Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie!
By Kath Dedon
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I developed this Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie years ago and it has since been one of my family’s favorite desserts, especially at Thanksgiving!
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Pumpkin pie had always seemed too bland to me until I increased the spices. I use more cinnamon and ginger than most recipes call for, making it much more interesting. (If your spices are old, they will not be as flavorful. Now is a good time to go to a store that sells bulk herbs and spices to get ready for your holiday baking. Buying spices in bulk is astonishingly economical.)
The pie is sweetened with honey and pure maple syrup; they complement the flavor of the pumpkin without being overpowering. Maple syrup is a bit expensive; you can skip the maple syrup and just use ¾ cup of honey, if you prefer. It will still be fantastic!
So, what are the 5 top reasons you should make this Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving?
— 5. It is one of the easiest pies of all to make.
— 4. It is so much better than a store-bought pie.
— 3. It can be made the day before. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate after it has cooled.
— 2. You can feel good about the wholesome ingredients you have used.
and the #1 reason? — You will be a super-hero for serving (or bringing) such a fabulous Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie!
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Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
I use my largest 9½-inch pie plate because the recipe makes a lot of filling.
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Serves 8 – 10
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Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk (Not sweetened condensed, and for bests results use regular evaporated milk, not low fat or fat free)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup honey
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3 eggs
I have found that best results come from using regular evaporated milk, not low fat as is shown in the photo.
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1. Place a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375˚.
2. Make the single crust recipe of Easy Pie Crust (or pastry of your choice)
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Rolling out the pastry with my new French rolling pin. Love it!
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3. Stir the pumpkin and evaporated milk together in a large bowl.
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4. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Stir to blend well.
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Blended pumpkin, milk, and spices:
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5. Stir in the honey and maple syrup.
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6. Lightly beat the eggs until they are just blended.
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7. Stir the eggs into the pumpkin mixture. Don’t over-beat. Just stir until it’s all blended.
8. Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared pie crust.
9. Put the pie on the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted off-center comes out clean.
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Knife came out clean:
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10. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill to store.
In the kitchen with Kath 
I love the idea of using maple syrup! I made a pumpkin pie with molasses a a couple of years ago that had a great flavour to it, but it still called for quite a bit of white sugar. This sounds like a wonderful substitute.
Thanks, Lynn! You won’t miss the sugar with this recipe.
That sounds delicious!! And maple syrup would be a great flavorful addition!!
The maple syrup does add a nice subtle taste, especially if you use grade B which is the darker and more flavorful maple syrup. The pie is just as good, though, made with 3/4 cup of honey if you don’t have maple syrup. Thanks for your comment! 🙂
hey this sounds delicious… will certainly make an attempt to make it … would you not like to enter this into ‘THE 30 BEST RECIPES OF 2010’ been run on our blog. have a look. warm regards susan
http://chackoskitchen.com/2010/09/the-30-best-recipes-of-2010/
Thanks, Susan! I’m flattered that you think it qualifies for your 30 Best Recipes of 2010! It has been a favorite in our family for many years.
I can imagine that the honey and maple add an earthy sweetness instead of a cloying sugariness! GREG
Exactly right, Greg!
So I make quite a few decadent desserts, but when it comes down to what I really love the most…it is recipes like this. Sweetened by nature and made with care. Thank you for sharing. I hope your week is full of hope and joy.
Thanks so much for your comment, Monet! I hope you have a fabulous week, too.
Can’t wait to eat this at Thanksgiving!
Me, too! [Although I got a preview. 🙂 ]
What a treat! You’re pie really looks delicious and I love the changes you’ve made toa classic recipe. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Thank you, Mary!
Your pie sounds and looks amazing. I think adding a bit more spice to a pie makes all the difference. And I have to agree this pie beats any ole store bought ones! thank you for stopping by my site and voting. It means so much to me. I’m truly grateful! (=
Thanks, Lisa!
P.S. I really enjoyed your video! Hope you make to to the next round!
this was a HIT at the Small family Thanksgiving!
I’m so glad, Carrie! I know you made a fabulous pie! 😉
It was a hit at the Oxford thanksgiving, too! As was the pecan pie 🙂
Made your pie to rave reviews! The spicy maple blended to make a flavorful pie that is not too pumpkiny but has great flavors of the season and looked gorgeous on the table!
Thanks!
Ellen
I’m so glad you liked it, Ellen! It’s been a favorite in our family for years.
I’ve made a honey sweetened pumpkin pie for years. I never thought to add maple syrup to pumpkin pie before seeing your blog. Wonderful! I also found grinding whole spices in a coffee grinder kicks up the spices a notch. (The coffee grinder is used only for grinding spices) Made a fabulous pie! Thank you!
I love your idea of grinding whole spices for pumpkin pie, Joanne. I also use a coffee grinder just for spices but I use it for Indian recipes. I never thought about doing it for pumpkin pie! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Made for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Made it without a crust. Greased a casserole dish and baked it a bit longer because it was so thick. Husband and three boys ages 6, 4, & 1 polished it off. 🙂
Great idea, Elizabeth! I may have to try that sometime. Without the crust, it’s almost healthy enough for breakfast! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
I just started looking for recipes with unrefined sweeteners. This sounds great. Thanks. I grow my own pumpkins too.
My family has enjoyed this for many years; I think you’ll like it. I bet it will be great with your homegrown pumpkins!
I made this this past weekend as a special pre-Thanksgiving treat to myself and loved it. The maple syrup gives the pie that extra flavor, and you’re right–you don’t miss the sugar! I’m going to make one for my parents next. Thanks to Carrie for directing me to your recipe (we work together at SAM). Happy Thanksgiving!! 🙂
I am so glad to hear that you like it, Jenae! Thanks so much for your comment, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your parents.