An Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe To Sink Your Teeth Into

On Thanksgiving, there's no reason not to go the simple route with a super easy pumpkin pie recipe. I mean, I guess you could get fancy and make pumpkin creme brûlée, pumpkin mousse, or forego pumpkin desserts all together in favor of chocolate — but why would you do that? Save those baking experiments for another night! This pumpkin pie recipe features a rich pumpkin filling, and a gingersnap cookie crust. Not only is it one of the simpler feats you'll pull off this Thanksgiving, it's also one of the most delicious.

Let's start with the crust. The reason this pie is so easy to make is because you aren't preparing pie dough. It takes a certain level of comfortability in the kitchen in order to create a flaky and light crust, but with this recipe, you can skip all that. If this is your first time making a pie from scratch, skip the traditional pie dough, and opt for a gingersnap cookie crust that's easy to make for novices in the kitchen. The brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon complements the pumpkin, as does the nutmeg and vanilla. However, if you're aching for a traditional pie dough, you can always pick up a pre-made refrigerated pie crust at your supermarket.

This pumpkin pie is simple and quick to make if you're hosting Thanksgiving, and the perfect potluck dish to make if you're a guest. This is the year you up your dessert game, and not buy a pumpkin pie out of a plastic container or a box in your grocer's freezer. Let's bring back the homemade pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Pie

Serves six

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 6 ounces of gingersnap cookies
• 4 tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of brown sugar (light or dark)
• 2 cups of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) from a 15-ounce can
• 2/3 cup of half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, crumble the gingersnap cookies until they resemble crumbs. If you don't have a food processor or blender, put the cookies in a large plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin or large metal can.

Combine the crumbs with the melted butter, flour, and salt.

Pour the crust into a nine-inch pie plate, and press the crumbs gently onto the bottom and sides of the pan, covering the pie plate evenly. Allow it to set in the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, and let the crust cool for at least 15 minutes before filling.

For the filling, whisk the eggs and brown sugar together in a large bowl until combined.

Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust, and bake between 50 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the pie cool completely for about two or three hours before serving.

For more pumpkin ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: Taylor Henriquez (11)