How To Turn A Whole Pumpkin Into The Best Pumpkin pie
Homemade pumpkin pie is great, but it never reaches its full potential unless you truly make it from scratch. We're gonna roast our own pumpkin, make our own sweetened condensed milk, and end with one of the most flavorful pumpkin pies you've ever had. A little effort goes a long way here.
Joshua Weissman•
Aug 26, 2025
Ingredients (20)
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Condensed "Caramelized" Milk
Crust
Serving (make sure the pie is cooled completely)
make sure the pie is cooled completely
Directions
Pumpkin Puree
Cut the top and bottom of the pumpkin (2), cut in half and remove all the seeds. Add oil to them and place in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 40 minutes or until pumpkins are soft.
Remove the skins then blend in a food processor until smooth. If pumpkins are watery, place in cheesecloth lining in a sieve and let drip for a few minutes or until it gets to the appropriate thickness.
Condensed "Caramelized" Milk
Combine whole milk (3 ½ cups), heavy cream (½ cup), and granulated sugar (1 cup) in a large pot. Whisk together.
Set pot over medium-high heat until simmering.
Once it starts to simmer, immediately reduce heat to medium and slowly simmer, whisking intermittently making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom until it reduces down to 1.25 cups, about 25 – 30 minutes.
The best way to tell is when you whisk it and it violently bubbles. At room temperature, the consistency of this product matches that of sweetened condensed milk.
Pie Crust
In a food processor, add the flour (2 cups), sugar (1 Tbsp) and salt (1 tsp).
Pulse a couple of times to get all dry ingredients incorporated.
Add butter (1 cup) cut into small cubes. Pulse in a food processor until you get pea sized bits. Take a fork and start mixing your flour mixtures and slowly drizzle in ice water while continuously mixing until it forms a nice cohesive dough.
Take out of the food processor and then flatten into a thick disk about 4 inchesin diameter, Wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Can be done ahead of time.
Flour a work surface, and then lightly flour dough. Make sure it is about a 0.25 inch thick all the way across. Make sure you measure your pie tin with the dough to see if you have an overhang which you will need in this process.
Fold the dough in half, then fold in half again to form a triangle. Place it in a tin right in the center, and then unfold. Gently trim away excess dough, then crimp the edges.
Place shaped crust in the fridge just to firm to prevent shrinkage.
Blind bake the pie crust by putting parchment paper on top of the raw dough, weighing it down with uncooked beans or rice keeping the bottom flat
Bake at 400°F to 15 -18 min. Let cool to room temp after getting color in it.
Filling
Mix altogether in a bowl to make custard.
Pour custards into a prepared 9 inches pie pan. Bake in a 325°F oven for 1 hr to 1hr 10 mins or until custard is completely set.
Cool, and serve with whipped cream and fresh nutmegnutmeg as needed.
