This family favorite Thanksgiving dinner recipe, Easy Roasted Pumpkin Pie, is simple to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought kind.
Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Pie
One of the things I believe why many cooks shy away from making homemade pumpkin pie is the fear of the unknown when it comes to cooking with fresh produce, especially pumpkins. We’ve all grown accustom to the canned version as our mainstay, so why change?
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with canned pumpkin, but it isn’t necessarily the real deal as I recently found out in this article by FoxNews: Canned Pumpkin Isn’t What You Think It Is.
Even so, my first encounter with using fresh pumpkin for pie started a couple of years ago by watching a program by Chef Curtis Stone, who filmed this episode of Take Home Chef for Thanksgiving. He made it look easy as he cut up pumpkin into chunks, roasted the pulp and then used it as pie filling. I was impressed by how simple the process was and that was what inspired me to make my own homemade pumpkin pie.
RELATED: Curtis Stone’s Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
For my version, I roast my pumpkin halved but seedless. It takes about an hour or so at 375 degrees for the pumpkin flesh to get soft. After it cools (approximately 10 minutes) it’s just a matter of scooping out the pumpkin with a spoon.
At this point you can continue on with the recipe or you can refrigerate it until you need it.
Cooking Tip: Refrigerating cooked pumpkin has its advantages. When I did this, I found that the pumpkin retained all of its roasted goodness but without any trace of liquid. That is essential because the recipe calls for some cream and you don’t want your pie filling to be too runny.
The rest of the recipe is easily completed using a blender, food processor, or mixer. You’ll want to aim for a smoother texture with your batter. I usually start with an immersion hand blender and then finish with the food processor or blender. The choice is yours.
RELATED: Easy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
For the crust, I use Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust. This recipe makes one 9 inch pie with some batter left over. I pour the batter into the pie shell and bake for about 60 minutes or until a knife comes clean when pierced in the center of the pie.
If you’re worried about the crust getting too dark, you can always wrap aluminum foil around the edges of the pie pan. I don’t but that’s my preference.
Allow the pie to cool before serving. I like to dollop some homemade whipped cream over my slice, but you don’t have to. It’s delicious all by itself.
Recommended Products to Help Make This Recipe
Roasted Pumpkin Pie is made easier with these recommended products. These are the same ones I used to make this recipe for my family.
Cuisinart Hand Blender with Attachments
Cuisinart 11-Cup Food Processor
Easy Roasted Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cooking pumpkin halved, seeded
- 1 Pillsbury Refrigerator Pie Crust, 9 inch unbaked
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs large
- 12 ounces whipped cream
- Whipped Cream for topping
Instructions
For the Roasted Pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Halve the pumpkin and remove seeds.
- Place pumpkin halves on a cookie sheet and place in oven for approximately one hour or until softened.
- Once baked, remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop out the cooked pumpkin and place it in a large mixing bowl or refrigerate overnight, covered tightly.
For the Pie Filling
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl add eggs, cream and spices. (Note: You can also use a food processor or a blender for this part.)
- Using a Cuisinart Immersion Hand Blender, mix well the ingredients. Be sure to start out slowly, so as not to splash the cream up.
- Once everything has been pureed to a smooth consistency, set aside.
For the Pie Crust
- Remove one of the crusts from the package and lay it out in the pie pan.
- Press the crust down carefully, working your way out from the center to edge of the pie pan.
- Crimp the edges and cut off the excess pie dough.
- Fill with the pumpkin batter.
- Put the pie pan on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, then turn up the temperature to 400 degrees F to finish baking for approximately 20 minutes.
- Test the doneness of the pumpkin pie with a knife inserted in the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is ready.
- Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for about an hour.
- Cut and serve. Add a dollop of whipped cream, if you'd like. Enjoy!
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