This homemade pumpkin pie made with mashed, cooked pumpkin is my family's favorite. Skip the canned pumpkin and store-bought crust, and make your holiday pumpkin pie from scratch with a flaky homemade pastry crust and a deliciously spiced pumpkin filling. The taste of freshly cooked pumpkin and homemade crust is worth the effort. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Servings: 8

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients

Pastry Crust:

• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold butter or shortening
• 3 tablespoons cold water, or more as needed

Filling:

• 2 cups mashed, cooked pie pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt

Editor’s Pick: 365 by Whole Foods Market, All Purpose Flour

Editor’s Pick: Amazon Fresh, Salted Butter Sticks

Editor’s Pick: Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening

Editor’s Pick: 365 by Whole Foods Market, Milk Evaporated Organic

Editor’s Pick: 365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic Light Brown Sugar

Editor’s Pick: McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon

Editor’s Pick: Geo-Fresh Organic Ginger Ground

Editor’s Pick: Spice Islands Ground, Nutmeg

Directions

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Make sure your oven rack is in the center position so the pie bakes evenly. It’s best to allow the oven to preheat fully, ensuring a steady temperature for your pie crust and filling.

Step 2:

To make the pastry crust: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and salt together until well combined. Cut in cold butter or shortening using a pastry blender (or two knives in a criss-cross motion) until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, about the size of small peas. This ensures the butter remains cold, giving the crust its flaky texture. Gradually add 3 tablespoons of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing the mixture with a fork after each addition. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of water, until the dough just comes together and forms a soft ball. Avoid over-mixing to keep the crust tender.

Step 3:

Shape the dough into a ball using lightly floured hands. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Make sure to roll evenly from the center outward, rotating the dough to prevent sticking. Once rolled, place a 9-inch pie pan upside-down over the dough and use a sharp knife to cut a circle of dough about 1 ½ inches larger than the pie pan. This extra dough will give you enough to form a crimped edge. Remove the dough scraps and set the pie pan aside for now.

Step 4:

Carefully roll the circular piece of dough around the rolling pin to transfer it. Gently unroll it right-side up over the pie pan, being careful not to stretch the dough too much as you fit it into the pan. Press the dough lightly against the sides and bottom of the pan. Use both hands to flute the edges decoratively by pinching the dough between your thumb and index finger, or use a fork to press down evenly. This will create a beautiful, traditional pie edge.

Step 5:

To make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the mashed pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt using an electric mixer. Make sure the mixture is smooth and well combined, without any lumps of pumpkin. Taste the filling to check the spice level and adjust with more cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg if desired. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust, spreading it out evenly with a spatula.

Step 6:

Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge of the filling comes out clean. As the pie bakes, check the crust around the edges. If it begins to brown too quickly, gently cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning. The center of the pie may still jiggle slightly when it’s done, but it will set as it cools.

Step 7:

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour until it reaches room temperature. Cooling allows the filling to firm up and the flavors to develop. Don’t rush this step, as cutting the pie while it's too warm may cause it to fall apart.

To Prepare Mashed Pumpkin:

Start with a fresh pie pumpkin, which is smaller and denser than carving pumpkins. Cut the pumpkin in half using a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers with a spoon. Discard or save the seeds for roasting later. Keep the skin on and chop the pumpkin into large chunks. For this recipe, you'll need about 1 ½ pounds of pumpkin, which will yield 2 cups of mashed pumpkin. If you have a larger pumpkin, consider cooking 3 pounds to double the recipe and make two pies.

Place the pumpkin chunks in a medium-sized saucepan and add about 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the pumpkin well and allow it to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard it. Return the pumpkin flesh to the saucepan and mash it with a potato masher or process it through a food mill until smooth and creamy. Your mashed pumpkin is now ready to use in the pie filling.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 363 calories; total fat: 18g; saturated fat: 6g; cholesterol: 60mg; sodium: 365mg; total carbohydrate: 44g; dietary fiber: 1g; total sugars: 26g; protein: 7g; vitamin c: 4mg; calcium: 162mg; iron: 2mg; potassium: 353mg