This bourbon pumpkin pie is a fun twist on the fall classic! It's the star of the show at Thanksgiving but it's equally as delicious in mid-October (or anytime of year)! This bourbon pumpkin pie is made with brown sugar, homemade pumpkin pie spice, and it's topped with bourbon whipped cream too!
I love adding this bourbon pumpkin pie to our Thanksgiving dessert spread along with my classic pecan pie, maple cream pie, and purple sweet potato pie!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make the best homemade pumpkin pie!
Pie Crust - I always use my homemade perfect flaky pie crust in this recipe! However, you can use your own homemade pie crust or store-bought pie crust if you prefer! Instead of regular pie crust, you could also use graham cracker crust (like the one from my key lime pie recipe).
Pumpkin Puree - I almost exclusively use Libby's Pumpkin because it really is the best of the best! A ton of people have run blind taste tests comparing different brands of pumpkin puree, and Libby's is always the winner! You can also make your own pumpkin puree!
Pumpkin Pie Spice - You can buy pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores, or just make your own!
Evaporated Milk - Please note that evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are NOT the same thing!! If you can't find evaporated milk, you can substitute heavy cream.
Vanilla Extract - I use my homemade bourbon vanilla extract for extra bourbon flavor and it's so good! You can also find delicious bourbon vanilla on Amazon and at Trader Joe's! But regular vanilla will also do in a pinch.
Bourbon - The bourbon is completely optional, I just love the extra depth of flavor it adds to the pumpkin pie! You can just use whatever bourbon you have on hand!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie
I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. You can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks!
The pie crust is best when it's par-baked before filling!
Prepare one half of my perfect pie crust recipe according to directions. Form a disk and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the pie dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and be sure to poke the bottom a few times with a fork to allow air to escape during baking. Cut away any undesired excess crust and crimp, curl, or decorate the edges however you like!
Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift out the parchment paper and pie weights. Then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom just starts to brown.
Set aside and let cool slightly while you make the filling.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, bourbon, and vanilla until fully combined.
Gradually stir in the evaporated milk until fully incorporated. The filling should be thin and very soupy in texture.
Carefully pour the filling into your par-baked pie crust.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 25-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (it's okay if the center still jiggles slightly). If the crust starts getting too dark but the filling still isn't done, you can carefully cover the edges with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
This bourbon pumpkin pie is best served with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream on top! I like to use homemade bourbon vanilla extract in my whipped cream too for extra flavor!
Tips for the Best Pie!
For all my pie recipes, I like to use my classic flaky pie crust! I have a whole blog post with tons of tips and tricks for perfect pie crust, but the most important are listed below. Be sure to check out the rest of our pie recipes too!
Keep it cold! The secret to a super flaky pie crust is keeping the dough cold at every step. Use cold butter and cold water while making the dough, and try to keep the dough as cold as possible while working with it. I often refrigerate my pies for at least 10-20 minutes after each step so that the dough stays as cold as possible. You want very cold dough going into a very hot oven for the best results!
Use a metal pie pan! Not all pie pans are created equal! Most pie pans on the market are either metal, glass, or ceramic. Overall, metal pie pans are the best of the best because they keep the crust very crispy and they're also the most durable and affordable. A fun alternative to classic aluminum pie pans that yields the same results is a cast iron skillet! I know ceramic pie plates certainly are pretty, but unfortunately the bottom crust just never gets crispy so I just don't recommend them.
Brush the crust with egg wash before baking! Brushing the crust with an egg was (just a beaten whole egg) before baking, gives a beautiful, glossy, golden brown appearance! For savory pies I like to sprinkle with flaky sea salt and for dessert pies I like to sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Par bake for extra crispy crust! For pies with more runny fillings (like a berry pie or custard based pie), par baking the crust before filling helps ensure a super crispy bottom! It also helps prevent overcooking the filling. Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is just beginning to brown. [Note: unfortunately this won't work with double crust pies]
Let it rest! Letting the pie rest for a bit after removing from the oven helps the filling thicken up and prevents a runny pie. For pies that you want to eat immediately while they're still hot, it's still best to let it rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting so that the filling can thicken up slightly. But for fruit pies or custard pies, letting the pie rest for at least 4-6 hours is ideal!
Decorating Suggestions
Instead of whipped cream, you could also top this pumpkin pie with toasted meringue (like from my sweet potato pie)!
Pie Crust Cutouts
I also love using the leftover pie crust scraps to make these adorable little pie crust decorations!
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Lightly flour your surface then roll out the remaining pie dough scraps to about ¼ inch thick.
- Use your favorite pie crust impression cutters to cut dough into cute little designs (like pumpkins and leaves). Place the cutouts onto the lined pan.
- Place in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes before baking. This helps keep the designs intact!
- Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes or until fully cooked and just beginning to brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Then use to garnish the bourbon pumpkin pie!
Recipe FAQ's
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes!! After baking, let the pie cool completely to room temperature. Then cover and freeze for up to 2 months! Simply thaw in the fridge overnight 1-2 days before you plan on serving it!
To get clean slices of this bourbon pumpkin pie, run a super sharp knife under hot water until the blade is warm, then wipe it dry. Then cut a single slice and repeat. It's a bit tedious to clean the knife before every cut, but you get perfect slices every time!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Perfect Pie Crust
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- homemade whipped cream
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Prepare one half of my perfect pie crust recipe according to directions. Form a disk and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the pie dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and be sure to poke the bottom a few times with a fork to allow air to escape during baking. Cut away any undesired excess crust and crimp, curl, or decorate the edges however you like!
- Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift out the parchment paper and pie weights. Then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom just starts to brown.
- Set aside and let cool slightly while you make the filling.
Pumpkin Pie
- In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, bourbon, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Gradually stir in the evaporated milk until fully incorporated. The filling should be thin and very soupy in texture.
- Carefully pour the filling into your par-baked pie crust.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 25-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (it's okay if the center still jiggles slightly). If the crust starts getting too dark but the filling still isn't done, you can carefully cover the edges with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
- This bourbon pumpkin pie is best served with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream on top! I like to use homemade bourbon vanilla extract in my whipped cream too for extra flavor!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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