This Easy Pumpkin Pie is a must-make for Thanksgiving. We put a twist on this simple pumpkin pie recipe by adding brown sugar and a delicious maple whipped cream on top. Making pumpkin pie is a breeze with store-bought crust and pumpkin puree!
What’s in this Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe?
This brown sugar pumpkin pie pie is so simple and doesn’t really have that many ingredients. I start with a pre-made pie crust because getting the filling right is what I’m focused on. But you can also use this homemade pie crust recipe if you want to make it fully from scratch.
- Pie Crust: Like I said, store-bought crust works great here and takes out a whole bunch of steps and prep time, making this recipe super easy!!
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds a warm, sweet flavor with molasses undertones that complement the pumpkin and spices so well.
- Eggs: Gives the filling structure.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the pumpkin flavor and balances the sweetness of the pie.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg give this pie its classic warm spiced flavor. To make things even easier, you can use pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice!
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added to it, so it will cause your pie to turn out too sweet!
- Heavy Cream: Adds moisture to the pie and helps create a smooth, creamy texture. It also forms the base of the delicious maple whipped cream!
Pro Tip: We prefer heavy cream for this recipe, but if you want to use milk you can. You should add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to make sure your pie sets up correctly
Maple Whipped Cream
This delicious addition is a must for this easy pumpkin pie recipe. You saved all that time making a homemade pie crust, so now you’ve got a few extra minutes to whip this together! I promise, it’s worth the effort and only takes about 2 minutes! All you need is:
- Heavy Cream: Forms the base of the delicious maple whipped cream, creating a light and voluminous texture!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warm sweetness to the whipped cream.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens the whipped cream without making it gritty and adds a warm maple flavor. Make sure to use 100% pure maple syrup, not table syrup!
- Dark Rum or Bourbon: Adds a warm spicy flavor that enhances the flavor of the pie. This is optional and can be left out if you’re not a fan (or serving to children!).
Personally, I think there’s a time and a place for both! I have a classic pumpkin pie recipe where I would recommend taking the time to make your own puree, but for this easy pie, I won’t tell if you use the canned stuff (I sure did!).
I like to use heavy cream in this pie because it creates a super creamy filling. I sometimes find that evaporated milk leaves a bit of an aftertaste.
I recommend weighing the crust down with sugar. It’s the method I used in this recipe, and it leaves you with a wonderfully flavorful toasted white sugar that you can use for other recipes later on. However, if you don’t have enough sugar to do this, you can either use pie weights, dried beans, or simply dock the crust with a fork.
Pre-baking the crust should help ensure the pie doesn’t become soggy! Make sure the crust is fully cooled before filling it to ensure no extra moisture is created.
This pie is such a good make-ahead dessert! In fact, the flavor develops even more as it sits in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it up to 2 days in advance of Thanksgiving. Just make sure to keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it!
Yes! I like to press plastic wrap onto the surface to keep it the freshest, but you can also wrap it in foil. Wait to top with whipped cream until just before serving!
Absolutely! It will keep well for up to 1 month in the freezer!
How to Store
Store leftover easy pumpkin pie covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold, at room temperature, or reheated in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
How to Freeze
Freeze this easy pumpkin pie whole or cut into individual slices tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and topping with whipped cream.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this easy pumpkin pie topped with delicious maple whipped cream and honey roasted pecans, or try pumpkin spice whipped cream, pumpkin ice cream, shaved chocolate, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.
Enjoy with a warm pumpkin spice latte, slow cooker pumpkin hot chocolate, or a boozy pumpkin spice white Russian or pumpkin pie punch.
5-Star Review
“Wow! I stumbled across this recipe because I didn’t have granulated sugar and searching brown sugar pumpkin pie I found this! Wow! So so amazing! The best pie I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! I will never make it any other way now!” – Casey C
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (+ Maple Whipped Cream)
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust 213 grams, store-bought or homemade
For the Filling
- 1 cup dark brown sugar 213 grams
- 2 large eggs 100 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree 425 grams (1 can) – not pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 cup heavy cream 227 grams
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream 227 grams
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
- 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup 20 grams (or sub 2 tablespoons/14 grams powdered sugar)
- 1 tablespoon dark rum or bourbon 14 grams, optional
For Garnish
- Honey Roasted Pecans optional
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 425°F, and place a baking stone (if available) on the middle rack.
- Roll out the pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Blind bake (or prebake) the pie crust for 10 minutes by covering the inside and outer edges with foil and filling the foil with sugar – this will keep the crust in place during baking. After 10 minutes, place the crust on a cooling rack, and very carefully (sugar will be hot), transfer the foil with the sugar to a heat-proof bowl. Cool the crust completely.1 9-inch pie crust
For the Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg together. Add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream and whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated.1 cup dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 15 ounces pumpkin puree, 1 cup heavy cream
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the cooled pie crust, place in the preheated oven on the baking stone, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake another 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the outer crust with foil or with a pie crust shield.
- Transfer the baked pie to a cooling rack, remove the pie crust shield, and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
For the Whipped Cream
- Pour the whipping cream into a large, cold bowl. With a hand mixer set on low, beat the cream until it thickens slightly. With the speed still on low, add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and rum (or bourbon). Turn the speed to medium-high and beat the cream until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dark rum or bourbon
To Serve
- Slice the pie into equal pieces. Garnish each piece of pie with whipped cream and honey roasted pecans (if desired).Honey Roasted Pecans
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the outer crust with foil or with a piecrust shield.
- Make sure you buy 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. We are adding all the spices to it with this recipe, so you don’t want to start with a pre-spiced pumpkin filling.
- The pie will still be a bit jiggly in the center when it’s ready to take out of the oven. This will firm up afterward because the pie will continue to cook a bit after being removed from the heat.
- You can also try our Stabilized Whipped Cream! Works great on this recipe.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Wow! I stumbled across this recipe because I didn’t have granulated sugar and searching brown sugar pumpkin pie I found this! Wow! So so amazing! The best pie I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! I will never make it any other way now!
You’re welcome Casey!! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this!
Hi! I don’t have a baking stone. Will that make a difference? Should I adjust the baking temperature or time?
It should be fine without it.
Hello ! Last time I made a pumpkin pie which was sooooo horrible and wet ! I tried your recipe yesterday and I’m happy to tell you it was magic ! How beautiful the pie looks and smells !
But is it normal that the pie is so salty ? I think 1/2 teaspoon salt is too much.. (?) Nice recipe which I keep in my pocket ! Thank you :)
It’s not turning out. The list of ingredients say heavy cream but then when you look at the directions says whipping cream so I USED whipping cream and now it’s super liquidy and I can’t get it to harden
I’m so sorry you’re having trouble. Heavy cream and whipping cream can be the same thing although that is totally our mistake for writing it that way, so confusing. I’ve changed both to heavy cream. Did you use whipping cream and not whipped cream? Should have been fine if so…I don’t know what could have gone wrong. I’m SO sorry and hope this didn’t ruin Thanksgiving for you!
Hi Becky!Pies are always a stresser,even though I have been cooking for 36 years!!Pumpkin is act 1 of the more simple to bake pies.You hit it with the blinD baking of the crust,as well as the brown sugar.That with the spices give this recipe a more appeal color.Have used the brown sugar since the first pumpkin pie ever!Every year some will ask how I got the color so nice.Not like Baby poop,lolHappy Thanksgi
YES! You’re so right. Hahahahahaha I love this. Happy Thanksgiving :)