This is our absolute favorite recipe for Pumpkin Pie. With a blend of autumn warm spices, fresh orange zest, and a splash of vanilla extract, this flavor combination can not be beat!
My family requests my Pumpkin Pie with Orange Zest every Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, since this pie can be oven ready in about 15 minutes, it is a breeze to make.
What We Love About This Recipe
- Family Tradition: I learned to add fresh orange zest to my recipes from my mom. I watched her do this often and it really adds a brightness to our recipes.
- Holiday Favorite: This Pumpkin Pie recipe is super simple, and has a bit of extra flavor than your standard pumpkin pie. Besides the addition of orange zest, the splash of vanilla extract adds even more mouth watering warmth to every bite.
- Simple Ingredients: With the use of canned pumpkin and a store bought pie crust, this pumpkin pie recipe can be ready for the oven in mere minutes. Simple recipe and easy clean-up, we like that!
Recipe Ingredients
- Canned Pumpkin Puree
- Evaporated Milk
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Orange Zest
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Allspice, Salt
If you want to make a pie shell from scratch, this Butter Pie Crust recipe is great! For convenience, I often buy the roll up kind you find at the grocery store.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie with Orange Zest
Make your pie dough, or bring the store bought dough to room temperature and place in a 9-inch pie plate.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the remaining pie ingredients. Canned pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, orange zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt.
Mom Tip
When zesting the orange, do it directly over the mixing bowl so you can catch all the fragrant oils and none go to waste.
- Using a whisk, or electric hand mixer, mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Pour the pumpkin pie filling mixture into the prepared pie shell. Carefully move the pie to the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the center is set.
Note: Normally I would show you a photo of the pie filling in the pie shell, but there is no way I would have made it to the oven from my photography table without spilling. I was not going to deal with that mess!
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Recipe Tips
- If you would rather use pumpkin pie spice, replace the recipes spices with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- As the pie is baking, if you notice the crust getting too dark, cover the edge of the pie with a piece of tin foil.
- Leftover pie can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Pumpkin Pie FAQ's
I only use canned pumpkin. If you want to use fresh pumpkin, be aware that it pumpkin puree may have a watery consistency.
Yes. I prefer to make my pies the day before I need them, especially for holiday meals and family gatherings.
This is usually a sign of over baking the pie. Give the pie a little shake before removing it from the oven. If the center does not jiggle a lot, it is done.
A memory to share with my kids
When a lot of people think of Pumpkin Pie the first things that come to mind are usually Fall and Thanksgiving. For me, however, the first things (or people I should say) that come to mind are my dad and his mom.
My dad LOVED Pumpkin Pie, and grandma loved to tell the story about why (she thought) he loved it so much.
When grandma was pregnant she would crave raw pumpkin! She said that sometimes she couldn't get enough of it to eat! Grandma would describe how she would take a knife, go down into the cellar all by herself, sit down on the ground, carve up and eat as much raw pumpkin as she could handle!
She would smile and say "your dad couldn't get enough pumpkin then, and he still can't get enough of it now. It is just that now he prefers Pumpkin Pie over raw pumpkin".
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Complete Recipe
Pumpkin Pie with Orange Zest
Ingredients
- 1 Unbaked Pie Shell 9-inch
- 1 ¾ cups Pumpkin 15 ounce can
- 12 ounces Evaporated milk 1 can
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Orange Zest only.
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Allspice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the pie dough or use a premade pie shell. Place the shell in a 9-inch pie plate, like the picture above, and set aside.
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the canned pumpkin, both types of sugar, orange zest, evaporated milk, vanilla and spices. Mix well.
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the prepared pie crust. Carefully place the pie in the preheated oven and cook for 45 - 55 minutes. I test the pie to see if it is done by shaking it slightly. If the center doesn't wiggle a lot, it is done.
- Let the pie cool and serve topped with whipped cream.
- Once cooled pumpkin pie should be stored in the refrigerator.
Carlee Scharnhorst says
That might be the cutest thing I've ever read! I can't imagine eating raw pumpkin, but I'll have an extra slice of pie in honor of your grandma!