One of my favorite fall desserts is pumpkin pie!! It's the star of the show at Thanksgiving but it's equally as delicious in mid-October (or anytime of year, I won't judge)! This bourbon pumpkin pie is made with brown sugar, homemade pumpkin pie spice, and it's topped with bourbon whipped cream too!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make the best pumpkin pie!
- Pumpkin pie spice - You can buy pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores, or just make your own!
- 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!
- 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 - I use Bulleit bourbon because that's what I like to drink, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Homemade Pie Crust Notes
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!
I also like to add some extra spices to my pie dough when I make this bourbon pumpkin pie! I usually add ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the crust for extra flavor.
The pie crust is best when it's par-baked before filling!
Freeze the pie crust 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 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.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie
Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, bourbon, and pumpkin puree and mix until 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. 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.
Cool for at least 2 hours to let the filling fully set.
Serve immediately with homemade whipped cream or refrigerate.
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!
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!
Preheat oven to 200˚F, warm individual pie slices for approximately 10-15 minutes or until warmed.
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.
More Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Perfect Pie Crust
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- homemade whipped cream
Instructions
- 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 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.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, 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. 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.
- Cool for at least 2 hours to let the filling fully set.
- Serve immediately with homemade whipped cream or refrigerate.
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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