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! 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

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

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Sugared Cranberries & Sweetened Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS:
1 (9-inch) pastry for a 9-inch pie crust (homemade, frozen or refrigerated)
Egg wash: 1 regular egg + 1 tablespoon milk
Cinnamon Sugar for sprinkling
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s Canned Pumpkin Puree
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (8 oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup(57g) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
1 cup fresh cranberries (not frozen)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar (divided)
1 cup water

HOW I MAKE THIS:

PREPARE PIE CRUST: For this pie we’ll be using a single pie crust on the bottom of a 9x2-inch deep dish glass or ceramic pie plate. Prepare pie crust per your favorite recipe (refrigerate overnight) or use 1 refrigerated pie crust. If you’ll be making pie crust garnishes, plan on making 2 crusts.
Sprinkle the bottom of pie plate with flour (this will prevent the crust from sticking to the bottom of your pie plate when serving). Roll out chilled pie dough on a floured work surface until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into pie plate. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Fold any dough hanging over back into the dish to form a thick rim around the edges. Flute the edges with your fingers or crimp the edges with a fork. Brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Refrigerate while you are preparing the filling (you always want the crust to be cold before placing it in a hot oven).
Preheat oven to 375°F and adjust oven rack to the lowest position possible.
PAR BAKE PIE CRUST: Remove pie plate from refrigerator, line crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, covering edges to prevent browning, and fill with pie weights, filling the whole way up to the rim of the pie plate. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7-8 more minutes or until the bottom is just starting to turn golden. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 300°F.
PREPARE PIE FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add in the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and all spices. Continue whisking until everything is well blended; set aside.
Place pie plate on rimmed baking sheet. Whisk pie filling again and pour into pie crust. Only fill the crust about ¾ of the way up. Cover edges of the crust with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil to prevent the edges from getting too brown.
Continue baking at 300°F for 55-60 minutes more or until the edges of pie are set and the center of the pie is almost set and registers 175°F on an instant-read digital thermometer. The edges should be set and a knife inserted in the center should come out clean. If pie is browning too quickly, remove pie crust shield and tent aluminum foil over the whole pie.
Let pie cool completely on a wire rack until the filling has set (about 4 hours). Do NOT refrigerate a warm pie or you’ll get condensation on the surface. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate until ready to garnish and serve.
MEANWHILE, PREPARE PIE CRUST LEAVES: Preheat oven to 375°F. On a floured work surface, roll out the remaining chilled dough to uniform 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 lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
PREPARE SUGARED CRANBERRIES: Wash and drain cranberries; 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 cranberries into the sugar syrup and gently stir. Place the cranberries and sugar syrup 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 lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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: 8 servings

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!
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Pumpkin Pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. Simply bake the pie as directed, allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes; published November 2022; revised April 2024.

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