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BA’s Best Pumpkin Pie

4.0

(4)

Slices of pumpkin pie served with whipped cream on a marble countertop.
Photograph by Alex Lau

The best pumpkin pie recipes need to do three things to succeed. They should have a perfectly spiced creamy filling. A crust that’s flaky yet tender. And, perhaps most important, they should seriously tempt anyone who’s choosing from a vast and competitive Thanksgiving dessert spread (we see you pecan tart). This homemade pumpkin pie delivers on all of those fronts, and then some. One commenter even declared, “I don’t think there [are] enough words in the English vocabulary to describe just how wonderful this pumpkin pie recipe is.” 

If you’re new to pie baking, don’t feel intimidated. This homemade pie crust comes together quickly and can be made up to three days in advance, so you won’t need to reach for a store-bought pie shell or frozen pie crust. Blind-baking first (baking once before the filling’s added) means the bottom will stay crisp. Finally, don’t worry too much about your crimping style, while a classic pinch crimp looks nice, a simpler fork crimp works just as well here. 

Sweetened condensed milk adds a decadent richness to the custard, while measuring the spices instead of using a premixed “pumpkin spice” blend, lets you hit just the right ratio to really highlight the flavors of the canned pumpkin purée (we like Libby’s). To ensure the filling stays creamy, remove the pie pan from the oven when the custard is still a bit jiggly; it will set as the pie cools. If any cracks form, simply cover them with fresh whipped cream.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes one 9" pie

Ingredients

Crust

1 Tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
5 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp. chilled lard or vegetable shortening
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Filling and Assembly

⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, beaten to blend
2 cups unsweetened pumpkin purée
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Whipped cream (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Crust

    Step 1

    Pulse sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour in a food processor until combined. Add butter and lard and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pieces of butter and lard visible, about 15 one-second pulses. With motor running, drizzle in vinegar and 5½ Tbsp. ice water and pulse until dough is still crumbly but just holds together when squeezed (add 1 tsp. water at a time if necessary, but be careful not to overwork dough).

    Step 2

    Turn out dough onto a work surface. Knead 1–2 times, pressing to incorporate any shaggy pieces. Flatten into a 6"-wide disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.

    Step 3

    Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 14" round. Transfer to a 9" pie dish. Pick up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish, letting excess dough hang over dish. Trim, leaving about a 1" overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch and crimp. Chill 30 minutes.

    Step 4

    Line dough with parchment paper or foil, leaving some overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edges and just beginning to brown, 25–35 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights and reduce oven temperature to 350°. Brush inside of crust (not the crimped edges) with egg wash and continue to bake until crust is set and beginning to lightly brown in the center, 10–15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

    Do Ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled, or freeze up to 2 months. Crust can be baked 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and store at room temperature.

  2. Filling and Assembly

    Step 5

    Preheat oven to 325°. Whisk sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl until no clumps remain. Add eggs, pumpkin, condensed milk, cream, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Bake pie until edges are set and slightly puffed but center is recessed and wobbles like Jell-O, 60–75 minutes (it will continue to set after baking). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 3 hours before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.

    Do Ahead: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and chill. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

    Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in November 2016 as part of BA’s Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

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