Maple and Black Pepper Pumpkin Pie

November 24, 2024marissamakes
A slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream, surrounded by leaves and pumpkins on a rustic tabletop.

Prep time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 8-10

Growing up, we didn’t eat a lot of pumpkin pie. We were always much bigger fruit pie people, and I always found pumpkin pies to be too cloyingly sweet. When I started celebrating Thanksgiving with my partner in our home, I started trying out more traditional thanksgiving pies, like the humble pumpkin pie. After a bit of tweaking and a little imagination, I came up with the recipe for this Maple and Black Pepper Pumpkin Pie. Don’t be nervous about the black pepper: it adds another layer of warmth and spice to the filling that makes this pie the coziest pie for the cooler season. The filling is gently flavored with maple syrup, and is so luxuriously smooth. And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make, thanks to the use of sweetened condensed milk.

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Ingredients for the perfect pumpkin pie

I was always oddly intimidated by making pumpkin pie. I could never quite get the filling to set correctly, and it always felt like it took way too long to bake. Enter: sweetened condensed milk. This humble ingredient is perfect for pumpkin pie, because it adds the dairy AND the sweetness without too much additional liquid. Plus, it cuts down on the shopping list!

This maple and black pepper pumpkin pie uses other conventional ingredients, such as pumpkin (obviously), and eggs to bind everything together. I opted to use canned pumpkin, but you can also roast your own pumpkin if you would like. Simply cut your pumpkin into quarters, and roast in a 425°F oven for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender. Scrape out the flesh, and purée until smooth. Allow to cool before using. Please note that if you are making your own pumpkin purée, it might be slightly wetter than canned pumpkin purée, and might require more baking time.

I’m a huge lover of spices, so naturally this Thanksgiving pie is filled with plenty of warming spices. It has the classic spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. It also has a dash of cardamom, and, as the name gives away, black pepper. Black pepper has a reputation of being a savory spice, but it actually works beautifully in many sweet applications. It adds an extra layer of warmth to this pie, and helps bring out the spiced flavors. It’s SO good, trust me. You will be converted!

This pie is also flavored with some maple syrup for extra fall flavor and a twist on the classic pumpkin pie filling.

Tips for making this pumpkin pie

One of my favorite things about this pumpkin pie recipe is how simple it is. When you’re trying to crank out a holiday menu, it’s hard to deal with complicated desserts. This pie is very easy to make, and it can be made even easier by using premade pie crust. If you have the time to make your own pastry, I definitely recommend it! If you need some extra tips on making the perfect pie crust, check out my post here with some extra instructions. Just note that the crust recipe for this pumpkin pie is about half of my normal recipe, so be sure to follow the measurements in the recipe card below,

Some bakers choose to blind bake their pie crust for pumpkin pie, but I do not find that to be necessary for this pie. It comes out perfectly crisp on the bottom using my 2-temperature trick for baking— no soggy bottoms here! Baking the pie at a higher temperature to start helps crisp up the bottom first, before the filling starts to cook.

Making the filling is very easy. Simply mix all the ingredients until smooth.

This pumpkin pie has the best texture when it is baked relatively low and slow. It takes about an hour, start to finish, to bake. It is done when the filling has an ever so slight wobble in the middle. If over baked, it may crack as it cools. To prevent the crust from over browning, and to keep the filling from darkening too much, you can tent the pie with a piece of foil while baking.

Tools you’ll need for this pie

There aren’t a lot of special tools needed to make this maple and black pepper pumpkin pie. You will need a 9” pie dish that’s about 1 1/2” deep. To make the crust, I like to use a food processor, but you can also use a pastry cutter, stand mixer, or rub in the butter by hand. To make the whipped cream, you will need a stand mixer or electric beaters.

More holiday recipes

Looking for more festive treats for this holiday season? Why not check out:

Pear and Pecan Pie with Salted Caramel

Huckleberry Pie

Persimmon Tart with Pecan Frangipane

Apple Berry Pie with Cardamom Crust

How to store this pie

This pie will last up to a week in the fridge, wrapped well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I hope you give this Maple and Black Pepper Pumpkin Pie a try! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your bakes, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about what you’ve made!

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Maple and Black Pepper Pumpkin Pie

  • Prep time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes
  • Serves: 8-10

This pie is packed full of fall flavor, and is perfect for your Thanksgiving or fall holiday table. Don’t be nervous about the black pepper: it adds another layer of warmth and spice to the filling that makes this pie the coziest pie for the cooler season. The filling is gently flavored with maple syrup, and is so luxuriously smooth. And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make, thanks to the use of sweetened condensed milk.

Ingredients

For the pie crust

  • 2 Cups All purpose flour, (250g)
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, Cold and cut into cubes (113g, 1 stick)
  • 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
  • Pinch Kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
  • About 1/2 Cup Ice water, More or less as needed

For the pie filling

  • 1 Can Pumpkin Puree, (15oz, 425g), see notes for homemade
  • 1 Can Sweetened condensed milk, (12oz, 340g)
  • 3 Generous tbsp Maple syrup
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 2 Tbsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Ground ginger
  • 1 Tsp Ground cardamom
  • 1 Tsp Ground black pepper
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground cloves
  • 1/4 Tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 1 Egg mixed with water, For the egg wash

For the maple whipped cream

  • 1 Pint Heavy whipping cream, (16oz, 473mL)
  • 2 Tbsp Maple syrup

Method

Make the pie dough

  • 1)

    Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter cubes to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until combined. If using a stand mixer, mix on low to combine until the butter is broken into very small pieces. If mixing by hand, cut the butter in until it resembles coarse sand

  • 2)

    Add the apple cider vinegar and pulse or mix a few more times until combined.

  • 3)

    With the food processor on low, slowly add the ice water, a drizzle at a time, until the dough just comes together. It should hold when pinched together, but should not be wet. Do not feel pressured to use all of the ice water if the dough comes together without using it, and conversely, feel free to add a little more if the dough is too dry.

  • 4)

    Wrap the dough in Saran Wrap and flatten into a disk. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before using.

Make the filling and bake

  • 1)

    Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the pie dough until about 1/8” thick and place in the pie dish. Crimp the edge, as desired, and set in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

  • 2)

    To make the filling, add all of the filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

  • 3)

    Remove the chilled pie crust from the fridge and brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash. Carefully fill the unbaked pie shell with the prepared filling, and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.

  • 4)

    After 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 375°F and continue to cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the filling is set and has a very slight jiggle in the center. It will continue to set as it cools. Cover the pie with foil while baking if the crust starts getting too dark.

  • 5)

    Allow to fully cool to room temperature, and ideally chill in the fridge overnight, before slicing. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Make the whipped cream and serve

  • 1)

    When ready to serve, make the whipped cream by adding the cold heavy cream and maple syrup to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. You can also use electric beaters. Mix until the whipped cream reaches stiff peaks.

  • 2)

    Dollop the maple cream onto the pie, and serve.

Notes

To make your own pumpkin purée, simply cut your pumpkin into quarters, and roast in a 425°F oven for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender. Scrape out the flesh, and purée until smooth. Allow to cool before using. Please note that if you are making your own pumpkin purée, it might be slightly wetter than canned pumpkin purée, and might require more baking time.

You may use premade pie crust, if desired.

This recipe has been adapted from All Recipes.

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