Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
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Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe is a Thanksgiving tradition. It’s filled with comforting fall flavors and aromas. The creamy filling is savory and sweet. It’s baked in a flaky homemade pie crust, and garnished with adorable pie-crust cookies. It’s the best fall and holiday dessert!
📌 Pin Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
⭐️ What We Love About Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
- Nostalgia: It’s the Thanksgiving pie our Grandmas would make. It’s a beloved part of many families’ holiday traditions. When the sweet/savory aroma fills the kitchen, it brings back happy memories from days gone by, and a sense of tradition and continuity.
- Consistent Results: The Libby’s recipe is known for producing a consistently delicious and well-textured pumpkin pie. Bakers appreciate the reliability of the recipe, ensuring a successful outcome each time it’s used.
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple, readily available ingredients like canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and spices. This makes it convenient for home bakers to prep the recipe without requiring any hard-to-find items.
- Flavor and Texture: The flavor and aroma of Libby’s pumpkin pie appeals to a broad range of tastes. The use of evaporated milk contributes to the creamy texture of the filling, making for a smooth, velvety pie. The proportions of the ingredients in the recipe are designed to achieve the perfect consistency and a well-textured pie.
- Widespread Recognition: Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe is widely recognized, and has become a staple dessert during the fall and holiday season.
- It’s the perfect recipe to make with children and teens. Older kids can help make the pie crust from scratch, or the Libby’s pumpkin pie filling. Little ones can cut out the pie crust cookies. Baking simple recipes together creates sweet holiday memories.
- It’s better than Costco pumpkin pie, or a fresh Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie from their restaurant bakery.
🛒 Ingredients
🥧 Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Homemade Pie Crust: One unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell, chilled. Like Grandma, I prefer to make the crust from scratch. It’s very quick and simple to do. But if desired, feel free to use a store-bought refrigerated pie crust.
- Granulated Sugar: For the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon: For a warm aromatic spice that adds a sweet/spicy kick to the filling.
- Ground Ginger: Adds an earthy flavor that’s pungent, spicy and sweet.
- Ground Cloves: A warm aromatic spice with a slightly sweet flavor. It pairs well with cinnamon and ginger.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Large Eggs: Provide strength and structure for the filling.
- Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin: It’s the star of this Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe.
- Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk: Provides rich luxurious moisture for the custard filling.
- Optional Topping: Vanilla whipped cream
👉🏻 EXPERT TIP: If you don’t have all the individual spices for Libby’s pumpkin pie, no worries. You can replace them all with a total of 2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
🍁 Fall Pie Crust Cookies
- Homemade Pie Crust: A crust from scratch is best, but a store-bought refrigerated pie crust works well too.
- Large Egg & Splash of Water: In a ramekin, we beat the egg and water together to create an egg wash for brushing. It makes the surface of the cookies golden and shiny.
- White Sparking Sugar (optional): This coarse decorating sugar will give the pie crust cookies a beautiful sparkle and a touch of sweetness.
- Set of (Fall Harvest) Pie Crust Cookie Cutters: For cutting out pie crust cookies.
📖 Recipe Steps
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Prepare the homemade pie crust. Drape the dough over the 9-inch pie dish and adjust it into place. Don’t stretch the dough or it will shrink back during baking. Trim off excess dough, leaving an extra 1 1/2 inches of dough around the top edge of the pie plate. Fold the edges underneath the dough to create some thickness. Crimp the edges of the crust. Chill it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in the pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture. Stir to combine.
- Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Mix until incorporated.
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the chilled pie shell.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool Libby’s Pumpkin Pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Then garnish the top with fall pie-crust cookies (see recipe below). Serve immediately with dollops of vanilla whipped cream, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
🍂 Make Pie Crust Cookies
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- On parchment paper, roll out 1 (chilled) pie crust to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Chill it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Cut out pumpkin and leaf shapes with a set of (fall harvest) pie crust cookie cutters. The plastic wrap will prevent the dough from sticking to the cutters, and will promote the definition of details on the cookies.
- Arrange the shapes on the lined tray. Brush the tops with egg wash. If desired (optional), sprinkle the tops with white sparkling sugar. Put the baking tray in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the cookies (we want them cold but not frozen). Chilling will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake pie crust cookies for about 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden. Arrange the cooled cookies in clusters on the top of the (baked and cooled) Libby’s pumpkin pie. There may be some cookies leftover. Enjoy them with a glass of milk or this pumpkin pie smoothie. Or use them as cupcake toppers for chocolate pumpkin Thanksgiving cupcakes.
🧑🏼🍳 Expert Tips
For Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- To prevent a soggy crust: You can blind-bake the pie crust before adding the filling. This involves partially baking the crust before adding the Libby’s pumpkin pie filling.
- Chill the dough. Chill the pie crust before rolling. This will help the pie crust maintain its shape and ensure that the pastry is extra flaky.
- Use full-fat ingredients. For a creamier, richer texture, use full-fat evaporated milk instead of low-fat versions for the Libby’s pumpkin pie filling.
- Avoid overmixing. Overmixing the filling can lead to a dense pie. For a lighter texture, mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- What to serve with Libby’s pumpkin pie: Vanilla whipped cream, salted caramel ice cream, or a drizzle of salted caramel. Or add a sprinkle of chopped nuts.
For Pie Crust Cookies
- Use pie crust cookie cutters: They have lovely patterns on top. Make sure the shapes are not too intricate so they don’t break or chip during baking.
- How to maintain the shape of the cookies: Chill the dough before rolling and cutting. Roll it to a consistent thickness to ensure even baking. Aim for a thickness of 1/4 inch to achieve a nice balance between crispiness and tenderness.
- How to achieve 1/4 inch thickness for pie crust cookies: This is easy to do if using a homemade pie crust. But some store-bought crusts are fairly thin. So in this case, fold the dough in half. Roll it out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Make sure to apply firm pressure as you roll out the dough – so the 2 halves to become 1 piece, not 2 layers. Otherwise, the cookies will flake apart into 2 pieces during baking.
- If cookie cutters are sticking to the dough: You can place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough and cut the cookies through the plastic wrap. This will help prevent sticking and will promote the definition of details on the cookies.
- Use parchment paper. Place the cut-out cookie shapes on parchment paper-lined baking sheets to prevent sticking. This will make it easier to transfer them to the pie later.
- Monitor the bake time. Keep a close eye on pie crust cookies while they’re baking. They can go from golden to overdone very quickly. Remove them from the oven when they are just starting to turn golden brown at the edges.
- How to add sparkle: Sprinkle the pie crust cookies with a light dusting of sugar before baking to add a subtle sweetness and a bit of sparkle.
- For best results: Decorate Libby’s pumpkin pie with pie crust cookies after the pie has been baked and cooled. Arrange them in a decorative pattern on top of the filling, towards the edge of the pie crust.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST Libby’s Pumpkin Pie from scratch, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Yes, you can use fresh pumpkin, but it may require additional steps like roasting and pureeing. For the best results, ensure it has a similar consistency to canned pumpkin.
Yes, absolutely. But like my Grandma, I prefer making pie crusts from scratch because they’re flakier with a more substantial texture than store-bought crusts. Plus it’s a family tradition. But a store-bought crust also works well with this simple recipe.
No. This is not recommended. Evaporated milk is what contributes to the creamy texture. You can try using half-and-half, or a mixture of milk and cream as a substitute.
Yes, pumpkin pies can be frozen. Wrap it well to prevent freezer burn, and thaw it in the fridge before serving.
You can adjust the sugar to your taste, but keep in mind that it contributes to the pie’s texture and sweetness. Be cautious not to alter the overall balance of recipe.
Yes, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice. Use 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the combined amount of cinnamon, ginger and cloves in the recipe.
Test for doneness with a knife. Insert it into the center of the pie. If it comes out clean the pie is done. If the knife is “almost” clean, keep in mind that the filling will continue to cook and set with residual heat when removed from the oven.
Overbaking can cause cracking. Make sure to follow the recommended baking time, and cover the edges with foil if they’re browning too quickly.
Yes, pumpkin pie should be refrigerated. It contains eggs and evaporated milk which are perishable and can harbor bacteria if left at room temperature for too long. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer it to an airtight container. This will help prevent the pie from drying out and absorbing odors from the fridge.
It can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. After that, the quality may start to decline.
Yes. You can freeze pumpkin pie to extend the storage time. Let the pumpkin pie cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then wrap it well with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw the pie in the fridge before serving.
Transfer the frozen pie from the freezer to the refrigerator. Let it thaw slowly for 8 to 12 hours. Do not thaw it on the countertop. Once it’s thawed, you can take the chill off by slightly rewarming it in a 200°F oven – but keep a close eye on it.
🥣 More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
Fill your home with the sweet/savory tastes and aromas of the Thanksgiving season. Put these comforting pumpkin recipes on rotation. Your taste buds will thank you.
- Pumpkin Butter
- Pumpkin Mousse
- Pumpkin Bagels
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Pumpkin Biscotti
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Pop Tarts
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers said this is the BEST Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The flaky homemade pie crust, plus the pie-crust cookie garnish, made this Thanksgiving pie the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table. And it has all the flavors we come to expect from a stellar pumpkin pie.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
- Total Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Description
Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe is a Thanksgiving tradition. It’s filled with comforting fall flavors and aromas. The filling is creamy, savory and sweet. It’s baked in a flaky homemade crust, and garnished with pie-crust cookies.
Ingredients
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
- 1 unbaked homemade pie crust*, chilled
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 (15-ounce) can Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 (12-ounce) can Nestlé Carnation evaporated milk**
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fall Pie Crust Cookies
- 1 homemade pie crust (or refrigerated pie crust), chilled
- 1 large egg & splash of water, whisked (egg wash for brushing)
- White sparkling sugar (optional)
- 1 set (fall/Thanksgiving) pie crust cookie cutters
Optional Topping
Instructions
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough on a lightly-floured board until it’s a bit oversized for your 9-inch pie pan. Drape the pie dough over the pie dish and adjust it into place. Don’t stretch the dough or it will shrink back during baking. Trim off excess dough, leaving an extra 1 1/2 inches of dough around the top edge of the pie plate. Fold the edges underneath the dough to create some thickness. Crimp the edges of the crust. Chill it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Set it aside. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in the pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture. Stir to combine. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Mix until incorporated.
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the chilled pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean.
- Cool Libby’s Pumpkin Pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Then garnish the top with pie crust cookies (see below). Serve immediately with dollops of vanilla whipped cream, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Fall Pie Crust Cookies
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- On parchment paper, roll out 1 (chilled) pie crust to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Chill it in the freezer for a few minutes. Cut out pumpkin and leaf shapes with a set of (fall harvest) pie crust cookie cutters. Arrange the shapes on the lined tray.
- Brush the tops with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle the tops with white sparkling sugar. Pop the baking tray into the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the cookies (we want them cold but not frozen). Chilling will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake pie crust cookies for about 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden. Arrange the cooled cookies in clusters on the top of the (baked and cooled) Libby’s pumpkin pie.
Notes
* Pie Crust: Feel free to use a 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish refrigerated pie crust instead.
** Evaporated Milk: Feel free to substitute with an equal amount of lactose-free or almond cooking milk.
Do I need to refrigerate pumpkin pie? Yes. It must be stored in the fridge after it cools from baking. The filling contains eggs and milk which require refrigeration. The FDA says that when serving, it can sit out for up to 2 hours.
How long does pumpkin pie last? It will keep in the fridge for 2 to 4 days.
How to achieve 1/4 inch thickness for pie crust cookies: This is easy to do if using a homemade pie crust. But some store-bought crusts are fairly thin. If this is the case, fold the dough in half. Roll it out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Make sure to apply firm pressure as you roll out the dough – so the 2 halves become 1 piece, not 2 layers. Otherwise, the cookies will flake apart into 2 pieces during baking.
Expert tip for pie crust cookies: If your cookie cutters are sticking to the dough, cover the dough with a layer of plastic wrap. Press down with your cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. This will help prevent sticking and will promote the definition of details on the cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- 15 Minutes: Chill Time
- Cook Time: 1 Hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie 👉🏻 Join the Convo
Is Libby’s pumpkin pie a long-standing fall tradition at your house? Does it bring back great memories of family gatherings for Thanksgiving dinner? Share your thoughts and memories about this treasured recipe in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
