Hey there, pumpkin lovers!
Fall is here, and you know what that means—it’s time for some delicious pumpkin pie! But this isn’t just any pumpkin pie; it’s a creamy, dreamy pumpkin pie with sour cream.
Trust me, the sour cream adds a nice tang that takes the flavor to a whole new level.
Perfect for Thanksgiving or just a cozy night at home, this pie will impress all your friends and family.
Let’s dive into this tasty recipe!
| Preparation Time | 30-45 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Total Time | 1-2 hours |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Ingredients
- *pumpkin pastry cream*
- 1 3/4 cups full-fat milk
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
- 3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- *gingery graham cracker crust*
- 12 graham crackers (around 6.5 ounces), turned into crumbs
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, extra as needed
- *sour cream–whipped cream*
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Step 1: Make the Pumpkin Pastry Cream
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and pumpkin.
Set the saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just starts to steam.
Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; whisk until smooth.
When the pumpkin-milk mixture is hot, gradually add small splashes to the sugar-egg mixture, whisking to combine each time.
Continue this process until you’ve added about three-quarters of the pumpkin-milk.
Now pour the tempered sugar-egg mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking slowly but constantly (including scraping along the edges), until the mixture thickens like a dense pudding and your whisk leaves a distinct trail (this usually takes about 6 minutes, but can vary depending on your stove).
Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla.
Whisk until smooth.
Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl.
Cover the top with plastic wrap to avoid a skin from forming, then refrigerate until cool.
Step 2: Make the Gingery Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter.
In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, brown sugar, ginger, and salt.
Pour the melted butter on top and mix until the crumbs are completely moistened.
If the mixture doesn’t hold together when you gently squeeze a palmful, add another tablespoon of melted butter or even water, mix, and test again.
Press the cracker mixture into the greased pie pan, evenly distributing along the bottom and up the sides (a measuring cup can help here).
Bake for about 13 minutes, until the crust is browned.
Let cool at room temperature, then freeze for at least 30 minutes before filling with the pastry cream.
This makes filling it a lot easier and neater.
Step 3: Make the Sour Cream Whipped Cream
In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream and brown sugar until smooth.
Add the cream and whisk until soft-ish peaks form.
You want the whipped cream a little stiffer than usual so that the pie can be cut cleanly without the whipped cream slouching all over.
Step 4: Assemble the Pie
Fill the just-frozen graham cracker crust with all the pumpkin pastry cream, spreading it evenly to completely fill the crust.
Top with the whipped cream.
Using a spoon or offset spatula, create swoops and swirls on the whipped cream.
Chill the pie for at least 1 hour or up to 18 hours before serving.
Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice just before serving.
