Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 350 g pie dough, chilled
Pumpkin Filling
- 425 g pumpkin puree, unsweetened
- 300 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g fine sea salt
Toasted Walnut Topping
- 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g dark brown sugar
- 30 ml maple syrup
- 1 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 504 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 58 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 409 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Cholesterol
- 82 mg
- Potassium
- 311 mg
- Calcium
- 112 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 47 mg
- Phosphorus
- 160 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 486 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 15 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.36 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 61 mcg
- Water
- 106 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Ensure your oven rack is positioned in the lower third of the oven to promote a crisp bottom crust.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pie dough to a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer it to the 9-inch pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges to your preference. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill to the brim with pie weights. Bake at 190C/375F for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 175C/350F.
While the crust bakes, place the chopped walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to the skillet. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture bubbles and thickly coats the walnuts. Spread the nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and let them cool.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and fine sea salt until no lumps remain.
In a separate smaller bowl, gently whisk the room temperature eggs and whole milk together. Gradually pour this liquid mixture into the spiced pumpkin mixture, whisking gently until completely homogenous and smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling carefully into the warm, pre-baked pie crust. Smooth the top with a spatula if necessary.
Bake the pie at 175C/350F for 45 to 55 minutes. Check the pie at the 35-minute mark; if the crust edges are browning too quickly, tent them gently with strips of aluminum foil.
Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for at least 3 hours. The filling will finish cooking and fully set from residual heat.
Once the pie is completely cool, break apart the candied walnuts if they have clumped together. Scatter them evenly over the top of the pie just before serving to maintain maximum crunch.
Chef's Notes
- Pre-baking or blind-baking the crust is an absolutely essential step for custard-based pies like pumpkin. Without it, the wet filling will soak into the raw dough, preventing it from crisping.
- Baking the pie in the lower third of the oven positions the bottom of the dish closer to the heat source, providing an extra burst of heat to ensure the crust remains structurally sound and crisp.
- Candying the walnuts separately rather than baking them into the pie ensures they retain their crispness. The sugar coating acts as a barrier against the moisture of the custard.
- For the smoothest texture, avoid vigorously whisking air into the eggs. Gentle blending prevents air bubbles from forming and rising to the surface during baking, which can mar the top of the pie.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store completely cooled pie loosely covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Troubleshooting
Deep fissures or cracks on the surface of the filling
Cause: The pie was baked too long, or the oven temperature was too high, causing the egg proteins to over-coagulate.
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but the cracks can be easily concealed with the candied walnut topping or freshly whipped cream.
Prevention: Remove the pie from the oven while the center still has a slight wobble, and cool it away from cold drafts.
Soggy bottom pie crust
Cause: The crust was not blind-baked sufficiently before the wet filling was added.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always blind bake the crust until the bottom appears opaque and dry before pouring in the pumpkin custard.
Cultural Context
Pumpkin pie is an iconic North American dessert with origins tracing back to early colonial times when settlers baked milk, spices, and pumpkin directly inside hollowed-out pumpkin shells. Over centuries, it evolved into a refined custard baked in a pastry shell, securing its position as a quintessential Thanksgiving centerpiece. Adding a candied walnut topping provides a modernized textural contrast that highlights the rich agricultural history of autumn harvests.
