Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe {UK}….

Have you ever wondered what pumpkin pie actually tastes like? I always used to see it in American films and on TV, especially around Thanksgiving, and wondered whether it was really as nice as everyone made it look. I mean, pumpkin in a sweet pie sounds a bit odd when you think about it, doesn’t it? 😂

Well, I finally got around to making my own easy pumpkin pie and I can confirm that it’s actually really lovely! It’s much easier to make than I expected too, especially if you cheat a little bit with a ready-made pastry case like I did.

I’d been wanting to try pumpkin pie for years, if only so I could say I’d tried it, but every time I looked up a recipe, it always seemed like a bit of a faff for something I wasn’t entirely convinced I’d like. I never quite got around to making one until I spotted some tins of pumpkin puree in Sainsbury’s and decided to buy a couple.

Obviously, I then put them in the food cupboard and promptly forgot all about them, which probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. 😂

It was actually a couple of reduced-price ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry cases that reminded me about the pumpkin puree. I spotted them when I was shopping and was trying to decide whether I’d actually use them if I bought them when I suddenly remembered the tins sitting at the back of my cupboard.

I bought two pastry cases with the intention of making one pumpkin pie and one gypsy tart, which seemed like a perfectly good plan at the time. As it turned out, the pumpkin pie filling made quite a bit more than I’d expected and I ended up filling both cases with a little bit left over, so the gypsy tart never happened.

The cases I bought were reasonably small so if you’re making this yourself, I’d recommend either buying one larger pastry case or making your own. There’s a great sweet shortcrust pastry recipe here if you fancy making it from scratch, although I was quite happy to let someone else do that bit for me.

I started with the recipe on the side of the pumpkin puree tin and made a few changes to the spices to suit what I already had in the cupboard. I also used a little more evaporated milk than the original recipe called for because I didn’t want to waste what was left in the tin. You know me, I’ll always try to use something up rather than have a random half tin sitting in the fridge. 😂

My finished pumpkin pies were a bit shallower than the traditional American versions I’d seen pictures of, but I actually think I preferred them that way. The filling is quite rich and sweet so you don’t need a huge slice, and the thinner layer of filling worked really well with the pastry.

And as for the taste, I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it! I think I’d been expecting something that tasted quite strongly of pumpkin, but it’s actually much more about the lovely combination of spices. The filling is smooth and almost custard-like, with cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice giving it a really nice autumnal flavour.

Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (UK)

This is such an easy recipe to make, particularly if you use a ready-made pastry case and tinned pumpkin puree. There’s no peeling or chopping pumpkin, no complicated pastry making and hardly any washing up, which is always a bonus.

Ingredients

• 425g tin of pumpkin puree
• 175g sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• 300g evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• One large ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry case or a homemade case made using around 200g pastry

How to make pumpkin pie

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Add the pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, evaporated milk and eggs to a large mixing bowl and give everything a good mix until it’s all smooth and combined.
3. Pour the mixture into your pastry case, either using a ready-made one or a homemade one that’s already been blind baked. My mixture was enough for two small-to-medium-sized cases with a little left over, so bear that in mind when you’re choosing your pastry case.
4. Pop your filled pastry case into the oven and bake for around 35–50 minutes. I know that’s quite a wide range, but it really does depend on the size and depth of your pastry case as that determines how thick your filling will be. A deeper pie will take longer to cook than a shallower one. You’ll know it’s ready when the filling has set and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Leave your pumpkin pie to cool before serving. I dusted mine with a little icing sugar, which finished it off nicely.

Where can you buy pumpkin puree in the UK?

I bought my tins of pumpkin puree from Sainsbury’s for £1.79 each, although that was what I paid at the time so prices may well have changed since then. You can also find tinned pumpkin puree in other supermarkets including Tesco and Asda, although it’s one of those things that can be a bit hit and miss depending on the time of year and how big your local shop is.

I found mine in the American food section in Sainsbury’s, alongside all the ridiculously expensive American cereals, sweets and sauces. I think they had some in the world foods aisle too, so it’s worth having a look around if you can’t spot it straight away.

Just make sure you’re buying plain pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling, as they’re not the same thing. Pumpkin pie filling already has other ingredients added, whereas the puree is just cooked pumpkin that’s been blended until smooth.

If you’ve got a pumpkin left over from Halloween, you could always have a go at making your own puree instead. You’d need to cook the pumpkin until it’s soft, blend it and drain away any excess liquid so it isn’t too watery. That would be a lovely way to use up a pumpkin that might otherwise go to waste, although I do like how easy the tinned version makes this recipe.

What does pumpkin pie taste like?

This was the thing I was most curious about before I made mine because I honestly couldn’t imagine what a sweet pie made from pumpkin would taste like.

It’s actually quite similar to a spiced custard tart, although the filling has a slightly different texture. It’s smooth, sweet and gently spiced, and the cinnamon and ginger are much more noticeable than the pumpkin itself. I wouldn’t say it tastes like eating pumpkin at all, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much more than I was expecting.

I also think it’s one of those things where a little goes a long way. I liked that my pies were quite shallow because the filling is rich enough that you don’t need a massive slice, although that’s obviously down to personal preference.

I’m glad I finally got around to making pumpkin pie after wondering about it for so long, and I’d definitely make it again. It was much simpler than I thought it would be, it used up one of those tins that had been sitting at the back of my cupboard for ages and, most importantly, it tasted lovely.

I’m just a bit disappointed that I didn’t manage to make my gypsy tart at the same time, but there’s always next time. 😂

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