This Pumpkin Pie is a must-make for Thanksgiving. We put a twist on this simple recipe by adding brown sugar and a delicious maple whipped cream on top. Making brown sugar pumpkin pie is a breeze with store-bought crust and pumpkin puree!
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Why We Love This Pumpkin Pie Recipe
We love this Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie because of its special depth of flavor. It’s simple enough for anyone to make and has become a family favorite since we first made it in 2014. Because we think this is the best way to make pumpkin pie, it’s the only version on our website!
- Easy. We start with a pre-made pie crust and canned pumpkin puree for a recipe any cook can tackle!
- Flavorful. Dark brown sugar and classic pumpkin pie spices make every bite of this pie warm and welcoming.
- Whipped Cream. You saved all that time making a homemade pie crust, so now you’ve got a few extra minutes to whip this incredible maple whipped cream together! I promise it’s worth the effort and only takes about 2 minutes!
Variations on Homemade Pumpkin Pie
You can, of course, make this brown sugar pumpkin pie more traditional by using granulated sugar in the filling, and you can also swap out the measured spices for premade pumpkin pie spice to save a little time. For a more homemade feel, make your own pie crust and pumpkin puree.
How to Store
Store leftover 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 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 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.
Personally, I find that there’s a lot more variability in fresh pumpkin puree than in canned, which can often lead to a watery pie, so I like to stick with canned pumpkin for consistent results every time.
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.
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.
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.
Usually, eggs are the culprit for a cracked pie. Overcooked eggs tighten up and create cracks in the surface, so it’s best to pull the pie when it is jiggly but not wet in the middle. Of course, if your pie does happen to crack, that’s what the whipped cream is for! Whipped cream covers all mistakes!
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!
More Pumpkin Pie Recipes We Love
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Crumble
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Lasagna
- And check out our list of all the Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes!
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
Pumpkin Pie Recipe (+ Maple Whipped Cream)
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
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
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
Video
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 is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Step by Step
Prep the Crust: Preheat your oven to 425°F and place a baking stone on the middle rack. You can also place a plain baking sheet on the middle rack if you don’t have a stone. Roll out a 9-inch pie crust and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Cover the inside and outer edges of the crust with foil and fill the pie shell with sugar. Blind bake the crust like this for 10 minutes, then place the crust on a cooling rack and very carefully (the sugar will be hot) transfer the foil with the sugar to a heatproof bowl. Cool the crust completely.
Make the Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon of ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, and ½ of ground nutmeg together. Add 15 ounces (1 can) of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of heavy cream and whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Start Baking: Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the cooled pie crust, place in the preheated oven on the baking stone, and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the Temperature: 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.
Make the Whipped Cream: While the pie cools, make the maple whipped cream. Pour 1 cup of heavy 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 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of dark rum (or bourbon). Turn the speed to medium-high and beat the cream until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Serve the Pie: Slice the pie into equal pieces. Garnish each piece of pie with whipped cream and honey roasted pecans (if desired).
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 :)