Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Fresh pumpkin makes this homemade pumpkin pie traditional, rich, creamy, smooth, and velvety with warm spices and a hint of molasses.

Have you ever made homemade pumpkin pie? If not, you need to try this recipe!

It has been two years since I had a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. It seemed that every time I went into our local farmers’ market, those little pie pumpkins would taunt me every time. I finally broke down, bought a pumpkin, and took him home to make a pie.

I used a Nancy Fuller recipe. She has a show that I record called “Farmhouse Rules.” It is a relatively new show, so if you haven’t seen it, check it out. She’s a hoot!

It is surprisingly easy to make the pumpkin pie filling from scratch, but this recipe requires some baking time. I have to admit I cheated when making the pie crust. After my latest experience with pastry dough, I am not ready for that again yet.

This traditional pumpkin filling is made from scratch using fresh pumpkins. This homemade pumpkin pie is rich, creamy, smooth & velvety, with fragrant spices and a hint of molasses in a flaky crust.

Let’s make Homemade Pumpkin Pie from scratch!

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Pie

This recipe makes one 9-inch pumpkin pie, which you can easily double if you need more than one pie. Refer to the recipe card at the end of this post for full ingredients and measurements.

Pumpkin: you’ll need one medium sugar pumpkin, about 3 pounds. This will give you about 2 ½ cups of pumpkin puree.

Oil: use canola oil or whatever neutral cooking oil you have on hand to oil down the pumpkin.

Pie Crust: You’ll need one deep dish 9-inch pie crust store-bought. You can use homemade if you prefer, but buying a prepared crust will save you time in the kitchen.

For Serving: Eat this pie plain or dolloped with sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For The Filling:

Condensed Milk: This pie gets sweetness from sweetened condensed milk, giving it its rich texture. Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk. You CAN NOT substitute with evaporated milk. It’s too thin and will cause the pie to be runny. The two cannot be used interchangeably.

Heavy Cream: gives this pie even more richness. You can substitute with a whole mile if you don’t have heavy cream. Evaporated milk would be a better substitute for heavy cream.

Cornstarch: helps to thicken the pie. You could also use all-purpose flour instead.

Molasses: gives the pie a darker color and flavors it beautifully. Use unsulphured molasses for best results.

Oil: provides moisture. Use canola oil or any neutral cooking oil you prefer.

Spices: ground cinnamon, ginger, and kosher salt ramp up the warmth of this pie.

Eggs: you’ll need three large eggs to turn this pie filling into a custard filling, preferably at room temperature, but if you forget, it won’t be the end of the world.

How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie

This recipe uses fresh pumpkin puree. If you don’t want to make the puree yourself, you can substitute it with one 15-ounce can of store-bought pumpkin puree. Grab the full recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Helpful Equipment:

• heavy sharp knife
• baking sheet
• aluminum foil
• pastry brush
• food processor or blender

1. Roast the Pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin in half. Spoon out the pulp and discard. Place the pumpkin halves skin side up and rub the skin with oil. Roast them for 1 hour or until fork-tender. Then cool completely. You can learn more about how to make puree from pumpkin or other winter squash HERE.
2. Blind Bake the Pie Crust: While the pumpkin is cooling, blind bake the pie crust.
3. Puree the Pumpkin: Scoop out the pulp from the roasted pumpkin; dump the pulp into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
4. Prepare the Pie Filling: Add all the ingredients to the pumpkin puree and blend to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust; bake for about 1 hour or until the filling is set in the center.
5. Cool and Serve: When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for no less than 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream.

Tips For Making Pumpkin Pie

• Make the pumpkin purree ahead when you have more time to spare. Store it in the fridge for up to three days.
• Make sure the dough is cold before baking. Prick with a fork and use pie weights or beans to help keep the bottom from puffing up.
• Brush the crust with an egg wash before baking it. The egg wash will turn the crust a beautiful golden brown color. Learn more about egg wash HERE. 
• Remove the pumpkin pie when it is just set. It should wiggle but not ripple when tapped on the side.

Recipe FAQs

Dumping pumpkin out of the can is easy, but roasting pumpkin to prepare this pie was simple. This recipe was great! The pie came out velvety smooth and cooked to perfection. Of course, my sweet husband doesn’t like it.

It turns out pumpkins are good to eat, not just for rolling down hills.

Do you like pumpkin pie? Have you ever made it from scratch?

Comment below!

Other Pumpkin Recipes:

• Pumpkin-Apple Soup
• Easy Pumpkin Roll
• Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Almonds and Sage
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread

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