Self-Crusting Pumpkin Pie

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Total: 7 hr 25 min (includes chilling time)
  • Active: 20 min
The crust and filling of this pumpkin pie cook together to create a simply delicious dessert for your holiday table, no rolling, chilling or prebaking required. A sweet batter wraps over the edge of the filling and bakes into a golden-brown crust with a cake-like texture. The filling uses a pumpkin pie spice blend to cut down on the number of ingredients required without skimping on the warm flavor and aroma. Serve slices with a dollop of fresh sweetened whipped cream for extra richness and a beautiful presentation.
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Ingredients

Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

3/4 cup half-and-half 

1 large egg, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

Filling:

One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin purée

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 cup packed light brown sugar 

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

Whipped cream, for serving, optional 

Directions

Special equipment:
a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate
  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a glass 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.
  2. For the crust: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the half-and-half, egg and vanilla together in a measuring cup or small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and whisk just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pie dish and set aside while you make the pumpkin filling. 
  3. For the filling: Whisk the pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and salt together in a large bowl, preferably one with a pour spout, or in a very large glass measuring cup with a pour spout (see Cook’s Note). Pour in the half-and-half and whisk until the mixture is completely combined and smooth. 
  4. Carefully pour the filling into the center of the pie dish over the crust batter. When all of the filling has been added there should be a 1 1/2- to 2-inch ring of batter still visible around the edges. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to slightly pull in around the edge where the crust batter and the filling meet so that the edges have a slightly fluted appearance. 
  5. Bake until the center of the pie is almost set but is still slightly wobbly and the crust is golden brown, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serve sliced with a dollop of whipped cream if using.

Cook’s Note

Mixing the filling in a large bowl or glass measure with a pour spout will make it easier to pour the filling directly into the center of the crust mixture.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Anonymous

You definitely need a deep pie dish to make this recipe properly. Mine wasn’t deep enough, and I only managed to get around half of the filling in there! Is it better than making your own pie crust? Not really, but if you don’t have much time, this works great. The self-crust works if the crust has time to sit a bit to thicken up before adding the filling. I had no problem with pumpkin on the bottom by following the recipe exactly. Might be fun to try adding some more oomph to the crust since it tastes a bit like a cornbread without the corn.

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