Easy Pumpkin Pie
This easy pumpkin pie is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast!
For more than a few years I’ve been selected “pie maker” for both families’ Thanksgiving dinners.
Thankfully (pun intended) we don’t try and squeeze our meals in on one day anymore. As a child I grew up doing that, and I loved every minute of the hustle-bustle from one grandparents’ house to the other, eating all the things, and enjoying the merriment that went along with each stop.
As an adult with my own kids now, the mere thought of racing around on a holiday exhausts me, so I’m really happy that our collective — and growing — families agree to spread things out a bit.
I’ve hosted a dinner on Thanksgiving Day with my husband’s family (and anyone else who needs a place to celebrate!) since moving out to the homestead, and for that spread I’ll typically make pumpkin pie and apple pie.
The second Thanksgiving is on the Saturday that follows up at my parents’ farmhouse, and it includes extended family on my side … a larger gathering with travelers from out of state. Having it on Saturday works well so they’re not trying to battle their way to Maryland with thousands of other holiday travelers. There’s more pumpkin pie to make for that gathering, along with fun cocktails!
One day, I’d also like to throw in a “Friends-giving,” because who doesn’t like the idea of a huge potluck with tons of friends? And MORE pie??!!
The pumpkin pie I make is adapted from the Silver Palate Cook Book recipe, with the exception of whole milk instead of half-and-half and cream. I’m not against half-and-half and cream, I just usually forget to buy it, and don’t typically have it on hand. Whole milk works just fine; skip the 2%, 1% or (ew) skim, though.
I feel it’s important to mention that when it comes to pie crust, I cheat. I hate making pie crust, and I’m not very good at it, even when the recipe claims to be “no fail.” Good news is, there are a ton of excellent pie crust dough options at the grocery store. My favorite is the dough in the refrigerator section that comes two to a box, rolled up — generic and name brand seem to taste the same!
- 4 large eggs
- 1 28-ounce can of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup pecan halves, for garnish
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 10″ pie plate with the pie crusts. Crimp the edges.
- Whisk the eggs and the sugars together with a mixer for 1 minute, until it’s light and frothy. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and salt, and continue mixing for one more minute. Add the milk and mix it until it’s *just* incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 325°F and continue baking it for 1 hour (or until the middle is set and just a tiny bit jiggly).
- Remove the pie from the oven and garnish the outside of the pie with pecan halves. Create a simple flower in the center with more pecan halves. Cover the whole thing if you want! Goal is to have fun and make something yummy.
