This old-fashioned Libby's pumpkin pie recipe makes two pies - one for the family, one for your secret stash in the garage fridge. It's creamy, perfectly spiced, and just plain delicious, the way dessert ought to be. The house smells like cinnamon and childhood memories, which means the holidays have officially begun.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Thanksgiving dessert that never gets voted out
There's always one dish everyone fights over, and this is it. The texture's custardy and rich, the crust's buttery, flaky, and golden, and it bakes up smelling like every good memory you've ever had in November. It's classic, foolproof, and flat-out irresistible - the kind of pie that wins Thanksgiving without even trying.
🧾 Ingredients you'll need for pumpkin pie
Nothing fancy here, just the good stuff: canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, and cozy holiday spices. This old-fashioned Libby's pumpkin pie recipe keeps it simple - real ingredients, big flavor, and two golden pies that taste like grandma baked 'em.
- Pie dough - Homemade if you're feeling ambitious, store-bought if you're tired.
- Pumpkin puree - The pure kind, not the "pumpkin pie filling" that tastes like years of being called "the one that messed up the pie."
- Brown sugar - For that deep, caramel-molasses flavor that makes everything taste cozy.
- Sugar - Because life's too short for bland desserts.
- Evaporated milk - Gives the filling that silky, custard texture. No, sweetened condensed milk is not the same thing.
- Eggs - The glue that holds all that autumn glory together.
- Cinnamon - Warm and spicy, the backbone of every proper fall dessert.
- Ginger - Brings a little kick, like your favorite gossiping aunt.
- Cloves - Use a light hand unless you want your pie to taste like a Yankee candle.
- Nutmeg - Freshly grated if possible; it makes all the difference.
- Chipotle (optional) - Just a whisper adds mystery and a little Southern mischief.
- Salt - The unsung hero that makes the sweetness sing.
Get the free printable kitchen cheat sheet! No guesswork, no sticky notes, no "where did I put that recipe" panic. This handy one-page cheat sheet has extra tips, variations, FAQs, and more so you can whip up your homemade pumpkin pie without neck-numbing stress . Print it, splatter it with filling, and call it heirloom.
📖 Recipe
Libby's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon Salt, I use kosher salt - if you use table salt cut the measurement by about ¼
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves, ground
- pinch Chipotle, ground, optional but try it!
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 15 ounces Pumpkin, solid pack not pumpkin pie filling
- 12 ounces Evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk
- 1 9-inch deep dish pie crust, homemade crust or purchased. 4- cup volume. See notes below.
- Whole nutmeg for grating.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Add the ingredients to a large bowl in order, mixing as you go.
- Make sure the pumpkin filling is well blended.
- Pour mixture into the pie shell.
- Grate nutmeg over the top of the pie.
For 1 Deep Dish Pie
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes (if using a 10-inch pan bake for 30 to 40 minutes) longer, or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean or the center registers 175°F on an insta-read thermometer.
For 2 Regular Pies
- Use two 9-inch (2-cup volume) pie shells. Bake as above for 15 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 350° F.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean or the center registers 175℉ on an instant-read thermometer.
Both Sizes of Pie
- Cool to room temperature.
- Serve or refrigerate.
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Notes
- Be sure you're using pumpkin puree or solid pack canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!
- Be careful when shopping-sweetened condensed milk is not the same thing as evaporated, so don't grab it by mistake.
- Don't use fat-free evaporated milk. It doesn't taste as good, and you're making a traditional holiday pumpkin pie, after all-the diet can wait!
- I use kosher salt. If you use table salt, reduce the measurement a bit.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪How to make old-fashioned pumpkin pie
If you can stir, you can make this pie. Everything goes into one bowl, and the oven does the hard work while your kitchen starts smelling like cinnamon and Hallmark movies on snowy afternoons. No pastry degree required - just a steady hand and a deep respect for dessert.
- Mix it up: In a big bowl, whisk together the sugars, spices, and eggs like you mean it.
- Make it silky: Stir in the pumpkin and evaporated milk until the whole thing looks smooth.
- Fill 'er up: Pour that glorious filling into one deep-dish crust or two regular ones - no judgment here.
- Finish with flair: Grate a little fresh nutmeg on top and slide it into the oven. When it smells like fall moved in (and the center registers 175F on an instant read thermometer), it's done.
👩🍳 Questions everyone asks right before the pie hits the oven
You're not the first to wonder if it's done, if it'll crack, or if swapping milk will ruin Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I've made all the mistakes so you don't have to. Here's how to keep your pie creamy, custardy, and holiday-hero worthy. More questions? Download the free kitchen cheat sheet or ask in the comments!
Absolutely. Bake it up to three days in advance, wrap it tight, and stash it in the fridge. It actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have settled down and decided to get along like the besties they were meant to be.
Technically yes, but you'll lose that silky custard texture that makes it special. If you're desperate, wrap it tight and freeze for up to a month - just don't tell me about it.
Insert a knife near the center of the pie. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. You can also shake it gently-the filling will no longer jiggle when it's cooked.
However, the most accurate way is to insert an instant-read thermometer in the center. It will read 175 degrees F when it's done. The temperature check is always accurate, so it ensures a perfectly baked pie every time.
📚 Related recipes
Homemade Sweet Potato Pie is pumpkin's more down-to-earth cousin - sweet, creamy, and unapologetically Southern. It's the kind of holiday classic that doesn't need an introduction, just a fork. And if you love the flavor of pumpkin but not the whole "turn on the oven" part, the No-Bake Double Layer Pumpkin Pie will be your new best friend. Think cheesecake meets holiday spice - rich, cool, and just a little dangerous.
Whip up a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip for your holiday charcuterie board. It's smooth, decadent, and dangerously easy to eat with anything from graham crackers to gingersnaps. Or, if you want to really show off, go for that luscious pumpkin cheesecake - creamy, dramatic, and absolutely worth the extra dishes.
At the end of the day, this old-fashioned Libby's pie is more than dessert - it's the smell of home, the sound of laughter in the kitchen, and the reason you need stretchy pants by sundown. Make one deep dish or two regular pies, pour yourself some coffee, and take a victory lap around the kitchen. You just baked Thanksgiving the way it's meant to be: rich, golden, and full of delicious memories.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
haley says
Lover of pumpkin! Each and every thing is outstanding marye. I tried.
Marye says
🙂 I do love pumpkin pies!~
Marye says
🙂 I always wonder why i don't eat pumpkin year 'round.
Catherine says
I can't not have pumpkin pie on the table during the holidays. Yours looks absolutely perfect, Marye. I would love a slice right now. xo, Catherine
Marye Audet says
Thanks Catherine! I agree.. gotta have that pumpkin pie!
Karen says
Sometimes the holidays just have us craving what is traditional! There is something about returning to the food that our grandmas made for us!
Marye Audet says
Karen - that's so true!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
You're right Marye, it's hard to beat a classic for memories and taste! I like that you've taken the basic recipe and added just a few subtle changes like the chipotle powder, which I never would have thought of!