Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Without Evaporated Milk)

This easy pumpkin pie 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.

The pumpkin pie filling

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 dough

Make this traditional pumpkin pie in a 9-inch/23cm pie shell. 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 for 10 minutes to help set the crust before pouring in the liquid filling.

The ingredients

You only need minimal ingredients for this homemade pumpkin pie recipe. Find the actual amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. You will need –

The homemade crust

• All-purpose flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Iced water

The filling

• Soft light brown sugar
• Spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Or use a pre-made pumpkin pie spice blend.
• Two large eggs + an egg yolk
• All-purpose flour
• Vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• Salt
• Fresh pumpkin puree or a 15oz can of pumpkin puree
• Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

The vanilla whipped cream

• Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla paste or extract
• Cinnamon for dusting

Method

The pastry

Begin by chopping cold butter into small cubes.

To a large mixing bowl or bowl of a food processor, add flour, granulated sugar, and salt and mix them together. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour. 

Pulse the food processor, or use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into small pieces into the flour. The end result should be like coarse bread crumbs with a few pea-sized butter pieces in the mix. If the butter is melting at any point, place the bowl in the refrigerator.

Add in the lemon juice and water and pulse the blender or use a fork or your hands to combine the dough.

Add in extra water as needed until the pastry holds together easily when pressed but it should not be sticky. If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit more yogurt or iced water.

Folding

Using a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a rough 10inch rectangle.

Fold the bottom ⅓ of the dough up to the middle, then fold the top ⅓ of the dough over top to make a pamphlet shape. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat this process once more.

Once finished rolling, cut the dough into two and use your cupped hands to gently shape each piece into a flat disc.

Wrap the dough discs up tightly using compostable plastic wrap, or beeswax wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Blind-baking the pie crust

Once the pie dough has chilled and you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 400°F/205°C.

Roll out one disc of the refrigerated pie crust on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Drape it over a pie pan, leaving an overhang. Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border. 

To flute, push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge in between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges. 

Alternatively, use a fork to create rustic fork lines around the edges, or simply 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. You can use proper pie weights, dried beans, rice, or washed stones. The weights stop the dough from puffing up in the oven.

Bake it at 400°F/205°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 a further 5-8 minutes until the middle of the pastry is lightly browned.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C

The filling

If you’re making your own pumpkin puree, you’ll need time to cook, cool it to room temperature, and puree it before using it in the pie filling. The best varieties of pumpkins (sometimes labeled sugar pumpkins or baking pie pumpkins) and winter squash for pies have a flesh that becomes smooth and sweet when cooked.

Check out these 4 easy ways to make your own pure pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl add the spices, flour, salt, and brown sugar and whisk them together to break up any brown sugar clumps. Add in the eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and heavy cream and whisk it until smooth. Pour the filling into the par-baked pie crust.

Baking

Bake the pie at 350°F/175°C in the lower third of the oven for around 50 minutes until the filling is lightly puffed up.

If during the baking time the edges are browning too fast you can tent the pie edges with aluminum foil.

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.

Vanilla whipped cream

In a bowl combine the heavy cream/whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip it with electric beaters until stiff peaks form but take care not to overwhip it.

Dollop the cream or pipe it around the edge of the pie. Lightly dust it with ground cinnamon.

Storing and make-ahead instructions

Leftover pie will keep, covered, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Make-ahead

Make the pumpkin pie up to a day ahead of time and keep it refrigerated.

Individual components -The pie crust dough can store, wrapped, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make the filling up to a day in advance and keep refrigerated in a covered bowl or airtight container.

Freezing – Freeze the pie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The baked pie can be frozen too. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Try these pumpkin banana muffins or pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting next!