"What do you want me to do?" I asked, apprehensively. "Just stir it and turn it down when it's ready" he said, his head popping back around the door frame, looking somewhat confused by my reaction. "Okay, so when do I flip this?" I countered. I was really concerned this whole thing was not going to end well. Standing in the kitchen of my new boyfriend's apartment, less than a month into the relationship, he had started lunch for us, gone off to do something and asked me to keep an eye on it.

My fear that I'd ruin it was not unfounded. I wasn't always a good cook. And I had burnt simpler meals (i.e. frozen Mc Cain mini pizzas). Burning lunch was not exactly one of the first impressions I wanted to make. I've come along way since then and this Easy Pumpkin Pie (with canned pumpkin) was one of the first things I successfully baked. I have always loved to bake, but cooking was a different matter all together...
Jump to:
It's not that I felt some need to show him I could cook so he'd think I was good marriage material. I was 19 years old and had no interest in conforming to gender stereotypes. But that wasn't the point; I didn't want to be so useless in my life that I couldn't even make tomato soup and grilled cheese without burning them.
Although I loved to bake from a very young age, I really didn't have a lot of interest in cooking. To me, cooking was something you did because you had to eat, but baking... well, baking was just plain magical. The transformation that occurred between counter top and cooling rack was mysterious and metamorphic. And this pumpkin pie recipe was no exception. In the warm cocoon of the oven, pumpkin, flour and a few other simple ingredients underwent a miraculous transformation that resulted in the creation of this silky, gloriously delicious pie.

I have been baking and eating this pumpkin pie since I could eat and bake. And it was one of the first solid foods I fed both my kids. My Mom made it for almost every holiday dessert when we were young and it was something we looked forward to at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is still one of my favorite things to bake and eat.
I especially love this recipe because It is truly the best pumpkin pie filling I have ever had and I got it out of my very first cookbook ("A Guide to Good Cooking" - The Five Roses cookbook). First published over 100 years ago, it still houses many of my "go to" recipes, including this one. As you can see, the book has been well-loved over the years.
🥘 Ingredients
- canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) * you can also use real pumpkin
- flour
- salt
- ginger
- nutmeg
- cinnamon
- brown sugar
- maple syrup *I used no sugar added maple syrup
- milk
- egg
- unbaked pie shell

🥫Canned Pumpkin Pie Filling
With Easter just days away, I thought about making something different this year, but I just couldn't think of anything that would rival my canned pumpkin pie (especially in terms of simplicity.) I have tried to mix it up and made other Easter desserts in the past, but it wasn't satisfying. So I always return to this tried recipe! Using canned pumpkin in your pie filling makes it so much easier, although it's still a scratch pie and is so easy to make!
And you're going to want to try my EASY Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing with this pie! Because it's stabilized with piping gel, it's easy to make, and you can make it in advance because it holds its shape for longer. You simply substitute white granulated sugar for the powdered sugar, if you prefer.

🎥 Video
You will need scalded milk for this recipe. If you're not sure how to scald milk, then check out this video: How to scald milk

💭How to tell when pumpkin pie is done
You can insert a knife into the centre and when it comes out clean, it's done. But the very BEST way to make sure it's done is by taking it's temperature. Bake until the internal temperature hits 175 degrees. I use this instant read thermometer- (affiliate link) it's great for everything food related!)
Thankfully, I managed to keep the soup and sandwich from burning that fateful lunch date nearly 30 years ago. And perhaps that was what gave me enough confidence in my culinary skills and the inspiration to keep going, because I started to venture into the cooking realm around that time. And my Five Roses cookbook, full of simple, basic recipes, served me well during that period. A little more than 2 months after that lunch, I made my then boyfriend/now husband my very first meal where I cooked more than one thing on the stove at a time; deviled eggs and Kraft dinner with hamburger. Don't ask. I guess, since those were the only two non - baking things I knew how to make at the time, cooking them together made sense. Still, I was pretty proud.
Years later, the 'grilled cheese and tomato soup' incident is still something my husband and I laugh about when we're reminiscing about the good ol' days, as well as the unfortunate pairing of deviled eggs and Kraft dinner. Fortunately for him, my cooking and meal planning skills have evolved in the decades since those meals. And credit to him for much of that - he was able to teach me a thing or two about cooking and encourage me along the way. Fortunately for me, he's a great cook. Luckily for both of us, we both turned out to be pretty good marriage material!
So, if you're looking for a very easy pumpkin pie filling that tastes amazing, then give this Prize Pumpkin Pie a try!
⭐ REVIEWS
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📋Easy Pumpkin Pie Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup *I used no sugar added maple syrup
- 1 cup scalded milk *See video in notes on "how to scald milk"
- 2 eggs well, beaten
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin canned or fresh
- 1 10 inch unbaked pie shell
Optional Garnish (adding whipped cream will increase the calories and fat per serving size)
- whipped cream
- cinnamon sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C. Mix all ingredients together, except whipped cream.
- Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F/160 degrees C and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until filling is firm. *See NOTES
- Cool before serving. If desired, serve with whipped cream.
Notes

Nutrition
🦃More Thanksgiving Recipes!
Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Whipped Cream
Gluten-free Sausage & Apple Rice: An Easy Thanksgiving side recipe
Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Sue
Love how you added the instructions for scalding milk. So helpful!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sue. Glad it's helpful! You don't see it in baking recipes very much anymore, so I don't know that many people know what it is, much less how to do it! 🙂
Fouzia
Very simple and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Terri Gilson
Thank you!
Denise @UrbnSpice
I am intrigued by the addition of flour in the pumpkin pie filling - I must try this recipe. I loved seeing that old cookbook - I can see that it is well loved. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Denise-I'd love to hear your feedback!
Edith
Love this pie!
Terri Gilson
Thank you!
Paul Clark
But you use canned pumkin and not canned pumkin pie filling.
Terri Gilson
Hi Paul - Yes I do. Canned pumpkin is straight pumpkin, while canned pumpkin pie filling has additional ingredients.
Paul Clark
Brown sugar has a carmel flavour while maple syrup has a maple flavour so by replacing the brown sugar with maple syrup you will be getting a different taste than what the original recipe would taste like as well as making it runny which would mean having to cook it longer to get rid of the extra liquid.
Terri Gilson
Hi Paul - the recipe works! I've made it like this for years.
sandra ferguson
what is a serving size i am diabetic on an insulin pump
Terri Gilson
Hi Sandra,
I use a 9 inch pie plate and it’s divided into 8 slices. Is there more specific info you need?
Thanks!
Terri