Butternut Pumpkin Pie

The very best pumpkin pie is made from squash (which is what is actually inside those cans of "pure pumpkin purée").

Why It Works

  • Roasting tenderizes and dehydrates the butternut squash, while also deepening its flavor and sweetness.
  • DIY condensed milk has a lighter, fresher flavor than canned, with less sugar.
  • Brown sugar adds a hint of molasses to underscore the earthiness of the squash.
  • Fully baking the pie crust keeps it flaky and crisp beneath the custard filling.

For hundreds of years, Americans have been making squash pie and calling it "pumpkin" for the poetry of its name. I won't rehash a complicated story that's more thoroughly explained in my book, but the short story is this: that pie purée you're buying in cans? It's not made from the rotund orange pumpkin you're probably envisioning.

A slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream, next to the pie it came from.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Butternut squash may not evoke the romance of a jack o' lantern or Cinderella's carriage, but it has all the earthy flavor of a pumpkin at a fraction of the hassle (less pesky rind, fewer slimy seeds, no stringy fibers). By the time a butternut squash has been roasted, puréed, and showered with spice, the only thing anyone will notice is how vibrant it tastes in pies.

As Daniel has explained on the subject of butternut squash soup, roasting brings out the squash's best flavor, deepening its mellow sweetness into something caramel-y and complex. Plus, roasting keeps the purée dry so you won't need to drain it or cook it down.

All the ingredients for butternut squash pie.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The other key ingredient to my recipe is homemade sweetened condensed milk. It has a clean dairy flavor, with strong notes of toffee and a sweetness that's more mellow than anything you'll find in a can.

Like any recipe for pumpkin pie, there's not a lot of fuss once the ingredients have been rounded up. Just whisk the sweetened condensed milk into the squash purée, along with brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and spices—I use a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny pinch of clove. I know a lot of folks associate clove with the cloying scent of potpourri, but trust me, in extreme moderation it can work wonders, boosting the aroma of the other spices and lending an almost citrusy brightness.

The prepared filling can be used right away, or held in the fridge until you're ready to bake—up to three days. I know some folks have a taste for pumpkin pies with a soft and pale bottom crust, but I'm all about getting it flaky and crisp to complement the creamy custard filling. That means starting with a fully baked pie crust.

Adding squash pie filling to a fully baked crust.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

You don't have to use my old-fashioned flaky pie dough, but do check out my tips for blind-baking a pie crust to make sure yours doesn't shrink or slide down around the edges. If you've ever been stuck with leftover filling that won't fit into the pie, a shrunken crust is almost always to blame.

A side by side photo of an unbaked and baked squash pie. The one on the left is slightly less brown.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The fully baked crust will continue to brown around the edges, but as you can see in the photo above, the effect is subtle. Of course, not all ovens are the same, so if you do notice it browning more than you'd prefer, feel free to cover the edges with a pie shield or foil.

That thorough blind-baking will keep the crust crisp along the bottom for days, so don't hesitate to bake off the pie in advance to free up your oven. Once cool, the pie can be served right away or wrapped in plastic and held for a few days at room temperature, or for up to a week in the fridge.

With the make-ahead route, I like to restore the pie's fresh-baked vibe by popping it in a hot oven for a minute or two just before serving. The hot air just works wonders for reviving a crust that's gone limp from being wrapped in plastic.

Sure, it's a recipe that takes a little more time than those that call for a can of this and a can of that, but for those of us who love baking from scratch, the reward is something that truly stands out. With a dollop of whipped cream to top it off, it's everything I want in a pumpkin pie—comforting and familiar—but even better than my memories.

Adapted from BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts with permission from W. W. Norton.

November 2017

Recipe Details

Butternut Pumpkin Pie

Prep 20 mins
Cook 95 mins
Active 45 mins
Chilling Time 2 hrs
Total 3 hrs 55 mins
Serves 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups; 395g) roasted butternut squash purée, from one 7-inch butternut squash (24 ounces; 680g)

  • 19 ounces sweetened condensed milk (about 2 cups; 540g)

  • 4 ounces light brown sugar (about 1/2 cup, firmly packed; 115g)

  • 1/2 ounce vanilla extract or bourbon (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to garnish if desired

  • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 ounce unsalted butter, melted and warm (about 2 tablespoons; 30g)

  • 3 large eggs, straight from the fridge (about 5 1/4 ounces; 145g)

  • 1/2 recipe old-fashioned flaky pie dough, blind-baked

Directions

  1. For the Butternut Squash Purée: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Split the squash lengthways, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a foil-lined aluminum baking sheet. Roast until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scrape pulp into a food processor and purée until smooth. Measure out 14 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups; 395g) squash purée. Use warm, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to a week in advance.

    A collage: removing seeds from butternut squash, roasting the squash and pureeing the squash in a food processor.
  2. For the Custard: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, combine butternut squash purée, homemade condensed milk, brown sugar, vanilla or bourbon, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, butter, and eggs. Whisk until well combined, then pour into the prepared crust. Alternatively, the prepared custard can be refrigerated for up to a week before use.

    A collage: combing butternut squash puree, sweetened condensed milk, butter, egg, and spices in a mixing bowl.
  3. To Bake: Place on a half sheet pan and bake about 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking until the filling is firm around the edges but still wobbly in the very center, about 25 minutes more, or to an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C).

    A baked butternut pumpkin pie out of the oven.
  4. Cool at room temperature until the custard has set, about 2 hours, and cut with a chef's knife to serve. If you like, serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of grated nutmeg. Wrapped in plastic, leftovers will keep 4 days at room temperature, or 10 days in the fridge.

    A wedge of butternut pumpkin pie.

Special Equipment

Half sheet pan, food processor, 9-inch pie pan (preferably glass)

Notes

Due to its high yield, butternut squash is my favorite option for pie, but so long as the total weight of purée remains the same, feel free to make use of alternatives like kabocha, buttercup, and acorn squash instead.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
396 Calories
17g Fat
55g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 396
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 265mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 6mg 30%
Calcium 165mg 13%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 322mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)