Classic American Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk and Cinnamon
Crumbly and crisp, with the most delicate creamy filling! Classic American pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon is usually baked for Thanksgiving in the heart of autumn. The filling uses plenty of spices. The pie turns out wonderfully fragrant, warmly spiced, and unbelievably delicious. The simplest recipe!
Updated : 10 February, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
Dough
160 grams
Wheat flour
100 grams
Butter
2 tablespoon
Water
1 teaspoon
Lemon juice
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
Filling
300 grams
Pumpkin
200 grams
Condensed milk
2
Eggs
0.5 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon
to taste
Ginger powder
to taste
Nutmeg
to taste
Cardamom
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to bake classic American pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon? Prepare the ingredients. Weigh the pumpkin before cooking: it should be 800-850 g (about 1.8-1.9 lb) - this yields about 300 g (about 1 cup) pumpkin purée. Put the butter in the freezer before starting; it must be very cold and firm so it’s easy to grate. Use natural sweetened condensed milk without vegetable fats - its quality affects the pie.
Step 2
Make the pumpkin purée in advance by baking the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) 10-15 minutes before baking. Wash the pumpkin, dry it with a clean towel, and cut it into smaller pieces. Carefully cut off the peel to avoid injury.
Step 3
Cut the pieces into small cubes.
Step 4
Place the pumpkin cubes in a baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes (time/temperature may vary by oven). Pour water into a cup and put it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before mixing the dough so it becomes ice-cold.
Step 5
The pumpkin should be soft and easy to pierce with a knife. Let the baked pieces cool.
Step 6
While the filling cools, make the crust. Sift the flour to remove possible debris. Pour the flour into a large bowl, add salt, and mix. Grate the cold butter. To make grating easier, coat the butter in flour.
Step 7
Rub the flour and butter together with your hands until crumbly. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t melt from your hands. This matters because butter pieces in the dough melt in the oven and make the crust flaky and crisp.
Step 8
Squeeze juice from a small piece of lemon. Pour the ice-cold water mixed with lemon juice into the flour crumbs. You may need a bit more liquid depending on the flour and butter - add until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes so it’s easier to press into the pan.
Step 9
Preheat the oven again 10-15 minutes before baking. Blend the cooled pumpkin into purée with an immersion blender; if you don’t have one, mash it with a potato masher.
Step 10
Add the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and spices to the pumpkin. In the U.S., there are ready-made pumpkin pie spice blends; besides cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, they often include ground cloves and allspice.
Step 11
Whisk until smooth. The filling is ready.
Step 12
Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment and roll it to about 2 mm (about 1/12 inch) thick. Rolling between paper prevents sticking. Make the circle 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) larger than the pan diameter. The pan here is 22 cm (about 9 inches).
Step 13
For a neat look, trim the dough using a plate as a guide. Use the scraps to decorate the pie.
Step 14
Transfer the dough to the pan, gently pressing it over the bottom and sides. Prick all over with a fork so it doesn’t puff up.
Step 15
Blind-bake the crust in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes (adjust for your oven). Remove and let it cool slightly. The dough should change from shiny and moist to matte, like a pale cookie.
Step 16
Pour the filling into the crust.
Step 17
Return the pie to the oven and bake until done. It took about 40 minutes for me (time/temperature may vary). The filling should be set, and the crust edges should turn golden. Cool the pie and serve. If desired, decorate the top with dough scraps: shape them, roll out, cut into leaf shapes, brush with egg, and bake until browned.
Author note
Share the recipe
