In a few days, a lot of people will be celebrating Thanksgiving, and I’m sure many of you are now wondering what to make. Of course, Thanksgiving will never be the same without a huge turkey and some savory stuffing or dressing at the center of the dinner table. Traditional foods like gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, candied yams, green bean casserole, and salads will always be excellent options. But to complete the meal, you definitely need a delightful dessert. And since we are talking about tradition, let’s go with the old-fashioned pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for pumpkin pie to shine. It may be very simple, but it is absolutely delicious! In fact, you can make it all year round. It would always be a great choice when it comes to dessert or an afternoon snack. So for those of you out there who haven’t had or made this special pie yet, just sit back and relax as we provide you with everything that you need to know to end up with the most satisfying pumpkin pie ever! You just have to look for a great pie crust and learn how to make pumpkin puree from scratch.
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Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes + cooling time
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Using a homemade or store-bought crust, you can create a Traditional Pumpkin Pie – a delicious one! Yes, it may be ‘old-fashioned’, but its popularity never fades, not to mention the taste. It would be the best addition to your dinner table during Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
1 pie crust (chilled or frozen)
2 c. pumpkin pulp puree (from a sugar pumpkin) or 15 oz. of pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1/3 c. white sugar
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1 1/2 c. heavy cream or 12 oz. of evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat the 3 large eggs in a large bowl and add the brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. Mix in the spices (ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, lemon zest, and cardamom) as well.
- Add the pumpkin puree (see the instructions below) and heavy cream. Make sure to mix everything well.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell (uncooked) and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Once the time is up, reduce the heat temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 45 to 55 minutes more. The center should still be jiggly.
- Let the pie cool on a wire rack for a couple of hours. It should deflate as it cools.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream.
Making Pumpkin Puree
Cut a medium sugar pumpkin in half and scrape the insides. You can discard the insides. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the pumpkin halves on it with the cut side down. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 to 90 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Remove from oven, let cool, and scrape out the pulp.
Notes
- When checking to see if the pie is done, try inserting the tip of a knife in the center. If it comes out relatively clean, then the pie is done.
- Half-way through the baking, you might want to put foil around the edges to prevent the crust from getting burnt. You can also utilize a pie protector for this.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
I know you will be busy cooking on Thanksgiving day. And you know what? One good thing about pumpkin pie is you can make it ahead of time, one to two days before the celebration. You can prepare the crust and filling, and refrigerate them separately. Just bake it on the day itself. You are also free to make it as a whole. Simply wrap it in plastic and store it in the fridge for up to two days.
