Boozy Pumpkin Pie! Did I get your attention with that title? To be perfectly honest, the booze is completely optional. I do, however, recommend it since it really enhances the flavor. It’s like a classic pumpkin pie all grown up and ready for the holiday party.
This pumpkin pie is full of warm spices, and it has the added flavor of whichever liqueur you choose. My go to bottle for this pie is Bailey’s Irish Cream, but I have also used other cream liqueurs, or even Kahlua. Explore your liquor cabinet and have some fun with it!
Pumpkin pie is a classic for the Thanksgiving table, but it’s so delicious that it deserves to be brought out for any Fall or Winter gathering. Or maybe even for breakfast… don’t worry, the alcohol bakes out! Since this is a classic, I’m not going to spend a lot of time telling you how I developed the recipe, or what inspired me. Just trust me when I say I have tried a lot of pumpkin pie recipes, and this one is really good.
Here’s what you will need:
A few notes on the ingredients: Use 100% pumpkin puree. I use Libby’s. Libby’s also makes a pumpkin pie filling, and the two cans look a lot alike. Make sure to read the label. The canned pie filling already has sugar and spices, and we are doing our own thing here.
Also, I have made this pie using half & half, or whipping cream (pictured here). Either works, but if you buy the whipping cream you can use what’s left in the carton to make homemade whipped cream. It’s hard to beat homemade whipped cream, so pile it on!
I use kosher salt in most of my recipes. Kosher salt is a less “salty” salt. If you choose to use table salt, cut the amount in half or you will have a salty pie!
Pumpkin pie spice is available at the grocery store, or you can make your own blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg… I like to add cardamom to mine.
The pictured ingredients include what you need to make a pie crust from scratch. This is optional.
Pro Tips:
It’s easy to make your own pie crust using butter, flour, a pinch of sugar and salt, and a little water. The more you do it, the easier it gets. If that’s not for you, or if you are pressed for time, there is no shame in purchasing a ready made pie crust from your grocer’s freezer.
I get frustrated when the pie crust I make doesn’t quite fill the pie pan with enough extra dough to make a pretty edge. Maybe I didn’t roll it thin enough, or maybe the dough isn’t hydrated enough to work properly. This recipe is enough for a standard 9″ pie pan. If you want a little extra for decoration, or you are using a deeper pie pan, I recommend making a 1.5 batch of pie dough. Just take the standard recipe and add 1/2 again as much.
The very best pie crusts I ever made I did solely by hand. I rubbed that butter into the flour and used my hands to mix in the water bit by bit. It’s a lot easier, however, to mix pie dough in a food processor. The difference in quality is minimal.
Take the time to par bake (partially bake) the pie crust before adding the pie filling. A lot of recipes have you add filling to a raw pie crust, but I find the bottom ends up doughy. Adding the filling to a pie crust that is set makes for a better finished project.
Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment and fill it with pie weights to make sure the crust maintains its shape and doesn’t bubble up before that filling is added. Uncooked rice or dried beans make really good substitute pie weights.
Again, this recipe calls for 100% pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
No liquor, no problem. You can omit the alcohol from the recipe. Instead, add an equivalent amount of cream or half & half as a substitute.
Because we have par baked the crust to avoid that doughy bottom, it’s possible the edges of your pie will brown before the filling is done baking. Use a pie crust shield to cover the edges once the desired crust color has been reached. If you don’t have a shield, use foil. Cut an X in the center of a square of foil. Peel back the center points to create an opening in the middle of the square. Place the foil over the pie and the filling will be exposed, but the edges will be covered.
A word of encouragement:
This is a simple pie, and it will turn out delicious. That’s the important part. Sometimes I get very worked up over presentation, but it’s the taste that matters. I have made this pie many times with beautiful results- not a crack in sight. But, cracks happen to the best of us.
In fact, I made a beautiful pie last week. It was absolutely gorgeous! My husband, however, somehow forgot the rules about which sweets were available to eat and which were off limits until after I took pictures. He helped himself to the pecan pie that was for general consumption, but then decided the pumpkin pie looked good as well. He cut a big ‘ol messy slice right into my pie! So, the pie had to be made again, and this time it was flawed…
Look at that giant crack! But you know what? The pie still tastes amazing, and any flaws can be covered up. That’s what whipped cream is for, and the more whipped cream the better!
Boozy Pumpkin Pie
A classic pumpkin pie with warm spices, made all grown up with a bit of liqueur.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes plus chilling
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: pie
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) cold
1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup water*
For the pie filling:
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree*
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup cream*
1/4 cup cream liqueur ( I used Bailey’s Irish cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
For the pie crust: To make the pie crust from scratch, place cubed cold butter, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the dough resembles coarse sand with some larger chunks of butter mixed in. With the processor running, add the water and then pulse until the dough starts to come together. For best result, and to avoid overworking the dough, I dump the shaggy dough onto the counter and continue to mix the dough by hand until a ball forms. Wrap the dough ball and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling out. Roll out the pie crust and place it in a 9″ pie pan. Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake the shell for 20 minutes to set. Remove the parchment and weights, and bake the shell for an additional 5 minutes to help bake the bottom.
For the pumpkin filling: place all pie ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or by hand until well incorporated. Pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust and return the pie to the oven for approximately 50 minutes. The pie should be set, slightly puffed at the edges, and not sloshy when jiggled.
Allow the pie to cool at room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Serve with lots of whipped cream!
Notes
*The amount of water may need to be adjusted up or down by about a Tablespoon depending on how humid your kitchen is. Add the water slowly.
*This recipe calls for 15 oz of pumpkin puree which is one small can of pumpkin. It is also one half of a larger can if that is what you have available.
*This pie can be made using cream or half & half with good result.
Keywords: pumpkin, pie, liqueur
More:
Here are a few other seasonal recipes you might like. For something a little different, try Five Spice Pecan Pie. Or for more pumpkin, Perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake. For a nice Fall dessert that can be made ahead and is easy to transport to a family gathering, try Butter Pecan Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel.
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