About This Perfectly Smooth And Tangy Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Looking for a fun twist on classic pumpkin pie? Try this perfectly smooth and tangy cream cheese pumpkin pie recipe!
The pumpkin pie filling contains cream cheese, which gives the pie a slightly tangy flavor and smooth and creamy texture—just like New York-style cheesecake!
The filling is poured into a pre-baked pie crust, which makes an extra crispy crust that doesn’t get soggy under the filling. The recipe makes enough pumpkin pie filling to fill 2 shallow store-bought pie crusts, or 1 extra deep-dish homemade pie crust.
@hummingbirdhigh for those who think pumpkin pie should be more like cheesecake #baking #recipes ♬ Pumpkin – Fred Paci & Nobel
For a more traditional pumpkin pie recipe, check out my take on the classic Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe (with methods to make the filling extra creamy and the crust extra crispy). And be sure to check out Hummingbird High‘s recipe archive for my full collection of pie recipes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Let’s talk about some key ingredients in this recipe and their potential substitutions:
Pie Crust
You need two 9-inch store-bought frozen pie crust OR 1 store-bought or homemade pie crust for a deep-dish pie pan to make this cream cheese pumpkin pie.
Deep-Dish Frozen Pie Crust versus Regular Frozen Pie Crust
Deep-dish pie crusts ideally hold around 4 cups of volume and around 2 to 2 ½ inches deep. In contrast, regular pie crusts hold around 2 to 2 ½ cups of volume and are around 1 to 1 ½ inches deep. Store-bought pie crusts will typically specify whether or not they are “deep-dish” (but more on that shortly—not all store-bought pie crusts are created equal!). If the label doesn’t say anything, assume it’s a regular pie crust!
The Best Kind of Store-Bought Frozen Pie Crust for Pumpkin Pie
I mentioned earlier that not all store-bought pie crusts are created equal. There’s a shockingly large variety of store-bought pie crust available. But in general, there are two kinds of store-bought frozen pie crust: the kind that comes in a sheet that you roll and shape onto your own pie pan, and the kind that already comes molded onto a disposable pie pan. To make your life easier, I recommend the latter kind that is already in the pan.
And again, if you only want to bake 1 pumpkin pie, find a store-bought frozen pie crust that labels itself “deep-dish” and can hold at least 4 cups of filling. But let me warn you now—some deep-dish pie crusts are LIARS! When I tried to make this with the generic “deep-dish” pie crust my supermarket sold, it wasn’t able to hold the filling. So stick with a trusted brand like Marie Callendar’s Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells and Pillsbury Deep Dish Frozen Pie Crusts.
Can I use homemade pie crust instead?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, if you have the time, I recommend doing so instead. I have a great recipe for an all-butter pie dough available in my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. You can see a version of the recipe online in my post on how to make this 15-Minute Stand Mixer Pie Crust Recipe.
Making The Recipe (With Photos!)
How To Store The Pumpkin Pie
The pie can be kept at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for 1 day. After that, cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 more days.
Does cream cheese pumpkin pie need to be refrigerated?
Yes, with reservations. You can leave the pumpkin pie at room temperature for up to 1 day… if you haven’t topped it with any dairy garnishes like ice cream or whipped cream. However, if you have, definitely refrigerate it!
Can you freeze cream cheese pumpkin pie?
Yes!
Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack completely. Once it’s cool, stick the entire thing—pie pan and all—in the freezer. At this point, leave it uncovered. You’re freezing it to get the filling solid for wrapping later. Freeze for 2 to 4 hours, until the pie filling is completely solid. Then, wrap the entire thing in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Doing so ensures that the pumpkin pie doesn’t absorb any flavors or odors from other goods in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Serve slightly chilled, or rewarm individual slices in the microwave.
Best Recipe Tips
Tip About Baking Equipment For The Recipe
- No pie weights? No problem! You can use other pantry items like beans, rice, and even granulated sugar in their place. And if you don’t want to waste food, you can also use household items like coins from your loose change jar! I promise the coins won’t melt in the oven—it takes a LOT of heat to melt metal.
Best Technique Tip
- For the best pie crust, only brush the bottom and sides of the pie crust with egg wash. Avoid brushing the pie crust crimp. Doing so will cause it to overly brown and burn before the filling is done cooking! So don’t worry if you have leftover egg wash—this is normal.
Get the Recipe:
Perfectly Smooth and Tangy Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie
Servings: 2 (9-inch) pies
The cream cheese in this cream cheese pumpkin pie recipe makes the filling extra smooth and tangy, just like New York cheesecake! Grab the recipe in the post, along with tips, tricks, and process photos on how to make it.
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For The Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Filling
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First, prebake the pie crust. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. If baking two crusts, line two half sheet pan with parchment paper. If baking one crust, line one half sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Prep the pie crusts. Place a frozen crust, still in its plate, in the center of one of the pans. Cover the crust with foil, making sure the crimped edges are completely covered and that there are no gaps between the foil and the crust. Fill with pie weights and spread them out so they are more concentrated around the edges of the crust.If baking two crusts, repeat with the second crust.
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Prebake the crusts. Bake for 30 minutes. While the crust is in the oven, make the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water.Remove the sheet pan from the oven, keeping the oven on. Carefully lift out the pie weights and foil. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides of the pie crust (but not the crimped border) with a thin layer of egg wash. If baking two crusts, repeat with the second crust.Bake the crusts, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 8 minutes (bake for longer if you want a crispier, darker crust). Set aside on a wire rack to cool slightly on their pans while you make the cream cheese pumpkin pie filling.
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Make the cream cheese pumpkin pie filling. Reduce the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the pumpkin and cream cheese. Whisk on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until completely smooth and doubled in volume.With the mixer on low, gradually add the butter, sugar, and spices, until just combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, only adding the next egg when the previous one is just incorporated. Whisk until just combined.
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Assemble the pies. Divide the batter evenly between the crusts; if using a digital scale to measure out the pie, note that this recipe makes around 42 ounces (1191 grams) of pumpkin pie filling—pour 21 ounces (595 grams) of batter into each crust.Use an offset spatula to spread the pie filling evenly in each pie crust and smooth their tops.
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Bake the pies. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges of the filling are set but the center still wobbles slightly. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.The pie can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 1 day. After that, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
