Just the recipe. Every time. Because I know that’s what you're here for 😉
Pie Filling
2 heaping cups (16oz) homemade pumpkin puree (see my instructions for that HERE)
⅔ cup brown sugar (I used coconut sugar in mine)
⅓ cup raw granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsps cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cloves
½ can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Crust
2 sticks unsalted sweet cream butter
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup pecans (optional but it makes the crust nutty and so yummy!)
1 tsp salt
8 tbsp ice water
Making the Crust
First, you will want to prepare your crust in advance. I allowed mine to rest overnight in the fridge, but an hour should do if you are short on time.
To create the crust, cut your sticks of butter into small cubes and place them on a plate in the freezer (you want your butter as cold as possible without being completely frozen).
Next, add in your two cups of all purpose flour, salt, and ½ cup of pecans to a blender/food processor and pulverize until everything is combined and there are no chunks.
Now you can grab your butter out of the freezer and add it to your dry ingredients. pulse together until the mixture begins to look sandy and there are small beads of butter and flour.
Transfer your mixture to a bowl and slowly (1-2 tablespoons at a time) add in your ice water, mixing in between each addition. The dough should begin to form itself together. You may need to help it along by using your hands to form it into a smooth ball but be careful since you don’t want the butter to melt. When you are done you wrap it up in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to rest. You should have something that looks like this with the chunks of butter distributed throughout the dough.
For the Pie Filling
In a medium size mixing bowl, add in your puree, sugar, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and combine. Then, add in your salt and spices and mix well.
Your mixture should be watery. As my grandma said, “it should be so sloppy that it’s scary to carry to the oven”. So if you are thinking you will end up with pumpkin soup instead of pumpkin pie, remain calm. It will turn out okay.
Assembling the Pies
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Begin by flouring your surface and rolling out your dough thin. About an ⅛ of an inch thick. This recipe can make 2 large pies worth of crust or about 18 mini pies (you can freeze the extra dough for up to 2 months) You can use the rim of a glass (about 3 ½ inches around) to cut out circles to fit inside your muffin tin.
Shape the dough to rest inside the tin and ensure there is a thicker edge around the rim. If you want to get fancy you can use some of your extra crust to create leaves for the top of your pie. However, you will want to bake these separately and place them on top of your fully cooked pumpkin pie. Fill your pies till almost full leaving a little space at the top.
Bake the pies for 25 minutes at 400 checking periodically for doneness. You will know your pies are ready when the crust has begun to turn golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean with no residue.
Cool for 30 minutes and then serve or refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Make sure your pies are completely cooled before storing or they will build condensation and the crusts will not be crisp. These are best eaten with a generous dollop of cool whip or homemade whipped cream.
It’s fall and everyone knows what that means. Pumpkin time. Now, if you are anything like me you have been dreaming about delicious pumpkin desserts for months and now you are ready to take it to the next level. Making your own homemade pies.
I hope you will enjoy trying these out for yourself. I am still learning how to improve my baking skills, but these were some of the best pumpkin pies I’ve ever had. It was so fun making them from start to finish. I hope you will enjoy them as we enter into the holiday season surrounded by friends and family (who you can now show off your awesome pie baking skills to). Happy baking!
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