center is just slightly jiggly.
Ingredients
- For the Pie Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
- For the Filling:
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Pie Dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until it is in pea-sized pieces. With the machine running, add 1/4 cup of ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together, adding more water if needed.
- Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare and Blind-Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round and ease it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and pierce the bottom and sides with a fork. Chill for at least another hour.
- Line the chilled dough with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden.
- Remove the foil and weights and continue baking for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the crust is golden all over. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Filling and Bake the Pie: In a large bowl, gently whisk together the pumpkin puree, cream, granulated sugar, 2 of the eggs, the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Do not overmix.
- In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg to create an egg wash. Brush the edge of the baked crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the cooled crust. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the filling is set around the edges but the middle still jiggles slightly.
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This is the quintessential dessert for the Thanksgiving holiday.
- The recipe provides enough dough for a double-crust pie, but you will only need one disk for this single-crust pie.
- Blind-baking the crust is a crucial step to prevent a soggy bottom.
- It is important not to overmix the pumpkin filling, as this can incorporate too much air and cause the pie to crack.
- The pie must cool completely to allow the custard filling to set properly before slicing.
What to Serve With Your Pumpkin Pie
This beautiful and decadent pie is the quintessential holiday dessert.
- The Classic Pairing: It is absolutely perfect served with a generous dollop of a simple, freshly whipped cream or a scoop of a high-quality vanilla bean ice cream.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday dessert! You can prepare the pie dough up to 3 days in advance and store it, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator. You can also fully bake the entire pie up to 2 days in advance.
- Storage: Store the finished, baked pie, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why did my pumpkin pie crack?
The two most common culprits are overbaking or cooling the pie too quickly. Be sure to pull the pie from the oven when the center still has a slight jiggle. A cracked pie is still delicious, though—just cover it with whipped cream!
Q2: Why is my bottom crust soggy?
A soggy bottom is almost always because the crust was not blind-baked properly. Taking the time to fully pre-bake your crust is the foolproof key to a perfect, crispy result.
Q3: Can I use a store-bought pie crust?
You can, but for the absolute best, most authentic flavor and the flakiest texture, the homemade crust in this recipe is highly recommended and truly worth the effort! If you do use a store-bought crust, be sure to blind-bake it according to the package directions.
Q4: Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices?
Yes! A good rule of thumb is to use about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of a pumpkin pie spice blend in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Q5: Can I make this with fresh pumpkin puree?
You can, but it is very important that your homemade puree is very thick and not watery. You may need to cook it down on the stovetop to evaporate some of the excess moisture to ensure your pie sets up properly.