Go Back
Pumpkin pie with silky spiced filling and a golden tender pastry crust, shown with one clean slice removed.

Pumpkin Pie with a Tender Pastry Crust

A classic pumpkin pie with a warmly spiced, clean-slicing custard and a tender homemade butter crust that is blind-baked to keep the bottom crisp.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Cooling 5 hours
Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 180 g all-purpose flour About 1 1/2 cups, spooned and leveled if measuring by volume
  • 12 g granulated sugar 1 tablespoon, for the pastry
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt For the pastry
  • 113 g unsalted butter 1/2 cup, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 60 ml ice water 1/4 cup, added gradually; use only as much as needed
  • 425 g pure pumpkin purée One 15-ounce can, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 150 g packed dark brown sugar About 3/4 cup; light brown sugar may be used for a milder flavor
  • 50 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup, for the filling
  • 12 g cornstarch 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Use fresh, fragrant cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger Adds warm spice and mild heat
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Freshly grated or ground
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Measure carefully because the flavor is assertive
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt Balances the sweetness in the filling
  • 3 large eggs At room temperature
  • 354 ml evaporated milk One 12-fluid-ounce can, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Stirred into the custard filling

Equipment

  • 9-inch metal pie plate, approximately 1 1/4 inches deep
  • Digital kitchen scale and measuring spoons
  • Large mixing bowl for pastry
  • Pastry blender or fingertips
  • Plastic wrap or reusable food wrap
  • Rolling pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights or dry beans reserved for baking
  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Medium mixing bowl for filling
  • Whisk and silicone spatula
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Sharp thin-bladed knife for slicing

Method
 

  1. Whisk the flour, pastry sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry blender or cool fingertips until most pieces are pea-sized, with a few thin flakes remaining. Drizzle in 45 ml of ice water and toss with a fork. Add the remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time only until a squeezed handful holds together. Press into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
  2. Set the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it from the center outward into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick, rotating frequently to prevent sticking. Transfer it to a 9-inch metal pie plate without stretching the dough. Ease it into the corners, trim the overhang to 1 inch, then fold and crimp the edge. Refrigerate the shaped shell for 15 minutes while positioning a rack in the lower third of the oven.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rimmed baking sheet inside; the hot sheet helps conduct heat directly into the bottom crust. Line the chilled shell with crumpled and flattened parchment, making sure it reaches the pastry edge. Fill completely with pie weights or dry beans so the sides cannot slump. Set the pie plate on the hot baking sheet carefully, keeping the crimped edge clear of the weights.
  4. Bake the weighted shell at 375°F for 20 minutes, until the crimp looks set and no longer raw. Lift out the parchment and weights, then prick the bottom several times with a fork without piercing completely through the plate. Return the crust to the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the base appears dry and shows light golden patches. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes while preparing the filling.
  5. Lower the oven to 350°F, leaving the baking sheet in place. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and filling salt until smooth and evenly colored. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking gently after each addition until no white streaks remain. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then stir rather than vigorously beating to limit bubbles.
  6. Pour the filling into the warm crust and pop any large surface bubbles with a toothpick. Transfer the pie to the hot baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F without opening the door. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. The outer 2 inches should be puffed and set, while the center should wobble as one piece rather than ripple. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should register 175°F to 180°F.
  7. Move the pie plate to a wire rack and cool at room temperature for 4 hours, away from drafts. The center will settle and finish firming as the egg proteins and starch cool, so slicing early can produce a loose wedge even when the pie is fully baked. Once completely cool, loosen any caramelized filling from the edge with a thin knife. Slice with a clean sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts, and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

Notes

  • Use a metal pie plate rather than a thick ceramic dish when bottom-crust browning is the priority. Metal transfers heat more quickly and makes the pastry’s color easier to judge during blind-baking.
  • Fill the parchment all the way to the top of the shell with weights. A shallow layer protects the base but leaves the sides unsupported, which allows the crust to slump below the rim.
  • Keep the blind-baked shell warm while mixing the filling. Warm pastry begins setting the custard at the boundary and avoids leaving a gummy layer where cool filling meets an underheated crust.
  • Judge doneness by movement, not by waiting for a rigid center. A softly wobbling center will finish setting as it cools; a liquid ripple needs more baking, while a dramatically puffed or cracked center indicates overbaking.
  • Plan the serving schedule backward from dessert. Allow about one hour for dough chilling and shaping, roughly 90 minutes for blind-baking and filling, and a full four hours of undisturbed cooling before slicing.