Pumpkin Pie With Pepitas
Updated Nov. 16, 2023
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 2 hours 5 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1cup/113 grams raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1recipe Flaky Pie Crust, chilled
- All-purpose flour, for rolling dough
- ⅔cup/160 milliliters heavy cream, at room temperature
- 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter
- ¼cup/60 milliliters plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼cup/55 grams packed dark brown sugar
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
- 1(15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin purée
- Unsweetened whipped cream, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
463 calories; 30 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 402 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter the pumpkin seeds on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast, shaking once or twice, until golden brown and puffed, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Step 2
Remove the cold pie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a minute or two to soften slightly. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, beat the dough evenly across the surface, applying enough force to leave an imprint but not enough to crack or splinter it. Continue to beat the dough, lifting it frequently and adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking, until it’s just under ½-inch thick. This makes the dough pliable and easier to roll out while cold. 3. Dust underneath and on top of the dough with more flour, then roll it out, frequently lifting and rotating the dough to work it into a round, until it’s about ⅛-inch thick and 13 inches in diameter.
- Step 3
Transfer pastry to a 9-inch pie plate, and firmly press into the bottom and up the sides of the plate, ensuring contact everywhere and taking care not to stretch it. Use scissors to cut along the edge of the pastry, leaving a ½-inch overhang (discard the scraps). Tuck the overhang underneath itself all the way around so you have a thick lip of pastry resting on the rim. Press down firmly along the rim, then crimp the crust all the way around, using the thumb of one hand and the thumb and forefinger of the other, flouring your fingers as needed to prevent sticking.
- Step 4
Freeze the lined pie plate until the dough is very firm, 10 to 15 minutes, then prick the bottom of the pastry in several places with a fork. Line the inside of the pie plate with two pieces of foil, arranged perpendicularly, so the foil overhang completely covers the crimped edge. Fill the pie plate with dried beans or rice and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven until the edge of the crust is set and starting to turn golden when you peek under the foil, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the plate from the oven and carefully lift the foil and pie weights out of the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, then return the pan to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown all over, another 20 to 25 minutes.
- Step 5
While the crust is baking, combine the cream, butter and ¼ cup/60 milliliters maple syrup in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until steaming, then set aside (Be careful: It will sputter if it comes to a boil). In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves, and whisk vigorously until no streaks remain. Whisking constantly, stream in the hot cream mixture, then whisk in the pumpkin purée until the mixture is smooth. Set the filling aside.
- Step 6
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup and toasted pumpkin seeds, then add 1 tablespoon filling and toss the mixture until seeds are evenly coated.
- Step 7
Once crust is out of the oven, carefully pour in the filling (you may have a bit of filling left over). Scatter the pumpkin seed mixture over the filling in an even layer all the way to the crust, then use the back of a spoon to gently spread them out a bit. Bake until the filling is puffed and there is no wobble in the center when you shake the baking sheet, 40 to 55 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream.
Tip
- The pie can be made 1 day ahead. Store loosely covered at room temperature, then refrigerate any leftovers.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
-Judith
Next time, I would not wet the petitas with maple syrup and pumpkin puree. They sunk into the puree and became soggy. I might try sprinkling salted toasted petitas onto the puree after 10 minutes of baking or at least gently sprinkle onto the topping before going in the oven. Now back to making a regular pumpkin pie to satisfy my taste for the delicious puree and crust! Full transparency, I not pre-bake the crust as recommended.
Debbie
I thought this pumpkin pie was very good! I’m a big fan of pumpkin pie and have been making them for years. I liked this version because it uses maple syrup and butter and cream and is very easy to put together. I used my own crust (Ovenly recipe) and did not pre-bake it. Pumpkin pie doesn’t last long enough in my house for the crust to get soggy! Try this recipe - its delicious!
i used portuguese sausages instead of black beans…perfect!
Could I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream?
Jonathan
In the video, Ms. Saffritz makes this recipe with Demerara sugar, and specifies why. But now the recipe calls for brown sugar. Disappointed to not find the actual recipe here.
TerryA from DC
Excellent taste and texture of the custard filling although the use of dark sugar produced a somewhat unappealing dingy color. The pumpkin seeds were a disaster and distracted from the tasty filling. The seeds were chewy and very different from their popped state before coating. They sunk into the filling unlike the recipe photo. And there were so many of them that they overwhelmed the pie itself. I will never use them again. If you want some crunch, try using fewer seeds or try toasted pecans.
Lisa
The pepitas were good and looked cute, but I don't think they added anything that pumpkin pie is missing. I'm glad I tried it but probably wouldn't add again. I did not have a problem with them sinking. Parbaking the crust is definitely worth it.
Suzanne LaFreniere
Regarding the pumpkin pie with the pumpkin seeds, I just think it looks unappetizing, it looks like an infestation of some sort. I love the recipes from Claire and I have 2 of her books. I think my grandkids would freak out at the look of this, sorry
gianna
the filling was the perfect flavor and silky smooth consistency, but i wasnt crazy about the pepita topping. personally i would probably prefer a praline esque topping, but thats just my preference! it also took about double the time to bake.
Ferguson
We liked the filling but not the pumpkin seed topping
Christine
Followed the recipe except for using a Rose Levy Beranbaum crust. Pepitas add needed texture to pumpkin pie. Will never go back! My pie baked faster than directed for a softly set custard. A keeper.
ES London
Made this for Thanksgiving this year and regret it. The custard was too sweet, and, as so many others have noted, the pepitas added nothing-if anything, they sank into the pie were soggy instead of crisp.And, quite frankly, the pie looked pretty unappetising full stop. Fortunately one of my guest brought a normal pumpkin pie-that one disappeared quickly and I ended up binning about 2/3s of this one.
New Mexican Jen
The dough is fantastic, the pumpkin pie filling is good but I didn’t care for the pepitas were too much and if you made a day ahead, they lost their crunch.
Jake
I did not make this exact recipe, but I did use the pepitas topping idea for my pumpkin pie this year. I did toast them, then toss them with the maple syrup and some of the filling. Unless you are serving this entire pie the same day it is made, I wouldn't recommend topping it with the pepitas. They lose their crunch after being refrigerated, so you end up with these soft, sorty slippery seeds marring your pie.
Lauren
My pepitas sunk into the filling and became soggy. I'm not sure what I did wrong. Going forward, I think I will just make a regular pumpkin pie, and then make a separate crumble to serve alongside if I want something crunchy.
Kristen
Pretty but didn’t come out super tasty. Looked stunning, but I found pepita flavor on top was hard to execute. I had issues with the pepitas sinking through the pie filling at first, so I put them on top of the pie after 20 minutes of baking. Since I could not find raw pepitas in the store, only already-roasted pepitas, I thought less roast time for the pepita topping would be fine, but it was not; the seeds were very chewy and not that flavorful.
condiment queen
Needed to be a little sweeter, although some of us like it that way. Crust was good. Pepitas were divisive.
Marlene
Won’t make again. The texture of the pepita topping is disgusting. Inedible. Like eating bugs. There was also a bitter flavor to the pumpkin custard which managed to simultaneously be bland. Not enough pumpkin flavor. The custard looks dingey not bright and pumpkin-ey. Her saving grace is the crust. The method produces delicious flakey pastry, golden even on the bottom. It is also the easiest most efficient way I’ve found to make pie crust. Back to my old pumpkin pie recipe.
Angie A.
I skipped the pepitas. The filling is to die for delish!
Hollandaise Notes
I’m confused about the oven temperature in step 7 as well. Please clarify!
Raro
Hard to feel confident about the oven temps at each phase. Step 1 toasting the seeds is at 400 degrees. Step 4 Crust bake with weights is 400 degrees too? Please confirm. Then 325 degrees without weights to brown the crust. After that there is no mention of the oven temps for Step 7, when the filled pie goes back into the oven. Is that at 325 also? Please confirm. This is stressing me out on my busy Thanksgiving morning. Opps! Afternoon.
Jenny
I'm confused as to how the crust does not end up burned. If you follow the instructions for pre baking, the crust ends up in the oven for almost 2 hours!
Velma
I used the crust recipe for pies, and made 4. Have baked only one so far, a pecan pie. For me, the crust was difficult to maneuver. Became too wet. Tried one with less water, but I think it will be too dry when I roll that one out. Rolled out to 13" diameter, but it was so thin, it tore. It shrank of course after blind baking. I am not sure what went wrong.
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