How to Decorate a Pumpkin Pie using Holiday Cookie Cutters

Let's Decorate a Pumpkin Pie!

We’re not sure about you, but we think there is something comforting about a slice of fresh pumpkin pie.

It’s a once-a-year treat that really tastes like the holidays, a spicy sweetness piled into a rich custard, synonymous with all the warm fuzzy feeling you’re likely to get this time of year.

Whipping up a pumpkin pie might seem a little basic, but there is an easy way to turn this classic dessert into a holiday showstopper!

We’re seeing all kinds of pie crust decorating techniques on social media and Pinterest lately, and one of our favorite looks is floating pie crust cutouts in the pumpkin custard. This technique can be a little tricky:

Add the cutouts too early, and they’ll sink into the custard; too late, and they won’t bake all the way through.

We’ve tested this a few times now and know to add the cutouts about halfway through baking when the custard filling is juuuust firm enough.

What shapes should we add to our pie?

We chose our festive star-shaped plungers and piled them on generously, giving it a layered look, but a couple of smaller leaf shapes or a big pumpkin cutout right in the center could be equally as charming.

Getting your kids to roll the dough and cut out shapes while the filling is being prepared is the perfect distraction and a productive one at that!

Pro tip: Sprinkle some Champagne Gold Tinker Dust on your pie right after baking to turn your “basic” pumpkin pie into a real knockout.

Paired with a hot cup of delicious Spiced Butter Coffee, you won’t be able to gobble it up fast enough!

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

One double pie crust (check out our favorite recipe, here!)

• 1 ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ honey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup water

To Make:

Preheat oven to 425 and place rack in the center of the oven. Roll out one half of the pie crust, line a 9-inch pie dish, and decoratively flute the edges. Place foil around the edges of the pie crust so it doesn’t burn in the oven. Set aside.

Whisk together pumpkin, sugar, honey, and eggs until well combined. Stir in salt & spices, then add the sweetened condensed milk & water. Stir everything together until completely combined. 

Open your oven, pull out the center rack, and place the empty pie crust with the foil edges on the rack. Carefully pour the filling into the crust, and push in the oven rack, being careful not to splash the filling. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350, baking 20 minutes more. 

Meanwhile, roll out your second crust and cut out your shapes, setting aside. After the pie has baked for 20 minutes, open the oven and jiggle the pie carefully. The pie should be slightly jiggly in the center but mostly firm, similar to a Jell-o consistency.

If the filling is splashing around, bake another 10 minutes and check again. Once the filling is mostly firm but not quite, pull out the pie and carefully lay your crust cutouts onto the custard with a spatula, making sure not to sink them. Bake the pie for 15 more minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 10-15.

Pie is ready when a toothpick pricked in the center comes out clean and the crust is a nice golden brown!