Our 31 Best Pumpkin Pie Recipes for Traditionalists and Rule Breakers
Looking for the best pumpkin pie recipe? You've come to the right place. Classically seasoned with the warm spices of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger—and occasionally a touch of allspice—pumpkin pie is the iconicThanksgiving dessert. But you don't have to goclassic. Below you'll find 31 pumpkin pie and pumpkin-pie-adjacent recipes to suit whatever your Thanksgiving vibe. There are pies with flaky, buttery pie crusts and custardy fillings that strike just the right balance of sweetness and spice, pies that play fast-and-loose with the pumpkin name (relying on butternut or kabocha squash for a change in flavor), elegant tarts that would impress anyone, and assorted pumpkin cheesecake mash-ups, each begging to become your go-to holiday dessert.
Making pumpkin pie (not to mention pie crust) from scratch can be intimidating, especially when you have a large Thanksgiving dinner to cook. To help you make the best pumpkin pie ever, we’ve got tips and tricks likehow to prevent your pie from cracking,how to blind bake a pie crust, andeverything else you need to knowabout baking pies for Thanksgiving. These desserts range from simple and straightforward to elaborate and elegant, butwith this guidewe’re confident you’ll be able to make any of these stellar pumpkin pie recipes.
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Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine1/31Classic Pumpkin Pie
This classic version of pumpkin pie comes fromGourmetmagazine. The filling keeps it simple, lightly spiced with one teaspoon ground cinnamon and one teaspoon ground ginger. Because of its simplicity, it's important to use the best canned pumpkin. Here at Epicurious, we'redevotees of Libby's. If it's your first time making a homemade pumpkin pie, this recipe is a great place to start.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones2/31Marbled Pumpkin-Maple Cheesecake Bars
Sometimes the best pumpkin pie recipe isn’t a pie at all—it’s a cheesecake bar! The crust for these pumpkin-swirled bites couldn't be easier: blitz graham crackers, melted butter, salt, and sugar in a food processor, then simply press it into a sheet pan. To avoid lumps, be sure all of your custard ingredient are at room temperature before you start mixing.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne3/31Vegan Pumpkin Pie
This pie gets its creamy texture from silken tofu and—thanks to a full tablespoon of vanilla extract—is deeply aromatic. Though premade vegan crusts are available in stores, nothing beats a homemade pie crust. Don’t skip the teaspoon salt to ensure your pie crust is as flavorful as it can be. For the best texture, refrigerate the dough before rolling.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson4/31Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon–Sour Cream Topping
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi5/31Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege6/31White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou7/31Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie
Can't choose between pecan and pumpkin pie? This Thanksgiving dessert is the best of both worlds. It has a flavorfulrye-flourcrust, a whiskey-spiked and spiced pumpkin filling, and a topping of crunchy candied pecans.
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Photo by Chris Court8/31Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie
With the help of a food processor, this chocolate pie crust comes together in no time at all. The pumpkin filling is subtly spiked with bourbon and gets its luscious texture from three large eggs, sour cream, and heavy cream. After the pie bakes, allow it to cool on a wire rack—then top it with brown sugar and brûlée it for an impressive Thanksgiving dessert.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell9/31Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie
Browned butter and caramelized honey make this pumpkin pie truly unique. The filling is expertly spiced and a high ratio of eggs means it sets into abeautiful custardthat has just enough jiggle. You'll want to pre-bake your unbaked pie shell—to prevent shrinkage, use pie weights or dried beans when blind baking (and remember,crumpled parchment paperis your friend).
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks10/31Spiced Pavlova With Pumpkin Mousse
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini11/31Pumpkin Icebox Pie With Snickerdoodle Crust
Instead of a traditional pie crust recipe, this dessert calls for pressing cinnamon-sugar coated snickerdoodle cookie dough into a pie pan. It's a fun, whimsical take on classic pumpkin pie. And, although there's no evaporated milk in the pie filling, it's plenty creamy thanks to both cream cheese and heavy cream.
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Photo by David Cicconi, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone12/31Spiced Kabocha Squash Pie With Pumpkin-Seed Crumble
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson14/31Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
If you're already making pumpkin pie from scratch, why not make your own pumpkin pie spice mix? Use it in your homemade pumpkin pies, in lattes,apple pies, or for any otherfall bakingneeds.
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Photo by Gentl & Hyers15/31Sweet Potato–Miso Pie With Chocolate-Sesame Crust
This unique pie gets its deep savory flavor from white miso and richness from egg yolks and heavy cream. You can substitute an equal weight of pumpkin for the sweet potatoes in this sweet-and-salty pie—just make sure you use roasted fresh pumpkin instead of canned. The delicious chocolate crust is made with chocolate wafers pulsed in a food processor with black sesame seeds, light brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
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Photo by Penny De Los Santos16/31Butternut Pumpkin Pie
Surprise your guests by telling them that the best pumpkin pie recipe actually hasno pumpkinin it at all. America's favorite canned pumpkin isactually made from squash, so if you want to go fresh, why not use butternut squash instead? Treat it as you would any other pumpkin pie: in a large bowl, whisk the roasted, puréed squash with condensed milk, spices, and eggs, then pour it into a blind baked pie shell.
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Photo by Lisa Hubbard18/31Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie
In lieu of traditional pumpkin pie ingredients like evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream, this pie relies on mascarpone for its creamy and subtly tangy texture. If you'd like to bake it the day before, simply cover it with plastic wrap or tent it with aluminum foil, then refrigerate.
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21/31Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Brown sugar and molasses give this spiced pumpkin pie a deep caramel flavor. The total bake time for this pie is just 40 minutes, and it can be made a day ahead. To prevent the pie from oxidizing, lay plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pie and refrigerate. For crunch, sprinkle toasted walnuts around the perimeter before serving.
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23/31Maple Pumpkin Pie
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25/31The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie
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Photo by William Meppem26/31Spiced Pumpkin Phyllo Pie
If you don't have time for homemade pie crust or don't own a rolling pin, give fresh or frozen phyllo pastry a try. Thin sheets of phyllo are brushed with butter andpumpkin pie spicefor a super flaky, flavorful crust. It's not a traditional pie dough, but it's the perfect pumpkin pie if you're short on time.
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Tim Morris30/31Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate-Almond Bark and Toffee Sauce
Store-bought vanilla ice cream, pumpkin purée, and a flurry of spices make up the delicious filling for this easy dessert set in a graham cracker crust. Served with a toffee sauce and chocolate-almond bark, it's one of the best pumpkin pie recipes for mixing it up at Thanksgiving.
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