Easy Ginger Citrus Pumpkin Pie features the warm spice notes of ginger, cinnamon and orange zest in a delicate cream cheese pie crust. This pie, along with my recipe for Perfect Salted Mixed Nut Pie are holiday staples at our house around the holidays.
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This recipe for Easy Ginger Citrus Pumpkin Pie is a variation of my mother-in-law’s pumpkin pie recipe.
I’ve substituted maple syrup and brown sugar for the sweeteners and brought the ginger flavor forward by adding ginger paste for a little added warmth. And I’ve also adjusted the temperature and process to accommodate the cream cheese pastry that is highlighted below.
The original recipe called for baking the pie at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 350 degrees to finish the pie. This works well for other pie dough, but because this one is so delicate, we needed to adjust the temperature. Otherwise, the higher temperature would cause the fat to run out of the dough and the crust to burn.
Heating both the oven and a baking tray or stone to 425 degrees before dropping the temperature ensures the bottom of the crust is cooked completely. It also gives the pie filling the extra temperature boost it needs to set up properly. However, 350 degrees is gentle enough to ensure the pie doesn’t over-bake or crack.
In terms of how to attain a pretty decorative crust, check out this short video on how to Pinch Your Way to a Perfect Pie Crust every time. It’s so easy! All you do is pinch. Check it out!
Three pie tins for three daughters
I was visiting my mom recently, when she pulled out three old pie pans from her cupboard to show me. They were dark from years of use and had tiny holes in the bottom. Presumably, the holes were there to allow steam to escape during baking.
They were also very old. She explained that they had been my grandmother’s pie pans. How my mom came to have them, she didn’t recall, but there they were. Two 8″ pie pans and one 6″ pan. One for each of her daughters.
These pans may be well over 80 years old. My grandparents died when my mother was very young, so I don’t know much about them. But as I look at the scratches and patina on these pans, I like to think my grandmother was a great baker. Someone who made fabulous pies and enjoyed sharing them. Someone I could have spent an afternoon with sipping coffee and going through her recipe box. And I am so thankful that my mother has shared them with me for the purpose of featuring them in this post.
Prevent your Easy Ginger Citrus Pumpkin Pie from cracking or shrinking
Because this Easy Ginger Citrus Pumpkin Pie filling tends to be thin, it’s hard to trust it will ever set up during the baking and cooling process. But don’t be tempted to over-bake your pie. Trust the process.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but remove the pie from the oven when it is no longer wet to the touch in the center. The pie will still have a slight jiggle to it, but it will firm up as it cools.
An over-baked pumpkin pie will sink and shrink away from the crust. The filling may even crack on top and the texture may curdle. These are all signs that your pie has been over-baked.
Another reason pumpkin pies may shrink or crack is that they are not cooled properly. It’s important to allow the pie to cool down to room temperature. This allows the baking process to gently finish and the pie to develop its signature creamy texture. So, don’t be tempted to place it in the refrigerator to cool faster. Let time work its magic. And once the pie is completely cooled, you can store it in the refrigerator.
Easy Ginger Citrus Pumpkin Pie
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate8
servings30
minutes50
minutesWarm notes of ginger grace this holiday classic.
Ingredients
- For the Crust
2 2/3 cup A.P. Flour
1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 sticks plus another 3/4 stick of butter, cold
8 oz. cream cheese, cold
- For the pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (from scratch or canned is fine, too)
12 oz. Evaporated Milk
Directions
- For the crust
- Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into 1/4 inch cubes. Place in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl or food processor, blend the flour, salt and lemon zest briefly to get rid of any lumps.
- Add the butter and cream cheese to the flour mixture and blend on low until the dough just comes together.
- Divide dough into two equal disks. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 4 hours. The dough can be prepared up to two days in advance.
- Rolling out the pie crust
- Generously dust your work area with A.P. Flour
- Roll one disk of dough out to a little less than 1/4 inch thickness, making sure to check the bottom of the dough. You don’t want it to stick.
- Using a 9″ pie pan, trim the dough so you have 1/2 inch overlap all around the pie tin. Fold and tuck the ends of the circle under and crimp your crust.
- Brush to top of the crust with egg wash and place the unbaked pie shell back in the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to bake. This step can be done one day ahead.
- For the pie filling
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, salt and spices.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking into the pumpkin mixture.
- Whisk in the evaporated milk.
- Baking the pie
- Place a baking stone or sheet pan in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. while the stone or pan is in the oven. You want them hot before you add the pie to the oven to bake.
- Once the oven is heated, immediately drop the temperature down to 350 degrees F.
- Working quickly, place the prepared pie crust on the stone or sheet pan and pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 – 55 minutes. The pie is ready when the center is just set. Remove from heat, transfer to a wire rack to cool until it reaches room temperature.
- Once cooled, store in the refrigerator.
- Garnish with whipped cream, crushed pecans and candied ginger if desired (as pictured).
Notes
- What can I do with the second round of pie dough? Double your pumpkin pie filling recipe to make two pumpkin pies. Or, you can make a nice pecan pie with this dough for a little variety.
- This dough also freezes well for up to month, so you can save it for a future pie.
