Fall Day Pumpkin Pie

Some desserts are delicious any time of year, and then there are desserts that belong to a season. Pumpkin pie is firmly in the second category for me. I could certainly make one in July, but somehow it just wouldn’t taste the same without colorful leaves outside, a chill in the air, and Thanksgiving somewhere on the horizon.

This Fall Day Pumpkin Pie is everything I want from a classic pumpkin pie: creamy pumpkin filling, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and even a touch of cardamom for an extra layer of warm spice. But what makes it especially fun are the little pastry leaves decorating the top. With a few cookie cutters and some extra pie dough, an old-fashioned favorite suddenly looks like it dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner.

And then there’s the bourbon whipped cream. A spoonful on top adds a rich, slightly grown-up finish that pairs beautifully with all those warm pumpkin spices. Of course, you could always serve the pie with regular whipped cream, too. Either way, I won’t judge how generous that spoonful happens to be.

Whether your pumpkin comes straight from the garden or conveniently from a can, this is the kind of pie that makes the house smell like fall and brings everyone back to the table—even after they insisted they couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Because somehow, when pumpkin pie appears, there’s always room for dessert.

Fall Day Pumpkin Pie

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Thanksgiving dinner isn’t quite the same if it’s not followed by a slice of homemade pumpkin pie. We’ve fancied this one up from what you might typically see by adding pie crust leaf decorations around the edges. All you need from those are cookie cutters. So simple!

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 1x
• Category: Bakery

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Pie
  • 1 (9-inch) pie crust (store- bought or homemade), plus extra pie dough for decoration, if desired
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Bourbon Whipped Cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon

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Instructions

1. For the pumpkin pie: Place the pie crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom until combined.
3. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cut out fun shapes with the extra pie dough, if desired, and lay decoratively on top of the pie. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center of the pie jiggles slightly and the filling is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
4. For the bourbon whipped cream: While the pie is cooling, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Fold in the bourbon. Refrigerate until the pie is cool, then slice the pie and serve with the whipped cream.