No.96 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Pumpkin Pie

Made famous by Libby's

Photo: grabadonut, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Libby's pumpkin can label, 1950.

The recipe on the back of the Libby's can is America's Thanksgiving pie, and probably the most baked pie recipe in the country.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 1 can (12 oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, chilled
• Whipped cream, for serving

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C).
2. Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Stir in the pumpkin and the sugar-spice mixture, then gradually whisk in the evaporated milk.
4. Pour into the pie crust.
5. Bake 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350F (175C) and bake 40 to 50 minutes more, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack 2 hours. Serve right away with whipped cream or refrigerate.

Chef's tips

• A slight jiggle in the very center is fine; it sets as it cools.
• Swap the spices for 1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice if that's what you have.

← No. 95Classic Pecan Pie→ No. 97Banana Pudding