Creamy Pumpkin Pie with a Graham Cracker Crust
This silky smooth, creamy pumpkin pie is a super easy recipe to make. It’s a classic pumpkin pie but instead of a pastry pie shell, it is encased in a buttery graham cracker crust.
It’s perfect for the holiday season and saves so much time when you don’t need to make and roll out pastry. The homemade pumpkin pie itself is super creamy, perfectly spiced and oh-so delicious!
If you’re loving pumpkin season right now, check out my other pumpkin recipes! I have easy-baked pumpkin donuts, pumpkin sticky buns and pumpkin no-bake cheesecake bars just to name a few!
Or, if you’re in the mood for pie, check out these pie recipes!
The graham cracker crust
You could use a store-bought graham cracker crust, but a homemade easy graham cracker crust is so much better.
You will need about 12 full sheets of graham crackers to make around 1 1/2 cups of crushed graham cracker crumbs. I like to blend them in my food processor along with sugar and a little cinnamon.
Then I add in softened butter and blend it into a thick crumbly mixture. I find using softened butter makes it easier to press the mixture into a pie dish without it sticking too much to your hands.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the graham cracker with a rolling pin and mix it with melted butter instead. Add them to a large Ziploc bag, seal it and then bash until the crackers have broken down into a fine crumb.
Add the graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl along with the sugar and cinnamon and pour over melted butter. Stir it together then add it to a pie dish. This way also works very well, it’s just a little more crumbly with melted butter.
The pumpkin pie filling
This pie has a traditional pumpkin pie filling. Homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree can be used in the pumpkin filling. It uses eggs and heavy cream as the pumpkin pie base, mixed with pumpkin pie spice.
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.
The ingredients
You only need simple ingredients for this easy pumpkin pie recipe. Find the actual amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. You will need:
Crust
- Graham crackers (or digestive biscuits, but add around 20g more)
- Granulated sugar
- Softened butter. This can be salted butter or unsalted butter
I suggest this flaky pie crust recipe if you want to make this with a regular pie crust. Par-bake it before adding the filling.
The creamy pumpkin pie filling
- Pumpkin puree (homemade pumpkin puree, or canned)
- Eggs
- Light or dark brown sugar
- Pumpkin spice (Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and all spice.)
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Vanilla bean paste or extract
- Heavy cream
Equipment
A food processor for blending the homemade graham cracker crust.
Method
Homemade crust
Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
Add the graham crackers to a food processor and blend them into fine crumbs. Add in the sugar and the softened butter and blend them together into a thick mixture. Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, manually crush the crackers and use melted butter instead.
Add the graham crackers to a large Ziploc bag. Seal it and then bash until the crackers have broken down into a fine crumb. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl along with the sugar and pour over melted butter. Stir into a mixture that looks like wet sand.
Press the mixture into an un-greased 9inch pie pan. Use your fingers first to press it in and around the edges, then use a glass or the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out.
Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven while you make the filling.
Filling
In a large bowl add the brown sugar, flour, salt and spices. Whisk together to remove any brown sugar lumps.
Add in the pumpkin purée, eggs and vanilla and whisk together by hand or with a hand mixer until just combined.
Add in the heavy cream and mix together until smooth.
When the pie crust has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven. Carefully pour the pumpkin mixture into the graham cracker pie crust.
Baking
Place the pie back in the oven and bake for around 40-50 minutes until the filling is just set but there is still a wobble to it, like jelly.
The crust might brown too fast, so you can create a pie shield using aluminum foil. Use a 12-inch square of foil, and cut out a 7-inch circle from the middle. That way, when gently placed on the pie, only the crust is shielded. See detailed instructions on how to make a pie shield.)
When the pie has finished baking, turn off the oven and open the door a tiny bit to release the heat. Let the pie cool in the oven for at least an hour. This will help stop it from cracking.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool further on a wire rack until it’s at room temperature. Refrigerate the pie until you’re ready to serve it. It’s delicious with whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Whipped cream
In a bowl combine 1/2 cup heavy cream, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract. Whip it with a hand mixer with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form but take care not to overwhip it.
Dollop the cream on top of the pie or pipe it around the edge of the pie.
Storing
Leftover pie can be covered and refrigerated or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More thanksgiving recipes and pie recipes
Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
This silky smooth, creamy pumpkin pie is a super easy recipe to make. It's a classic pumpkin pie but instead of pastry, it is encased in a buttery graham cracker crust.
Ingredients
Crust
- 180g (12 full sheets) graham crackers
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 90g (6 1/2 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Pumpkin filling
- 150g (¾ packed cup) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 425g (1 ¾ cup/ 15oz can) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 180g (¾ cup) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
- Add the graham crackers to a food processor and blend them into fine crumbs. Add in the sugar, cinnamon and the softened butter and blend them together into a thick mixture. Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor, manually crush the crackers and use melted butter instead.
By hand- Add the graham crackers to a large Ziploc bag. Seal it and then bash until the crackers have broken down into a fine crumb. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl along with the sugar and cinnamon, and pour over melted butter. Stir into a mixture that looks like wet sand. - Press the mixture into a 9inch pie pan. Use your fingers first to press it in and around the edges, then use a glass or the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out.
- Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven while you make the filling.
Filling
- In a large bowl add the brown sugar, flour, salt and spices. Whisk together to remove any brown sugar lumps.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla and whisk together by hand or with a hand mixer until just combined. Add in the heavy cream and mix together until smooth.
- When the pie crust has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven. Carefully pour the pumpkin mixture into the graham cracker pie crust.
- Place the pie back in the oven and bake for around 40-50 minutes until the filling is set, but there is still a wobble, like jelly.
- The crust might brown too fast, so you can create a pie shield using aluminum foil. Use a 12-inch square of foil, and cut out a 7-inch circle from the middle. That way, when gently placed on the pie, only the crust is shielded.
- When the pie has finished baking, turn off the oven and crack open the door to release the heat. Let the pie cool in the oven for at least an hour.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool further on a wire rack until it's at room temperature. Refrigerate the pie until you're ready to serve it.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 301Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 4g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
Can I make this pie with a premade graham cracker pie crust?
Yes you could 🙂
Why do you use flour in the pie? I never use it in mine.
My guess is because fresh pumpkin puree is more liquidy than canned.
How much graham cracker crumbs would I need for this recipe I buy it by the box
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 🙂