Pumpkin pie
Rich spiced pumpkin pie with a crisp homemade pastry case — perfect for autumn puddings and festive tables.
This pumpkin pie is the cosy, spiced pud you want on an autumn table — smooth pumpkin purée folded with warm spices and a crisp homemade pastry case. It’s showy but straightforward: make the pastry, blind-bake, whisk the filling and bake until just set.
Perfect for bonfire-night puddings, an easy Thanksgiving offering, or whenever you fancy a slice of seasonal comfort. The texture is creamier if you give it a good chill before serving.
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 115 g unsalted butter — cold, cubed
- 25 g golden caster sugar
- 5 ml salt
- 45 ml ice water
- 425 g tinned pumpkin purée
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 10 ml ground cinnamon
- 5 ml ground ginger
- 5 ml ground nutmeg
- 0 ml ground cloves
- 15 ml cornflour
- 2 eggs — large
- 120 ml double cream
- 120 ml whole milk
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 200 g baking beans — for blind baking (reusable)
Equipment
- 23cm (9in) loose-bottom pie or flan tin
- rolling pin
- baking paper
- baking beans
- wire cooling rack
- electric whisk or balloon whisk
Instructions
Place the plain flour, golden caster sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed unsalted butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps — do not over-warm the butter.
Sprinkle the ice water a little at a time and mix with a round-bladed knife or your hands until the dough just comes together. Press into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and chill.
Chill the pastry disc in the fridge to rest and firm up.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Lightly dust a work surface with plain flour and roll the chilled pastry to a circle slightly larger than a 23cm loose-bottom tin. Line the tin, trim the edges and crimp as you like. Prick the base all over with a fork.
Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then return the base to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry out and set the base.
Meanwhile make the filling: in a bowl whisk the tinned pumpkin purée with the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, cornflour and salt. Add the eggs, double cream, whole milk and vanilla extract and whisk until completely smooth.
Reduce the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Pour the filling into the blind-baked pastry and bake on the middle shelf for 45–55 minutes until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight wobble when you gently shake the tin.
Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.
Chill the pie in the fridge for at least 2 hours to finish setting before serving.
Serve cold or at room temperature. A spoonful of softly whipped double cream is a lovely accompaniment.
Tips
- Keep the butter and water very cold when making the pastry — this gives the flakiest, lightest case.
- Blind-bake the base properly; it’s the single most important step to avoid a soggy pie.
- If the edges brown too quickly while the centre is still wobbly, tent the pie with foil and continue baking.
- Chill the pie for at least 2 hours (or overnight) — it slices much more cleanly and the custard firms up.
- Make ahead: the pie keeps well in the fridge for 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving if you prefer a softer set.
Substitutions
tinned pumpkin purée → roast and purée 600g of fresh pumpkin or squash, strained of excess moisture
Stays closeplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend (check it contains xanthan gum) in a 1:1 swap
Noticeably differentdouble cream → single cream plus an extra egg yolk (for similar richness)
Noticeably differentlight brown sugar → caster sugar with 1 tbsp molasses stirred in
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 369
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of tinned?
Yes — roast chunks until tender, blitz to a purée and drain any excess liquid. Use about 600g raw to yield roughly 425g purée.
Why did my pastry shrink during baking?
Common causes are overworking the dough, too little chilling or the pastry being too warm when placed in the tin. Chill thoroughly and handle as little as possible.
How do I know when the pie is cooked?
The edges should be set and slightly puffed; the centre should still wobble a little. It will firm up as it cools.
Can I freeze the pie?
Yes — fully cool, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and serve chilled or gently warmed.
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