60 Pumpkin Pie Recipes that make you say, "Can't Wait for Fall!" - Hike n Dip (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to prebake pie crust for pumpkin pie? ›

Too many pumpkin pies have soggy crusts that never fully brown. To avoid this, recipes often call for blind baking your crust. That is, baking the empty crust before the filling is added. This gives the crust time to firm up and brown, time it typically doesn't get if the faster cooking filling is added first.

Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead dessert to cross off your Thanksgiving to-do list. You can prepare and bake the pie up to two days in advance, and it will still taste great on the big day. Just make sure you store the pie in the refrigerator—not on the kitchen counter—until you are ready to serve it.

You can bake your pumpkin pies a month in advance and freeze them. Oops — you don't have a month. A week in advance then. Or even two days if refrigerator space is tight.

If you really must have your pie warm, make your pie the day before, then let it cool, uncovered. A few minutes before you want to serve it on Thanksgiving, put it back in a warm oven for 20 minutes or so. The juices will stay thickened, but the pie will be warm, giving you the best of both worlds.

Add a Layer. You can create a barrier between the filling and the dough by adding an ingredient that won't change the flavor of the pie—or that will improve the flavor of the pie. Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

If stored properly in an airtight container, open pumpkin pie filling can last for up to five days in the refrigerator.

You can keep your homemade pumpkin pie in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. After that, toss it or keep it up to 2 months in the freezer.

For better pumpkin pie, refrigerate the filling overnight

To that end, we've found that refrigerating pumpkin pie filling overnight before using it not only enhances the spices' flavors, but also mellows them. Any “sharp edges” disappear, and you're left with a smooth meld of complementary flavors.

How Long Can Pumpkin Pie Be Left at Room Temperature? Your pumpkin pie can safely sit out on the kitchen counter for up to 2 hours, says the FDA. After that, you run the risk of bacterial growth.

What are the most popular pies eaten on Thanksgiving? ›

While pumpkin pie reigns supreme in the majority of American households, sweet potato pie is still the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert in the South.

Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.

Other pies, typically those with a more delicate, egg- and cream-based filling (think custard pie or quiche) require at least some baking — but don't spend long enough in the oven (at a high enough temperature) to guarantee a fully baked, brown and crispy crust. In these cases, you need to prebake your crust.

Traditionally the crust for pumpkin pie is not baked before the filling is added. This is because the filling takes so long to cook that the edges of the dough easily end up burnt. But without blind-baking, you're putting wet filling on raw dough, which is the main source of our sogginess problem.

Pricking holes in the rolled-out pie dough allows the steam to escape while it's baking. Without this, the steam would puff up in bubbles and pockets throughout the crust, which would make some parts of the crust cook too quickly and also result in an uneven surface for your filling.