Best Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ready for more pie recipes? Me too! Check out my popular posts for Apple Slab Pie, Brown Sugar Walnut Apple Pie, and Apple Crumble Pie. My mother is a classic over-do-er, and, lucky for us, always has been. Our regular Sunday dinner is a huge affair with 2 or 3 types of meat. And then there’s the 4 or 5 side dishes as well. Also, she really goes waaaaaay overboard with desserts. Cake and cookies and brownies and ice cream, all in one night, just so people have options. But all of that is nothing compared to the holidays at my parents’ house. The amount of food and number of dishes she makes easily doubles and there is quite literally a dessert table that always includes at least one, maybe even two pumpkin pies. And, if your family is anything like mine, those pumpkin pies are a must-have. This recipe is so easy, you’ll be able to fill that dessert table up in a jiffy, no problem.

Why This Recipe Works

Volunteer to make the pumpkin pie this year, it’ll be our little secret that it took you no time at all! Canned pumpkin — The holidays are for eating sure, but they’re also for enjoying time with family and friends. Free up some of that time by making your baking as easy as possible, using pre-packaged ingredients if possible, like canned pumpkin puree. Just open and mix with a few other ingredients, easy, peasy. Easily doubles — If you have a big family like mine (or lots of holiday guests) then you know one pumpkin pie isn’t going to cut it. Plus, refrigerated pie crusts come in packs of two so basically the universe is telling you to just go ahead and make two of these easy pumpkin pies. Great leftovers — If (big “if”) you have any pie leftover, it keeps just fine on the counter for a couple of days or even longer in the fridge. Also? It’s great for breakfast the next morning, or for a midnight snack, dessert after lunch…basically it’s great to eat at any time of day or night.

Here’s How You Make It

Can I Use Substitute Evaporated Milk Instead of Sweetened Condensed Milk in Pumpkin Pie?

Nope, sorry, if all you have is evaporated milk, that will not be a good substitute at all for sweetened, condensed milk in this pumpkin pie recipe. The sweetened milk sweetens the filling and makes it creamy. If you use evaporated milk, the pie won’t be sweet at all and will have a watery texture.

Expert Tips

Here’s what you need to know to make the absolute best, easy homemade pumpkin pie!

Get your pie crust out to thaw about 30 minutes before you’re ready to make this pie. You don’t want to be all ready to bake and find out your crust is still frozen. Plus, if you try to unroll a frozen crust, it will just break up into pieces. I prefer to bake the whole pie — crust and all — at the same time. But, this does make the pie crust a little soggy. If you want your crust a little flakier, you can poke the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times (to release steam), then pre-bake it at 375 for 10-12 minutes before adding the filling. Then, cover the outside edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield. You know what’s better than whipped cream on top of pumpkin pie? That’s right, ice cream! Especially if the pie is still warm (and even if it isn’t!).