Grandma’s Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

A recipe for Pumpkin Pie exactly like Grama made it. Don’t you think some things like homemade pumpkin pie, are perfect just as they are? After many generations, it’s still one of the favorite Thanksgiving desserts. Every Fall when the harvest starts and Thanksgiving rolls around everyone needs a great pumpkin pie recipe.

I prefer to make my pumpkin pie filling from pumpkin purée, using fresh pumpkins or pure canned pumpkin. For today’s post, I used canned pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Pie is one of those famous homemade desserts everyone recognizes, it is my personal favorite. My family pumpkin pie recipe makes enough to fill a large dish 9-inch pie plate with a thick, rich, smooth pumpkin filling.

Canned or Fresh Pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie

The choice is yours, pumpkin pie can be made with canned or homemade pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin results in a smoother, darker pie filling, and fresh pumpkin puree results in a lighter flavored filling with a more grainy texture. Both are amazing, if you haven’t made pumpkin pie before I recommend using canned real pumpkin, it’s what most people remember, and it’s the flavor standard once you see how easy the pumpkin pie filling is to make you won’t ever buy the premixed pie filling again.

Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe

A grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe needs to begin with a homemade flakey pie crust recipe.  This recipe is large, it’s the best traditional pie crust recipe that’s been around for 100 years.  It makes enough pastry for two large pies or one slab pie.  If you’re making one pie, you can wrap and freeze the excess dough. To keep the extra dough, wrap the gathered ball in plastic wrap. Then place in an airtight plastic bag and freeze.  Thaw out on the counter before using.

Homemade Pie Crust Ingredients

Making Pie Crust from Scratch

Wash your hands well, as traditional pie crust isn’t made in a food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt.

Place the whole pound of lard into the flour. Break the lard up with your fingers, incorporating the flour. Lightly scoop out bits of the flour and lard between the palms of your hands, rubbing the palms together lightly, the lard will break down into smaller shapes. Continue rubbing the mixture between your hands until the lard is distributed throughout and looks like small peas.

Place a whole egg into a one-cup-sized measuring cup. Beat the egg lightly, add the vinegar, and then fill the cup with ice-cold water.

Sprinkle some of the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and gather the bits that cling together. I do this by rubbing my palm lightly over the top of the flour mixture and then gathering up the parts that formed the dough. Repeat until all the flour is gathered.

How to Roll Out Pie Crust

Dust your rolling surface with a little bit of flour and roll out your pie dough into a 13-inch circle. If your rolling pin becomes sticky, dust it with a little more flour. Once the pie crust is large enough, line the pie pan with the pie crust, trim off any excess dough, and flute the edge with your fingers. Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

If you’re new to making pie crust, I have a separate step-by-step tutorial for you. With all the tips and hints this grandma can give you in creating the best flakey homemade pie crust. The link is in the ingredients.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie

To fill a large deep dish pie  you will need:

Directions for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling

Step 1: Preheat

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Have a pie crust pan lined with pastry crust. You don’t need a top crust.

Step 2: Mix Pumpkin Filling

In a large mixing bowl add and beat the eggs.

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. To prevent splatter, I put the mixer on slow when first adding the evaporated milk. Then return it to mixing speed.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie shell.

Step 3: Bake

Bake at 400 F for 10 min. Then lower the temp to 350 F and bake for about 40 more minutes.

To check if your pie is done, while still in the oven gently shake the pie. Once the center of the pie is still a tiny bit jiggly but the edges are solid and the pie crust edge is golden your pie is finished baking. If you find your pie crust edge is getting too dark, cover it with a strip of aluminum foil. Don’t overbake or you may get cracks in the filling.

Let the pie cool on the counter and then place it in the fridge. Pumpkin pie has to be kept in the fridge because of the eggs.

How to Serve Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie

Make sure your pie is cold before serving. The cold temperature helps to set the filling. My preferred way to serve the pie is to cut it and then add a dollop of whipping cream and if extra fancy a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

If the pumpkin pie filling happens to have small cracks, here’s this grama’s hint. Cover the entire pie with whipping cream to hide the crack, and don’t say anything. Whose to know?

If you’re taking the pie to a gathering, I cover it with whipping cream first. Just remember your pie has to be kept cold.

Whipped Cream Recipe

You can substitute this whipped cream recipe, for a canned aerosol real whipped cream.

Place the whipping cream into a large bowl, and whip until soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar then whip until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and whip until the vanilla is incorporated. Place in fridge until serving.

How to Store Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie can be kept in the fridge for up to three or four days in the fridge. I typically make my pumpkin pie(s) the day before Thanksgiving so it’s nicely chilled and I still have two or three days of freshness to use up any leftovers.

Using Pumpkin Pie Spice

This pumpkin pie recipe is the classic recipe my Mom and grandmother made. You can tell its a classic recipe because of the use of evaporated milk instead of cream. You can substitute the spices for pumpkin spice, but I would use 1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice, and the 1 1/2 tsp of just cinnamon.

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Other Pumpkin Recipes to Try