6 Unique Pumpkin Pie Recipes To Put A Twist On Your Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

What 4 types of pies are most popular at Thanksgiving? ›

Since these are Thanksgiving-specific pies, we've gotta mention the quintessential ones—pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, and apple pie. They're classics for a reason, and we really think our recipes for them are the best.

Did you know 50 million pumpkin pies are baked every year? The LARGEST PUMPKIN PIE on record was five feet around. It used 80 pounds of pumpkin and baked for six hours! And last but not least, according to the American Pie Council, 1 out of 5 Americans has eaten an ENTIRE pumpkin pie by themselves.

This orange-golden-crusted pie is more than just a staple of the Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin pie, which has been growing in the Americas for centuries now, symbolizes the gratitude and appreciation our ancestors once experienced each harvest season.

Why Is My Pumpkin Pie Weeping? Another common problem that occurs when baking pumpkin pie is when you notice water on the top of the pie or leaking out from the filling. Why this happens: Either the pie was overbaked, or it was placed in the fridge before cooling completely.

The least popular types of pies were salted caramel, gooseberry, blueberry and peach, all being the most popular in only one state each.

While pumpkin pie reigns supreme in the majority of American households, sweet potato pie is still the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert in the South.

The 17th century French chef François Pierre La Varenne is credited with developing the first recipe for a “pompion” torte around 1650, complete with a pastry crust. English recipes including various dried fruits and nuts in the filling later followed La Varenne's prototype.

Ingredients - Pumpkin puree made from scratch contains only pumpkin, but canned puree may contain a preservative like salt. Pumpkin pie filling contains additional ingredients like sugar, spices, and thickeners. Flavor - Pure pumpkin puree has a slightly sweet, earthy taste.

According to some accounts, early English settlers in North America improvised by hollowing out pumpkins, filling the shells with milk, honey and spices to make a custard, then roasting the gourds whole in hot ashes.

Because of the pumpkin's association with the harvest, it increasingly became a part of the national harvest celebration of Thanksgiving as a pie.

Was pumpkin eaten at the first Thanksgiving? ›

They stuffed the pumpkin with this mixture, baked it and served it in slices. Stewed pompion, or pumpkin, was boiled down to a gravy-like texture. This was likely served as a dish at the first Thanksgiving dinner.

The outer edges of the pie should be firm while the center will be a little jiggly, but not sloshy or unsteady. As the old adage goes, "It needs to jiggle like Jell-O but not wiggle like a wave." If the entire pie is wobbly, continue baking. Use a piecrust shield if it's browning too fast.

Any oven setting over 350 degrees F is likely overdoing it for a pumpkin pie. Baking in a too-hot oven makes the custard puff up like a soufflé and then fall when it cools.

As it turns out, undercooking and overcooking can both cause weeping meringue and unwanted moisture on top of your pie (aka beading). Overcooking meringue causes those little sugary drops of moisture on top of baked meringues.

There are four types of pies: cream, fruit, custard, and savory.

Thanksgiving pies are a traditional part of Americans' modern-day feast, with harvest flavors dominating the country's favorite pies. Pumpkin pie is Americans' top choice for a Thanksgiving pie — with pecan pie, apple pie, and sweet potato pie right behind it.