A classic Canadian pumpkin pie recipe, that is perfectly creamy and pleasantly spiced. Served topped with whipped cream.
This is the pumpkin pie I grew up eating. It has a wonderful, fresh pumpkin taste, is beautifully moist and it’s spiced nicely with equal parts of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. There are no cloves in this pumpkin pie. I personally find that cloves over-power the other flavours in a pumpkin pie, but that’s just me :) In your kitchen, you’re free to spice as you like it.
The other interesting addition to this pie is evaporated milk. It is combined with whole milk, for a perfectly creamy taste and texture, without the need for actual cream, which makes a pumpkin pie a bit too rich for me, especially after a big turkey dinner!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pumpkin Puree: Even though we’re making a pie, you don’t want to use Pumpkin Pie Filling here. Look for Pure Pumpkin Puree. You will need the large (28oz-ish) size can for two pies.
Evaporated Milk: Full fat evaporated milk is highly recommended here. As this is a special, Thanksgiving dessert, using full-fat evaporated milk (and milk) will yield the nicest results and you will be thankful that you did when you eat it :)
You don’t want to use the evaporated milk that is labeled as 2%, 1% or fat-free. The one you want is the full-fat version and is the one that doesn’t say any of that :)
Milk: Again, you’ll want to use whole milk here, for best results. Whole milk is labeled as 3% or 3.25% generally.
Spices: As noted above, the spicing in this pie is equal parts of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It results in a pleasantly, but not overly spiced pie. If you are a cloves in your pumpkin pie lover, you can certainly add some, though I would always urge you to try it as written first and adjust later.
Whipping Cream: Also known as heavy cream, this is a must for me to whip fresh for topping these pumpkin pies. If you’d prefer, you can always use the real whipped cream in a can.
Pie Shells: Use frozen or refrigerated, store-bought pie shells or your favourite homemade pastry. The pie shells do not need to be pre-baked. You will need two, deep-dish pie shells.
Step-by-step photos
- Start by adding the brown sugar, flour, white sugar and spices to a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the milk, evaporated milk and pumpkin puree to the bowl and whisk together
- Finish by adding the lightly beaten eggs and mix in well.
- Pour into unbaked, deep dish pie shells and bake.
Recipe Tips
- Add the eggs last. I have no idea why. It’s just the note that is added to this family recipe, so that’s what I do.
- The filling will fill two, deep dish pie shells, though the recipe can be doubled, if needed.
- As your pies sit in the fridge, a small bit of the oils from the pumpkin may pool on the top of the pie. I like to use a bit of paper towel to blot it off before adding the whipped cream.
- I always whip and top my pumpkin pies shortly before serving. It really only takes a minute to whip the cream and spread on top of the pies. You can do this a bit ahead (a couple of hours, at most), to keep things from being too last minute.
- Don’t attempt to top these pies with whipped cream while they still have any warmth to them, or you will have a mess on your hands. I like to make these ahead and thoroughly chill before topping.
- It is perfectly fine to make the day before and refrigerate (without the whipped cream). They will not suffer for it. Don’t cover the pies until they are chilled (to avoid condensation dripping onto the pie), then loosely cover with plastic wrap.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
You can easily make this pumpkin pie the morning before or even the day before. If making the day before or if you prefer a chilled pumpkin pie, store uncovered in the refrigerator. You may notice a small amount of liquid forms on top of the pies. Simply use a paper towel to blot the liquid off before topping with whipped cream.
Baked pumpkin pies can be frozen, but I feel like they do suffer a little bit from the freeze/thaw process. I find them a little looser after freezing. My preference is to make a day ahead and refrigerate, but freezing is an option if you are needing to do them more than a day ahead. If you do want to freeze, allow to cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge, then transfer to the freezer, well wrapped. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
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Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk, full-fat
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 3 – 3.25% b.f.
- 3 cups canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 3 large eggs, added last
- 2 Unbaked deep dish pie shells, thawed if frozen
For whipped cream topping:
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, cold (35% b.f.)
- 3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. (not fan assisted) *Reduce to 400F if using glass pie plates.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, brown sugar, white sugar and flour. Add the evaporated milk, whole milk and pumpkin puree. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and whisk into mixture until well combined.
- Place pie shells onto a large baking sheet. Pour filling into 2 unbaked, deep dish pie shells. *You may have a tiny bit left-over, depending on the size of your pie shells.
- Bake at 425F. (or 400F for glass pans) for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 375F (350F for glass pans). for 35-45 minutes or until set, golden on top and showing a little cracking around the outside. Pies shouldn't jiggle at all. Let cool completely, then refrigerate or freeze. Top with whipped cream when ready to serve.
- For the whipped cream topping: Add cold whipping cream to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high, adding white sugar as the mixture starts thicken. Whip until soft peaks form. Spread on top of completely cooled pies just before serving.
Notes
More Pumpkin Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
It’s been an year since I’ve been to Canada and had the pleasure to taste a pumpkin pie for the first time, so when the holidays came around this year I told myself I needed that taste again. I found your recipe on a blog on Tumblr and decided I needed to try it out for the new year. I followed the recipe at risk (cutting everything by half, because I was doing only one pie) and guess what? My folks liked it a lot! It turned out to be a great success. The filling colour went kind of mud brown-ish (probably because of the type of pumpkin we have here, or because I spiced a little too much nutmeg, or maybe because it got too much on the oven?) but it surely tasted delicious. Everybody that got a piece said it was approved. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! It brought everyone a very good time.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
I know you state that the pie crusts do not *need* to be par-baked. Is there a reason other than convenience *not* to par-bake them? I really dislike under-done crust and prefer to have the crust slightly overdone. Would it hurt anything in this recipe to par-bake them?
You certainly could par-bake if you prefer. I would watch the outer crust for over-browning during the pie baking and have some foil handy to cover if needed.
Thank you! I will try it that way.
Wonderful pie! I halved the recipe, reduced the cinnamon for a family member who doesn’t like cinnamon, and parbaked the crust. It turned out beautiful! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Happy to hear! Thanks :)
My mouth is watering as I look at your beautiful pies. They truly do look like “the most perfect pumpkin pies”!
Thanks so much, Chris :)
This certainly looks like the perfect pumpkin pie!! You just can’t have Thanksgiving without the classic and this beauty deserves a spot on every table!!! Perfection!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne!
Simply perfect indeed! Looks so creamy and just perfect with a big ol’ dollop of whipped cream! Looking forward to trying this one out, Jennifer :)
Thanks so much, Dawn :)
My husband’s favorite Jennifer! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try. Nothing like a tried and true family recipe!
Thanks Mary Ann! I’d say it pretty much my favourite pie, too :)
I’d love to give your recipe a whirl this year! I am completely unencumbered when it comes to pumpkin pie since I grew up eating all kinds of other pumpkin preparations, but never a pie:)
I’m so glad, Milena! We have only ever had pumpkin pie as the only dessert for Thanksgiving. And it’s pretty much always been my favourite part of the meal, since it was the one and only time of the year we ate it. Even better than the after-dinner piece of pie is enjoying it out of the fridge after Thanksgiving. Even better than the turkey leftovers :)
I am definitely still on the hunt for the perfect pumpkin pie, so this recipe is perfect timing! I’m determined to make a few different pumpkin desserts to celebrate Thanksgiving next week. Pinning to give this one a try!
Thanks Leanne! This pie has served my family well for several generations :)
These pies look absolutely perfect Jennifer! I’m always willing to try a new recipe and love the way you have spiced your version. Pinning for our Thanksgiving!
Thanks Tricia :) It’s one of the highlights of my Thanksgiving dinner. And this year I get to enjoy it twice, since we ate these pies a few weeks ago!