This pumpkin pie with meringue is the best addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. With a buttery and flaky pie crust, to a sweet and creamy pumpkin filling, topped with a luscious and fluffy toasted meringue, you will not be able to stop at one slice.

Why you will love this pumpkin pie with meringue

I have made this pie recipe the last few years for Thanksgiving and it is always a crowd favorite.

  1. The pumpkin filling. Ah the pumpkin filling! This pumpkin filling is smooth, creamy, and perfectly sweet. Sometimes the filling can have a weird texture, but if made with good quality pumpkin puree, you will have a luscious and delectable filling.
  2. The flaky pie dough. My favorite part of the pie! A flaky and buttery pie crust is key to the perfect pie. I use my best pie crust recipe for this.
  3. The toasted meringue. If my pumpkin pie doesn’t have a fluffy meringue with stiff peaks on top, I don’t want it. Just kidding! But in all seriousness, I prefer a topping of meringue on my pumpkin pie over a whipped cream. Both are good, but there is something about a toasted meringue that just brings this dessert to the next level.

Key ingredients

  • Best ever pie crust: ingredients for my best ever pie crust include all purpose flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, and ice water.
  • Pumpkin puree: make sure to use good quality pumpkin puree to ensure a smooth filling.
  • Sweetened condensed milk: one can of sweetened condensed milk is just the right amount to sweeten up the filling. It also makes the texture super creamy.
  • Eggs: eggs are needed to set the filling. It also gives the filling a rich, luscious texture. We also need egg whites for the meringue.
  • Spices: spices include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
  • Granulated sugar: granulated sugar is used to sweeten the meringue.
  • Cream of tartar: cream of tartar is used to stabilize the egg whites – this helps provide those characteristic high peaks in meringue.

Steps

  1. Make the pie crust. Make the pie crust according to my best ever pie crust instructions.
  2. Pre-bake the pie crust. Pre-bake the pie crust with pie weights for 10 minutes, then by itself for another 8-10 minutes.
  3. Make the filling. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Pour into the warm, pre-baked crust and bake for another 40-50 minutes. The center will be slightly wobbly when the pie is finished.
  4. Let the pie set. Leave the pie at room temperature to set for 2-3 hours.
  5. Make the meringue. Whip the meringue until you have fluffy, luscious stiff peaks. Once the pie is completely cool, top with the meringue. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue until golden.
  6. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pumpkin pie baking tips

Make sure the pie crust fats are cold.

It is important that the butter and shortening are both ice cold when added to the pie dough. The key to a flaky dough is the pockets of butter and shortening, so it is imperative that they do not melt.

Pre bake the pie crust.

This step is imperative otherwise you will have a soggy, underbaked pie dough.

Use good quality pumpkin puree.

Not all pumpkin puree is created equal. Make sure to use a good quality pumpkin puree – I like Libby’s brand! This will help ensure you have a smooth filling.

Wipe down your mixer before whipping the meringue.

A common reason why a meringue won’t form those beautiful stiff peaks is most likely because grease or fat got into the meringue mixture. Any fat from grease residue left on the bowl you are using can prevent stiff peaks from forming. Additionally, make sure none of the egg yolk gets into your mixture.

Don’t over bake.

Pumpkin pie is very easy to over bake. You want the center to still be wobbly when you remove the pie from the oven as it will set as it cools. You know your pie is over baked when the center no longer jiggles.

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

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Yield: 1 9 inch pie

Pumpkin Pie with Meringue

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Pie Dough: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Author: Jess Italiano
This pumpkin pie is the best addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. With a buttery and flaky pie crust, to a sweet and creamy pumpkin filling, topped with a luscious and fluffy toasted meringue, you will not be able to stop at one slice.
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Ingredients
 

  • Homemade pie crust
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

Instructions
 

Pie crust

  • Prepare the pie crust through step 8 of the linked pie crust recipe.
  • Once the edges are crimped, place the pie in the fridge while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You want the fats to be cold when the pie begins to bake.
  • Once the oven is preheated, remove your pie dish from the fridge and place a piece of parchment paper/wax paper on top of the dough followed by pie weights (or rice/dried beans). The pie weights allow you to pre-bake your crust without the center puffing up. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pie dish from the oven and carefully remove the paper/pie weights.
  • Prick holes with a fork all along the bottom of the pie dough (this will give air a place to escape) and bake the crust by itself again for another 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven. This step is important, otherwise you will have an underbaked pie dough.
  • If the bottom of the pie rises with air, don’t panic. When you remove it from the oven, gently create more holes with a fork while also pressing down the pie dough. The air will escape and you will be good to go. 

Filling

  • While the crust is pre-baking, make the filling. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
  • Pour the filling into the warm, pre-baked crust. Bake the pie with the filling for another 40-50 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and the center of the pie will still be a little wobbly. It will set as it cools. Let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Meringue

  • Fill a sauce pan with about two inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. 
  • Separate the yolks from the egg whites and make sure none of the yolk gets into your egg white mixture. Any fat can prevent your meringue from setting up and getting those stiff peaks.
  • In a heat proof bowl, place the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla extract. Place the bowl on the sauce pan over the simmering water but do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water. If you think there is too much water, pour a little out. You can also use a double boiler if you have one.
  • Continuously whisk while the mixture heats up. It will start out thick but will thin out as you keep on whisking. Whisk for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is thin and frothy on top. If you have a thermometer, it should be around 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Remove from the heat. Using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (preferred method), beat on high speed for 5-6 minutes until luscious, puffy, stiff peaks form.
  • Once the pie is completely cool, top the pie with the meringue. If you have a kitchen torch, I highly suggest toasting the meringue once it is on the pie. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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