Crock Pot Crustless Pumpkin Pie - Recipes That Crock! (2024)

FAQs

When making pumpkin pie Why is it important to let the filling sit overnight before baking? ›

For better pumpkin pie, refrigerate the filling overnight

Any “sharp edges” disappear, and you're left with a smooth meld of complementary flavors.

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

Do not defrost the pie crust. We are going to make the pumpkin filling and pour it right into the frozen crust.

According to the experts at Libby's Pumpkin, if you bake the pie too close to the oven's top heating element, the filling can "skin" and crack as it bakes. This can also cause the filling to settle while cooling and pull away from the crust.

Too many pumpkin pies have soggy crusts that never fully brown. To avoid this, recipes often call for blind baking your crust. That is, baking the empty crust before the filling is added. This gives the crust time to firm up and brown, time it typically doesn't get if the faster cooking filling is added first.

Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead dessert to cross off your Thanksgiving to-do list. You can prepare and bake the pie up to two days in advance, and it will still taste great on the big day. Just make sure you store the pie in the refrigerator—not on the kitchen counter—until you are ready to serve it.

Pumpkin pie mix can be used as a substitute for pure canned pumpkin in some recipes. However, since it is already sweetened and flavored, you'll need to make some adjustments. In most dessert recipes, leave out the pumpkin pie spice and cut down on the sugar since the pumpkin pie mix includes it.

Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

In this taste test, our Test Kitchen pros found that the biggest name in the pumpkin game does, in fact, make the best canned pumpkin on the market. Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin is a favorite among our culinary crew.

Pumpkin Puree Taste Comparison:

Fresh: Squashy/pumpkiny, subtle almost herbaceous flavor. Regular Canned: Deep, slightly intense unique flavor. Organic Canned: More similar to the fresh stuff than the regular canned, but with more flavor than homemade.

Often, blind-baking solves this problem. If you're making a single crust custard-filled pie, like a pumpkin pie, bake the pie dough first before adding filling to allow some of the moisture in the crust to evaporate. You can also totally blind-bake fruit pies.

Should I Prebake my frozen pie crust? ›

Pre-baking is a must if you're looking for a flaky pie crust. It's especially helpful for recipes with a wet center. Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy.

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

While a wobbly, runny pie is a telltale sign that a pumpkin pie is undercooked, an overcooked pumpkin pie is a bit harder to spot. When you've overcooked a pumpkin pie, you may see: The filling separating from the crust. The filling has visible cracks.

Solution if it's too late: If the pie hasn't been out of the oven for too long, you can put it back in the oven. Cover the pie with foil and bake it at 425°F, checking after 15 minutes.

The Importance of Chilling Your Pie Dough

After you make your pie dough, you should let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or better, 12 to 24 hours, before you roll it out.

Fill pie: Bring filling to room temp, do not use fridge cold. (Note 9) Fill pie with filling (use it all, pack it in a level surface or have slight mound). Puff pastry lid: Partially thaw puff pastry (do not cut). Brush lip of pie crust base with egg, then top with puff pastry sheet.

Cooling is crucial for thickeners like flour, cornstarch, and even the natural pectin found in the fruit to work their magic. The thickeners were activated in the oven, but the pie filling gels further with cooling.

If you notice liquid on the top of your pie while it's still in the oven or still hot, then it has been overbaked. Just as above, the proteins in the custard have toughened too much, squeezing out the liquid from the filling. If you notice that the pie is dewy when you remove it from the fridge, it's just condensation.