Recipe: Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Recipe by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Phyllis Sharpley.

Cary, NC – Just in time for Halloween, here’s a recipe for fresh, homemade pumpkin pie.

Sugar Pumpkins

You can use canned pumpkin purée for your pie, but it’s really easy to use a fresh pumpkin. The key: use a Sugar Pumpkin.

Your big, hulking Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin? That’s not good for pies. At most emporia of pumpkins, you’ll see smaller, 6-8″ pumpkins for sale. They are usually labeled “Sugar Pumpkins” or “Best for Baking.” That’s what you want.

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

This recipe makes one pumpkin pie.

1 – Sugar Pumpkin
1 – Pre-Made Pie Crust*
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon – Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon – Lemon Zest
1 teaspoon – Salt

* You can, of course, use a fresh pie crust in place of the pre-made, store-bought variety.

Pumpkin Pie Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F.

Prepare the Pumpkin

Cut out the stem and cut the pumpkin in half. Scrape out the seeds (and reserve them for roasted pumpkin seeds, yum). Place the pumpkin halves face-down on a baking sheet. You might want to lightly oil the sheet if it is not a no-stick surface. Bake the pumpkin for about an hour to an hour and a half until tender.

Let the pumpkin cool until just warm. Scrape out the pumpkin flesh and mash or food-process into a smooth purée.

Bake the Pie

Raise oven temperature to 425° F.

Mix the sugars, salt, spices and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée, milk and cream. Whisk it all together until everything is well-mixed and has a smooth consistency.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake an additional 40-50 minutes – until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool & Serve

Cool the baked pie on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream.