Make Ahead
Pumpkin Cream Pie
Popular on Food52
30 Reviews
Sweet__Kate
November 13, 2021
This recipe could be 5 stars, AND it is still worth making. After reading the reviews and suggestions AND after reading Serious Eats' "How to Make Pastry Creme" - I was able to confidently modify the pumpkin creme pat to a better flavor and texture. Here are all of my modifications: I added 1/2 C. pecans and 1 tsp. of cinnamon into the food processor with the graham crackers for the crust. I used 1 C. pumpkin puree (twice baked squash puree), I used 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (1/2 tsp. is WAY too little), I added 1/4 tsp. cardamon for a little chai spice flavor, and I used 5 Tbs. corn starch (I can't believe the recipe author stands by her 1/2 C. - unnecessarily excessive) - the extra pumpkin and spice bring it to Thanksgiving-Dessert-Level. I had to trouble-shoot my creme pat twice and it still turned out - use Google if it isn't right. I added 1 tsp. vanilla to the whipped cream, and I wished I had added another Tbs. of brown sugar - it needed to be just a touch sweeter IMO. I practiced this in advance to see if it was worth bringing to Thanksgiving, and it definitely is.
Sweet__Kate
November 13, 2021
Also - I DID strain my creme pat to get some clumps and larger spice bits out. It made a big difference, and it came out nice and smooth.
Kelly4yr
November 2, 2021
I would not recommend this one. It took forever with so many steps and a lot of waiting. There was also a step about straining the filling through a sieve that was frustrating and in the end, not a single clump was left behind so it was just an exercise in time waste. The pie tasted good but the whipped cream was bland and tasteless. If you make this, make sure you have a lot of time to do it + don't do the sieve step + make your whipped cream from another recipe that includes powdered sugar so it will at least have taste. I won't be making this one again.
hotelalfalima
October 23, 2021
Amazing! It came out perfectly and is now one of my favorite pies ever. Love the sour cream whipped cream. I halved the corn starch and let the mixture bubble for a minute - this deactivates the amylase enzyme in the egg. If it doesn't get hot enough the amylase will dissolve the starch and make the filling runny.
Steve
November 17, 2021
This comment needs to be a part of the recipe. Love the explanation (outside of just the typical “need to activate the cornstarch” or “cook till thick”) which is WHY 1/2 cup is way too much. You have to boil/bring to bubbling for a minute. Otherwise just cooking till thick won’t allow the filling to fully set.
Beasti
November 25, 2021
Why oh why didn’t I read your comments first? Mine never set. What a waste. Bubbling for one minute is a perfect explanation.
Suzanne B.
January 3, 2021
1/2 cup of cornstarch. Yikes!!! Way way way too gummy and tastes like corn starch. Ugh. And this is an all time food52 fave!!! Seriously? Oh well you can’t win em all. Definitely NOT A WINNER.....
Lori M.
December 28, 2020
Move over regular pumpkin pie, there’s a new Thanksgiving dessert traditionBased on other reviews, I made the following modifications and the pie turned out perfectly. 3 tablespoon of cornstarch made a creamy filling. I cooked on medium low heat for 12 minutes while constantly stirring. It slowly bubbled if I stopped stirring to give you an idea of heat needed to activate the cornstarch. I also doubled the pumpkin the pumpkin pie spice to kick up the flavor. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Maria E.
November 26, 2020
Sounded sooo good...but was so disappointed 😞...made exactly as directed yet found the custard never set up even after a full 24 hours chilling and was messy as well as not pumpkiny at all! The only thing tasty about this recipe was the crust
Lisa P.
November 15, 2020
Question: typically, a pastry cream calls fir the custard to boil or simmer. This does not. Do we want it to reach simmer stage?
Emma L.
November 16, 2020
Hey Lisa P! I've found that when and how much a pastry cream bubbles fluctuates a lot, so I rely more on the mixture visually thickening, but simmering can be another good indicator that the cornstarch is activating.
Beasti
November 25, 2021
From Martha Stewart:
Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Return entire mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling in center, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in pumpkin. Whisk in butter.
From now on I only go to Martha for recipes.
Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Return entire mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling in center, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in pumpkin. Whisk in butter.
From now on I only go to Martha for recipes.
Stephaniea
November 1, 2020
1/2 c cornstarch + 6 minutes to set up? As I followed the instructions I knew I should have reduced the thickener but have been looking forward to this for weeks and wanted to follow the recipe closely so it would look just like the picture. Mine set up into a gelatinous brick within a minute or two. I’d like to try this with just a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and see what happens.
Ann S.
December 27, 2019
I followed this recipe to a T & found the end result to be incredibly messy & pretty tasteless!
chowter
December 1, 2019
Delicious!! I reduced the cornstarch to 43 grams, and used skim milk and only 5 egg yolks (because that's what I had in the fridge). The pastry cream held up well and the pie sliced beautifully. I will definitely make this again. And again!
Jill F.
November 29, 2019
We loved this pie, it was light and rich all at the same time. So nice to have another pumpkin pie option! I will make it a regular at our Thanksgiving table.
Pie1234
November 27, 2019
Bombed!! I just poured my pastry cream, that I made yesterday, into the baked cooled crust and it is like porridge! This will not set up. Now without dessert for tomorrow. Back to the drawing board, half a dozen eggs and a stick of butter later....
Emma L.
November 27, 2019
Oh no! I'm really sorry to hear that. The amount of cornstarch called for here is pretty generous (to avoid any difficulty setting up), so it's hard for me to say what might have happened. Sometimes if you don't cook the pastry cream long enough, the cornstarch doesn't fully activate. If you let me know what other ingredients you have around, I can try to brainstorm another dessert with you.
Beasti
November 25, 2021
Exactly my result. I whisked and cooked the cream until it started to curdle. YOU MUST EXPLAIN MORE THOROUGHLY WHEN TO TAKE IT OFF THE STOVE! I could use a thermometer. I was afraid it was going to boil solid because of all of the yolks and starch. I used all the freshest ingredients. It never set up. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I was supposed to bring dessert.
The step of getting the cream cooked just right is CRUCIAL! A photo or a better explanation is needed. Very time consuming and all wasted.
The step of getting the cream cooked just right is CRUCIAL! A photo or a better explanation is needed. Very time consuming and all wasted.
Emma L.
November 29, 2021
Hi Beasti, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know how much work and care goes into Thanksgiving, and that's hugely disappointing. I appreciate your note and will do my best to improve the recipe's clarity for the future.
Terry B.
October 11, 2019
This sounds like my kind of pie! However, I think a gingersnap crust will be divine! I can't wait to try it this Thanksgiving! Yum!!
AmyWirth
November 27, 2018
My family loved everything about this pie. It will definitely replace the old Libby's can label standby. I made the filling and crust the night before, then made the topping first thing in the morning. After assembling, I put the pie in the fridge for a few hours, and it held up beautifully on the hour drive to Thanksgiving. Fabulous.
Emma L.
November 27, 2018
Thanks for reporting back on your assembly approach, Amy—and I’m thrilled to hear that the pie travelled well! So glad your family enjoyed it.
Bbv2020
November 24, 2018
I wanted to try a different take on traditional pumpkin pie and this is a great alternative. It is lighter that a traditional PPie and that was one of the things people really liked after a large meal. Two people asked for the recipe so I consider that a win! When making the Pumpkin filing, I really cooked it longer and in the end had to up the heat a tad to get it warm enough to set up. When I took it off the burner it was thickened up quite a bit and when I topped it with the Whipped cream, it was firm enough to hold it up. Think of the consistency of a very thick pudding. I didn't want it to run when cut and I wanted it to set up correctly. And if you don't cook it enough, the cornstarch stays grainy and chalky.
Secondly, the pie is just sweet enough so taste the filling and if you want it sweeter, I would either add more sugar to the custard filling or the whipped cream, which is slightly tangy due to the addition of sour cream. The crust was really good, loved the touch of ginger in there and honestly could see adding a few ginger snaps the next time around for a more pronounced ginger flavor. At our house, the pumpkin pie is for the 2-3 people that really love it vs. the other 18-20 that prefer fruit pie or pecan pie. Not this year. This pie was gone first! Will make every Thanksgiving now!
Secondly, the pie is just sweet enough so taste the filling and if you want it sweeter, I would either add more sugar to the custard filling or the whipped cream, which is slightly tangy due to the addition of sour cream. The crust was really good, loved the touch of ginger in there and honestly could see adding a few ginger snaps the next time around for a more pronounced ginger flavor. At our house, the pumpkin pie is for the 2-3 people that really love it vs. the other 18-20 that prefer fruit pie or pecan pie. Not this year. This pie was gone first! Will make every Thanksgiving now!
Emma L.
November 25, 2018
Thanks for reporting back with these notes—I'm touched that some folks asked for the recipe!
Victoria L.
November 23, 2018
This recipe is only OK as is. I actually made the pumpkin pie filling twice:
First batch - I followed the recipe exactly as stated. While the filling was fine, the amount of cornstarch it calls for made for a more gelatinous texture. I wasn’t nuts about it, so I went for round two..
Second batch - this time around, I only added 3TBL cornstarch and an extra 2TBL brown sugar (I wanted it to be slightly sweeter vs the first batch. This slight addition didn’t make it too sweet). The amount of time on the stovetop was definitely increased (probably closer to 12ish minutes, but look for the whisk to leave a trail as she suggests), however, it did firm up and the result was a CREAMIER pumpkin filling. Much better.
Don’t take it off the stove too early, it WILL firm up (particularly if you go with recipe as written). I also opted for regular pie crust and regular homemade whipped cream (minimal sugar since I added more in the pumpkin filling and a splash of vanilla). Just my preference.
First batch - I followed the recipe exactly as stated. While the filling was fine, the amount of cornstarch it calls for made for a more gelatinous texture. I wasn’t nuts about it, so I went for round two..
Second batch - this time around, I only added 3TBL cornstarch and an extra 2TBL brown sugar (I wanted it to be slightly sweeter vs the first batch. This slight addition didn’t make it too sweet). The amount of time on the stovetop was definitely increased (probably closer to 12ish minutes, but look for the whisk to leave a trail as she suggests), however, it did firm up and the result was a CREAMIER pumpkin filling. Much better.
Don’t take it off the stove too early, it WILL firm up (particularly if you go with recipe as written). I also opted for regular pie crust and regular homemade whipped cream (minimal sugar since I added more in the pumpkin filling and a splash of vanilla). Just my preference.
Anna
November 23, 2018
Pros- Flavor was great and I liked that it was a less dense version of traditional pumpkin pie.
Cons-Definitely make ahead of time. The recipe states that the finished pie should chill 1 to 18 hours...mine was in the fridge for 6 and didn't ever set up. I would recommend cooking the pastry cream a bit longer than you'd think it needs and then giving it overnight in the fridge. We ended up with "deconstructed pumpkin pudding with graham crumble" for dessert but the leftovers in the fridge were solid enough that they could have been sliced this morning.
Cons-Definitely make ahead of time. The recipe states that the finished pie should chill 1 to 18 hours...mine was in the fridge for 6 and didn't ever set up. I would recommend cooking the pastry cream a bit longer than you'd think it needs and then giving it overnight in the fridge. We ended up with "deconstructed pumpkin pudding with graham crumble" for dessert but the leftovers in the fridge were solid enough that they could have been sliced this morning.
Emma L.
November 25, 2018
Hi Anna! So sorry to hear that the pastry cream didn't set up properly—it sounds like it wasn't cooked long enough for the cornstarch to activate and thicken the custard. That said, love the way you turned lemons into lemonade with the "deconstructed" take!
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