Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE with SUGARED CRANBERRIES & SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

11/25/2022

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries

Libby’s recently changed their famous pie recipe on the pumpkin puree can label, and it was the first change to America’s favorite pie in 75 years! I’ve tweaked this for our new favorite pumpkin pie – the best Classic Pumpkin Pie you’ll ever have!

In addition to a blend of perfect spices, I start baking at 400 degrees and finish baking at 300 degrees to allow the rich custard filling to bake without curdling. The custard-like filling is silky and velvety smooth - bursting with fragrant spices and flavor, and is so pretty when decorated with pie crust leaves, fresh Sugared Cranberries and sweetened whipped cream. Luckily this traditional, made-from-scratch pie is still as easy as ever – and the recipe that my family LOVES!

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL LIBBY'S PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE AND THE NEW RECIPE?

Libby’s recently released a new pumpkin pie recipe on their pumpkin cans, with the first changes to the beloved recipe in generations.

The ORIGINAL recipe called for:

canned pumpkin puree
evaporated milk
sugar
eggs
cinnamon, ginger, cloves
salt

The NEW recipe calls for:

canned pumpkin puree
evaporated milk
sweetened condensed milk
eggs
cinnamon, ginger, cloves
salt

For my version, I've tweaked the new recipe to add dark brown sugar for a touch of caramel color and hint of sweetness, and ramped up the spices. I also par-bake the pie crust, so that it stays perfectly golden and flaky. There's nothing worse than a soggy pie crust! A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar around the edge makes for the most wonderful crust ever!

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST PUMPKIN PIE:

DO I NEED TO MAKE A HOMEMADE PIE CRUST? CAN I USE A READY-MADE OR FROZEN PIE CRUST? You can use either homemade, or a frozen or refrigerated crust from the supermarket. For this recipe you’ll need a deep dish pie crust to accommodate the amount of filling, so you’ll need a truly deep dish pie crust to avoid overflows. If you do use a frozen crust, don’t thaw it - use it frozen.
LIBBY’S PUMPKIN: Make sure that you are using Libby’s Pumpkin Puree and NOT Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling for this recipe! You’ll need one 15-ounce can for each pie.
BROWN SUGAR: Although you can typically use light brown sugar and dark brown sugar interchangeably, for this recipe I recommend using dark brown sugar for a deeper pumpkin pie color and richer flavor.
PUMPKIN PIE SPICES: If you don’t have fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, in a pinch you can substitute with one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. And a reminder – remember to use FRESH spices for the best flavor!
INVEST IN AN OVEN THERMOMETER! Ovens aren’t always accurate, so make sure to use an inexpensive oven thermometer for the busy fall baking season for best results for all your baked goods.
DO I NEED TO PRE-BAKE THE CRUST? Libby’s does not recommend pre-baking (or blind baking) your pie crust, but I’ve definitely had better results and flakier pie crusts with blind baking the crust. To do this, you basically par bake your crust using pie weights. After removing the weights, prick the bottom of the crust, add the filling, top the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown, and bake until the filling is set.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN MY PIE IS DONE BAKING? Pumpkin pie filling is very thin, and because you’re baking a deep-dish pie, it can take over an hour for the filling to fully bake and set, although the Libby’s can says 45-55 minutes. As pumpkin pie bakes, the filling will become darker and slightly puffed, and the edges will set. The crust will be golden already – so that should not be used as a guide. To test doneness, gently shake the pie - the sides should be set, and the center can have a slight wobble but no jiggly waves of batter. Don’t be a slave to the recipe baking directions - if your pie is still wiggling and jiggling after the specified time, keep baking. Ovens, pie plates and baking times can vary greatly! And remember, pumpkin pie will continue to set up as it cools!

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE with SUGARED CRANBERRIES & SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

Libby’s recently changed their famous pie recipe on the pumpkin puree can label, and it was the first change to America’s favorite pie in 75 years! I’ve tweaked this for our new favorite pumpkin pie – the best Classic Pumpkin Pie you’ll ever have!

The custard-like filling is silky and velvety smooth - bursting with fragrant spices and flavor, and is so pretty when decorated with pie crust leaves and fresh Sugared Cranberries. Luckily this traditional, made-from-scratch pie is still as easy as ever – and the recipe that my family LOVES!

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS:
2 pie crusts (1 for bottom crust, 1 for leaf décor)
Cinnamon Sugar (for sprinkling)
1 large egg (room temperature – for egg wash)
1 teaspoon milk (for egg wash)

PUMPKIN PIE FILLING:
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s Canned Pumpkin Puree
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
fresh cranberries
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water

HOW I MAKE THIS:

If decorating your pie with sugared cranberries, start them the night before. You'll also begin the pie crust the night before as well (the dough needs at least 2 hours to chill; overnight is best). The filling can be made the night before as well. In fact, I prefer it that way. It gives the spices, pumpkin, maple and brown sugar flavors a chance to infuse and blend. It's awesome. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
MAKE SUGARED CRANBERRIES: Place cranberries in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and stir. Let the cranberries sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (ideal). You'll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss the cranberries, coating them all the way around. Pour the sugared cranberries on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours.
PREPARE PIE CRUST: wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill (1 hour or overnight).
PREPARE PIE FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add in the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, salt, vanilla and all spices. Whisk until everything is well blended; set aside.
ASSEMBLE PIE: When ready to make pie, remove one pie dough from the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust overhang to ½ inch beyond lip of plate. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with the edge of your pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your fingers. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 400 degrees. Remove pie plate from refrigerator. Brush edges of crust lightly with beaten egg/milk mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Line pie crust with two layers of foil or parchment paper.
Using pie weights, pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil and continue to bake crust until golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes longer. Remove from oven.
Maintain oven at 400 degrees. Place pie plate on rimmed baking sheet. Whisk pie filling, and then pour into pie crust. Only fill the crust about ¾ of the way up. Cover edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a piecrust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue to bake until edges of pie are set and the center is almost set and registers 175 degrees (40 to 50 minutes longer) on an instant read digital thermometer, rotating sheet halfway through baking. The edges should be set and a knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
Let pie cool completely on wire rack, about 4 hours. Do NOT refrigerate a warm pie or you’ll get condensation on the surface.
TO MAKE PIE CRUST LEAVES: On a floured work surface, roll out the remaining chilled dough. Roll out into any shape you really want (doesn't matter) and 1/8 inch thickness. Using leaf cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Cut leaf veins into leaves using a sharp knife, if desired. Brush each lightly with the beaten egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
If you aren’t serving the pie immediately, you should cover loosely and refrigerate.
Right before serving, decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves, and if you’re partial to squeals of delight, serve with fresh homemade sweetened whipped cream!
Refrigerate leftover pie, loosely covered. Pie will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

YIELD: one 9-inch pie

RECIPE NOTES:

DO I NEED TO MAKE A HOMEMADE PIE CRUST? CAN I USE A READY-MADE OR FROZEN PIE CRUST? You can use either homemade, or a frozen or refrigerated crust from the supermarket. For this recipe you’ll need a deep dish pie crust to accommodate the amount of filling, so you’ll need a truly deep dish pie crust to avoid overflows. If you do use a frozen crust, don’t thaw it - use it frozen.

LIBBY’S PUMPKIN: Make sure that you are using Libby’s Pumpkin Puree and NOT Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling for this recipe! You’ll need one 15-ounce can for each pie.

BROWN SUGAR: Although you can typically use light brown sugar and dark brown sugar interchangeably, for this recipe I recommend using dark brown sugar for a deeper pumpkin pie color and richer flavor.

PUMPKIN PIE SPICES: If you don’t have fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, in a pinch you can substitute with one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. And a reminder – remember to use FRESH spices for the best flavor!

INVEST IN AN OVEN THERMOMETER! Ovens aren’t always accurate, so make sure to use an inexpensive oven thermometer for the busy fall baking season for best results for all your baked goods.

DO I NEED TO PRE-BAKE THE CRUST? Libby’s does not recommend pre-baking (or blind baking) your pie crust, but I’ve definitely had better results and flakier pie crusts with blind baking the crust. To do this, you basically par bake your crust using pie weights. After removing the weights, prick the bottom of the crust, add the filling, top the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown, and bake until the filling is set.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN MY PIE IS DONE BAKING? Pumpkin pie filling is very thin, and because you’re baking a deep-dish pie, it can take over an hour for the filling to fully bake and set, although the Libby’s can says 45-55 minutes. As pumpkin pie bakes, the filling will become darker and slightly puffed, and the edges will set. The crust will be golden already – so that should not be used as a guide. To test doneness, gently shake the pie - the sides should be set, and the center can have a slight wobble but no jiggly waves of batter. Don’t be a slave to the recipe baking directions - if your pie is still wiggling and jiggling after the specified time, keep baking. Ovens, pie plates and baking times can vary greatly! And remember, pumpkin pie will continue to set up as it cools!

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes; published November 2022.

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