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It’s fall! And one of the things I love most about fall is Thanksgiving. And one of the things I love most about Thanksgiving is having pumpkin pie. So a few years ago, we decided, why not make a pumpkin pie from scratch instead of using the pre-made filling. I mean, we have made a whole bunch of other things, so really, how hard could it be? So we set out to purchase those adorable mini pumpkins and get to baking!
PS. If you’re looking for other great things to make with pumpkin – store bought or not – try out these awesome pumpkin recipes too!
So anyhow, this recipe really is pretty easy, but I will say, the level of effort really depends on whether or not you have the right stuff in your kitchen! We did this go pre wedding gifts without our food processor (used a blender) and without a rolling pin (we used canned goods) but I wanted to show you that you can improvise and still come out with a great product even if you don’t have the deemed “necessary” kitchen gadgets!
Ingredients:
- single pastry pie crust (we made ours from scratch but you can buy one)
- about 1 3/4-2 cups pumpkin (about 4-5 mini pumpkins or 1 15 once can)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 3/4 cup half & half (you can use light cream or milk instead)
Directions:
To make the pumpkin purree:
- cut pumpkins in half and scoop out seeds and strings
- cut into about 5 in pieces and arrange on a baking pan
- cover with foil and bake at 375 for about an hour until tender
- scoop pulp from rind after tender and put into a food processor (or blender) until smooth
- strain the liquid from the pulp using a sieve
To make the pie:
- while pumpkins are roasting, roll out pie crust and line a 9-in pie pan with pastry (trim edges if overlap)
- combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl
- add eggs, and beat lightly with a fork until combined
- gradually add half & half and stir just until combined
- carefully pour the filling into the pie pan lined with the pastry crust (seriously, it’s a two person job)
- (tip: to make sure it doesn’t “overbrown” you can cover the edges with foil)
- Bake 25 minutes at 375, then check, and remove foil
- Bake for an additional 25 minutes until you can insert a knofe near the center and it comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack, then share with friends and family or cover and chill to enjoy later!
And here’s the finished product! It was every bit as delicious as we hoped it would be 🙂
When do you like to eat pumpkin pie?
What are some other recipes you enjoy with pumpkin?
