In my recipe book there is a smudged crinkled page I ripped out of a 1998 Bon Appétit magazine that has the sacred recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Pie. It’s from a feature they had where readers could send in their favorite recipes to share. Bless the lady from North Carolina who sent this one in! This pie has been part of our holidays since then and we’ve never looked back!
A few things I really like about this pie is that it has cream instead of a can of evaporated milk. You can’t go wrong with real cream! Also it calls for white and brown sugar and a bit of molasses which give it a more complex flavor. The blend of spices is subtle but just right in my opinion.
A Little Pumpkin Pie Story
When I met my husband in 2000 we started hanging out not too long before his birthday which is around Halloween. One day he casually mentioned his birthday had passed and I asked what he had done to celebrate. We were poor college students and he was in his last semester so all he did was work to finish his portfolio. No birthday celebration at all!
We had briefly talked about pie and he said pumpkin was his favorite. I made him this pie from my newly acquired recipe and brought it to him. As my friend and I walked away, she said, “Don’t look now but he’s standing on his porch holding the pie and staring at you! I think he really likes you now!”
She was right, he really liked me! The next year on his birthday we were newlyweds and I made him another Spiced Pumpkin Pie and have made it every birthday since!
Spiced Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, scoop it lightly into the measuring cup, no need to pack anything
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1 (14 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 unbaked pie crust
Preheat your oven to 425°. Whisk together the sugars, flour, and spices in a small bowl. In a large bowl blend together the pumpkin puree, molasses, eggs, and cream. I use an immersion blender for this but a good whisk would work too.
Stir in the dry mixture and blend well. Enjoy the fact that it’s the perfect color for fall and smells amazing!
I let it sit for a few minutes and mix again in case there were any clumps of brown sugar that need to dissolve. Pour the filling into your pie crust and carefully place on the bottom rack in the hot oven. If you bake your pies on the lowest rack you will never get a soggy bottom.
Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce to 325° and bake for 40 minutes until it’s puffed and the center is barely set. Cool on a rack.
Tips and Tricks
- Sometimes your pie is going to split in the center like mine did. It might have overbaked a bit but it doesn’t affect the taste or texture at all. Remember, homemade doesn’t mean perfect looking!
- Increase the spices if you like a stronger tasting pie.
- Use honey or maple syrup in place of the molasses if you prefer or if you don’t have molasses. Everyone should have some though in my opinion!
- You can bake this pie, cool it, and freeze it if you like. The texture will be softer after it’s thawed but it will still be delicious.
- Serve with real whipped cream obviously.
- Leftover pie is the best breakfast, also obviously.
