Granny's Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without a couple of Granny’s Pumpkin Pies. She serves them with a dollop of whipped cream but I prefer mine without it. My favorite leftover snack from the big dinner is a piece of pumpkin pie, a slice of turkey, and a roll.

Granny hand wrote the recipe for me after I was married. I have it pasted into one of my cookbooks. I’ve added some information to it but I can’t remember if Granny told me to or if it was something I came up with on my own.

This recipe makes 2 pies, but you can easily half the ingredients if you only need 1 pie.

Granny’s Pumpkin Pie

  • 4 cups of pumpkin (Granny and I use pumpkin from the freezer that we put up earlier in the year, but you can buy canned pumpkin and use that. Candyroaster and Cushaw also work perfectly in this recipe.)
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large cans of cream (evaporated milk)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 pie shells

Pumpkin Pie from Appalachia

Using a whisk combine all ingredients and mix well.

old fashioned pumpkin pie

Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shells. The mixture is very runny-I always set my pie plate on a baking sheet before pouring the pumpkin mixture in, that way if I spill some on the way to the oven I don’t make a huge mess.

best pumpkin pie recipe

Place pie in a 425° oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350° and bake 45 minutes to an hour until pie is firm and set in the middle.

Granny’s recipe hands down makes the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever eaten. The pie has an earthy richness to it that other pumpkin pie recipes I’ve tried seem to be lacking.

Are you a pumpkin pie fan?

Tipper

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23 Comments

  1. I love pumpkin pie. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I love making them the old fashion way, instead of out of the store.

  2. I think most families have their favorite pumpkin pie recipes. Mine is very similar to the one you posted–and like your “Granny’s” pumpkin pie recipe, was “passed down” in our generations. But to be best, it takes fresh-cooked pumpkin! I’m somewhat the “last of our line” who makes pumpkin pies from the old tried-and-true recipe in our family. We will enjoy it this thanksgiving, too!
    And before I go today, here’s one of my poems for you. I send it in cards, and I send it to you now. May this list of thanks even increase more. I just had to stop the poem somewhere!
    A Catalogue of Thanks
    For rest and comfort of each night,
    For morning sun at dawn’s first ligt;
    For water at my tap to drink;
    For family love and friendship’s link;
    For food upon the table spread,
    The fragrances of fresh-baked bread;
    For clothes, for shelter overhead,
    For every kind word fitly said;
    For seasons changing, one on one,
    For sorrow’s grief, laughter and fun;
    The sum of every day’s felt needs,
    For work, and harmony that feeds
    Our purposes for having life;
    For being one with joy and strife;
    For life abundant, salvation free,
    A gift from Christ who died for me;
    For all the fabric of my days
    I life my voice in thanks and praise. -Ethelene Dyer Jones

  3. A really tempting looking pie. I’ve got to try your recipe and method.
    Taken altogether, trying to picture different kinds, I don’t know of any pie I would pass up.
    I hope everyone in your fold has a happy thanksgiving.
    Ask God for rain.

  4. Tipper, your pumpkin looks very light. Do you use candy roasters or pumpkins?
    My sister, Trina, used to make candy roaster pie for us — Yumm!!!

  5. I love pumpkin pie and I dare say it would not be Thanksgiving without it. When I was growing up my Mother always had pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and she put hers up as well. Lot’s of memories around this gathering time.

  6. Candyroaster beats punkin’ hands down, but the best is sweet ‘tater!
    Granny always made sweet ‘tater but after moving to the Mountains from Mayberry and learning about Candyroasters, that’s always been my favorite! I have it in the freezer and also canned waiting for pies and Candyroaster cake with cream cheese icing! I’ll have to share the recipe sometime.

  7. Tipper,
    I’m listening to your girls sing “The River of Jordan” here at quitin’ time. I called Donna Lynn with only 15 minutes to go (I had just got back from paying the Cable Bill)
    and she worked my request in. It’s #40 on your Playlist, but I wanted folks to hear what I’m fortunate to. …Ken

  8. Tipper,
    Granny’s pumpkin pie looks delicious! I cheat and get mine at Ingles, a Granny Smith’s. It’s frozen but I bake it for about an hour, and then I make a Chocolate Pie, using a Graham Cracker Crust.
    I’m craving some of my Turkey Dressing already. This is my favorite time of the year. …Ken

  9. Yum yum, I love me some punkin pie!
    We’ve been eating pumpkin pie off and on for a couple of weeks. I like mine just like you do Tipper.

  10. Tipper,
    I will eat Pumpkin Pie in a pinch or if it’s in my face. Being the stocky girl I am, I love me and make a Pumpkin type pie with a chiffon texture. Yep, it has cream cheese, whipped cream, sugar n’ spices and pumpkin in a very tasty rich graham cracker crust, topped with more whipped topping. It’s made in layers and ‘purty’ when sliced. I also prefer this time of year, mini Pumpkin muffins, yep, with pecans scattered in and around with brown sugar and spices, baked and served plain, no icing. I dearly love, (this one is a bit tricky to make), Pumpkin Roll, baked in a large rimmed pan, cooled a bit, layered with “the naughty filling” of rich cream cheese mixture, spread on top and then carefully rolled up into a log. Served cool. Deeeelicious!
    I do like Pumpkin, and have prepared it for the freezer like you and Granny. I also love Cushaw, Sweet tater, Candy roaster, the latter not available around here much. Tried growing them one year and just got a couple, but the pie was good made from them.
    We like white sweet potatoes, but for baking, casseroles, sliced and cooked in the iron skillet for supper, we prefer the traditional dark orange sweet potatoes. We eat sweet potatoes at least once a week or more.
    Will try Granny’s Pie…sounds like a winner to me! I think another trick to a good Pumpkin pie, is a tasty crust that is flaky and browned just rite! Don’t give me no slice with a doughy white crust, that is soggy under the pumpkin pie custard…ewwww!
    Thanks Tipper,

  11. Tipper–Pinnacle Creek’s mention of white sweet potatoes sure stirred a warm memory with me. The waxy, somewhat different deliciousness of white sweet potatoes is a fond boyhood memory of mine, and strangely enough I liked baked ones cold as a snack as well as hot from the oven arrayed in butter.
    I don’t know when I’ve seen or eaten one, but it’s been many years. They were about as common as yellow sweet potatoes in my boyhood, but apparently tastes or maybe convenience in growing and storing them have led to changes.
    Anyway, Pinnacle Creek’s mention of them was a delight.
    Jim Casada

  12. I’m not a pumpkin pie fan but if someone served me a slice, I wouldn’t turn it down. I use to make sweet potato pies, but now I make cheesecake for Thanksgiving because I have a super easy recipe.

  13. My husband is a pumpkin pie lover–me not so much but I will eat most any kind of pie that’s available. Granny’s looks delicious!
    This makes me think of my baby brother who will not eat pie of any kind! He says he will eat banana pudding in a pinch but that is all. I don’t know what happened to him! My baby brother-in-law doesn’t like biscuits. That’s even worse!

  14. It seems there is always confusion as some like pumpkin and some like sweet potato, so I will bake Candy Roaster pies which pleases everyone. That recipe seems easier than mine with folding egg whites into the mix, so I just may give it a go before the holidays are over. The great thing is one can just go to your blog and do a search–easier than a cook book. Your recipes always seem to turn out well. Though, I hate it when I get mix on my laptop 🙂
    I ran across a sale on white sweet potatoes which are a great nourishing substitute for Irish potatoes. It will be interesting to use these as substitutions, and was curious if these have gained any popularity in other parts of Appalachia.

  15. This makes just the BEST pumpkin pie. Tipper. My mother’s recipe which I’ve used always is like yours. Blessings on your family celebration as we take special time to appreciate the goodness of our heavenly Father.
    Eleanor L., Columbia Station, OH

  16. I’m with you. Fall wouldn’t be right without at least one pumpkin pie. At my house I have it all to myself but my wife will fix me one anyway. This year she cooked the pie pumpkin she and our son had painted for Halloween in a session with our grandson. It is all gone now.
    The spice mix in this recipe would be, I think, good in hot chocolate. I made some spicy hot chocolate mix on Friday using cinnamon, ancho chili powder and nutmeg. Sounds odd but the chili powder adds a nice warming touch. I put a couple of heaping teaspoons in my morning coffee. Come to think of it, pumpkin pie would be a nice addition, or pecan or apple or gingerbread or ………..

  17. Tipper–Last night I worked up a pumpkin grown in good mountain soil (Don’s garden, which Daddy nourished and nurtured for well over half a century) and from seed of good “cooking pumpkins” that have been saved down the years dating back to before the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (they came from a good friend).
    I’m the family pumpkin pie baker and had intended to follow my usual pattern on preparing pie according to Mom’s tried-and-tested recipe. In truth, her approach is almost the same as Granny’s, although she had another recipe, for pumpkin chiffon pie, that is quite different. However, I’m going to give Granny’s recipe a try for one of the two pies I’l bake. If it doesn’t come out well (doubt seriously that will be the case) can I say it’s all your fault?
    Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, and all your extended family (your readers).
    Jim Casada

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