If you were to ask me what my favourite pie is, I would say pumpkin! But….not just any pumpkin pie. My moms pumpkin pie!

This Pumpkin Pie recipe can be made with store-bought pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree. Making your puree is simple and a great way to use your extra pumpkins.

The best pumpkins to use are the small pie pumpkins. They have less water in them and will make a thicker puree. I have cooked down the kids carving pumpkins, but they will need a longer time to drain out the extra moisture.

How to make pumpkin puree

Start with a clean pumpkin (or pumpkins). Wash off the soil or any other residue off the pumpkins. With a large butcher knife cut the pumpkins in half and with a large spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out the pulp and seeds.
The seeds and pulp can be tossed in your compost pile or fed to chickens if you have chickens.
Place the pumpkin’s flesh side down onto a cookie sheet. Using parchment paper can prevent the pumpkins from sticking to the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes until soft. To test the pumpkin, poke them with a fork and if it’s soft it’s done, if there is resistance, cook a bit longer.
Pull out the pumpkin and allow it to cool for a bit. Once you’re able to handle the pumpkins, scrape the flesh off the rind. Dispose of the rind and place the flesh into a blender.
Blend all the pumpkin till nice and smooth.
Pour puree into a clean cheesecloth-lined strainer or colander and allow the excess moisture to drain out for 30-60 minutes. If you feel it’s still too runny, continue letting it drip.
This allows the puree to become much thicker and helps recipes cook faster.
Pumpkin can now be measured out for your recipe, or measured and bagged for the freezer.
I like to pre-measure all my cooked pumpkin puree into Ziploc bags in 3-cup portions. With a sharpie, I write on the outside of the Ziploc bag what’s inside and the amount. Then I lay the bags flat into my freezer.
These frozen bags of pumpkin can be pulled out a thawed anytime you want to cook with pumpkin.

Time to make the Pumpkin Pie

If you’re using the pumpkin puree you just made, leave 3 cups in the blender.

If you are using store-bought puree, 1 large tin is approximately 3 cups of pumpkin. Make you have purchased pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!

This recipe makes enough filling for 2 pre-made pie shells.

To the 3 cups mashed pumpkin add the following and blend in your blender
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tsp molasses
If needed, add more milk if the mixture is too thick or if you need a bit extra filling to fill 2 pie shells.
This pumpkin filling can be baked in a greased casserole dish without a pie shell if you want a lighter dessert.
Bake in a preheated 425 °F oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 325 °F for 50 more minutes.
Use a toothpick to test the doneness. Poke the pie, if the toothpick comes out clean it’s done. If it has filling on it, cook for a few more minutes.
Let the pie cool and serve with whipped cream.