Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe

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Learn how to make old-fashioned pumpkin pie from my Grandma's recipe box. You can make it with canned or fresh pumpkin. It's a classic, family favorite Thanksgiving dessert!

Grandma's pumpkin pie is one of the more popular desserts, besides pumpkin roll, on my family's Thanksgiving dessert table. My grandma made pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, and it's just always been a staple ingredient for our holiday celebrations.

Of course, we also enjoy apple crumb pie, along with sweet potato pie (my personal favorite), and pecan pie too… But pumpkin pie is always the must have dessert.

Grandma's recipe card is really worn and tattered, with lots of smudges and fingerprints. That's how you know a recipe has been well used. It also bears the name of a close family friend, so Grandma actually took time to copy this recipe down after she'd likely eaten the pie; she wanted that recipe.

Grandma's pumpkin pie recipe card with slice of pie in background

Why You'll Love this Recipe…

  • This pumpkin pie Grandma made is creamy, thick, and delicious with loads of pumpkin flavor.
  • It's easy to make from scratch, as simple as mixing up the pie filling and pouring it into the pie crust to bake.
  • You can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin for this American pumpkin pie recipe… We'll talk about more options below.
ingredients for pumpkin pie Grandma made on white marble countertop

Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

  • Pie Crust – You can make a homemade single-layer pie crust, or you can just buy a pre-made pie crust.
  • All-Purpose Flour – You can use regular all-purpose flour, or if you're like me and gluten-free, you can use a good cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
  • Spices – This recipe calls for ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. You can also simplify and just use pumpkin pie spice if preferred; just keep in mind pumpkin pie spice also includes allspice.
  • Pumpkin – Like I mentioned above, you can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin. You can also use winter squash (or butternut squash); it makes an absolutely delicious pumpkin pie, and it's a great way to use that over abundant supply of squash sitting in your root cellar. One more note about the pumpkin… When I say pumpkin purée, it means either canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin that has been roasted, peeled, and mashed up in a blender… Here's a step-by-step recipe for how to make pumpkin purée.
  • Milk – I prefer to use whole milk, and the recipe also calls for evaporated milk. The evaporated milk gives the pie a richness, and it also gives it a subtle caramelized flavor. If you don't want to use evaporated milk, easy substitutes include cream or half-and-half. Food Network has a great guide to the best evaporated milk substitutes with instructions and measurements.

How to Make Grandma's Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

First things first, make a single pie crust and have it ready to go. Note: If you want, you can reserve a small portion of the crust to create decorative pieces for the top of your finished pie, for instance, leaf or acorn shapes. You'll want to bake these separately and add them to the finished pie before serving.

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, flour, and spices.
  2. Slightly beat the eggs with a whisk, and add them to the mixture.
  3. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, and evaporated milk, and mix everything together well.
  4. Pour the pie filling into your pie shell.
steps for how to make old-fashioned pumpkin pie recipe by mixing in mint green bowl and pouring pie filling into pie shell
  1. Bake at 425° for about 15 minutes; then reduce the temp to 350° and bake for about 40 minutes. You can use a pie shield to keep the crust from burning.
whole American pumpkin pie in pie plate

Then just allow the pie time to cool completely. You can serve it with whipped cream, or chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's

How do you make pumpkin pie not soggy on the bottom?

There are several ways to avoid soggy pie crust, including blind baking, brushing the crust with egg before baking, or putting your pie plate directly on a hot baking sheet already in the oven while baking.

How do you tell when pumpkin pie is done?

Pumpkin pie is done when a knife or toothpick inserted in the pie comes out clean. If you gently shake it, the pie will be just a little jiggly in the middle. At this point, you want to pull it out of the oven, or you risk it splitting in the middle. I'll also say this… While overcooking your pie can lead to splitting, when in doubt, bake it some more.

How should you store pumpkin pie?

Cover the pie, and place it in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least 3 to 4 days.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, you can. In fact, it's a great pie to make ahead, especially if you're using a foil pie plate. Just be sure you allow it time enough to cool completely before you cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer.

slice of old-fashioned pumpkin pie from scratch, topped with whipped cream, on white plate

More Great Pumpkin Desserts

If you’re looking for more holiday recipes like pumpkin pie, you’ll find a whole slew of them on my list of Best Thanksgiving Recipes.

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

slice of Grandma's old-fashioned pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream on white plate

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe

How to make old-fashioned pumpkin pie from Grandma's recipe box. Make it with canned or fresh pumpkin. Family favorite Thanksgiving dessert!
4.73 from 40 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts, Pies & Pastries, Thanksgiving
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 197kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 425° F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, flour, and spices.
  • Slightly beat the eggs with a whisk, and add them to the mixture.
  • Add the pumpkin purée, milk, and evaporated milk, and mix everything together well.
  • Pour the pie filling into your prepared and unbaked pie shell.
  • Bake at 425° F for about 15 minutes; then reduce the temp to 350° F and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. You can use a pie shield to keep the crust from burning.
  • Then just allow the pie time to cool completely before serving. You can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes

*You can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin. You can also use winter squash (or butternut squash); it makes an absolutely delicious pumpkin pie. If using fresh pumpkin, you'll need to cook, peel, and mash the pumpkin into a purée.
How do I tell when pumpkin pie is done?
It's done when a knife or toothpick inserted in the pie comes out clean. If you gently shake it, the pie will be just a little jiggly in the middle. At this point, you want to pull it out of the oven, or you risk it splitting in the middle. I'll also say this… While overcooking your pie can lead to splitting, when in doubt, bake it some more.
How should I store pumpkin pie?
Cover the pie, and place it in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 3434IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg
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23 thoughts on “Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe”

  1. 5 stars
    My 8 year-old son has been wanting to bake his own pumpkin pie from scratch, so this is the recipe that we chose. It is currently in the oven baking, but the recipe was super easy to follow.

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    Love this recipe, i already made it once about a month ago and am now making two for Thanksgiving. What would the temp and cook time be to cook two pies at the same time?

    Reply

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