Spiced Pumpkin Pie Crust (Printable View)
Creamy spiced pumpkin filling with a flaky, buttery crust, perfect for holiday desserts and cozy moments.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pastry Crust
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
→ Pumpkin Filling
06 - 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
07 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
15 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough comes together. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Set the oven temperature to 375°F.
03 - Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Transfer dough to dish, trim excess, and crimp edges. Refrigerate crust for 10 minutes.
04 - Whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
05 - Pour the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.
06 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the center is set but slightly wobbly. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
07 - Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crust turns nutty and flaky when you actually take time to chill it, something I learned by accident and never forgot.
- This filling is custard-smooth without ever feeling heavy, which means you can have a proper slice without that guilty feeling.
- The spice blend tastes like someone who knows what they're doing combined them, even if you've never made pie before.
02 -
- The center will still jiggle slightly when you pull it from the oven—that wobble means it's creamy inside instead of rubbery, which is the whole point.
- A pastry blender or even two forks work better than a food processor because you need actual pieces of cold butter visible in the flour, not a uniform paste.
03 -
- If your crust edges brown too quickly, covering them with foil isn't something to apologize for—it's what experienced bakers do every single time.
- Make the dough the day before if you want less stress on pie day; a cold dough that's had time to rest rolls out more forgivingly and bakes more evenly.