We’ve made Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie filling for Thanksgiving dinner every year ever since we got married in 2001! It is delicious every time! I use a basic pie crust recipe here, but the filling recipe is Grandma’s! I’ve recently started using a pumpkin spice from The Spice House in place of the spices in Grandma’s recipe, but I listed the original spices in the recipe. Be sure to read the recently added notes at the bottom of the recipe for helpful hints on preventing cracks in the filling and preventing a soggy crust.
A fun note about these pie photos – Margeaux (one of the young women I mentored a decade ago, and a wonderful mama of two adorable girls now!) came over to our house this week to learn how to make this pie, and she helped me photograph it! It was her idea to use the green wreath, she added whipped cream for us, and she also styled the plates with pine cones and cinnamon sticks. She did a great job! I love Margeaux, and it will always make me happy to see these photos and think of her!
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 3-4 Tablespoons cold milk
Filling Ingredients
- 3 eggs beaten slightly
- ½ cup sugar granulated
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt iodized table salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice from The Spice House; (OR as Grandma's original recipe calls for: ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
- 1½ cups mashed pumpkin cooked or canned (I use a full 15 oz can)
- 1½ cups evaporated milk, heated
Instructions
Crust Preparation
- Combine the flour and salt.
- Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a fork or a pastry cutter until the pieces are the size of peas.
- Add the cold milk one tablespoon at a time; stir gently until the dough starts to come together. Combine into a dough ball with hands. Be careful not to over-work the dough, as the gluten will become too developed and the crust will be tough instead of flaky.
- You may shape the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for up to two days.
- When ready to shape the crust, roll out the dough into a 12-14" circular shape on a floured surface, depending on the depth of your pie dish.
- Transfer the dough to the pie plate by rolling it over the rolling pin and placing it on the edge of the pie dish, then unrolling the dough.
- Fold the outer edges of the dough under to make a nice thick edge, then shape as desired. We usually do a zig-zag crust for pumpkin pie. Set in a cool area while making the filling.If your pie dish is glass, don't refrigerate it. Putting cold glass directly into a hot oven can cause the glass to shatter.
Filling Preparation
- Move the oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven to promote a fully baked bottom crust. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and spices to the beaten eggs and mix just until incorporated.
- Blend the pumpkin into the egg mixture. Add the milk and mix until combined.
- Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pan.
- Bake the pie in the lower 1/3 of the oven at 425℉ for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to 350℉ and continue baking for 50 minutes.
- Let cool before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.