Creating the best pumpkin pie recipe is a lifelong endeavor! Here is my latest bourbon pumpkin pie recipe that, as of today, is my favorite!

I find that most people are either team pumpkin pie or team NO pumpkin pie. I have spent years creating my version of the perfect pumpkin pie which is admittedly better some years than others. This year’s incarnation has a touch of booze, which, let’s face it, makes most foods taste better!

Some years I use fresh pumpkin (that is when I am incredibly ambitious), and some years not so much. This one is canned pumpkin, but if you can muster up the desire for fresh ripe cooking pumpkin, it is worth the effort. 

Are you team pumpkin pie or no? What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert to share?

 

Pie Filling Ingredients

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree or fresh cooking pumpkin ( recipe to follow)

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 1/2 C of heavy cream

1/2 C of  granulated sugar

1/2 C light brown sugar loosely packed

1/ tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

2 tsp grated orange zest

3 T bourbon

 

Crust Ingredients (for 2)

3 Cups of King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks of cold butter (I put in freezer and pull out and refrigerate a few hours before using)

1 T raw sugar

1/3 C of vegetable shortening

1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped)

1/4 cup  plus 3 T of ice-cold water (1 T more if needed)

 

Whipped Cream Ingredients

1 cup cold heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 T. of Bourbon

1 tsp teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Pie Crust

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter  (cut into 1/2” pieces) and shortening. Then pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water and vanilla down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Next, cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. Fold the dough in half over the rolling pin, and ease it into the pie pan without stretching, and unfold to fit the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.

Roll out the remainder of the dough and cut into leaf shapes to place around the edge of the crust as shown in the photo or get creative and make up your own pattern.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 10-inch pie pan with the unbaked pie crust and place it on a sheet pan. Line the crust with parchment paper. Fill the paper three-quarters full with the beans and bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Remove the beans and paper, prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and bake for another 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

 

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Filling

 In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, eggs, cream, and bourbon. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the filling is just set in the middle. Set aside to cool completely. Serve with bourbon-infused whipped cream.

 

Fresh Pumpkin

Take the med-sized baking pumpkin remove the stem and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the skin is soft enough to pierce using a fork. Let cool. Scoop out pumpkin and puree in a food processor until smooth. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, eggs, cream, and bourbon. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the filling is just set in the middle. Set aside to cool completely. Serve with bourbon-infused whipped cream.

 

Whipped Cream

Place the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar, bourbon, and vanilla and beat on medium-high until it forms soft peaks. Serve with the pumpkin pie.

 

Enjoy this yummy bourbon pumpkin pie! And if you liked this recipe, be sure to check out some of our other recipes.

 

You can download the printable recipe here.