Pumpkin pie is a classic American dessert. With a delicious flaky pastry filled with a smooth, rich spiced pumpkin filling it’s the perfect autumnal treat.
Pumpkin pie is the quintessential American dessert famously served at Thanksgiving. Flaky pastry with a spiced pumpkin filling, it’s a moreish treat perfect for chilly autumnal days.
Being based in the UK I’m not a pumpkin pie aficionado but found this to be surprisingly delicious. The filling is smooth and rich and the spiced pumpkin mixture makes it warming and delicious.
It’s also a great recipe as it’s really easy to make. If you use shop bought pastry or a ready made pie case, you simply need to mix the filling together before baking it. It really couldn’t’ be simpler which makes it the perfect make ahead dessert.
How can kids help to make pumpkin pie?
There are a lot of different steps in this recipe which makes it a great for getting kids involved in the kitchen. It’s not the most straight forward of recipes, as there a few different steps involved but that’s not to say there aren’t things that children can do.
We’ve made it simpler by using shop bought pastry, but if you prefer you can use a ready made pastry case or even make your own pastry from scratch. Once you’ve made the pastry case your kids can help to mix everything together to make the filling.
The pumpkin pie filling is a relatively easy job for kids to get involved in. They can help to prepare the pumpkin. I don’t always find peeling and cutting the pumpkin/squash up particularly easy or a job for children, but once you’ve cooked it they can help to mash it or whiz it with a blender to puree it.
As well as helping with the pumpkin puree, when making the filling, your kids can help to measure out all the spices, practice cracking a few eggs as well as whisking it all together.
Once the filling has been made it’s a really simple job of pouring it into your case.
What kind of pumpkin should I use for the pumpkin pie?
Here in the UK it’s a little bit harder to find tins of pumpkin puree but you can make your own with some pumpkin/squash. You can use any kind of winter squash (like butternut squah) to the make the pumpkin puree for the pie. Generally Halloween carving pumpkins aren’t the best for cooking with as they’re a little less flavoursome and watery, but if that’s all you can find they’ll do as the pie itself get it’s own flavour from the spices.
What pastry is used for a pumpkin pie?
This pumpkin pie uses a delicious shortcrust pastry. We’ve used shop bought pastry but you can make your own or use a ready made pastry case.
Can I make my own pastry?
Yes. We’ve used shop bought shortcrust pastry which is great if you’re short on time and want to skip a step of this recipe. You can make your own if you prefer or buy a ready made pastry case. We’ve made our own in our lemon meringue pie recipe which you can use for this pumpkin pie.
What else can I use to blind bake the pastry case?
Baking beans are purpose made little ceramic beans designed for blind baking pies and tarts. If you don’t have any baking beans don’t go out and buy any specially for it. Instead you can use rice, lentils or anything else dry and heavy to weigh your pastry down as it bakes. Once they’ve cooled they can be stored and reused for blind baking but don’t eat them.
How long does a pumpkin pie keep?
This pumpkin pie will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
What other desserts can I make?
If you liked this pumpkin pie recipe, you might like some of our other delicious desserts.
Lemon meringue pie
No bake key lime pie
Baked chocolate ripple cheesecake
Summer berry pavlova
Biscoff cheesecake
Eton mess ice cream
Millionaire’s cheesecake
No bake mini chocolate tarts
Banoffee cheesecake
Strawberry cheesecake
Cornflake tart
Don’t waste your seeds. Try roasting your pumpkin seeds to make a delicious snack.
Useful equipment
Digital scales
Measuring cups
Palette knife
Rolling pin
23cm loose bottomed tin
Pie dish
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Ingredients
350g shortcrust pastry or a pastry case
For the filling
450g pumpkin puree
180g light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice
3 eggs
200ml double/whipping/heavy cream
How to make a pumpkin pie
Prepare the tart tin
Grease the base and sides of a 23 loose bottomed flan tin or a pie dish.
Make the pastry base
Start by preparing the base and sides of a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin by greasing the base and sides with butter.
Get your kids to help roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface until is a large circle about 3mm thick. If you need to, turn the pastry 90 degrees between rolls so that you roll it out evenly. To stop the pastry from tearing when its larger and thinner roll it around your rolling pin before rotating it to support it.
Use your rolling pin to help pick up your pastry and transfer it to your prepared tin.
Press the pastry into the tin being careful not to rip it. If you have a little bit of extra pastry, roll it into a ball and use that to press the pastry down and into the case.
Cover the tart base in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Blind bake the pastry base
While your pastry base chills preheat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F
Trim the excess pastry leaving a little sticking out over the top then line the pastry base with baking paper and fill it with baking beans.
Bake the pastry base for 8 minutes, then take it out of the oven and carefully remove the baking beans and baking paper.
Pop the pastry case back in your oven and bake it for a further 5 minutes. The base at this point should look golden and dry.
Remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool a little.
Reduce the oven temperature to 170C / 150C Fan / 340F
Prepare the pumpkin puree
If you kids are old enough, get them to help peel and cut your squash/pumpkin into pieces. Boil it until it has softened, then either mash, sieve or whiz it up with a blender until it is nice and smooth. Set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the filling.
Make the pumpkin pie filling
Get your kids to measure out the sugar and spices and add them to a mixing bowl.
In a measuring jug measure out the cream. If you have digital scales, the best way of being really accurate is to use the ml setting. Crack the egg into a small bowl then add it to your milk. We never add our egg straight in just in case any shell goes in. If or when it does, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon.
Whisk the egg into the cream, then pour it into your mixing bowl.
Stir the egg/cream mixture into your sugar and spices until they are well combined.
Finally add the cooled pureed pumpkin. Stir it in so it is well mixed in.
Bake the pumpkin pie
Carefully pour the pumpkin pie filling into your baked pastry case.
Bake your pumpkin pie for 50-60 minutes. It’s ready when the filling has browned and risen a little. It should have a little bit of a jiggle to it in the middle but be baked enough that the whole filling doesn’t wobble.
Remove it from the oven, leave to cool slightly. If you’ve used a loose bottomed tart tin, remove the pumpkin pie from the tin and set it on a serving plate, otherwise just serve and enjoy.
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is a classic American dessert. With a delicious flaky pastry filled with a smooth, rich spiced pumpkin filling it’s the perfect autumnal treat.
Equipment
Digital scales
Measuring cups
Palette knife
Rolling pin
23cm loose bottomed tin
Pie dish
Ingredients
- 350 g shortcrust pastry or a pastry case
For the filling
- 450 g pumpkin puree
- 180 g light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 3 eggs
- 200 ml double/whipping/heavy cream
Instructions
Make the pastry base
Start by preparing the base and sides of a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin by greasing the base and sides with butter.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface until is a large circle about 3mm thick. If you need to, turn the pastry 90 degrees between rolls so that you roll it out evenly. To stop the pastry from tearing when its larger and thinner roll it around your rolling pin before rotating it to support it.
Use your rolling pin to help pick up your pastry and transfer it to your prepared tin. Press the pastry into the tin being careful not to rip it. If you have a little bit of extra pastry, roll it into a ball and use that to press the pastry down and into the case.
Cover the tart base in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Blind bake the pastry base
Prepare the pumpkin puree
Peel and cut your squash/pumpkin into pieces. Boil it until it has softened, then either mash, sieve or whiz it up with a blender until it is nice and smooth. Set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the filling.
Make the pumpkin pie filling
Measure out the sugar and spices and add them to a mixing bowl.
- In a measuring jug measure out the cream. If you have digital scales, the best way of being really accurate is to use the ml setting. Crack the egg into a small bowl then add it to your milk. Whisk the egg into the cream, then pour it into your mixing bowl.
Stir the egg/cream mixture into your sugar and spices until they are well combined.
Finally add the cooled pureed pumpkin. Stir it in so it is well mixed in.
Bake the pumpkin pie
Carefully pour the pumpkin pie filling into your baked pastry case.
Bake your pumpkin pie for 50-60 minutes. It’s ready when the filling has browned and risen a little. It should have a little bit of a jiggle to it in the middle but be baked enough that the whole filling doesn’t wobble.
Remove it from the oven, leave to cool slightly. If you’ve used a loose bottomed tart tin, remove the pumpkin pie from the tin and set it on a serving plate, otherwise just serve and enjoy.
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