Pumpkin pie might not be the first dessert that comes to mind when you’re planning Christmas lunch in Australia, but it’s a lovely option if you want to try something different from the usual pavlova, trifle or Christmas pudding.
This Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe uses real pumpkin, brown sugar, condensed milk and warm spices to make a smooth, creamy filling. It’s baked in a golden shortcrust pastry shell and decorated with gingerbread biscuits, walnuts and little white stars for a festive finish.
Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert in America, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy it at Christmas or any other family gathering. You can make it ahead of time, keep it in the fridge and add the decorations just before serving.
What Does Pumpkin Pie Taste Like?
If you’ve never eaten pumpkin pie before, you might be wondering how a vegetable usually served with roast dinner works in a dessert.
Cooked pumpkin has a mild, naturally sweet flavour. When combined with brown sugar, condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice, it makes a filling with a soft, custard-like texture.
The pastry provides a crisp contrast to the creamy filling, while the walnuts and gingerbread biscuits add some crunch.
It’s sweet, but the pumpkin and spices give it a different flavour from a typical custard tart.
What Pumpkin Should You Use for Pumpkin Pie in Australia?
You don’t need American canned pumpkin purée to make this recipe. Fresh pumpkin from your local supermarket or greengrocer works well.
Two good Australian options are Kent pumpkin and butternut pumpkin.
Kent pumpkin has a rich orange colour and a full pumpkin flavour. Butternut pumpkin has smooth flesh and a naturally sweet taste.
To prepare your pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds and cut it into pieces. Steam or roast until tender, then mash or blend until smooth.
For this recipe, you’ll need 500 g of cooked pumpkin purée. Make sure you weigh the pumpkin after cooking and draining it.
If your purée looks watery, let it drain through a fine sieve before mixing the filling. Too much liquid can affect how well the pie sets.
Three Easy Pastry Options for Homemade Pumpkin Pie
You have three choices when preparing the pastry for this recipe.
1. Buy a Ready-Made Flan Case
This is the easiest option if you’re short on time.
Look for a ready-baked fluted pastry case, approximately 23 cm across. A prepared case saves you from making, rolling and baking the pastry yourself.
Check the packaging to make sure the pastry case is already baked and ready for filling.
2. Use Frozen Shortcrust Pastry
Frozen shortcrust pastry sheets are another convenient option.
Thaw the pastry according to the packet instructions, then use it to line a fluted tart tin.
Blind-bake the pastry before adding the pumpkin filling. This helps prevent a soggy base.
3. Make Your Own Shortcrust Pastry
If you enjoy baking from scratch, you can make your own sweet shortcrust pastry.
A homemade pastry shell lets you control the thickness and size of the base. You’ll need to allow extra preparation and chilling time.
For the recipe card above, a ready-baked pastry case is the simplest choice.
How to Make Smooth and Creamy Pumpkin Pie
The filling is straightforward once your pumpkin has been cooked and drained.
Beat the pumpkin purée with the brown sugar, condensed milk and eggs. Add the plain flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice, then mix until smooth.
Pour the filling into your prepared pastry shell and bake until the outside has set and the centre still has a slight wobble.
Avoid overbaking the pie. The filling will continue to firm as it cools.
Let it cool completely before decorating. You can also refrigerate it for a few hours if you prefer a firmer texture and neater slices.
How to Decorate Pumpkin Pie for Christmas
One of my favourite things about this recipe is the festive decoration.
The original Stay at Home Mum pumpkin pie uses small gingerbread biscuits, pieces of walnut, white star decorations and a light dusting of icing sugar.
Rather than covering the entire pie, arrange the decorations over one section. This leaves most of the smooth orange pumpkin filling visible.
The contrast between the pumpkin filling, golden pastry and Christmas decorations makes the pie attractive on a dessert table.
Add the gingerbread biscuits and walnuts shortly before serving to help them retain their crunch.
Can You Make Pumpkin Pie Ahead of Time?
Yes. Pumpkin pie is a convenient make-ahead dessert for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Bake the pie the day before, let it cool and store it covered in the refrigerator. Add the decorations just before serving.
Keep the pie refrigerated because the filling contains eggs and condensed milk.
Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to three days.
This recipe isn’t recommended for freezing because the filling and pastry may change texture after thawing.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie can be served on its own, especially when it has gingerbread and walnut decorations.
If you’re serving it for Christmas lunch, offer small slices alongside your other desserts.
For Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is traditionally served after the main meal, often with whipped cream.
A little unsweetened whipped cream is an optional serving suggestion if you prefer something to balance the sweet filling.
A Different Dessert for Your Christmas Table
If your family enjoys trying different desserts at Christmas, this pumpkin pie is worth adding to the menu.
It uses ingredients that are easy to find in Australian supermarkets, and you don’t need to buy imported pumpkin purée.
The smooth filling, buttery pastry and festive decorations make it suitable for Christmas lunch, Thanksgiving dinner or a weekend family gathering.
Prepare it ahead, decorate it when you’re ready to serve and enjoy a slice with your favourite cuppa.
Pumpkin Pie
A smooth pumpkin pie with warm spices in a crisp fluted pastry shell, finished with gingerbread biscuits, walnuts and festive star decorations.
8
servings20
minutes45
minutes350
kcal1
hour5
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Filling
500 g cooked pumpkin purée, well drained
100 g brown sugar
130 g sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
20 g plain flour
1 g salt
1 g ground nutmeg
0.5 g ground cinnamon
4 g mixed spice
- Pastry
1 prepared flan case or 1 baked 23 cm fluted shortcrust pastry shell
- Decoration
4 to 6 small gingerbread biscuits
30 g walnuts, roughly broken
3 to 5 white star decorations, edible
5 g icing sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced.
- Place the flan case or baked pastry shell onto a baking tray.
- Beat the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, condensed milk and eggs together in a bowl until smooth.
- Add the plain flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice to the pumpkin mixture.
- Mix until the filling is smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the pastry shell.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is mostly set with only a slight wobble in the centre.
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack.
- Arrange the gingerbread biscuits, broken walnuts and white star decorations over one section of the pie.
- Dust lightly with icing sugar just before serving.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Pumpkin Pie is good in the fridge for up to three days covered in plastic wrap.
- Use Kent or butternut pumpkin for a smooth filling and good colour.
- Drain the cooked pumpkin well so the filling stays thick and sets properly.
- Decorate only one side of the pie so most of the pumpkin filling remains visible.
- If preferred, chill the pie before serving for neater slices.
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