Black Bottom Pumpkin Custard Pie

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This black bottom pumpkin custard pie is the quintessential fall pie with a unique twist! Layered under the creamy pumpkin filling is a rich ganache!

pumpkin custard pie with whipped cream on wooden table

This black bottom pumpkin custard pie is what fall dreams are made of. And Thanksgiving would not be the same without the best pumpkin pie!

Imagine a buttery, flaky pie crust filled with rich chocolate ganache and a smooth pumpkin custard filling, and to top it all off add homemade whipped cream and cute pie crust leaf cutouts! It's the most delicious (and practical!) make-ahead pumpkin pie. Don't forget to top it with homemade whipped cream & a sprinkling of cinnamon!

For more pie recipes, try Turtle Pecan Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Balsamic Molasses Pear Galette, and Maple Pumpkin Hand Pies.

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Why you'll love this pumpkin custard pie
Ingredient Notes
Kitchen Equipment
Step by Step Instructions
Expert Baking Tips
FAQ
Make Ahead Tips
Storage Tips
Baking in Grams
Other pie recipes you'll love
📖 Recipe

Why you'll love this pumpkin custard pie

Smooth, Creamy Pumpkin Filling: A custardy, melt-in-your-mouth filling PACKED with pumpkin flavor. SO good.
Rich Chocolate Ganache Layer: The bottom ganache layer adds a beautiful contrast in flavor to balance out this pumpkin pie. And I mean how can you say no to chocolate?!
Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust: My go-to all butter pie dough that creates an ultra flaky, tender crust that's perfect with any pie filling.

side view of pumpkin custard pie with whipped cream

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you'll find notes on why I chose certain ingredients, as well as ingredient substitutions.

ingredients for pie crust — For the pie crust

ingredients for ganache — For the chocolate ganache

ingredients for pumpkin custard filling — For the pumpkin custard filling

ingredients for whipped cream — For the whipped cream

Chocolate: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache.
Heavy Cream: You'll need heavy cream for both the ganache and the custard.
Butter: Add a small amount of butter to the ganache to ensure it stays silky smooth.
Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Add pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger to the custard filling.
Eggs: Be sure to use room temperature eggs and do not over-mix the batter after you add them.

Kitchen Equipment

Kitchen Scale
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Plastic Wrap
Rolling Pin
9" pie dish
Baking Sheet
Pie Weights

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1: Make the pie dough. A day or two before, make the pie dough and chill overnight. For more detailed step by step instructions, see this 3 Ingredient Pie Crust Recipe.

STEP 2: Par bake the pie dough. Roll the pie dough out to ⅛" in thickness and place in the pie dish. Chill for 15 minutes, then crimp the dough as desired.

crimped and docked pie dough in pie dish — STEP 3

Pie crust lined with parchment paper and filled with pie weights — STEP 4

STEP 3: Par bake the pie dough. Dock the pie dough on the bottom and along the sides with the tines of a fork. Chill for another 15 minutes.

STEP 4: Par bake the pie dough: Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights to ensure it doesn't shrink in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes, then remove the pie weights & brush with an egg wash, and bake for another 3-5 minutes.

STEP 5: Allow crust to cool. Allow the par baked pie crust to cool completely before adding the ganache and pumpkin custard filling.

STEP 6: Make the ganache. In a small bowl, heat the heavy cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add in the chocolate and butter and stir until full combined and smooth.

pumpkin custard filling in mixing bowl — STEP 7

ganache spread in par baked pie crust — STEP 8

STEP 7: Make the pumpkin custard filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla. Do not over-mix! Whisk in the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until fully combined.

STEP 8: Assemble the pie. Pour the chocolate ganache in the cooled par-baked pie crust and spread into an even layer.

pumpkin pie filling added to par baked pie crust — STEP 9

baked pumpkin custard pie topped with whipped cream — STEP 10

STEP 9: Assemble the pie & bake. Gently pour the pumpkin custard filling on top of the ganache. Wrap aluminum foil around the pie crust edges to prevent them from burning. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes or until set on the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. Turn the oven off, crack the oven door open, and leave the pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Take the pie out and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Place in the fridge uncovered and chill overnight.

STEP 10: Top with whipped cream & serve. Just before serving the pie, make the homemade whipped cream. Add it to the center of the pie or individual slices, and sprinkle with cinnamon and pie crust leaf cutouts. Enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

I recommend making this pie over two days. Make the pie dough the first day. The second day, par-bake the crust, make the fillings, and bake the whole pie. Chill it overnight and serve the next day.
For more detailed step by step instructions on how to make homemade pie dough, see this post.
If you have vodka on hand, you can add a tablespoon or two to the pie dough before the water. You'll end up adding less water, so still pay close attention to the hydration level. Vodka does not develop the gluten as much, which makes it perfect for hydrating pie dough and creating a super tender pie crust!
The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Hold off on making the whipped cream until right before serving the pie.

pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream on wooden table

FAQ

How to prevent cracks in a custard pie:

The key to preventing cracks in a pumpkin custard pie is to bake at a low temperature (325 degrees F) for a long time (about one hour). After baking, you want to avoid dramatic temperature changes, so you need gradually cool the pie down. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave the pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, take the pie out and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and chill overnight. The next day your pie will be ready to serve with zero cracks!

Pumpkin pie filling vs pumpkin puree:

Pumpkin puree is pure pumpkin and the only type of canned pumpkin you should be baking with! Canned pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and other ingredients.

How to prevent a soggy pie crust:

My three tricks to preventing a soggy pie crust:
1. Bake at a high temperature - 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
2. Preheat the oven with a metal baking sheet in it
3. Use a metal pie pan and bake the pie directly on the hot baking sheet

Read all of my tips for making the best ultra flaky pie crust in this Homemade All Butter Pie Crust recipe.

How to make pie crust leaf cutouts:

Either use pie dough scraps or make a quarter of this pie dough recipe. Freeze the cutout leaves for at least 15 minutes, then brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes.

pumpkin custard pie in white pie dish cut into individual slices

Make Ahead Tips

You can make the pie dough up to 3 days ahead of time stored in the fridge or up to 3 months ahead of time if stored in the freezer. If it's stored in the freezer, be sure to thaw it out in the fridge overnight before using.

The day the pie is assembled, it must be baked! I highly recommend baking it the day before serving, as it needs a few hours to cool and set. This gives the filling enough time to set so you can get clean cut pie slices!

Storage Tips

Store leftover pie slices in the fridge for 2-3 days.

slice of black bottom pumpkin custard pie on plate

Baking in Grams

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed to create incredibly delicious baked goods that you can easily recreate in your own kitchen with success. The only way this is possible is to standardize the way ingredients are measured - by weight. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), I can ensure that you can make the recipe accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x

slice of pumpkin pie turned on its side in pie dish

Other pie recipes you'll love

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