32 New Ways to Upgrade Your Plain Ol' Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you upgrade a store bought pumpkin pie? ›

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

The pie is generally flavored with pumpkin pie spice, a blend that includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. The pie is usually prepared with canned pumpkin, but fresh-cooked pumpkin can be used.

When using tapioca as a thickener, allow the pie filling to sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb the juices before spooning it into the crust. Tapioca can be substituted in a one-to-one ratio for cornstarch.

Pumpkin pie filling shouldn't be used in place of pumpkin puree since the finished dish will be too sweet. You can always set the can aside to make a quick pumpkin pie another day.

Sugar Baby Pumpkin

Also known as Sugar Pie pumpkins, these thin-skinned squash are smaller (4-8 lbs.) and have a sweet, dense flesh with a fine-grained, smooth texture. The cooked flesh is a bit drier, which makes a great pie filling.

Sweetened condensed milk is thicker and contains added sugar, so you won't have to add extra sugar and the filling will be very rich. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and has a thinner consistency. This means that you will have to add some extra sugar and that your pie will have a lighter, airier filling.

There are a few unique twists in my easy pumpkin pie recipe, including swapping in brown sugar for granulated and using heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. This results in a beautiful texture and flavor that truly makes this the best pumpkin pie recipe.

Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.

Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.

Why use evaporated milk in pumpkin pie? ›

Eggs: Two eggs add moisture and act as a binding agent, which means they help hold the pumpkin pie filling together. Pumpkin: Of course, you'll need a can of Libby's pure pumpkin. Evaporated milk: A can of evaporated milk lends richness and helps thicken the pie filling.

Pie Filling Enhancer thickens fruit pie fillings the same way Instant ClearJel does. Its advantage is added ascorbic acid (which adds a bright, tart note), and superfine sugar, which prevents it from clumping. Pie Filling Enhancer is about half sugar, so you'll want to reduce the sugar in your recipe accordingly.

While many recipes call for it, you can absolutely make an outstanding pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. If your recipe calls for one can of evaporated milk (as most do), you can substitute 1 ½ cups of cream or half and half, or a combination of the two. You can also use milk (any kind from whole to skim).

For example, if you're using a canned cherry pie filling, add fresh pitted cherries to improve the texture and flavor. Enhance Flavor with Spices: Adjust the flavor with spices and seasonings. For apple pie filling, add cinnamon, nutmeg, or a pinch of cloves to achieve a homemade taste.

Now if your pie tends to come out bland, you may not be letting your spices hit their full potential. Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker suggests, "To get the most festive flavor out of the spices in your pumpkin pie, bloom the spices with the pumpkin puree in a small saucepan before incorporating into the filling.

Cook it on the stove

It involves nothing more than cooking canned pumpkin on the stove for a few minutes. This trick works because adding heat to the purée releases the natural pumpkin flavor, elevating it from barely there to wow.