Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie brings together pumpkin, brown sugar, light cream, and four warming spices in a simple pastry shell. Pumpkin custard pies were already appearing in American cookbooks by 1796, giving this familiar dessert a long place in American baking. This handwritten version offers the practical choice of canned pumpkin or cooked, mashed fresh pumpkin, along with cream or evaporated milk. Nutmeg and cinnamon provide a fragrant foundation, while ginger and cloves add a little extra warmth. The filling is mixed by hand with a wire whisk, keeping preparation straightforward. Served cool with optional sweetened whipped cream, it is an inviting finish to an autumn supper or Thanksgiving meal.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 16 oz plain pumpkin (1 can, or 2 cups cooked, mashed fresh pumpkin)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed )
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup light cream (or evaporated milk, skim or regular, undiluted)
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- sweetened whipped cream (for serving, optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Have an unbaked 9-inch pie shell ready.
Step 2: Beat the Eggs
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.
Step 3: Mix the Filling
- Stir in the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and light cream or undiluted evaporated milk.
- Beat with a wire whisk until evenly blended.
Step 4: Fill the Pie Shell
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the unbaked pie shell.
Step 5: Bake at the Higher Temperature
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Reduce the Temperature
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Continue baking for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Begin checking slightly earlier if your oven runs hot.
Step 7: Cool and Serve
- Cool the pie on a wire rack.
- Serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
- Refrigerate any leftover pie.
Tips
- Use plain pumpkin purée rather than sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- The original card specifies a 16 oz can. If using a 15 oz can, add 1 oz pumpkin purée to match the stated amount.
- For fresh pumpkin, follow the card’s tip: wash and halve it, scrape out the seeds and fibrous material, peel, and cut into cubes. Boil until tender, drain well, and mash.
- Drain fresh pumpkin thoroughly so excess water does not thin the filling.
- Use evaporated milk undiluted, as the card specifies.
- Whisk until smooth without incorporating excessive air.
- Shield the pastry edge with foil if it browns before the filling finishes baking.
- Cool before slicing to help the custard hold its shape.
Transcription of the Original Recipe
Read or copy the transcription
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Florence Simone 4025 Evening Breeze Ct. Las Vegas, Nevada 89107 2 eggs 1 can 16 oz pumpkin or 2 cups cooked mashed, fresh pumpkin 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg 1/2 tsp " Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger 1/4 tsp " Cloves 1 cup light cream or evaporated milk, skim or regular undiluted 1-9 inch unbaked pie shell Sweetened whipped cream, optional (Preheat oven to 425°F) In med. bowl, beat eggs until frothy. stir in pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, & light cream. Beat with wire whisk until blended. Pour pumpkin filling into unbaked 9" pie shell. & Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F) & continue over baking 50 minutes longer, or until knife in- serted into center comes out clean. Cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Refrigerate left over pie Tip Makes 8 servings. To Prepare fresh pumpkin, wash & cut in half. Scrape out the seeds & fibrous material. Peel & cut into cubes. Cook in boiling water until tender. Drain well and mash.
From Transcription to Instructions
Hi from Salvaged Recipes, we kept the same ingredients from the original transcription but turned that compact set of directions into the instructions to make the flow easier for you. The original transcription tucks mixing and baking into a single block, so in the instructions we separate beating the eggs and whisking in the pumpkin and cream from pouring the filling, then spell out the two-stage bake, 425°F for 15 minutes, then 350°F for about 50 minutes, and tell you when to test for doneness and to cool the pie on a rack.
Nutrition
Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 310mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 9200IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 1.7mg
