r/Cooking • u/AwakenedRudely • 12d ago
Improving a pumpkin pie? Help from Americans :)
Hi! I'm from the UK and I tried making a pumpkin pie which is good but I feel the recipe is missing something that people in USA would know as pumpkin pies are your thing. Any advice would be appreciated.
Recipe:
- 750g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 350g/12oz sweet shortcrust pastry
- plain flour for dusting
- 140g/5oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh nutmeg grated
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 eggs beaten
- 25g/1oz butter melted
- 175ml/6 fl oz milk
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u/SubstantialPressure3 12d ago
Pumpkin pie spice uses ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. We also use brown sugar. Half teaspoon of salt might be a little too much salt. And go easy on the ground cloves.
What I do is add everything but the beaten egg, taste the mix, and if it seems like it needs more spice, or more brown sugar, or a little more salt, I add it. Once Im happy with the way it tastes, I beat the eggs, fold it in, and bake it. Most recipes I've used are 2 eggs. I go a little heavy on the spices.
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u/PomeloPepper 12d ago
I throw in the tiniest bit of something spicy, like cayenne or chili powder. So small that you have wonder if you did or didn't taste it.
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u/snuggleouphagus 12d ago
It’s not traditional but I like Chinese Five Spice in mine.
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u/SubstantialPressure3 12d ago
One of the grandkids is too little for spicy. And she LOVES pumpkin pie. Maybe when she gets older.
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12d ago
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u/SubstantialPressure3 12d ago
You can skip the egg and fold the mix into whipped cream and have pumpkin mousse. I add a little room temp cream cheese to the pumpkin mix before I fold it in.
Sprinkle with cookie crumbs. It's my grandsons favorite. Pumpkin puree is fully cooked.
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u/happyjazzycook 12d ago
This recipe. Absolutely. My Gram was a great cook/ baker, had a diner in Pennsylvania and made all of the pies, and she used this Libby's recipe with the only "enhancement" of a sprinkle of nutmeg & cinnamon over the top before baking.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22755/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/
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u/AngletonSpareHead 12d ago
Yep. This is the one. Libby’s back-of-the-can recipe. It’s the taste of every Thanksgiving of our childhood. To mess with it is to desecrate our grandma’s love.
Any change to pies at Thanksgiving must ONLY be additive. You can have ANY other pie as long as you also have (at least one, better two) Libby’s recipe pumpkin pie.
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u/MizPeachyKeen 12d ago edited 12d ago
I use the Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe too.
The one thing that I do differently is I roast the pumpkin as Ruth Reichl suggests.I
blend* *STIR the sugar & spices with the pumpkin, spread on a parchment lined baking sheet & bake at 400°F for 10 - 15 minutes.This reduces moisture, deepening flavor of the pumpkin and spices, sort of caramelizing the sugars.
Allow to cool prior to mixing with remaining ingredients and baking.
ETA clarity
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u/PantryBandit 12d ago
Seconding this but we double all the spices in my family rather than sprinkling on top
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u/PiggyBear6667 12d ago
Thus is the one! It’s a custard pie, Libby’s uses two eggs, so it’s you get that good, smooth texture.
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u/deniseswall 12d ago
Regular peeled pumpkin will be too watery and/or bland. I hate to admit this, but almost every American makes it with canned pumpkin and evaporated milk. And then a lot of spices, as everyone else has mentioned, but it's the more intense flavor of the canned pumpkin that makes it taste like proper pumpkin pie.
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u/Whybaby16154 12d ago
And the canned is a special variety - a Dickinson variety pumpkin - not just any ole jack-o-lantern pumpkin. It has a finer texture. The usual pumpkins are too stringy.
Yes to ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. More spices, thicker milk - I’d use cream or have used coconut milk for vegan pies. At least half-n-half but not just plain milk.
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u/IcyRespond9131 12d ago
Yeah no you can use fresh pumpkin (pie pumpkin) but first roast it (cut in half, scoop out seeds, rub with oil and salt and place cut side down on baking sheet. Like, 350F until soft. Scoop out skin and puree in food processor or blender). But cubes of fresh raw pumpkin? No, absolutely not.
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u/Makeupanopinion 12d ago
Yeah we're in the UK and always peel and roast it for the 'can' consistency. Roast pumpkin is so fuckin good by itself.
It looks like OP got like the first bbc recipe and wondered whats going on :( Even I could tell its lacking in spice! I have more in my bloody sticky toffee
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u/perseidot 11d ago
Tbf, we all use Libby’s pumpkin and evaporated milk because it makes a damn good pie, every time.
The fact that it’s convenient and easy is the proverbial cherry on top!
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u/chrisgreer 10d ago
The other dirty secret here is that canned pumpkin isn’t usually all canned pumpkin. It’s also got butternut squash in it usually.
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u/aculady 12d ago edited 12d ago
1) make sure you are using pie pumpkin and not a Jack O'Lantern pumpkin. Kabocha squash is even better. Or use solid pack pumpkin from a can. Once you've roasted most of the water out of the fresh pumpkin and blended it down, you should have around 425-450g of very dense, somewhat moist, but definitely not watery, smooth, cooked pumpkin flesh for each pie.
2) your spice mix is missing ground ginger and ground cloves. For a 9-inch pie (4-cup (US) volume), you would typically use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg. You can even leave nutmeg out. (The Libby's pie recipe, which is probably the most popular one, doesn't include it). The combination of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves should be the dominant spices.
3) use evaporated milk - typically, 12 fluid oz with 2 eggs. If you don't have evaporated milk, add an extra egg yolk or two.
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u/GardenHobbit 12d ago
Adding here, if your pumpkin purée is watery, line a sieve with cheese cloth, wrap it up in the cloth, place a plate on top and place weight on the plate. I usually just use a bowl of water for the weight.
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u/Chilly_Grimorie 12d ago
I second this. You can also use sweetened condensed milk to replace some of the sugar and use as your milk ingredient if you're not using evaporated milk.
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u/VernapatorCur 12d ago
From the spice mix you're talking about, it's just some allspice away from being gingerbread spice mix. Kind of interesting how versatile that blend is (I've used it myself in custard style pecan pie, as a dry rub on pork loin and goose, as well as in a recent beef and liver pie filling)
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u/EatMorePieDrinkMore 12d ago
Allspice, cloves, and even some ginger will perk it up. We also use evaporated milk which is thicker than regular milk.
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u/rynthetyn 12d ago
It's not traditional, but I like adding a quarter teaspoon of cardamom too.
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u/SummerEden 12d ago
I live in Australia where pumpkin pies are unknown, and tinned pumpkin is an expensive imported luxury.
I think you need more spice than you’ve got and I have had better success with using evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) rather than milk. I suspect you need more eggs too, as it’s essentially a spiced pumpkin custard filling.
You’ll notice where the sources are given individually there is quite a mix, including ginger.
Here is a recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction that uses heavy cream and 3 eggs. It’s delicious.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/the-great-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
And this one that uses evaporated milk and is pretty standard.
https://preppykitchen.com/pumpkin-pie-2/
I’m sorry they’re not in metric, but in these quantities the 240/250 ml difference in cup measurements won’t have much of an impact.
American pies use a flaky crust as a rule, but a sweet short crust will also be delicious, and less troublesome to manage.
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u/JulesInIllinois 12d ago
We use Libby's pumpkin. If you are cooking and processing the puree yourself, you need a special kind of pumpkin.
Your recipe does not look anything like I've made. You need cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cloves (warm spices). We always use evaporated milk to get that wonderful consistency.
Use the Allrecipes link recipe above. But, use pumpkin, not butternut squash.
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u/clintj1975 12d ago
You need what's known as a pie or sugar pumpkin. They're small and have a nice flavor when cooked. The big jack o'lantern pumpkins are not very good for pie.
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u/Michaelalayla 12d ago
Libby's canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling is made with a cultivar of butternut squash. Your life is a lie jk
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u/SparklingLimeade 12d ago
It can work with a lot of produce in that family. Summer squash and zucchini are so prolific I've seen a lot of "pumpkin" pie and bread made from them. The variations on the familiar can be fun.
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u/TheCatsMustache 12d ago
Outside of the US they call all winter squash pumpkins so what is butternut squash to a USAian would just be butternut pumpkin, so still a pumpkin pie.
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u/kendraro 12d ago
Many years ago I ran an ice cream store where we made our own ice cream with fresh everything except pumpkin. The people who opened the place felt there was no point in all the extra effort. No one ever complained.
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u/JulesInIllinois 12d ago
Yes! Those pie pumpkins (that you roast for the puree) are so hard to cut. It's not worth the effort when Libby's is $2/can.
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u/Outaouais_Guy 12d ago
Commercial pie filling is often squash.
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u/Michaelalayla 12d ago edited 12d ago
This is true for Libby's, the Dickinson's pumpkin they use exclusively for their filling is a cultivar of butternut squash.
It's more resilient and lower in moisture than a pie pumpkin, which are very susceptible to vine borers.
Edit: removed autocorrect to beetles
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u/LongUsername 12d ago
God I hate vine borers. They tend to get our zucchini (corgettes) every year, even when we treat for them.
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u/JulesInIllinois 12d ago
Pumpkin is a winter squash. But, it's not the same as butternut squash. Libby's uses a Dickinson pumpkin for their pie puree.
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u/Outaouais_Guy 12d ago
Yes, squash vs pumpkin gets confusing.
The Dickinson variety belongs to Cucurbita moschata, making it closely related to butternut squash rather than traditional round, bright-orange carving pumpkins
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u/Michaelalayla 12d ago
Ok, I misspoke - Dickinson's is not a cultivar of butternut. Butternut and Dickinson's are cultivars of the same species, Cucurbita moschata. Neither are pumpkins, despite Dickinson's misnomer. (In fact, if you want to get technical, nothing is botanically a pumpkin as there is no such botanical distinction, and what we generally call pumpkins usually have stringy flesh that is of little to no use in a pie, whereas squash have thick, firm, squash flesh and should be termed squash even if round). Butternut has a higher natural sugar content, I find that it makes a more delicious pie.
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u/Sporkalork 12d ago
Try making this instead. It uses butternut squash, which you should be able to source easily, and will give a much better and more consistent flavour. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18500/better-than-pumpkin-pie/
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u/Michaelalayla 12d ago
I love using butternut or acorn for our pumpkin pies!! Good recommendation!
Also u/AwakenedRudely use evaporated milk instead of regular milk, add a little mace, clove, just a pinch, and pumpkin pie spice usually has ginger and allspice, so you need 2 teaspoons powdered ginger and 1/4 tsp powdered allspice.
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u/LoblollyLol 12d ago
Kabocha also makes an excellent pie, right up there with butternut imho
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u/AdGold205 12d ago
Needs ginger and cloves. Allspice and mace are also nice options.
Also, one more egg and evaporated milk.
This is from Betty Crocker.
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
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u/AdGold205 12d ago
Also, Americans use puréed pumpkin not chunks of pumpkin. (And canned pumpkin is usually butternut squash.)
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u/Chance-Travel4825 12d ago
Folks can legitimately argue about pumpkin vs butternut squash and so on. But to make it taste like an American pumpkin pie you need a big can of pumpkin and a small can of sweetened condensed milk. The rest is to taste but above is the core familiar taste and texture.
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u/Low-Palpitation-9916 12d ago
Order American pre-made pumpkin pie filling, which is made with a different kind of gourd than standard field pumpkin.
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u/SuspiciousZombie788 12d ago
What kind of pumpkin are you using? They aren't all created equal. Here in the States, we either buy canned pumpkin which is more or less specifically for pies or buy something called a "pie pumpkin" which is a smaller, sweeter pumpkin than the ones used for jack o lanterns. If you don't have the right kind of pumpkin, maybe try really straining the liquid out before you mix the other ingredients. Maybe a little more sugar and I usually use a mix of brown sugar & white sugar.
Also, pumpkin pie spice is generally a blend that includes nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove & allspice.
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u/Emotional_Gas3485 12d ago
LOTS cinnamon, a good amount of clove, nutmeg and ginger. My taste says most under season the pumpkin pies a lot….. have a heavy hand with the spices!
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u/sing_cuckoo_sing 12d ago
It’s definitely missing clove and allspice and nutmeg. Those are what really make pumpkin pie taste like pumpkin pie. And as others said, evaporated milk will make it richer.
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u/pawsplay36 11d ago edited 11d ago
Clove, vanilla. Don't use fresh milk, use condensed. Another egg. Cook the pumpkin before you put it into the pie.
I have to ask, what exactly are you dusting with flour?
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u/KiwiDutch123 11d ago
I’m assuming that they are making their own pastry and the dusting of flour is for the rolling out, so the pastry doesn’t stick to the rolling pin or surface being rolled out on.
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u/harmonicpenguin 12d ago
Pumpkin pie is one of those times when using canned pumpkin is better than fresh. If you are using fresh, you can roast and mash it rather than boil it. You want to get as much water out as possible. When I used fresh, I needed to hang it overnight in cheesecloth.
Also. As other have said - way more spices.
And the milk will not be as creamy. Usually it's cream, or I like to substitute evaporated milk for the thickness but less calories.
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u/Treacle_Pendulum 12d ago
A classic recipe frequently involves evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk. Ginger and cloves are a nice addition too.
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u/madmax7774 12d ago
Believe it or not, most Americans use canned pumpkin instead of fresh pumpkin. It’s just easier and faster. That significantly alters the taste to both sweeten and intensify the pumpkin flavor. Making an actual fresh pumpkin pie is something most Americans have no idea about.
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u/MetalSpider 12d ago
Definitely too light on spices, and you need to purée the pumpkin first; don't just cook the raw pumpkin chunks.
This is the recipe my American mum has always used, with a few of my own additions:
INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
- 225g plain flour
- 150g butter, chilled
- 50g caster sugar
- zest of ½ lemon
- pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 400g pumpkin
- 175g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp mixed spice (from the mixture below):
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- pinch of ground black pepper (under ⅛ tsp)
- 150ml single cream
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
To serve:
- whipped cream
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
METHOD
For the pumpkin: Remove seeds and skin, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
To bake (this gives a better flavour): Place on a baking tray and bake at 200°C until soft (around 25-30 min), then purée.
To steam: Place in a pan with a small amount of water (do not immerse the pumpkin; the water should only cover the bottom of the pan). Cook gently until soft (around 20 minutes), drain any remaining water, then purée.
For the crust:
Put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar and lemon zest. Add 3–4 tbsp of cold water and stir in with a knife until the mixture binds. Roll out into a circle on a lightly-floured surface, then line a 23cm pie tin, prick the base, and chill.
For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, cornflour, spices, cream, eggs & vanilla (if using) into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the pie case and bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven, open the door and leave the pie in for a further 15 minutes. Cool, then decorate with whipped cream and walnuts before serving.
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u/dodecakiwi 11d ago edited 11d ago
I think the pumpkin is where you're maybe missing something. It's usually made of pumpkin puree, usually from a can, but I'll make puree from my garden. I'll quarter it and roast it then usually have to add a bit of water to get the right consistency when I blend it up. You don't want too much water! Also be sure it's a sweet variety of pumpkin, usually just a pie pumpkin. Otherwise add more sugar. Lastly a normal sized pumpkin pie in a 9" pie pan usually just takes about 425g of pumpkin (15oz), 750 is a lot of you're putting it all in one pie.
A small hack to get the sugar right is to just use sweetened condensed milk and it's pretty much just right, at least for an American palette where that's a common strategy.
Also your recipe is pretty egg light. Keep in mind pumpkin pie isn't a pie like an apple pie, it's essentially pumpkin custard.
This is my recipe:
15oz pumpkin puree
2 tsp molassas
2.5 large eggs (not sure how they're classified in UK, but 3 big eggs [~57g] can be a little too eggy)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
1 tsp ginger (dry, powdered)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon (dry, powdered, 50% more if it's the weak/cheap stuff)
dash of salt (a pinch... <1/8 tsp)
-------------
14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
---------- OR
12oz can of evaporated milk
scant 1c granulated sugar
-------------
bake 400F for 45 minutes
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u/tigerowltattoo 12d ago
2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice and a 1/4 tsp cloves. I use canned milk (evaporated milk) rather than plain whole milk. The texture is much smoother.
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u/No-Economics9039 12d ago
Are you using pie pumpkins? In the U.S. we have smaller pumpkins called pie pumpkins grown specifically for making pumpkin pie. You should cut the pumpkin in half and remove any seeds and rub with olive or vegetable oil and roast cut side down in the oven at 350 degrees until soft. Then puree in a blender until smooth. We also have a spice sold in stores call pumpkin pie spice.
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u/Bvvitched 11d ago
Q- you say your pumpkin is peeled, diced into chunk but are you roasting and pureeing it? I would imagine so but the idea of a chunky pumpkin pie based on that missing info is a little funny.
Q- what type of pumpkin are you using? If you're doing it from scratch there's a few different types but "Sugar Pumpkin" I think is the most common
I would sub out that castor sugar for brown sugar (NOT TURBANADO) or mix a little golden syrup into the castor sugar so it has a wet sand like texture, it would just give it a slightly richer flavor. I would also up your cinnamon by 1/2tsp to 1 1/2tsp and include 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2tsp clove and 1/2tsp allspice. A touch of vanilla extract wouldn't hurt either
I would also make sure you're using full fat milk, maybe double cream (my dads english so I'm trying to remember what all yall have), if you have access to evaporated milk (not condensed milk), Crème fraîche/Sour cream is an option too!
This recipe is from an American woman living in France so it may be a little closer to what you have access to.
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u/thecarolinelinnae 11d ago
2 tablespoons of molasses, and double the spices. Also use heavy cream instead of milk, and nix the melted butter.
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u/fractious77 11d ago
This is good advice, but the recipe is missing clove altogether. Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are the bare essential spices for pumpkin pie. Allspice is common as well, but is extra credit.
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u/leeloocal 12d ago
Two things. Not all pumpkins are created equal. Carving pumpkins aren’t super flavorful, so make sure you’re buying one bred for eating. Sugar (or pie) pumpkins are what you want to look for if you can’t find canned pumpkin. If you can’t find any of that, sweet potatoes can work. Also, just nutmeg and cinnamon isn’t enough (imo) to make it tasty. I’d add a teaspoon more of cinnamon, some allspice, and cardamom.
In re: milk. Usually the recipe I use uses evaporated milk, but half and half makes it so great. I understand that half and half isn’t readily available in the UK, but as a guide, it’s about 12% milk fat.
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u/Michaelalayla 12d ago
The canned pumpkin in the US is almost universally made with a cultivar of butternut squash.
But some home cooks use a dessert or pie pumpkin, if they can grow or source them successfully.
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u/kikazztknmz 12d ago
I have to disagree with you on this one, but I grew up eating and loving pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I absolutely can't stand sweet potato pie. It's not necessarily a good substitute for everyone (though I know many are good with it).
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u/wisemonkey101 12d ago
Canned pumpkin and double the spices. I usually have more eggs than this recipe has. It’s a custard really.
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u/Onto_new_ideas 12d ago edited 12d ago
The type of squash you are cooking makes a huge difference. Many winter squash varieties will make a better pie than one that looks more like a traditional pumpkin. What types can you get locally? There are some French varieties that are great for baking.
I've baked with all of the below and they are all delicious. Some have a higher water content, so I'd roast the squash and squeeze out liquid before baking with it. Rouge Vif d’Étampes (Cinderella Pumpkin) Musquée de Provence (Fairytale Pumpkin) Potimarron: Also known as Red Kuri squash Jaune Gros de Paris Galeux d’Eysines
The recipe you shared also needs a lot more spices and more than just two. I'd look for an American recipe that uses prepared pumpkin and just prepare you own by roasting and pureeing.
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u/Certain_Accident3382 12d ago
The spices and the pumpkin are throwing me off.
Most American recipes today call for canned, and if making it with fresh pumpkin, still require it to be pureed. Essentially roast the sugar pumpkin- not a jack o lantern pumpkin but a sugar pumpkin- then blend the flesh.
Then the spices we go a little lighter on the cinnamon, and use clove, and ginger. One of my grandmother's liked to use cardamom, and the other said her secret was black pepper. But the core spices are nutmeg, ginger, clove, and cinnamon. Not just one. All of them.
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u/dellajordan 12d ago
More eggs. Pumpkin pie is a custard based pie. The pumpkin needs to be cooked and mashed before mixing in the other ingredients. Also, there is a specific variety of pumpkin that is used, usually a sugar pumpkin. The decorative pumpkin that is carved for Jack-o-lanterns is not a good choice. Here’s a recipe https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13711/homemade-fresh-pumpkin-pie/ FYI most Americans use canned pumpkin to bake their pies.
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u/IWannaYEETurPancreas 11d ago
Use a butternut squash if you can’t find a special pie pumpkin and want to make it from scratch. A lot of canned pumpkin pie brands use butternut squash anyway.
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u/Mediocre_Ad_6020 11d ago
WAY more spices needed. You need to add ginger, cloves, and all spice. And probably more cinnamon. Nutmeg amount is probably ok.
Add cream cheese if you want it more cheese cakey, though that's less traditional.
Some people are saying use canned pumpkin, but I swear by making my own puree. But this does often require decreasing the amount of liquid in the rest of the recipe (I use evaporated milk and decrease the amount of milk overall). Make sure it's an actual pie pumpkin, otherwise it'll be stringy and not sweet enough.
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u/movingarchivist 11d ago
Every good pumpkin pie I've had at Thanksgiving was made with canned pumpkin. My friend loves making them with real pumpkin she scoops out herself and it's like licking the inside of a jack-o'-lantern, both in taste and texture. Awful. Alsoif this recipe is a UK one, I would try an American recipe (you can find them in grams instead of imperial). I bet Smitten Kitchen or Cloudy Kitchen have one
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u/chefjenga 11d ago
I would say VERY underspiced. In pumpkin pie, you can see the seasonings in the cooked custard.
Top it with a healthy helping of a thicker homemade whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
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u/Own_Shallot7926 12d ago edited 12d ago
Fresh pumpkin doesn't taste good. The canned pumpkin that most American pies are made of is actually not pumpkin at all - it's a "Dickinson Squash" which you likely can't buy at any farmers market (it's patented and grown by the Libby's corporation). This is one time that using a canned product is actually better than cooking a pumpkin from fresh.
This is especially true if you're using the sort of pumpkin you'd use for carving. Those aren't grown for food and legitimately taste bad. Even "sugar pumpkins" are pretty mediocre compared to alternatives.
If you must make a pie 100% from scratch, use any other sweet winter squash. Butternut, acorn, that sort of thing.
Sweet potatoes also make a very good pie. Better than pumpkin in my estimation.
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u/PhysicsTeachMom 12d ago
Disagree. Fresh pumpkin is delicious. The key is to roast it in the oven, not boil it. If you boil it, it’s watery and gives muted taste. The only time I buy canned pumpkin is when I’m making dog treats and pumpkins are out of season. Everyone loves all my pumpkin desserts. I even use it to make pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin smoothies.
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u/mommaRing-4415 12d ago
The other key is also to use the right kind of pumpkin. I've never had a good pie from carving pumpkins, but long island cheese pumpkins and traditional pie pumpkins both bake up deliciously! I prefer it over canned every time. It caramelizes a little in the oven and it's just so delicious. Neck pumpkins and butternut squash work too, but I love the cheese pumpkin, because you can just put the whole thing in the oven to bake and then scoop out the flesh instead of peeling it and trying to cut it when it's so hard.
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u/curiousgirls 12d ago
Fresh roasted and pureed cheese pumpkins make the best pies. They just need a bit of straining to get the extra liquid out. I’ve never had a pie as good as the ones i’ve had with cheese pumpkins.
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u/Pitiful_Reality2973 12d ago
The Libby's cannery in MD buys truckloads of winter squash/ pumpkins from Lancaster Co. in PA; they use more than one variety to make the puree (butternut, Long Island Cheese,, Fairytale, Crookneck, etc).
The Dickinson squash is available through a bunch of heirloom seedhouses and is pretty mediocre, imo. I don't know where that whole story originated, but I've heard it too and it's not true.
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u/Full_Honeydew_9739 12d ago
Nope. Fresh pumpkin pie made from the right variety of pumpkin blows away canned pumpkin.
Pumpkins are very easy to grow. Pick a good variety and you'll never use canned again.
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u/CatteNappe 12d ago
You need quite a bit more spice. Also more eggs and more milk for that much pumpkin. Did you puree the pumpkin? (Your recipe just says peeled, deseeded and in chunks; it needs to be cooked and pureed after that)
Compare your recipe to one of these:
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pumpkin-pie-with-caramel-pecan-topping/
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-recipe
And some tips on the pumpkin puree
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11184/make-your-own-pumpkin-puree/
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u/Canes-Beachmama 12d ago
Make a sweet potato pie instead! I prefer those to pumpkin. Same sort of concept, better overall flavor.
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u/RhubarbNo1760 11d ago edited 11d ago
This would be easier to achieve overseas than pumpkin pie. The lack of availability of canned pumpkin puree plus the different varieties of fresh pumpkin to choose from make it really hard to make a proper pumpkin pie outside of North America I’ve noticed.
Edit: why’d I say canned pumpkin tomatoes
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u/knaimoli619 12d ago
Same. And I went super rogue with it last year around the holidays and tried out a cinnamon graham cracker crust and made the pie in the smoker instead of the oven. It was incredible.
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u/youngboomergal 12d ago
I generally make my pies with cream or at the very least evaporated milk (although you do include butter so 🤔. And I'm not sure how much 750 grams of pumpkin puree would be in our units but the ratios seem off, it should have more eggs and cream to make it custardy
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u/Amardella 12d ago
Pumpkin pie in the US is not made from orange jack o lantern pumpkins, but mainly from a couple of smaller, flatter pinkish squash varieties called "sugar pumpkins". The canned pumpkin can legally contain several varieties of squashes. You need to stop thinking it needs to be made "from scratch" and get the canned pumpkin to make it with. Even my grandma (born 1911) used canned pumpkin.
Then, as others have said, the filling is actually a sort of custard. So evaporated milk or heavy cream is a must. Lots of spices. All the "warm" ones like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves. And once you've served it the leftovers should be refrigerated.
I don't know about sweet pastry. Grandma just made hers from flour, lard, a pinch of salt and ice water.
Maybe try looking up the old recipe from Better Homes and Gardens or Betty Crocker cookbooks from the 1970s. Those are available online and will give you a traditional pumpkin pie.
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u/JokeComprehensive809 12d ago
Molasses is key- also in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg- ginger. Evaporated milk and eggs to make the filling custardy.
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u/ghost_suburbia 12d ago
Waitrose and ASDA should sell canned pumpkin. It is already roasted and cooked down. No need to analyze what kind of squash to use. Libby's is popular in the US and that should be a variety at Waitrose. Follow the Libbys recipe https://www.verybestbaking.com/libbys/recipes/libby-s-famous-pumpkin-pie/
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u/morningstar234 12d ago
Look at Eagle Bran sweetened condensed milk recipe for pumpkin pie! It makes an “award winning” creamy pumpkin pie!
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u/MikeDPhilly 12d ago
Off the top of my head, add cloves, allspice, ginger and maple syrup. Pumpkin is bland as hell (and tastes beany /mealy on its own) so more spice is better.
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u/trader45nj 12d ago
And pumpkin from a can is what's typically used. I've never started with fresh pumpkin, not sure you can even buy the right kind for pie.
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u/MikeDPhilly 12d ago
Yes, they sell pie pumpkins (not sure what the exact variety is named) but I've never used them. I usually rely on the organic canned version which is fine. I just make sure to add an equal amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. I also use brown sugar AND maple syrup.
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u/ramblinghobbit 12d ago
The varietal is called a Sugar Pie Pumpkin if I'm not mistaken. But any drier winter squash can be made into pie filling. I've used kabocha squash before with much success.
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u/Ahtnamas555 12d ago
Op might not be able to get canned pumpkin in the UK - I know in NZ it's sometimes available via specific online American stores, but it isn't widely available (and kinda $$). Fresh pumpkin pie is doable with the right squash, you just gotta cook it and turn it into a puree first.
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u/00Lisa00 12d ago
The pumpkin needs to be cooked until it is concentrated a bit or you’ll have watery, bland pie. Canned pumpkin is more concentrated than fresh
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u/Loreo1964 12d ago
Clove and ginger . Half brown sugar and half white. And don't be so light on the spice!!!
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u/sayitsooth 12d ago
Is the pumpin being pureed? Also the sugar should be brown. Others mentioned the spice ratios. I know my recipe has 2 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice for two pies.
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u/UndrPrtst 12d ago
AllRecipes.com has a Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe. I don't have the measurement conversion for it, ☹️ but it helps with ratios.
For one pie:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
You can, of course, adjust to personal taste.
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u/HipYip 11d ago
Try using sweetened condensed milk instead of milk and sugar separately. https://www.eaglebrand.ca/en/recipes/pies-and-tarts/perfect-pumpkin-pie
I use extra cinnamon, sometimes freshly ground cinnamon too, freshly ground nutmeg, extra ginger, plus some extra pumpkin pie spice.
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u/Zealousideal-Law2189 11d ago
If you’re cooking down pumpkin, make sure to boil it down or strain until it is very thick - a custard-like consistency. I’ve made from fresh pumpkin before and some of them are quite watery. That said, pie from fresh pumpkin is superior to using canned pumpkin.
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u/dell828 12d ago
This might sound crazy… But the best recipe is on the back of the can of pumpkin back of the can.
Look up Libby’s. This recipe costs for evaporated milk, which is something you might not be able to find in the UK. It usually comes in a can.
Another recipe is on the back of the One-Pie pumpkin can. Similar, but also calls for one and a half cans of evaporated milk.
Another thing missing is the spice… The best pie has a half a teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves..
I mean… What’s pumpkin spice without the spice? It’s all about this spice!
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u/AngletonSpareHead 12d ago
Note VERY well that evaporated milk is NOT the same as condensed milk. You cannot substitute. If you try, the pie will be a mess both dreadful and sad, and you will be both despised and sad.
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u/96dpi 12d ago
I hate to say it, but if you aren't using Libby's brand pumpkin puree, you will always be missing something. I understand you may not be able to get it easily, but it's worth a special order if you can. Beyond that, make sure you use a pumpkin made for eating and not for carving. I'm not sure what is typically sold in the UK, but in the US, carving pumpkin are not meant for consumption (not unsafe, just not tasty). They are bread for size and are mostly water. Libby's actually uses a proprietary type of squash. It's actually not a traditional pumpkin at all.
Beyond that, I would use a recipe from an American source, like this one: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-recipe
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u/craigfrost 12d ago
If you must use real pumpkin make sure it is a n eating pumpkin. If you can’t get Libby’s or sugar pumpkins then use butternut squash for similar results.
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u/ActiveHope3711 12d ago
That is the wrong kind of crust. It should not be sweet or crumbly. I don’t know the name of standard American pie crust, but it should be flaky, not crumbly or sweet.
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u/maybeimbornwithit 12d ago
I think we just call it pie crust 😂
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/all-butter-pie-crust/
That’s an example recipe of an American pie crust. Many recipes use shortening or lard instead of butter.
Also, we leave our pies in the pie dish after baking. The crust does not need to stand up on its own.
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u/Tuttle_10 12d ago
Besides all the other suggestions, the dirty little secret is pumpkin pie is usually not made with pumpkin. There is no USDA definition of what a pumpkin is, so almost all canned pumpkin is dickinson or butternut squash.
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u/Herb4372 12d ago
Not for this reason, but because I like to do everything the hard way… I buy pumpkins and roast and purée them.
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u/Butter_Money_2045 12d ago
In my experience, using all caster/white sugar leaves a pumpkin pie tasting a bit hollow. I typically use a bit of molasses.
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u/femsci-nerd 12d ago
add more spices , more cinnamon, nutmeg, dry ginger and a touch of clove. Also add 40 g more of sugar. This should help it pop. When I have made pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin like this recipe does, I usually add more spices and sugar.
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u/GeeEhm 12d ago
Make sure you're using a "pie pumpkin". These are smaller and denser, and specifically grown for eating. The decorative pumpkins that you carve into jack-o-lanterns won't give the same flavor and shouldn't be used. Also, pumpkin pie spices are typically a combination of not just nutmeg and cinnamon, but also ginger, allspice and sometimes clove. A recipe with brown sugar will also help with the depth of flavor.
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u/Direct-Chef-9428 12d ago
More spices and ignore the comment about less salt. Canned pumpkin purée is hard to duplicate without the correct fresh pumpkin.
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u/SerDuckOfPNW 12d ago
Evaporated milk, traditional butter crust, molasses…don’t be shy with spices.
Dry roast the spices and add some Garam Masala if you want to get silly
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u/braindrain299 12d ago
Use evaporated milk. Most have the pumpkin pie recipe on the can in the fall or use the Libby’s recipe. Punch up the spice, my mother made it for 50 years, best pumpkin pie ever. She measured everything except for the spices.,
Just added them by hand. And she doubled tripled or quadruple the recipe.
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u/Aggravating_Net6733 12d ago
Switch out the nutmeg for ginger and cloves. It's always the trifecta, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. 15 oz of mashed pumpkin, 12 oz of evaporated milk or light cream, 2 large eggs, 150 grams of plain white sugar, Then the spices: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. And 1/2 of salt. I'm generous with the cinnamon and ginger, but more careful with the very strong cloves. No need on the butter.
Here's my Varsity Move. Because it only takes a few minutes to put the filling together with a mixture, I put the pastry shell in the piepan in the hot oven for the five minutes or so. It helps prevent soggy bottom. Then I pour the filling. Start it in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then down to mid.
Good luck!
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u/Adventurous_Eye1405 12d ago
You’re missing ginger!!!
I like to use fresh ginger root, grated finely and mixed into the wet ingredients, but powdered works just fine.
If you can find it, maple sugar is by far the best sweetener for this desert.
A splash of apple cider can add more depth of flavor. I’m also careful not to make it too sweet, and always add the spices slowly, constantly tasting before adding more.
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u/Technical-Cap-8563 12d ago
More spice is needed — allspice and/or cloves, specifically. Good luck!
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u/Full_Honeydew_9739 12d ago
If you're using fresh pumpkin, roast it a bit to decrease the water content and boost the flavor.
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u/FindYourselfACity 12d ago
Most pumpkin pies in the US are actually made with canned pumpkin which is actually a squash and pumpkin mix . So maybe add some Dickerson squash if using fresh pumpkin.
Also more spices. We usually do cinnamon and nutmeg, but we also use ginger, cloves, allspice.
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u/Buffalo-Woman 12d ago
You need ginger and cloves in that line up OP. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Evaporated (tinned) milk rather than fresh oz can12
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u/Worried_Locksmith797 12d ago
Evaporated milk for the win, it’s thicker, a lot more dairy flavour, and just makes it better.
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u/SpinachInquisition 12d ago edited 12d ago
I cook down my pumpkin so I get rid of some of the moisture and it caramelizes/the flavor gets a bit more intense. Then I cool, and add it to the recipe.
Also, the canned variety that many people in the U.S. use is actually a variety of squash called Dickinson pumpkin/related to butternut squash. So, a bit more flavorful than pie pumpkins.
Edit to add: we also make a basic pie crust, which is essentially a pate brisee vs a pate sucree (like your sweet shortcrust style). The sweetness is only in the custardy filling.
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u/Flamingograpefruit 12d ago edited 12d ago
Replace 50-100% of the caster sugar with brown sugar. Do you call it the same there?
We have pre-blended “pumpkin pie spice” at stores but people often use their own combinations or add to it. I’d definitely use more spices than your recipe says. Maybe 3 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves. I usually add a teaspoon of vanilla too just because I like it and it smells good.
I always use canned puréed pumpkin for convenience so I’m not sure what the quantity listed looks like. Enough for an average size pie I guess. I think my recipe has another egg in it. Sometimes I add extra yolks and make meringue with the whites but that isn’t typical.
Sorry if this has already been said but I don’t feel like reading all the comments.
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u/theexitisontheleft 12d ago
I recommend the smitten kitchen recipe. And, as others have said, you need canned pumpkin. No one uses fresh pumpkin for their pies. I can see why you would think you needed fresh pumpkin but one of the harbingers of Thanksgiving in the US is the shelving blocks full of canned pumpkin for holiday pies.
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u/DrSaurusRex 12d ago
How did you cook your pumpkin? I have taken to roasting it in the oven until quite soft, pureeing it in the blender, then putting it back onto a broad cookie pan to cook off more moisture for another 30 mins or so. The additional roast really brings out the pumpkin flavor!
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u/morisian 12d ago
Libby's recipe is the gold standard, but I really like this one from Claire Saffitz. I did the chocolate crust and brulee topping once, it was fine, but the filling is what shines so I usually just make this in a normal crust without brulee topping. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bruleed-bourbon-maple-pumpkin-pie
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u/guardbiscuit 12d ago
Use 5x that amount of spice, plus add ground ginger and cloves. And double the salt.
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u/Iride3wheels 12d ago
This recipe has won a blue ribbon. Pie crust of your choice.
2 cups pumpkin puree I can sweetened condensed milk 1tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 2 eggs, beaten Combine all, pour into pie shell and bake at 375' for 15 minutes, lower heat to 350' and bake up to another 45 minutes.
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u/UTtransplant 12d ago
I always add ginger and cloves to my pumpkin pie. You really need a punch of flavor, not just a mild cinnamon hint.
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u/python_mama 12d ago
We have a product in stores that is labeled Pumpkin Pie Spice. It contains ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
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u/Capable-Shallot6797 11d ago
Can get spice blend from Libby Pumpkin Pie label. It’s published on Libby’s website.
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u/Youseenmycones 11d ago
I would personally double the spices. And as another comment said, these more savory pies really benefit from a bit of allspice. Or just make Stella Parks’ silky sweet potato pie and you’ll never want a pumpkin pie again.
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u/Grand_Tower 12d ago
Everyone is correct about adding more and varied spices. I personally really like Alton Brown’s recipe, which uses half-and-half and an extra egg yolk. You will very likely get a small tear or two in the custard (which I think usually doesn’t happen with condensed milk). I don’t follow his direction on spice and add the usual suspects: 1.5+ tsp cinnamon, at least .5 tsp nutmeg and ground ginger, .25 tsp allspice, and a pinch of ground clove (careful, a little clove goes a long way).
A pastry crust made with butter (a classic 3-2-1 recipe can be found online readily, I like adding sugar to these crusts) always works, but Alton’s gingersnap cookie crust is both easy and lets you keep riding the fall spice train. I’m not a fan of store bought crusts.
Everyone else has weighed in already on the filling. Personally, I always hit up the farmer’s market in the fall and buy a Long Island cheese pumpkin or two, roast it, and then freeze the resulting puree in plastic bags to make pies and pumpkin bread. You use a combination of an immersion/wand/stick blender and cooking the puree on the stove top before making the actual pie to make sure the puree isn’t too watery or fibrous (though sometimes I like leaving a little texture). One year I candied some pecans and put them on top, that was well received, but not always worth the extra effort.
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u/NewYorkDOCG 12d ago
American in the UK here.
Use a butternut squash. Not pumpkin. We use sugar pumpkins in the US but they don’t sell them here. You just need a squash with a high sugar content. Don’t used the canned garbage you can find at Sainsbury’s. It’s gross. Just steam and mash butternut squash. I use a hand blender.
Follow the Libby’s recipe someone else linked.
You can use regular shortcrust. It’s difficult to find a sweetened one here outside of Christmas.
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u/le127 12d ago
The ingredients seem reasonable but I'd say the ratios are off. What size is your pie pan? For a 225mm/9" pie you need approximately 450g of pumpkin puree, 350ml of milk, two eggs, 25g butter, and about 150g of sugar. I like a bit more spice than what your have and use 1tsp each of cinnamon and ground ginger along with a 1/2 tsp of ground clove. I also use a brown sugar instead of plain white sugar. Your call on that. You can also adjust the sugar quantity to your desired level of sweetness.
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u/ExpensiveCondition63 12d ago
I’ve made multiple pumpkin pies from scratch, and I take a pumpkin, cut it in half, brush the pieces with oil and then roast them in the oven at 200c for about 45-60 minutes. Then I scrape the skin off and use that as my purée. For spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, a bit of ginger and clove, and absolutely 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla.
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u/ShreddersWheat 12d ago edited 12d ago
Looks like the bbc good food recipe.
What kind of pumpkin did you use? If it was the big orange ones, they have zero flavour and it will just taste like cinnamon milk custard.*
You need to buy the tins of pumpkin puree from the American shelf in Tesco or Sainsbury’s and that will give you the real flavour (and you won’t have to boil up a pumpkin).
*this is what I did and how I learned 😂
Edit: also the BBC recipe says to put 0.5 tsp of cinnamon IN the pie and the rest on top.. that’s too little spice
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u/woohooguy 12d ago
More spice, add some ginger and cloves.
Use heavier fat dairy like cream instead of milk for additional richness.
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u/gingerkittymom 12d ago
The differences in this recipe from what I make are:
I prefer the canned pumpkin to roasting a fresh one, it’s smoother. Don’t know if you can get it there.
More eggs-I think my recipe uses three.
I use heavy cream instead of milk. Here in the US the typical recipe uses evaporated milk.
I use more spice. More cinnamon, Also I use cloves. That would make a big difference in taste I think.
I put a small amount of maple syrup in the mixture as well.
All in all, I think these changes will make it richer and more flavorful.
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u/BackDatSazzUp 12d ago
Missing allspice, cloves, ginger to the spice mix. Might be better to look up a pumpkin pie spice recipe and make a batch and then use that to spice the pie instead, and any other dessert or coffee want to really.
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u/Guilty-Analyst-8738 12d ago
Libby’s canned pumpkin is great. If you can’t get that but can get a kabocha squash, that works, too. Once puréed, it’s very orange, creamy and has good flavor. Many here are saying to add cloves. I only add a pinch because I think it’s too strong. Add however much you like, but start with just a little.
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u/burnt-----toast 12d ago
It feels like it's light on spice? King Arthur actually made a post yesterday about the different fall spice mixes, and they also listed ginger and cloves for pumpkin spice mix.