As we gear up for Thanksgiving, my family starts to crave pumpkin pie. While I love to make my own crust from scratch, I also enjoy the convenience of a store-bought crust. I’m not a huge fan of the roll-out crusts, so I tried it in a graham cracker crust. The results were great! It was reminiscent of cheesecake with the ease of making a pumpkin pie.
What kind of pie crusts can you use in pumpkin pie?
I used a standard pumpkin pie filling recipe and divided it over two store-bought 9″ crusts. My oven runs a little hot, so if I tried again I would lower the temperature to 325 instead of 350. If you know your oven runs hot, I’d recommend lowering the temperature as well.
Make your own pumpkin puree
Currently all pumpkins are 50% off, so now is a great time to purchase some neck pumpkins to make your own pumpkin purée! Learn how to make your own pumpkin purée in this article. Just remember: if you have extra, freeze your leftovers, don’t can them! Pumpkin is not acidic enough to be canned safely to preserve it from botulism. (Ask me how I know!)
What kind of milk is used in this pumpkin pie?
I love that this pumpkin pie recipe is made with half and half instead of evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.
What spices is used in this pumpkin pie?
I have a ginger allergy, so I have to avoid pumpkin pie spice. Sadly, that means I usually have to avoid pumpkin treats that I don’t make myself. I made it with cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. We have a vintage recipe for pumpkin pie that calls for mace, so pepper used to be a more common addition to pumpkin pies.
Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
An easy way to enjoy pumpkin pie without the mess of making your own crust!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
- (2) 9″ graham cracker pie crusts
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350. (Or 325 if you have an oven that runs hot). In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, beaten eggs, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. Pour equally into the two 9″ graham cracker crusts.
Cover the edges with foil to prevent burning and place on top of a baking sheet for stability.
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slowly at room temperature. Once it comes to room temperature, refrigerate any leftovers.