A deliciously creamy Homemade Pumpkin Pie For Two to celebrate pumpkin szn with your favorite person! This recipe makes a 6 inch pumpkin pie with a classic flaky crust and an ultra-creamy pumpkin pie filling made from a real pumpkin!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie For Two
Pumpkin szn & turkey day are literally behind the corner but it’s 2020 (!!!) so I thought I would share a small-batch pumpkin pie for two, perfect for those of you that don’t plan to host/attend large family gatherings or parties this year!
About this pie… the crust is a classic all-butter flaky pie crust (no-fuss) while the pumpkin pie filling is ULTRA cream and ⏤ bonus point: it’s made from a real pumpkin! You can use a small sugar pumpkin or small butternut squash (I like butternut).
It’s basically my go-to pumpkin pie recipe, just smaller! Very simple to make, beginner-friendly, and absolutely stress-free! I really hope you’ll try it! I make this pie every year! 💘
How To Make Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
Detailed instructions will be in the recipe card down below, but this is what to expect & what you’ll do for this pie 🙂
- Make the crust. Add the cold butter, flour, salt & sugar (optional) to a food processor and pulse until you get pea-sized crumbs, add in the cold water, mix until it forms into a ball, then flatten it into a disc, pop it in the fridge & let it chill!
- Cook the pumpkin. You can roast it or cook it in a skillet, both options will give you a delicious pumpkin pie filling! Use a food processor or an immersion blender to puree it until smooth!
- Roll out the crust and place it into a 6 inch pie plate. Crimp them edges for a cute look!
- Make the filling. Whisk the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar together, then add in the heavy whipping cream, pumpkin puree, cornstarch, salt, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, ginger, and cloves). Mix until smooth, pour the filling into the crust & pop it in the oven!
- Bake! Allow the pie to cool down to room temperature (or for at least 2 hours) before serving!
About The 6 Inch Pie Crust
This is basically my go-to pie crust recipe but smaller, it’s very simple but I wanted to share step-by-step pictures so you can take a look and see what every step is supposed to look like, which I think it’s helpful if you’re a beginner! 🙂
The key is to use COLD ingredients, like straight-outta-the-fridge cold. The goal is to keep the butter from melting! So you also want to avoid overworking the dough with your hands: warm hands feel good but they melt cold butter real fast!
What you want to do is cut the butter into the dry ingredients. I like using a food processor for this step because it’s quicker but you can also use a fork or a pastry cutter. Some people swear by pastry cutters but… ain’t nobody got time for that?!
Pulse a few times (short pulses!), 2 is usually enough for my food processor. You’re looking for pea-sized crumbs. Once you get that texture, throw the mixture into a shallow bowl and add in the cold water.
Because different flours absorb water differently, I recommend starting with 1 tbsp. Mix using a fork or your hands, if the dough is really crumbly add another tbsp and mix again. I never add more than 2 tbsp. You want the dough to form into a ball, it’s okay if it cracks or feels a bit dry.
Once you have your ball of dough, you want to flatten it out into a disc (0.7 to 1 inch is okay), it doesn’t have to be perfect! I just kind of squish it down with my fingers! Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to a day if you want to make the crust in advance).
To roll it out, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll your crust out into a circle! Ideally, you always want your pie crust to be 2 inches wider than your pie dish, so in this case, you want to roll it out into an 8 inch circle. Place the rolled out crust in your pie dish!
Time to make it pretty! Roll the excess dough in and under towards the center of the pie dish, press the dough to seal it, and then crimp the edges by making a “V” shape with two fingers on one hand, and use the index finger on the opposite hand to create an indent.
Last but not least, use a fork to poke some holes in the bottom, this prevents any annoying air bubbles from forming!
How To Cook Pumpkin For Pumpkin Pie
I’ll give you two options, both tested, both great: you can roast your pumpkin in the oven or cook it in a skillet. For the pie in the picture, I used the skillet method but two years ago I roasted it. Both pies were super creamy and delicious so it’s up to you 🙂
But first thing’s first, you want to cut off the stem and cut the pumpkin in half (from top to bottom). Scrape out any seeds or fibers using an ice-cream scoop or a spoon. From here, you can choose which method you want to use: skillet or oven!
Skillet method: remove the skin using a knife, then cut the pumpkin sides into small chunks and add them to a non-stick skillet with 2 tbsp water. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook until soft (you can use a fork to test it). I usually cook mine for 6-7 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t stick to the skillet! If the pumpkin is sticking to the pan, lower the heat or add 1-2 tbsp of water, don’t add any more than that or the pumpkin will get mushy and too watery!
Oven method: cut the pumpkin sides into smaller chunks and place them skin-side up on a non-stick baking sheet, roast it for 20-30 minutes or until soft (use a fork to test it).
How To Make Pumpkin Pie Filling From Scratch
Once you have your cooked/roasted pumpkin, you want to puree it. I recommend using an immersion blender for this step but a food processor or a fork will work too :). You want a super smooth pumpkin puree!
You can do this when the pumpkin is still hot but you’ll have to let it cool down before adding it to the other ingredients or the hot pumpkin will scramble the eggs!
You can totally roast/cook/puree the pumpkin ahead of time though. Did you know that you can store pumpkin puree covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to a month?
Back to the filling! Whisk the eggs and sugars together until smooth, then add in the pumpkin puree, heavy whipping cream, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Give it a mix, then pour it into your prepared crust (only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up) and bake :).
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice (or if you’re not a fan of it), you can make your own by mixing 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.
When Is Pumpkin Pie Done Baking?
Your pumpkin pie is done when it looks shiny and set on top. If you’re not sure, do this: gently shake the pie, it should jiggle a little. If your pie has that slight jiggle, it’s most likely ready, the majority of the top should look set. If the middle is still a bit wet/shiny, it’s okay, you can take it out.
If you’re still not sure, use the toothpick test! I usually don’t do this because it leaves a little hole in your pie but if you don’t mind, simply poke the pie with the toothpick about 2 inches from the edge: if it’s clean, the pie is done!
When you take it out, the pill will continue cooking for a bit so don’t stress too much! 🙂 Make sure to let it cool down to room temperature (or for at least 2 hours) before slicing!
HAPPY BAKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love this Homemade Pumpkin Pie For Two as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! I LOVE hearing from you! 💘
WANT MORE DESSERTS FOR TWO?
Homemade Pumpkin Pie For Two
Ingredients
For The 6 inch Pie Crust
- 1 cup 4.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp white granulated sugar (optional, for a slightly sweet crust)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 oz cold butter diced
- 1-2 tbsp cold water
For The Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 15 oz pumpkin or 1 15-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
For The Pumpkin
- Cut off the stem and cut the pumpkin in half, from top to bottom. Scrape out any seeds or fibers using an ice-cream scoop or a spoon. From here, you can choose which cooking method you want to use: skillet or oven!
- Skillet method: remove the skin using a knife, then cut the pumpkin sides into small chunks and add them to a non-stick skillet with 1-2 tbsp water. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook until soft (you can use a fork to test it). I usually cook mine for 6-7 minutes. Make sure it doesn't stick to the skillet! If the pumpkin is sticking to the pan, lower the heat or add 1 tbsp of water, don't add more or the pumpkin will get mushy and too watery!Oven method: cut the pumpkin sides into smaller chunks and place them skin-side up on a non-stick baking sheet, roast it for 20-30 minutes or until soft (use a fork to test it).Once your pumpkin is cooked/roasted, use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree it until smooth, then allow the pumpkin puree to cool down to room temperature before using it.
For The 6 Inch Pie Crust
- In a food processor combine the flour, sugar, salt, and diced butter. Pulse a few times (short pulses) until the butter breaks down into pea-sized crumbs. Transfer the mixture into a shallow bowl and add in the water 1 tbsp at a time. Mix until the dough forms into a ball. Then flatten it into a 1-inch thick disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes or up to a day.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, on a lightly floured work surface, roll the crust out into an 8 inch circle, then place it into your 6 inch pie dish and roll the excess dough in and under towards the center of the pie dish, press the dough to seal it, and then crimp the edges by making a "V" shape with two fingers on one hand, and use the index finger on the opposite hand to create an indent. Use a fork to poke some holes in the bottom.
For The Pumpkin Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add in the heavy cream, cornstarch, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice*, and salt. Mix until smooth. Pour into the crust and bake. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up!
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425F, then lower the temperature to 350F and bake for 25 minutes or until the majority of the pie looks shiny and set. To test for doneness, gently shake the pie: it should have a slight jiggle, it's okay if the middle looks shiny/wet as the pie will continue cooking when you take it out from the oven. You can also use the toothpick method: insert a toothpick 2 inches from the edges, if it comes out clean, your pie is ready (this method will leave a tiny hole in your pie).
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?! Tag @itsdamnspicy on Instagram and hashtag it #itsdamnspicy
Steve Johnson says
This is a great recipe!
I’ve got a couple of variations:
Preparing pumpkin in a pressure cooker: cut the pumpkin sides into quarters and place them in the pressure cooker with a quarter cup of water. Pressure cook on High for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and depressurize completely. Scrape the flesh away from the skin; discard the skin, and blend the pulp in a blender after draining off the water.
Instead of vanilla, I occasionally use a teaspoon of bourbon.
Instead of the heavy cream and sugars, I occasionally use a can of dulce de leche, which adds a slight caramel flavor to the pie – yummy!
I’ll blind-bake the crust before filling, to keep from having a soggy bottom.
Bianka says
Thank you for your in-depth comment, Steve! I’m happy to hear that you love this recipe and am thankful for all the extra details you provided, I’ll have to give it a try with dulce de leche – sounds extra yummy!
Chantal says
This is way too much for a 6 inches pie!!
Can you freeze some filling?
Bianka says
Hi Chantal, it definitely depends on how deep your pie dish is. You can transfer any leftover filling into an air-tight container or ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 4-5 days. Thaw it in the refrigerator or place in a bowl of lukewarm water when you’re ready to use it!