As the leaves change colour and fall from the trees, our thirst for pumpkin-flavoured everything grows! And what’s better than a good old Pumpkin Pie to satisfy your cravings? There are so many different ways to make this autumnal pie, from traditional recipes with evaporated milk to super sweet condensed milk versions to the modern healthier versions calling for yoghurt. Our Delicious Pumpkin Pie is made without evaporated milk or condensed milk but is every bit as tasty and decadent as the other recipes. Try it – you’ll be in love!
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How Is This Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk Different?
Evaporated milk (or condensed milk) is typically used in traditional Pumpkin Pie recipes as an ingredient that helps the Pumpkin Pie filling thicken as it bakes. It also provides that rich and creamy texture that a good pie should have. However, if you don’t have any evaporated milk in your cupboard, fret not! Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk is just as delicious, and the texture is even better! This is all thanks to a custard made with pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs and just a touch of cornflour (cornstarch).
So why will you love this Pumpkin Pie?
- It is slightly less sweet than most traditional recipes.
- It requires simple everyday ingredients that you’re more than likely to find in your kitchen over the colourful-leaves season.
- It can be made with shop-bought or homemade shortcrust pastry.
- The pie filling is deliciously spiced and requires less than 10 minutes of hands-on time.
How To Make Shortcrust Pastry For the Pie?
Whilst this recipe works equally well with shop-bought shortcrust pastry, you can definitely make it completely from scratch. If you like your Pumpkin Pie sweeter, add some icing sugar, and if not, just skip it! So here’s what you will need:
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 75g unsalted butter, fridge cold, cubed
- 30g icing sugar (optional)
- 1 egg yolk
Put the flour and cubed butter in a large mixing bowl. With your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor, it is highly recommended that you use it – just pulse the flour and butter until you have a mixture that looks like sand.
Mix in icing sugar (if you like your pies extra sweet) and a pinch of salt. Add egg yolk and stir it in. With your hands, bring the mixture together into a ball. If it is too dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of water. Knead it very briefly until it comes to a ball of dough – the less you knead, the flakier the pastry will be when cooked.
Flatten the ball of dough, wrap it in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Once chilled, take the pastry out of the fridge and roll the pastry into a large circle, about 3mm thick. Carry on with the recipe below!
Ingredients
- shortcrust pastry: use a sweet or ordinary shortcrust pastry or pie crust. You may choose to use shop-bought pastry or make your own at home (see the recipe above or in the notes on the recipe card).
- pumpkin puree: unsweetened, 100% pumpkin puree is used in this recipe. Bakeroo and America’s Finest are the two brands we tried and both were great!
- eggs: medium
- light brown sugar: may be substituted with dark brown sugar. Your Pumpkin Pie will have a darker colour and a more prominent molasses flavour.
- salt: just a pinch to help balance the sweetness.
- cornflour: also known as cornstarch is used as a thickener in the filling.
- mixed spice: or pumpkin spice mix. If you don’t have any in your cupboard, you can easily make your own blend (see details in the section below).
- double (heavy) cream: substitutes the evaporated milk in this recipe.
- milk: we used full-fat milk, but low-fat will work too. You may choose to substitute it with extra cream, but we find that adding a little milk will reduce the chances of a greasy-tasting filling.
What Spices To Use For Pumpkin Pie?
If you are in the UK, mixed spice is widely available in any larger supermarket (and smaller ones over the festive period). You can also get it online or make your own using the spices you already have in your cupboards. You can follow our very own mixed spice blend recipe here.
If you are in a part of the world where Pumpkin Spice is popular, it will work very well in this recipe too!
Method
Bake The Pie Crust/ Tart Case
Line a deep 8in (20cm) loose-bottom tart tin with a thinly rolled (about 3mm) shortcrust pastry. Push into the edges and the sides well, then trim the overhanging pastry to be level with the tart tin. Place the pastry-lined tin in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Once the pastry case has frozen, place it in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
Make Pie Filling
Place the pumpkin puree, eggs and brown sugar into a large bowl and, using an electric handheld mixer, beat for a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornflour, spices and salt alongside the cream and milk and beat again for a minute, or until fully incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the prebaked tart case. Place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Your tart should still be wobbly in the centre when you take it out of the oven. Cool it at room temperature, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Decorate the Pumpkin Pie just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Overcooking the pie is one of the main reasons why the pie may crack on the surface. Make sure to take your pie out of the oven whilst it is still ever so slightly wobbly in the centre. It will finish cooking in the residual heat.
Some people like their Pumpkin Pie warm, but we are strong believers that it tastes its best at room temperature. Store the pie in the fridge, but take it out about an hour before you want to serve it for the best flavour and texture.
Absolutely! We think it takes better the next day! Make the Pumpkin pie up to 2 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge! Only decorate the pie on the day that you wish to serve it!
Ideas on How To Decorate Pumpkin Pie
Our Pumpkin Pie decoration is extremely simple. We rerolled any pastry scraps and cut them into simple shapes (just use whatever cookie cutters you have). We baked the shapes alongside the pie crust, then rolled them in brown sugar and cinnamon mixture whilst they were still warm straight out of the oven.
A sprinkling of the same cinnamon sugar was used to decorate it further, and the whole lot was finished with some simple (unsweetened) whipped cream!
Storage
Once your Pumpkin Pie is cooked, let it cool down to room temperature. Then cover it with an upside-down mixing bowl and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. We recommend adding any decoration on the day that the pie is served. Any leftover pie should be kept in the fridge and consumed within 4 days.
Pumpkin pie can also be frozen, however, note that the pastry may become a little soggy after defrosting.
Other American Recipes That You’ll Just Love
If you are in love with American classics, here are some of the best recipes we make:
- All-American Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan & Pretzel Crumble Top
- Brandy Pecan Pie
- New York Cheesecake (recipe coming in 2023, or available in a free recipe ebook when you subscribe to our newsletter!)
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Pie (Without Evaporated Milk)
Ingredients
- 200 g shortcrust pastry shop bought or homemade
- 225 g pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs medium
- 100 g light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice or pumpkin spice mix
- 120 ml double (heavy) cream
- 30 ml milk
Instructions
Make Pie Crust:
- If you want to make your own shortcrust pastry, see the recipe in the notes below.
- Line a deep 8in (20cm) loose bottom tart tin with a thinly rolled (about 3mm) shortcrust pastry. Push into the edges and the sides well, then trim the overhang pastry to be level with the tart tin. Place the pastry-lined tin in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Once's the pastry case has frozen, place it in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
Make Pie Filling:
- Place the pumpkin puree, eggs and brown sugar into a large bowl and, using an electric handheld mixer, beat for a couple of minutes until sugar dissolves. Add the cornflour, spices and salt alongside the cream and milk and beat again for a minute, or until fully incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prebaked tart case. Place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Your tart should still be wobbly in the centre when you take it out of the oven. Cool it at room temperature, then store it in the fridge until youre ready to serve. Decorate the Pumpkin Pie just before serving.
Notes
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 75g unsalted butter, fridge cold, cubed
- 30g icing sugar (optional)
- 1 egg yolk
Nutrition
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