The Best Pumpkin Custard Pie with Cardamom
If you're in search of the ultimate holiday pie situation, look no further friends. This pumpkin custard pie with cardamom is ridiculously creamy, spiced with a touch of floral cardamom, and perfect with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Save this one for all the autumn get-togethers - it's truly the best pumpkin pie!
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch pie crusts, homemade or store-bought
- 4 eggs, room temperature, divided
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup white sugar (50 grams)
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin (425 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or homemade apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (preferably freshly-ground)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups half-and-half (280 milliliters)
- Whipped cream, for serving
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Deep 9-inch metal or stoneware pie plate
- Parchment paper
- Mini leaf & pumpkin cookie cutters (optional)
Instructions
Par-Baked pie crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange a rack in the lower 1/3 of your oven and place a metal sheet pan or pizza stone on the rack while it's pre-heating. Then, whisk 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.
- Roll one of the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface, turning the dough a quarter every few rolls, until it's a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a deep 9-inch pie plate and use your hands to gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the plate. Fold the edges of the pie dough under to create a thick rim of crust around the top of the pie. Use your fingers or the tines of a fork to crimp the edges.
- Crumple up a sheet of parchment paper and line the pie crust with the paper. Fill the parchment paper with pie weights or dried beans. Evenly distribute the pie weights or dried beans around the pie plate.
- Par-bake the crust on the hot sheet pan or pizza stone until it's light golden-brown, about 25-30 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the pie plate.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with 2 layers of egg wash. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes, until the crust is shiny and light golden-brown.
Pumpkin custard
- Add the remaining 3 eggs, brown sugar, and white sugar to a large bowl. Whisk the mixture until it's thickened and pale brown, 2-3 minutes.
- Next, mix the canned pumpkin into the egg-sugar mixture. Add the vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt.
- Slowly whisk the half-and-half into the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until the filling is combined.
Assemble & bake
- Reduce the oven to 350°F. Then, pour the pumpkin custard into the warm pie crust.
- Bake the pie on the hot sheet pan or pizza stone until the edges are set but the center has a bit of a jiggle, 40-45 minutes. If the filling is too runny, bake it for 5-10 more minutes. If the crust is starting to brown too much, carefully tent it with tinfoil.
- Once the pie is done baking, turn off the oven and crack the door. Let it cool in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Then, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for another 60 minutes at room temperature.
- Once the pie is room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap or a a reusable bowl cover. Refrigerate the pie until it's completely chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Decorate the chilled pie with pie dough leaves and pumpkins, if desired. Slice the pie and serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!
Pie Dough Leaves & Pumpkins (Optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the second pie dough until it's 1/8-inch thick. Use mini leaf and pumpkin cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the dough, re-rolling the scraps as necessary.
- Place the pie dough leaves and pumpkins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the leaves and pumpkins with egg wash.
- Bake the pie dough leaves and pumpkins for 15-16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until they're deep golden-brown. Cool completely before decorating the pie.
Notes
For the best results, use a metal or stoneware pie plate. That will give you a lovely crisp (never soggy) crust.
Make sure you're using a deep 9-inch pie plate, or the filling might run over the top of the crust. Look for something about 1 1/2 to 2-inches deep.
You'll want to bake the pie in the lower 1/3 of your oven so the bottom crust gets crisp and the top doesn't get too browned. I also recommend baking the pie on a hot sheet pan or pizza stone which will help crisp up that crust!
To keep the bottom pie crust from getting soggy, don't skip the par-bake step! This is key to crust that is crisp, flaky, and buttery.
Don't over-cook the pie! Otherwise, it will end up dense instead of creamy. Bake the pie just until the edges are set and the middle is a bit jiggly.
To keep the pie from cracking, make sure to cool it properly. After it's done baking, leave the pie in the oven with the door cracked and let it cool for 30 minutes-1 hour. Then, let it cool at room temperature for 1 more hour. Lastly, cover and refrigerate the pie for a couple of hours until the custard is fully set.
If you're making pie dough leaves and pumpkins for decoration, you will need two 9-inch pie crusts (or 1 homemade recipe). If you're not decorating the pie, you will only need one 9-inch pie crust (or half a homemade recipe).
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 32.5g, Protein: 5.3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5.3g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 240mg, Potassium: 214mg, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 17.2g, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 2mg
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