This easy pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk has a smooth, rich and creamy filling and sits on a tender flaky crust. It has all the warm, fall spices of a traditional pumpkin pie and is perfect for Thanksgiving!
I’ll assume your little pie craving landed you here. If so, you’re in the right place because I’ve got a knack for making pies! After you make this one, I invite you to also try my recipe for classic apple pie and my favorite sweet potato pie.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- The pumpkin filling sets perfectly. It’s firm and never runny, which makes it easy to get the perfect slice.
- This recipe has all the flavors of a traditional pumpkin pie, with fewer ingredients. The sweetened condensed milk acts as the liquid and sweetener for this pie, so no additional sugar or liquid is added.
- This recipe works with any type of pie crust. You can use a store-bought, or homemade pastry crust, or a graham cracker crust.
📋 Ingredient notes
- For consistent results, use canned pumpkin. Read the label on the can to make sure that pumpkin is the only ingredient listed. Avoid using ‘pumpkin pie filling’ as it contains sugar and other added ingredients.
- Sweetened condensed milk is a concentrated form of milk that’s thickened and reduced through cooking. It’s commonly used to add richness and sweetness to desserts.
- Eggs help to further thicken the custard filling so that it sets.
- Combination of warm spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. A pinch of black pepper adds depth to the flavor of the pumpkin.
Recipe substitutions
- Feel free to use a store-bought crust if you don’t want to make one from scratch.
- If you don’t feel like using a traditional pie crust, a graham cracker crust works too. My recipe for pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust doesn’t call for condensed milk but you can make the crust and use this recipe for the filling.
- Use 2 and ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have all of the spices listed in the recipe card.
🥧 Step-by-step instructions
Blind bake the crust
For pumpkin pie, I always recommend pre-baking the empty pie shell so the crust cooks entirely and doesn’t get soggy. Pie weights or dried beans are placed in the center of the pie shell to keep it in place as it bakes.
You’ll need to start with a chilled pie-crust. Warm pie dough shrinks and warps when it’s baked and the end result is a hot mess. Avoid this scenario by rolling out your dough and chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the pie dough and drape it over a 9-inch glass pie plate. Gently ease the dough into the plate and turn any excess dough under to form the pie crust’s edge. Flute the edge of the pie crust using your fingers (see note below).
Steps 2 & 3: Place a sheet of foil over the pie shell, making sure to cover the edges of the crust. Place dried beans or pie weights in the center of the dish, on top of the foil. Bake for 30 minutes and let the pie crust cool before removing the pie weights. Discard the foil.
Note: Flute the crust by positioning your index finger on the edge of the crust pointing outward. Using your opposite index finger and thumb, pinch the pastry around your finger. Continue doing this around the edge of the pie plate.
Make the filling
Step 1: Place the canned pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, butter, spices, salt and vanilla extract in a food processor bowl. Blend on high speed for 1 full minute or until the mixture is smooth.
Step 2: Pour the filling into the pie shell. Be careful not to over-fill the crust. Leave 1-2 centimeters between the filling and the top of the pie shell. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield. Bake the pie for a full 45 minutes, making sure to remove the pie shield at the 30 minute mark.
Step 3: Once the pie is done baking, turn the oven temperature off and crack the oven door slightly. Let the pie fully cool in the oven with the door open so the pie doesn’t crack. Once fully cooled, transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours.
Note: The top of the pie will expand while baking. It will retain its flat shape as it cools.
Step 4: Cut the pie into slices and serve with whipped topping (optional).
💭 Tips & tricks
- Remember to use 100% canned pumpkin and not ‘pumpkin pie filling’! Pumpkin pie filling contains sugar and added filler ingredients.
- Sudden change in temperature can cause your pie to crack. Prevent cracks by turning the oven off, cracking the door and letting the pie cool fully before transferring to the refrigerator.
- A fully cooked pie will be firm with a slight jiggle. It will continue to firm up as it chills. Allow the pie to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6-8 hours (preferably a full day) before cutting it into slices.
❓Recipe FAQ’s
This is a matter of preference. Pumpkin pie made with sweetened condensed milk tends to be a bit more firm and sweet, depending on the recipe that’s used. The color is also lighter than a pumpkin pie made with brown sugar.
Some people do make their own filling using fresh pumpkin, but the process involves cooking the pumpkin flesh and extracting the liquid. For this reason, most bakers prefer using canned pumpkin, which delivers more consistent results.
This happens for a few reasons and is usually because your pie is either under-baked, contains too much liquid or wasn’t allowed to chill or set for long enough.
For best results, make sure to follow the exact measurements and steps in the recipe and let it chill adequately before cutting it into slices. Using an oven thermometer will also ensure that your oven is heated to the correct temperature.
As with any custard-based dessert, leftover pumpkin pie should be stored in the refrigerator. You can keep it in the pie plate and cover it with foil. If space is a concern, cut the remaining pie into slices and place them in an airtight container in the fridge.
⭐ Other recipes you’ll love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & consider scrolling down and leaving me a review if you REALLY liked it. Thanks!
Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store bought
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin (1 can)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ step ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- egg wash: 1 egg + 2 teaspoons of water for brushing the crust
Instructions
Blind-bake the pie shell (recommended)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the pie dough and drape it over a 9-inch glass pie plate. Gently ease the dough into the plate and turn any excess dough under to form the pie crust's edge. Flute the edge of the pie crust using your fingers (see recipe notes below).
- Place a sheet of foil over the pie shell, making sure to cover the edges of the crust. Place dried beans or pie weights on top of the parchment. Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pie crust from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the pie weights and discard the foil. Proceed with making the pie filling.
Pie directions
- Empty the can of pumpkin into the food processor bowl and add the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, butter, spices, salt and vanilla. Blend on high speed for 1 full minute or until the mixture is very smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell. Be careful not to over-fill the crust. Leave 1-2 centimeters between the filling and the top of the pie shell. Bake the pie for a full 45 minutes, making sure to remove the pie shield at the 30 minute mark.
- Once the pie is done, turn the oven temperature off and crack the oven door slightly. The top of the pie will puff up during baking and retain its flat shape as it cools. Let the pie fully cool in the oven with the door open to minimize cracking. Once fully cooled, transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill for 6-8 hours.
- Cut the pie into slices and serve.
Notes
- Use 100% canned pumpkin and not ‘pumpkin pie filling’.
- Flute the crust by positioning your index finger on the edge of the crust pointing outward. Using your opposite index finger and thumb, pinch the pastry around your finger. Continue doing this around the edge of the pie plate.
- Minimize cracks by turning the oven off, cracking the door and letting the pie cool fully before transferring to the refrigerator.
- A fully cooked pie will be firm with a slight jiggle. It will continue to firm up as it chills.
- Let the pie cool fully and then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours (24 hours is ideal) before cutting it into slices.
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