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Award-winning creamy pumpkin pie recipe has a secret ingredient to make it extra special! This is the best pumpkin pie recipe and won the best pumpkin pie on the internet!
The BEST PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE
I spent most of my life making the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of Libby’s pumpkin can. It is a yummy recipe and produces a classic pumpkin pie. But it might just be a tad boring. Most of my kids reach for any other pie but pumpkin so I set out to change it.
Last year, I made a simple perfect pumpkin pie using sweetened condensed milk. This year I decided to up the ante and really change up the classic pumpkin pie recipe. The result was pumpkin pie perfection.
Why you will love this Award Winning Pumpkin Pie:
- This isn’t your typical pumpkin pie recipe! Even people who say they don’t like pumpkin pie, actually love this pumpkin pie recipe. It is the secret ingredients that set it apart. It truly is the best pumpkin pie!
- You can make it ahead of time! Worried about preparing the entire Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day? You can make this pumpkin pie several days ahead of time and just keep it in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
This isn’t like the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can of pumpkin — it is BETTER!
So what makes this the best pumpkin pie recipe? Two ingredients — Cream Cheese and Butter. Instead of using evaporated canned milk, we add cream cheese and butter. Why have I not thought of this before? The creamy cheese and butter add a touch of rich creaminess to the pumpkin pie.
The cream cheese and butter also soften the strong pumpkin flavor. It is still a perfectly pumpkin flavored pie but is much creamier than the original. When paired with a buttery flaky pie crust and fresh whipped cream, it is the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert.
- Canned Pumpkin — use your favorite pure pumpkin puree. You want to use just pure pumpkin and NOT the pumpkin pie mix.
- Cream Cheese — this cream cheese makes the pumpkin pie so perfectly creamy. Use full-fat cream cheese and make sure it is softened to mix more easily with the pumpkin.
- Butter — this adds so much warmth and flavor to the pie and pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.
- Vanilla Extract — use a good-quality pure vanilla extract in this recipe.
- Eggs — this recipe calls for large eggs.
- Powdered Sugar — helps to create a smooth, silky texture while sweetening the pumpkin. If you want it less sweet, you can reduce the amount of powdered sugar.
- Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Salt — these spices bring out the warm flavors of the pumpkin.
- All Butter Pie Crust — this homemade pie crust recipe is so simple, using only 4 ingredients but is flaky and delicious.
Pumpkin Pie Tip:
To make it extra creamy, soften the cream cheese to allow it to mix well with the pumpkin. You can mix it in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, in a blender, or food processor.
How to make the Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe:
- Start off by making the pie crust. I suggest making my homemade butter pie crust recipe. If you make it in a food processor, it is even easier! Roll out the pie dough and press into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Flute the edges. Cover and place in the refrigerator or freezer while making the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add pumpkin and whip for another 5 minutes.
- Add melted butter (make sure it isn’t too hot!) and vanilla and mix for 1 minute longer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and mix all together.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour the pie filling into the deep dish pie crust and place the pie plate on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then LOWER the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 42-48 minutes. Watch the crust carefully to make sure it isn’t becoming too brown. Cover the pie with foil to prevent browning.
- Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour and then chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Serve with freshly whipped cream.
Baking Tip:
To prevent the crust from browning, place some foil over the top of the pie. Foil can stick on the pumpkin pie filling so spray with non-stick cooking spray and lightly tent the foil on top of the pie. Another option is to place the piece of foil on the rack above the pumpkin pie.
How do I know when the pumpkin pie is done baking?
The pumpkin pie will slightly jiggle in the center of the pie. It needs to cool to room temperature and then be refrigerated. It needs time to cool at room temperature or it will sink in the middle if placed straight from the oven to the refrigerator. When it is chilled, it will set-up and become firmer.
How to avoid cracks in a pumpkin pie?
This is a popular question about how to keep your pumpkin pie from cracking. I will share some tips on how to avoid cracks.
Preventing cracks in a pumpkin pie recipe largely revolves around controlling the baking process:
- Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can cause cracks. The edges of the pie should be set, but the center can still be slightly wobbly when you take it out. It will continue to cook as it cools.
- Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes: Rapid changes in temperature can cause cracking. After baking, let the pie cool slowly on a wire rack.
- Shield Edges: Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a pie shield for the first part of the baking to prevent them from overbrowning.
FAQ’s about pumpkin pie:
Yes! You need to chill the pumpkin pie to allow the pumpkin pie filling to become firm. I suggest chilling in the refrigerator only after the pumpkin pie comes to room temperature. Make sure to allot enough time for adequate chilling time.
You can skip this step! Since this pie crust has a good amount of butter, it will still end up perfectly flaky. If you would like to pre-bake your pie crust, I suggest filling it with pie weights and baking for about 15 minutes before pouring in your pumpkin pie filling.
This Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe actually just won 1st Place in the Pumpkin Pie Bake-Off competition — Pumpkin Pie Bake-Off. What a fun surprise!
This receives rave reviews every year from people who say that it is the ONLY Pumpkin Pie Recipe they will ever make again. It is that good. This is the best pumpkin pie with a tender, flaky crust and perfectly spiced pumpkin filling
My son, Carson, who will NOT even touch pumpkin pie, is in hog heaven with this pie.
What pie crust should I use?
The best pumpkin pie recipe starts with a homemade all-butter pie crust. Click here for the recipe. I include step-by-step instructions on how to make butter pie crust. I use a deep-dish pie pan for this recipe since there is plenty of filling.
There’s nothing like homemade whipped cream. It begins with heavy whipped cream, whipped until soft peaks form. Powdered sugar is added to sweeten it.
Popular Pumpkin Recipes:
Find the recipe for the Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe here:
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The Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 1 – 8- ounce pkg. Cream Cheese softened
- 1 – 15 ounce can Pure Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 cup Butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 3 Eggs
- 3 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar * (may reduce to 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg or 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe
Homemade Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Make pie crust recipe according to recipe directions. Find the recipe for an https://www.modernhoney.com/butter-flaky-pie-crust/Let dough chill in refrigerator, tightly wrapped.
- In mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese (ensure it is at room temperature) for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides often with spatula. The whisk attachment works the best to whip the cream cheese. See notes for mixing options.
- Add pumpkin and mix for another 5 minutes.
- Add melted butter (make sure it is not too hot) and vanilla and mix for 1 minute.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place pie dough in a deep-dish pie pan.
- Pour pumpkin pie filling into pie crust and place pie plate on baking sheet. Depending on the size of your pie pan, you may have some extra filling.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 42 – 48 minutes. Watch the crust carefully to make sure it isn't becoming too brown. Cover with pie cover or foil to prevent browning. See NOTES below for more details.
- Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Then, let chill in refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Top with freshly whipped cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Click the links below for more pie recipes:
Caramel Apple Pie
White Chocolate Macadamia Chocolate Ganache Pie
Double Chocolate Marble Pie
The BEST Pumpkin Pie
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Sweet Cherry Pie
Traditional Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Caramel Banana Cream Pie
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Happy Baking, my friends! Find all of Modern Honey Thanksgiving Recipes on www.modernhoney.com/thanksgiving.
Great recipe, i lowered the amount of sugar and used 1 cup of brown sugar instead. Cream cheese really makes it come together
@Angelique
Did you just use brown sugar entirely and no powered sugar? How did it taste!? I’m curious!
How do you measure the powdered sugar for this? I’m worried I put to much because I didn’t shift. I guess we’ll see how it comes out. I’m super excited.
Hi Christine! I hope you love it! I use the scoop and scrape method. I don’t pack it down but do a light swipe across the top. You should be just fine! It should taste amazing!
Hmm, guidelines on how firm or wiggly the center should be before removing from oven? Appreciate a tip.
Hi there! It will be slightly jiggly but should be mostly firm. It will set up after it comes out of the oven but it needs to be almost fully set in the middle. If you try to remove it from the oven, and it looks like there’s an earthquake in the center, it is not done. 🙂 Hope that helps! Thank you for trying my recipe.
I just pulled this pie out of the oven, it smells amazing! I can already tell this is going to be a keeper. So happy I found your site. ❤
Pie is in the oven now smelling Divine… the filling knocked my socks off, Melissa!! ☆☆☆☆☆ The idea of 3+c of powdered sugar made my teeth fall out just reading it tho, lol, so I used just 1c with a smidge of brown creamed with the cream cheese. Plenty sweet for my taste. Roasted a Jarrahdale for this and threw in a pinch of cardamom as well. Wish it was morning so I could throw the leftover filling in some pancakes. Wonderful recipe – thanks!
Leftover filling in pancakes?? Please tell me how you do this! And I agree with the sugar!! I’ll be using much less next time!
My father-in-law made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! We are doing our annual pie party tomorrow and I’m adding this to the line up! Do you think it’s ok to make it today for tomorrow? Would you keep it in the fridge overnight and up until serving? Thanks for any feedback!
Hi Kendra! Love hearing that! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. You can make it today, no problem. I had a lot of people do that for Thanksgiving and it turned out well. I hope that helps! 🙂 — Melissa
Great! Thanks so much! <3
This looks incredible!
Should you blind bake the butter crust first?
Excited to try this recipe.
Hi Janet! You don’t have to blind bake the crust ahead of time. You can just pour it into your unbaked pie crust and bake it all together. If you want a slightly flakier bottom crust, you can blind bake it for about 10 minutes, if you so desire. Thanks!
Oh my, the best and colorful Pumpkin Pie for sure!
Love how you used cream cheese!