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
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 :)