Pumpkin Custard Pie (with graham crust)
This simple and creamy pie is a mix of sweet custard and soft pumpkin. The spiced filling is made in one bowl and poured into a quick graham cracker crust for an easy, foolproof holiday dessert. It’s perfect when you're craving a change from the usual holiday pies. No special equipment or advanced pie dough skills required.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the graham crust:
- 1 ¾ cups ground graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the pumpkin custard filling:
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or to taste
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy or heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 ½ tablespoons cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Turn on the oven at 350°F (180°C).
Make the graham cracker crust:
- Combine 1 ¾ cups ground graham crackers with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, and stir until it looks like wet sand.
- Pat on a 9-inch pie plate (24cm), covering the bottom and sides. Begin pressing at the sides and angle where the bottom meets the sides, then press to cover the bottom.
- Refrigerate while making the filling.
Pumpkin creamy filling:
- Put 3 eggs in a large bowl and add ½ cup sugar. Stir or lightly beat just to incorporate with a fork or whisk.
- Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Mix well until integrated.
- Slowly add 1 ½ cups whole milk and ⅓ cup heavy cream, stirring constantly without beating, until you have a smooth and fluid mixture.
- Place the pie shell in the preheated oven and slowly pour the pumpkin mixture. You can do this right next to the oven but be very careful when transporting it to the oven as it’s very liquid and it spills easy.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until it’s almost completely set and the top is golden brown. It will continue to solidify as it cools. If the edges of the pie are browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil and continue baking until done.
- Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. You can make it 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated, always well covered to prevent dryness.
Whipped cream topping:
- Beat 1 cup heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold, with 1 ½ tablespoons cream cheese and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
- Consistency of the cream: I like it to be thick but soft, so I whip it to medium peaks. But you can go all the way and beat it to firm peaks, similar to chantilly cream. Be careful it doesn't curdle. It's what happens if it's overbeaten. You might want to beat with an electric mixer until you're almost there, and then finish it by hand with a whisk. It's hard to overbeat a preparation with a manual whisk.
Notes
Key takeaways: Use fine graham cracker crumbs and room-temperature ingredients to avoid lumps. Mix the custard gently; do not beat. Don’t overfill the crust; pour carefully to avoid spillage and chill for 8+ hours for best texture and cleaner slices.
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Pumpkin puree: use canned pumpkin puree or make homemade pumpkin puree. Please don't mistake it for pumpkin pie filling, which is a different product.
Spices: Instead of the pumpkin pie mix, you can use individual spices. For me, a mix of ground cinnamon and ginger is a must. And then I usually add nutmeg and maybe a pinch of allspice, and hardly ever cloves, because I find them too invasive. So adjust to your taste, and start small with spices you're not used to.
Crust: This filling pairs very well with a homemade or store-bought pie crust, if it suits you). I like my butter pie dough. Be sure to blind-bake it first (prebake with pie weights) or the crust might turn out soggy.
