Pumpkin Pie From Scratch

Give your homemade pumpkin pie a twist with ANGOSTURA®! This foolproof pumpkin pie is perfect for Thanksgiving – rich, silky and delicious. Make your pastry from scratch or use a store-bought pie shell.

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Recipe in collaboration with ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters

Pumpkin pie is probably among the top three most popular pies in America. It is not popular in the UK but it has been a family favourite, thanks in part to my Canadian husband.

I remember asking him to bake me one soon after we had moved in together. I was so curious to taste this pie which seemed perfectly exotic to me! My husband dutifully obliged and his homemade pumpkin pie was so delicious I vowed to make it every year for Canadian Thanksgiving.

Resolving to bake pumpkin pie and actually making one was no easy task. Back in those days pumpkin purée was not easily available.

Thankfully, this is now stocked in major supermarkets and on Amazon, which probably reflects the power of food bloggers and Instagram!

I have partnered with Angostura® for this post to give traditional pumpkin pie a twist using their orange and aromatic bitters. Their unique flavour compliments enhances the pie ingredients wonderfully.

Pumpkin pie ingredients

• One 425g (15oz) tin  Libby’s pumpkin purée – I usually buy it on Amazon. Good Housekeeping has some options if you wish to make the puree from scratch using fresh pumpkin.
• Full-fat evaporated milk
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Pumpkin spice (or see below about how to make from scratch)
• One unbaked 9” deep-dish pie shell or one batch shortcrust pastry
• 2 teaspoons ANGOSTURA® orange bitters and a dash of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
• 2 tablespoons flour + 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken the filling
• a little beaten egg for egg wash
• a 9” deep-dish pie plate or tin – vintage pie tins are available on eBay and they are great for baking crisp pies

Make your own pumpkin spice mix

Pumpkin spice is available in the UK but tends to be hugely expensive. Thankfully, it  is very easy to make your own mix. For one pie you will need

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Pie crust – homemade VS store-bought

I am all for store-bought pie crust – it is easy, convenient and cuts the work in half. Luckily there are many good options for store-bought frozen pie crust in the US.

It’s a totally different story in the UK – you can find pre-rolled shortcrust pastry but no pie shells. I decided to make my own pie crust and I tried a couple of different recipes.

My favourite pie crust was tender and flaky but didn’t hold its shape well during blind baking. Part baking the pie shell is essential to ensure the crust will be crisp and fully cooked. No one likes under-cooked soggy pastry – the ‘soggy bottom’ must be avoided at all costs!

Best pie crust from scratch

Since flaky pie crust was out, I looked to pie queen Julie Jones for the best pie crust recipe. Her shortcrust pastry is easy to make in a food processor, holds its shape well and you can even use it to make decorations.

• Plain (all purpose) flour
• Cold unsalted butter, cubed
• Icing (powdered) sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt

Making shortcrust pastry step by step

Step 1. Put the flour butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Step 2. Add the icing sugar, cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine.
Step 3. Add the egg yolk and milk and mix until the dough just comes together.
Step 4. Cover your worktop with two large pieces of cling film (plastic wrap) and tip the dough onto it. Use your hands to gather into a dish shape, kneading very lightly if needed.
Step 5. Wrap and chill for at least an hour or longer. The dough needs to rest before being used.

Step 6. Roll the dough out, between two large sheets of baking paper, until it forms a circle about 12 inches across.
Step 7. Drape the pastry over 9-inch pie plate (or tin) and leave a border of one inch hanging over the edge. Cut any excess off – you can use it for decorations.
Step 8. Tuck the pastry overhang under and use your fingers to crimp the edge prettily. Place the pie plate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Use any leftover pastry to cut out pretty decorative shapes. 
Step 9. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork. Cover the pie with foil, letting hang over the edges, and fill with baking beans or dried pulses to weigh it down.
Step 10. Transfer the pie onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. If you have cut any decorations you can bake these at the same time, on a separate baking sheet, placed one shelf underneath the pie.
Step 11. Carefully remove the weights and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Your pie shell is now ready to use.

Pumpkin pie step by step

Step 1. Make your pie filling: lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree, Angostura® orange bitters, vanilla and brown sugar.
Step 2. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk flour and cornflour. Add a dash of Angostura® aromatic bittersand give a final stir, making sure to scrape against the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Step 3. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Brush the edges of the pie with the egg wash.

Step 4. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until the edges are set and the middle has a very slight wobble. You may need to cover the pie edges halfway through if they are colouring too much.
Step 5. Cool the pie on wire rack for at least two hours then chill in the fridge unless you are serving. The pie will set further as it cools.
Step 6. Add any pastry decorations on top of the pie and serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

Pumpkin pie tips and troubleshooting

• Avoid overworking the pastry as it will become tough.
• Make your pumpkin pie the a day in advance so it has plenty of time to cool and set. The flavour will also deepen and intensify.
• Don’t cut the pie while still warm from the oven – the filling may not have set properly. If you would like to serve it warm you can reheat it in the oven (preheated at 180°C/350°C) for about 15 minutes.
•  Serve plain or with some cinnamon whipped cream.

Pie lover? Take a look at these recipes!

• Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble Pie
• Salted caramel apple pie
• Apricot, Almond and Ricotta Frangipane Tart with Apricot Lavender Ice cream

Have you made my pumpkin pie recipe? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

Best homemade pumpkin pie from scratch

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

This foolproof pumpkin pie is perfect for Thanksgiving – rich, silky and delicious. Make your pastry from scratch or use a store-bought pie shell.

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Christmas /Thanksgiving

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best homemade pumpkin pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Cooling time: 2 hours

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 308kcal

Ingredients

For the pie crust

• ▢ 140 g | 1 3/4 cups plain (all purpose) flour
• ▢ 125 g | 4 1/2oz | 1 1/8 sticks cold unsalted butter , cubed
• ▢ 50 g | 1/3 cup icing (powdered) sugar
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ 2 tbsp milk
• ▢ 1 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt

For the pie filling

• ▢ 425 g (15oz) tin Libby’s pumpkin purée
• ▢ 340 ml | 12oz full-fat evaporated milk
• ▢ 135 g | 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ANGOSTURA® orange bitters
• ▢ dash of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
• ▢ 2 tbsp flour
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 small egg , lightly beaten for egg wash

Instructions

Make the pie crust

• Put the flour butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the icing sugar, cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine.
• Add the egg yolk and milk and mix until the dough just comes together.
• Cover your worktop with two large pieces of cling film (plastic wrap) and tip the dough onto it. Use your hands to gather into a dish shape, kneading very lightly if needed.
• Wrap and chill for at least an hour or longer. The dough needs to rest before being used.
• Roll the dough out, between two large sheets of baking paper, until it forms a circle about 12 inches across.
• Drape the pastry over 9-inch pie plate (or tin) and leave a border of one inch hanging over the edge. Cut any excess off – you can use it for decorations.
• Tuck the pastry overhang under and use your fingers to crimp the edgeprettily. Place the pie plate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Use any leftover pastry to cut out pretty decorative shapes. You can even use fresh leaves as a stencil guide or use leaf cutters.
• Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork. Cover the pie with foil, letting hang over the edges, and fill with baking beans or dried pulses to weigh it down.
• Transfer the pie onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. If you have cut any decorations you can bake these at the same time, on a separate baking sheet, placed one shelf underneath the pie.
• Carefully remove the weights and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Your pie shell is now ready to use.

Make the pumpkin pie

• Make your pie filling: lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree, Angostura® orange bitters, vanilla and brown sugar.
• Gradually stir in the evaporated milk flour and cornflour. Add a dash of Angostura® aromatic bitters and give a final stir, making sure to scrape against the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell. Brush the edges of the pie with the egg wash.
• Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until the edges are set and the middle has a very slight wobble. You may need to cover the pie edges halfway through if they are colouring too much.
• Cool the pie on wire rack for at least two hours then chill in the fridge unless you are serving. The pie will set further as it cools.
• Add any pastry decorations on top of the pie and serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

Video

Notes

Method if you are using a store-bought pie shell 

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/ 425°F.
2. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180°C/350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes or the edges are set and the centre has a little wobble.
3. Cool pie on wire rack for at least 2 hours. Serve immediately or store in the fridge overnight.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 7105IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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