The All-American Classic Pumpkin Pie is given a little twist with a splash of rum and warming ginger, cloves and cinnamon. This Spiced Rum Pumpkin Pie is a perfect Holiday dessert.
Living in Scotland all my life, I’ve never experienced an American Thanksgiving. Being a complete food fanatic, I’ve always been curious about the traditional feast. I guess watching all those holiday movies (A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is always a comforting watch) that are always shown on tv this time of year sparked my interest. Plus the fact that I love a good feed…
And what a feast it is – roast turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffed pumpkins, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing and cranberry sauce. I’m hungry just thinking about it!
Of course, no traditional American Thanksgiving celebration would be complete without the classic pumpkin and pecan pies. And not forgetting of course, apple pie!
where can i buy pumpkin puree in the UK?
It used to be incredibly difficult to find pumpkin purée in the UK, but it’s now available in many large supermarkets up and down the country and failing that, you can buy it on Amazon.
If you can’t find tinned pumpkin purée, see my post on how to make pumpkin purée from scratch. But I honestly believe that the canned pumpkin makes a better pie. There, I said it! And I have no regrets.
When my local Sainburys was selling pumpkin puree at the bargain price of 50p a tin last year, I bought 10!
I made pumpkin spice granola, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin spice latte and these gorgeous pumpkin cranberry muffins with maple glaze, but I still hadn’t made a pumpkin pie and I was desperate to try one because you know, I like to try everything just once.
pumpkin meringue pie
I came across a recipe for sweet potato pie with a swirly marshmallow meringue topping in an American food magazine called Southern Living.
The photograph in the magazine looked so good I couldn’t resist trying it, with a few modifications naturally!
I replaced the sweet potato with a tin of pumpkin purée, added a shot of Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, and for that all-essential touch of Autumn spice, ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
You could also use this homemade pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices – 2 teaspoons would be enough.
If the marshmallow meringue topping isn’t really your thing, (it IS delicious but very sweet!) you could easily not bother with it and serve the pumpkin pie in the classic way.
Recipe note – I still make this pumpkin pie every Autumn, but I don’t bother with the meringue topping anymore, preferring to top it with a blanket of softly whipped cream. But I’ve left the recipe for the meringue in the “notes” section of the recipe card if you would like to try it.
how to make pumpkin pie
Ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- The first thing you have to do is make your pie dough. My recipe for foolproof pie crust is ideal for this recipe. It’s tender, flaky and buttery yet holds it shape well – just what you need in a pie crust!
- Of course, if you prefer not to make your pie crust from scratch and buy one, then that’s absolutely fine. If it makes your life easier, I’m all for it.
- Once you’ve made the pie dough and it has rested in the fridge for at least one hour roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to fit a 9-inch pie plate.
- Remember to roll out a few inches bigger than the diameter of the pie plate to allow for some overhang. You’ll be trimming these extra pieces off later, but it makes your life much easier. There’s nothing more annoying than taking the time to roll out dough only to realise that it’s too small for your pie dish!
- Now it’s time to make the filling. Place the pumpkin puree (from a can) in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, salt, spices, vanilla, rum and double cream.
- Stir until the mixture is smooth, then pour into the still hot pie shell. Brush the edges of the pastry crust with egg wash and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the filling has set.
how to tell if your pumpkin pie is fully baked
It can be a little tricky to tell if a pumpkin pie is fully baked. A perfectly baked pie will look slightly puffed up, set around the edges (and possibly starting to go a shade darker) but the pie should still have a slight wobble in the centre.
Pumpkin pie filling is essentially a custard, so it will continue to set as it cools.
The pumpkin filling should be soft and velvety to eat, but you shouldn’t see any liquid. If you gently press it with your finger, it should wobble.
If you see liquid or if it seems too wet, it needs longer in the oven. Return to the oven and check it every 5 minutes – there’s a very small window of time between an underdone pie and a perfectly baked one, so you will need to keep a close eye on it.
if in doubt, turn off the oven
If you really aren’t sure if the pie is ready and there are no visible cracks in the filling, turn off your oven and leave the pie in for about 30 minutes before removing it.
how to prevent pie crust from burning
I like well-done pastry so it wasn’t a big issue for me, but if you want to avoid this scenario, wrap a long folded layer of tin foil around the pie crust before you bake the pie. This will protect the crust from burning.
why did my pumpkin pie crack?
If your homemade pumpkin pie is cracked, it’s overbaked. If this happens, don’t stress! Whipped cream (or my meringue topping) will hide a multitude of sins!
Slamming the oven door shut while the pie is in the oven can also cause it to crack.
how far in advance can i make pumpkin pie?
A baked Pumpkin pie will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge without the meringue topping. I wouldn’t recommend decorating the pie with the meringue topping until the day you intend to serve it.
The meringue will slowly begin to ”weep” in the fridge. Having said that, it still makes for delicious leftovers – no-one has ever complained!
Spiced Rum Pumpkin Pie
A twist on the classic American Thanksgiving pie, this marshmallow meringue topped spiced rum pumpkin pie is so good one slice won't be enough! It's the perfect celebratory dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Ingredients
FOR THE PIE CRUST:
- 300G (1 Cup + 3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp) Plain (All-Purpose) Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Salt, or 1/4 Tsp if using salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon White Sugar
- 175G (6.25oz) Very Cold Diced Unsalted Butter
- 6 Tablespoons of Iced Water
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 x 400G Tin Pumpkin Puree
- 2 tablespoons Butter, melted
- 3 Large Eggs (not extra large)
- 110g (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Spiced or Dark Rum
- 2 teaspons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 250ml (1 cup) Double (Heavy) Cream
- 1 Beaten Egg with a small pinch salt (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Make The Pie Crust: Place the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold cubed butter. Transfer to a bowl to the freezer for 10 minutes, if you have time.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer. Rub the very cold butter into the flour mixture until you have a pebbly, rough mixture. You want some visible pieces of butter to remain, so don't work the mixture too much.
- Slowly add the iced water - I start off by adding 3 tablespoons. Using a table knife, lightly mix the rough dough together without kneading until it just starts to hold together. If the mixture is dry and there are still lots of dry ingredients left in the bowl, add a little more water, a few drops at a time.
- Tip the mixture out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Start to bring the dough together using your hands. Don't work the mixture too much - you don't want to disturb the small butter pockets. By now you should have something that looks more like a dough instead of a rough mass of ingredients. The dough should be soft, moist but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and transfer to the fridge for at least one hour to rest.
- When you're ready to blind-bake the pie crust, remove the dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface. If the dough is solid, leave at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes.
- Dust the rolling pin with flour and begin to roll the dough out. Apply even pressure and begin by rolling away from you, then back. Give the dough a turn every now and then to prevent it from sticking to the work surface, adding a light dusting of flour to the surface if it is beginning to stick.
- When you have a round circle that's roughly the thickness of a pound coin, plate your pie dish in the centre of the dough to make sure it's large enough to fit, remembering to allow for a couple of extra inches for overhang (which will help with shrinkage).
- To transfer the dough to the pie dish, flip the dough over the rolling pin and quickly lift it over the plate. Gently push the dough into the bottom and sides of the plate. Using scissors, trim the overhang, leaving a border about 1 inch thick.
- Crimp the edges between your forefinger and thumb to make a pretty edge. Place the pie back in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F. *You could freeze the crust at this stage if you want - you can bake it from frozen at a later time).
- Place a piece of baking parchment and foil inside the pie crust and fill with baking beans, dried peas or lentils (I often use Barley.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the baking weights/baking paper and foil and bake for a further 5=10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.When you're ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F.
- Make The Filling: In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree and melted butter until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, spiced rum, vanilla extract, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and double cream.
- Add the spiced cream mixture to the pumpkin puree and melted butter and whisk until smooth, well combined and lump free. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Brush the edges of the pie crust with egg wash.
- Carefully place the pie in the oven on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, covering with foil halfway through if the crust is getting too brown. The pie should be set all the way through, but still have a slight wobble in the centre.
Notes
FOR THE OPTIONAL MARSHMALLOW MERINGUE TOPPING:
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
110 g plus 2 tablespoons caster sugar
150 g golden ( or corn) syrup
80ml water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days without the meringue topping. Cover well with foil or place in an airtight box.
I don't recommend adding the meringue until the day you intend to serve the pie.
You don't have to add the rum if you would rather not - leaving it out will not affect the recipe. You could also substitute another spirit - Bourbon would be very good.
TIPS
A properly baked pumpkin pie should still be "jiggly" in the middle - the filling is basically a custard and will firm up quite significantly as it cools.
If the pumpkin pie is cracked, it's overbaked. If this happens, don't stress! Whipped cream (or my meringue topping) will hide a multitude of sins!
The pumpkin filling should be soft and velvety to eat, but not liquidy. If you gently press it with your finger, it should wobble. If you see liquid or if it seems too wet, it needs a longer bake. Place it back in the oven and check it every 5 minutes - there's a very small window of time between an underdone pie and a perfectly baked one.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 278mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
I love this twist on a classic! Adding meringue and rum – yummy!!
Thank you!
I loved this pie and will definitely make it again.