Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk
This easy pumpkin pie without evaporated milk can be made with fresh or canned pumpkin puree. It’s perfectly spiced, silky, and smooth. The finished pie is served with lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.
About this pie
This easy pumpkin pie recipe without evaporated milk uses heavy cream instead. It gives it a little extra richness but the pie is still light and silky smooth with a creamy texture. Homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree can be used.
The spices in the best pumpkin pie recipe are what can make or break a pie. You need the right amount and the right balance of all the spices and flavors so they enhance and complement the pumpkin flavor. This pie uses ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Or use this homemade pumpkin spice mix.
The pie crust: A homemade pie crust far beats the flavor of store-bought and it’s super easy to make either by hand or in a food processor. The pie dough undergoes a blind bake first to help set the crust before pouring in the liquid filling. Read more about blind-baking pie crust.
Method
- Roll out pie dough, fit into a 9-inch dish, trim, crimp, and chill.
- Whisk brown sugar, spices, flour, and salt together to break up any clumps.
- Add in the remaining filling ingredients and whisk til smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake.
- Let the pie cool fully before adding on whipped cream (or meringue for a pumpkin meringue pie)
How to tell if pumpkin pie is done
The pie is done when the edges are set but the middle of the pie still wobbles a bit like jelly. Turn off the oven and crack open the door to release the heat. Let the pie cool in the oven for an hour. This will help stop it from cracking.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool further until it’s at room temperature. Refrigerate the pie until you’re ready to serve it, then top it with vanilla whipped cream. The pie filling will firm more when it has been chilled in the fridge.
Storing and make-ahead instructions
- Leftovers: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make Ahead: Bake the pie a day ahead and refrigerate. Pie dough can be kept in the fridge for 2 days, and the filling can be mixed a day in advance.
- Freezing: Freeze pie dough for up to 3 months (thaw in the fridge overnight). The baked pie can also be frozen, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk
Ingredients
Filling
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 425 g pumpkin puree fresh or canned
- 180 g heavy cream / whipping cream
Vanilla cream
- 120 g heavy cream / whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Blind-Baking Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Drape it over a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, leaving an overhang. Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border. 1 unbaked pie crust
- To flute, push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge between the opposite hand's thumb and index finger. Continue this all around the dough edges. Alternatively, use a fork to create rustic lines around the edges or pinch the edges instead. prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork.
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights all the way to the top.
- Bake it at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes until the edges of the pie crust are lightly browned. Remove the baking weights and parchment paper and bake again for 3-5 minutes until the middle of the pastry no longer looks wet. Remove the pie case from the oven.
- Lower the oven temperature to 340°F/170°C
The filling
- In a large bowl, add the spices, flour, salt, and brown sugar and whisk them together to break up any brown sugar clumps. 150 g soft brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Add in the eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and heavy cream and whisk it until smooth. Pour the filling into the par-baked pie crust. 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, 1 Tbsp orange zest , 425 g pumpkin puree, 180 g heavy cream / whipping cream
- Bake the pie at 350°F/175°C for 40-50 minutes until the filling is lightly puffed around the edges. The pie is done when the edges are set, but the middle of the pie center still has a wobble, like jelly.
- Turn off the oven and open the door to release the heat. Let the pie cool in the oven for an hour.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool until it's at room temperature. Refrigerate the pie until you're ready to serve it, then top it with vanilla whipped cream. The pie filling will firm more when chilled in the fridge.
Vanilla whipped cream
- In a bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip it with electric beaters until medium peaks form but do not overwhip it. 120 g heavy cream / whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Dollop the cream or pipe it around the edge of the pie. Lightly dust it with ground cinnamon. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
