Yesterday, we hacked our way into a pumpkin to prepare fresh pumpkin puree, with the promise of a fresh pumpkin coconut pie. Today, we eat pie. This is my mom’s recipe for fresh pumpkin pie. It is the pumpkin pie I grew up with. It is the pumpkin pie to which I compare all other pumpkin pies. That’s just how things are when you’ve grown up with them, sort of how I’m a loyal Crest toothpaste girl and shiver at the thought of any mayonnaise other than Hellman’s.
To me, this is pumpkin pie the way is should be. It’s light, fresh, and sweet. My mom always uses fresh pumpkin, but I wouldn’t fault you for substituting canned. It will still be quite delicious. The recipe works well with or without the coconut. I’m a coconut girl, through and through. It gives the pie a sort of half pumpkin, half coconut custard sort of feel. Spectacular!
And now, the pumpkin pie recipe you’ve been waiting for…
Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pumpkin Puree (fresh or canned)*
- 1 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (1 12-ounce can)
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup White Sugar**
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
- 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Shredded, Sweetened Coconut (optional)
- 1 9″ Deep-Dish Pie Shell (homemade or frozen)
* Click here for my photo guide on preparing fresh pumpkin puree.
**My mom’s recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, which produces an extremely sweet pie. I cut the white sugar to 1/2 cup, which still produces a deliciously sweetened pie.
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Stir in the coconut, if desired. Place the pie shell on a foil lined baking sheet, to prevent oven spill-over. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.* Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Continue cooking for 45-55 minutes, until the tip of a knife, inserted about an inch from the edge, comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool for about an hour. Then refrigerate to completely cool. Serve with whipped cream.
*You will probably have some leftover filling. Use it in individual pie shells to make mini pies or simply pour it in a ramekin or small baking dish and bake, for a little crustless pie.
The Gourmand Mom 
This pumpkin coconut pie looks fabulous!
Wow this looks really good. Luckily I have about 2 cups of fresh pumpkin left from when I made my puree. I am definitely making this for Thanksgiving.
I really liking the pumpkin and coconut combo. I bet it was amazing. thanks for sharing.
your pie looks so wonderful, wish mine would turn out at least half as yours
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I’m a fairly new follower to your blog, but its easy to see you are immensly talented. This pie will absolutely make its way to my Thanksgiving table, as will a few additional recipies you have provided!
Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for your comments! Enjoy the pie!
Heavenly – I will clearly have to make 2 – one with and one without coconut.
🙂 Mandy
These pies all look so incredible, I want to come to Thanksgiving at your house! All of your recipes always look so tasty! Your kids are so lucky to be introduced to such amazing flavors and healthy ingredients. Why not take it one step further and have your kids help you out? Cooking with your kids is a great way to spend time with them and to reinforce important life skills. That’s why I work for the Healthy Monday campaigns, which just launched a new program. The Kids Cook Monday aims to encourage families to cook and eat together every Monday. Research shows that children from families who cook and eat together often are less likely to be obese, eat a more nutritious diet and get better grades in school (to see more on the benefits of family dinners, check out The Kids Cook Monday site http://www.healthymonday.org/the-kids-cook-monday/.)
We’re looking for blogs and websites to take on the challenge of starting each week with family dinners and post about their experiences each Monday. If you’re interested in participating please email me at info@TheKidsCookMonday.org
Sara
My daughter and I made the pie this evening for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner. I am proud to say it not only was easy (after the softening of the pumpkin and the scooping out of the insides), but it came out exactly like the picture. It smells great and I made a few ‘crustless’ pies! I’ll let you know how it tastes tomorrow!