Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie marries tender, flaky, ginger-infused pastry with rich ginger pumpkin custard for a scratch-made holiday classic. Make it ahead, and serve it up with a generous dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert.

Jump to:

• What's the Story Behind this Pie Recipe?
• Ginger Pumpkin Pie Ingredients
• How to Make Pumpkin Pie with Ginger
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip: Pie Garnishes
• FAQ
• More Pumpkin Recipes
• Thanksgiving Recipes
• Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

What's the Story Behind this Pie Recipe?

My mom was my Camp Fire leader for many years, and when I was in the third or fourth grade, she gathered our group together a few days before Thanksgiving and taught us all how to make pumpkin pie. Each girl got to make her own pie (with ample help) and then we delivered them all to our local Salvation Army kitchen so that they could be served at their annual Thanksgiving dinner.

After mixing up a couple of big bowls of pumpkin custard, Mama showed us how to make a pie crust before she helped us make our own. My mother made pie-making look like a dance as she rolled out her crust with smooth, effortless grace. We girls made pie-making look less like a dance and more like a circus, but in the end, each of us had a pie in the oven that we could claim.

Once our pies were baked and cooled, we drove down Sandy and across the Burnside Bridge into “the City,” where we handed our pies to a lady in the Salvation Army kitchen. We looked up at her as she thanked us all and told us how much those pies would mean to the people who ate them.

Making those pies made me feel really special. I know it was just a pie, but it was also the first time I remember ever having that glimmer of understanding that my contributions to my community mattered – that they were important. So it maybe it wasn’t just a pie after all.

The rules have changed, so likely you can’t deliver your home-baked pie to the local homeless shelter kitchen anymore, but there are so many ways to serve in the community every day, not only in the holiday season, but all year round. And usually, it takes less time out of your day than making a pie.

Ginger Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

This recipe makes enough for 2 regular 9-inch pies, or one 10-inch deep dish pie.

Custard Filling

• Pumpkin puree: This recipe uses 1 large (29-ounce) can of pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Use any store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice mix.
• Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk (also known as "unsweetened condensed milk") is a shelf-stable canned cow’s milk product that has been heated so that around 60% of the water content evaporates.
• Eggs: We use large or extra large eggs for this pie recipe.
• Sugar: Use plain granulated sugar
• Brown Sugar: We prefer to use light brown sugar.
• Crystalized ginger: Crystallized ginger can be found in most grocery stores, and almost any Asian market in both large pieces and smaller ginger chips.
  • Both the crust and the custard in this recipe contain finely chopped crystalized ginger. For easier chopping, freeze the candied ginger before you chop it.
• Fresh ginger: Peel the ginger with a spoon, and then finely grate it.
• Orange zest: Use fresh orange zest. Do not use dried zest.
• Salt

Ginger Pie Crust

If you prefer, you can use a premade pie crust, or your own pie crust recipe.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour. (This recipe has not been tested using any alternative flours.)
• Butter: Use real butter. Do not use margarine.
• Crystalized ginger: Use the same crystalized ginger you use for the pie filling.
• Sugar: Use plain granulated sugar
• Pumpkin pie spice: Use the same pumpkin spices you use for the pie filling.
• Salt
• Vegetable Shortening: We recommend using plain Crisco.
• Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, consider reducing the salt in the crust by ½ teaspoon.
• Ice water: Water needs to be ice cold!

How to Make Pumpkin Pie with Ginger

Follow these three easy rules for successful pie crust: 

1. Keep everything crust-related ICE COLD! That means; if you aren't using it, it should be chilling. This includes your pie dish. (DO NOT chill filling ingredients.) 
2. Mix in the fats by hand, and leave pea to peanut-size pieces in the dough. 
3. Do not overmix your dough. Overworking encourages the formation of gluten, which makes pastry dough tough. Pastry dough should never be a uniform color: don't try to make it so. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, minced crystalized ginger, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, back of a fork, or your fingers (my personal choice) work the cold shortening into the flour mixture until the texture resembles that of strudel crumble.

Add grated or cut ice-cold butter to flour mixture. Work butter in using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers.

It's OK to leave large pieces of butter (up to the size of a lima bean): this is what makes your pie crust flakey!

Cool flour mixture in freezer 5 minutes before proceeding.

Sprinkle ½ cup ice cold water over the top of the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball begins to form.

Press dough into a disk. Do not overwork the dough. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate prepared dough for at least one hour.

Remove the disk from the fridge and roll it out on lightly floured board. Cut a circle at least two inches bigger than the pie plate all the way around, and gently place the dough in the pie dish. Crimp edges as desired.

For more detailed pie dough making instructions, visit our Basic Sweet Pie Crust recipe.

Chill the prepared pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed.

Tip: Crumple and then flatten the parchment paper before lining the pie shell. This makes it form to the pastry much more easily.

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are barely starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the weights in the parchment paper out of the pie.

Prick holes all around the bottom crust with a fork.

Return the pie crust to the oven and bake until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Allow the pie crust to cool while you prepare the pumpkin custard.

Whisk eggs and egg yolks together in a large bowl.

Put grated ginger and ¼ - ½ cup evaporated milk in a small blender cup and blend until smooth.

Mix pumpkin, spices, sugar, and pureed ginger into eggs.

When pie crust is prepared, heat remaining evaporated milk over medium low heat until nearly boiling (do not boil it!).

Remove from heat and whisk into the pumpkin mixture.

Place the oven rack on the next-to-lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°F). Use a pie shield or an aluminum foil collar to protect the edges from burning.

Fill prepared pie shell with warm pumpkin custard.

Baking times will vary somewhat, depending upon your pie dish, oven, and depth of filling.

• 10" Deep Dish Pie (glass): Bake at 350°F (180°F) for 55-65 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Standard 9" Pie (glass or metal): Bake at 350°F (180°F) for 40-50 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Testing for Doneness: The pie should jiggle like Jello when it's done, but it should not slosh or wiggle. The filling will have darkened, and it may be puffed just slightly when it comes out of the oven. The pie is done when a toothpick (or knife) inserted halfway between the middle and the edge comes out clean. Try not to over bake pumpkin pie, or the top of the custard may crack.

You can test also the doneness using an instant-read thermometer. According to the FDA, the internal temperature of pumpkin pie should be at least 180°F (82°C) at its coolest point; however, we recommend removing pumpkin pie from the oven when it reaches 175°F (80°C).

Substitutions

Canned Pumpkin: You can use fresh pumpkin puree in place of canned pumpkin, but if you do, it is best to first drain it well in a cheesecloth lined sieve or colander, until it as close to the consistency of canned pumpkin as possible. Extra water in the pumpkin puree can affect the consistency of the pumpkin custard.

Evaporated Milk: Half-and-half may be substituted for evaporated milk 1:1.

Equipment

After decades of pie-making, my recommendation for the best pie plate is either a Pyrex basic deep dish or Pyrex fluted deep-dish pie plate.

The transparent Pyrex allows you to visually check the crust for doneness, and its even heat conduction yields a crisp, uniform crust. The durable Pyrex material can be cut without scratching the dish, and slices release neatly from the pan.

Storage

Because pumpkin pie is a custard-style pie, containing milk and eggs, it should be refrigerated after cooling. The USDA's official recommendation is that homemade pumpkin pie can sit out on the counter for up to two hours.

Refrigerator: When stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic, pumpkin pie can last in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Freezer: Homemade pumpkin pie freezes well. Bake your pie in a disposable metal pie pan, and let it cool completely before wrapping or placing it in the freezer. Wrap the pie twice in plastic wrap, and one more time in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To thaw, remove the pie from the freezer and unwrap it. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. To avoid a soggy crust, do not thaw at room temperature.

Note: You may wonder why frozen and store-bought pumpkin pies can safely remain on grocery store shelves at room temperature. This is because commercially produced pumpkin pies have added preservatives to make them shelf-stable for up to five days.

Top Tip: Pie Garnishes

It isn't necessary to garnish the pie, but it does make it more festive and fun.

I used cutters from my Mini Autumn Leaf Cookie Cutter Set to cut the acorns and leaves used to garnish this pie. I've had this little set of pastry cutters for over 15 years, and find that it comes in handy for all kinds of projects.

Pastry leaves can also easily be cut freehand, using a sharp paring knife. 

Sugared cranberries or pastry roses are another easy, pretty way to garnish desserts around the fall and winter holidays. They are both easy to make, and last about a week in the fridge, so you can make them well ahead of time.

FAQ

More Pumpkin Recipes

What else can you make with pumpkin puree? Plenty! Here are just a few ideas:

• Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie
• Pumpkin Butter
• Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread
• Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan & Sage
• Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

Thanksgiving Recipes

Love making pies? Be sure to check out our classic blueberry pie!

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Originally published November 15, 2013. This post has been up dated with new content, images, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.