Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie is the epitome of Thanksgiving desserts. This pie has the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg to give you that fall pumpkin spice flavor. It’s sweetened with brown sugar and a hint of molasses then baked in a homemade pie crust.

Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie is creamy and bakes up perfect every time! It’s topped with a little homemade whipped cream to balance out that sweet and spiced pumpkin flavor.

This recipe along with Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake make a delicious dessert duo at the holidays. These are two recipes we can’t do without!

If you love this Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie recipe then you’ll also love my Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars and Pumpkin and Cheese Stuffed Shells!

Does Pumpkin Pie need to be refrigerated?

In the long run, yes it needs to be refrigerated. You cannot leave pumpkin pie out on the counter indefinitely.

It is ok to leave your Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie out on the counter until it fully cools. The pie should be refrigerated after that.

Since this pumpkin pie contains cream it’s best to store it in the refrigerator. Leaving the pie out for a few hours after it’s been refrigerated is fine too. You just don’t want to leave it out for extended periods of time or multiple times.

Can Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie be frozen?

Yes, pumpkin pie can be frozen! The pie can be frozen before baking or after it’s baked.

If you find yourself with too much leftover then you can wrap the pie tightly several times and freeze it in the pan. You also have the option to remove the pie in slices from the pan first.

Then wrap the slices multiple times and fit them into an airtight container if possible then freeze. The pie will stay good for up to 4 weeks this way.

Make sure to thaw the pumpkin pie in the refrigerator though, not on the counter. You will end up with soggy and saggy pie if you thaw it on the counter.

If you’re freezing the Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie before you bake the then you will still want to pre-bake the crust for about 25 minutes. Let the crust cool then add the pumpkin pie filling.

Wrap the pie tightly multiple times and place it in the freezer. An aluminum disposable pie pan works better when doing this.

Bake the pumpkin pie straight from frozen and add about 15-20 minutes onto the baking time. Cover the crust edges with a pie shield if they start to become too brown.

What’s in pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is generally made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sometimes allspice. In this Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie recipe I use my own blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. I like to portion it out a certain way so I prefer adding them individually.

If you like this particular blend of spices you can always multiply the recipe into a larger portion and store it in a spice jar then you have your own pumpkin pie spice blend!

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of the blend of spices listed?

If you have a pumpkin pie spice that you absolutely love then you can use that instead of this blend. If you’re in a pinch and you only have the blend and don’t have the individual spices then it’s fine to use also. This blend is at least worth trying out though!

Ingredients in Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie

• All Purpose Flour – All purpose flour works best for this homemade pie crust
• Kosher Salt – Salt really brings out the flavor in the crust and the pumpkin pie filling
• Granulated Sugar – A little bit of sugar gives the pie crust just enough sweetness
• Butter – Butter gives the crust that flakiness
• Apple Cider Vinegar – I always use a good quality cider vinegar that contains the “mother”
• Ice Water – Ice water is necessary for a good flaky pie crust
• Eggs – Eggs help give the pumpkin pie a little structure and also help the crust to brown
• Pumpkin Puree – You can used canned or if you make it yourself that works too
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar sweetens the pumpkin pie filling and adds bit of molasses flavor
• Heavy Cream – This makes your pumpkin pie thick, creamy and smooth
• Vanilla Extract – Vanilla gives a good flavor base to the pumpkin
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is an essential flavor for pumpkin pie
• Ground Ginger – Ginger gives pumpkin pie that zingy spice kick and tons of flavor
• Cloves – Cloves give such a holiday taste and smell to baked goods
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is another flavor that is a must when making pumpkin spiced things
• Allspice – Allspice gives that extra little fall like depth of flavor that goes perfectly with pumpkin
• Molasses – Molasses gives a sweet flavor with some depth that is unlike anything else

Tips for Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie

• Use all COLD ingredients when making the pie crust
• Do not skip the refrigeration step after making the pie crust, it won’t turn out the same
• Blind bake the crust first so you don’t end up with a soggy bottom
• If you don’t have pie weights you can use dried beans or dried rice as a weight. If you’re looking for pie weights THESE work great!
• Do not overbake the pie, you will get cracks on the top. Take it out when the sides look set and the middle is just slightly wobbly
• You can make the pie crust days ahead of time and store it in the fridge before rolling it out for your pie. You can also make it and freeze it for up to 2 months. Just remove it from the freezer, let it thaw in the fridge then roll it out and make it per the directions
• The whipped cream can be made up to 3 days in advance then stored in an airtight container in the fridge

How to make Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie

First you’ll want to make the pie crust. Make sure all of your ingredients for the crust are COLD especially the butter and ice water. Blend the flour, salt and sugar in the food processor a couple times until mixed.

Then add your cubed cold butter and pulse 5 times until you end up with a course meal texture. Empty the mix into a bowl then add the vinegar and water. Add water by 1 tbsp additions after the first 1/4 cup until the dough just starts to come together but is still a bit shaggy.

Roll the dough into a ball then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Once the dough has been chilled long enough then preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough to a couple inches larger than your pie pan then trim the edges and place the dough inside the pie pan.

Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork then blind bake the dough with pie weights on top for 25 minutes. If you do not own pie weights then just use a sheet of parchment paper topped with dried beans or dried rice.

Mix together the ingredients for the pumpkin pie filling with the spices then pour the mix into the pie crust and bake for another 1 hour. Let the pie cool completely before serving.

While the pie is cooling, whip the cream. Serve each slice with a dollop of the whipped cream and enjoy!

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Looking for more Thanksgiving Recipes? Try my Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes, Glazed Shallots, Southern Sweet Potato Pie, Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes, Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie and Dutch Apple Pie!