Homemade Bourbon & Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a very polarizing dish. You either love it, or you hate it. I happen to LOVE it. So much so that I find any excuse to make it. Remember when I turned my leftover pumpkin pie into a PUMPKIN PIE MILKSHAKE!?
I got a ton of requests on Instagram, so I thought I’d share my all time favorite recipe. It’s not your basic pumpkin pie either. It’s elevated!
Homemade Bourbon & Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie
Yes, you can technically buy a can of pumpkin pie mix & a frozen pie crust and call it a day. I spent most of my life thinking the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of the Libby’s pumpkin can was the “go to recipe”. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely a great recipe and produces a classic pumpkin pie. But it’s pretty basic, and in my opinion kind boring.
This year I decided to up the ante and really spice up my classic pumpkin pie recipe. The result: pure pumpkin pie perfection. So what exactly makes this the best pumpkin pie recipe? Three ingredients — Butter, Brown Sugar & Bourbon. Duh. Three of the world’s best ingredients. What took me so long!?
To start, you’ve gotta make the Brown Sugar Pie Crust. Then, you get cracking on the Bourbon Pumpkin filling. I highly recommend making your own crust instead of buying the ready make pie shell, it has so much more flavor and the texture is next level. So let’s do the damn thing!
Brown Sugar Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
- You can make this dough either by hand or with a food processor. I recommend using a food processor because it’s a lot faster & easier!
- In a medium bowl or in your food processor, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Then mix in the butter or pulse it in the food processor until the mixture turns into coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl beat the egg, cold water and vinegar. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix it until it’s almost combined. Transfer it to a flat surface and gently knead it into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for approximately one hour before using. If you want to add decorations to your recipe (like mine), I recommend doubling the recipe.
Brown Sugar Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Brown Sugar Pie Dough
Directions
- Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 425 F for 30 minutes.
- Roll out your dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Carefully place it into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp it with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate it until it firms back up again, about 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Combine the heavy cream, bourbon and a cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Bring it to a simmer. Then transfer the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool off for a couple of minutes. Then, whisk in the pumpkin, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
- Transfer the crust to the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake until it’s lightly golden around the edge (about 15 minutes). Transfer the crust to a rack and let it cool completely. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 F.
- Get rid of the cinnamon stick in the filling mixture, pour into pie crust crust and return the pie to the oven. Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling has set, about one hour.
How to Decorate Your Pumpkin Pie
Create a Braided Crust:
Roll pie dough out on a floured surface and cut into thin slices, about 1/2 inch thick. I used a ruler and pizza slicer. You can use a knife, or whatever is easiest to get a straight cut.
Take three thin slices of dough and braid. Repeat until you have a long braided piece of dough. Depending on the size of braid you make, you may need to make a few braids. Carefully place the braided dough additions on the rim of the crust. To attach, carefully squish the ends together on top of the crust.
Add Leaves to Your Pie:
To add the dough leaves to your pie for decoration, use pastry stampers like these. I cut out various leaves and overlapped them around the pie, making sure to anchor part of them on the dough.