We all have our favorite pumpkin pie recipes. Here is the one we had with our Thanksgiving dinner.  This version is made with healthier ingredients, like raw cream, unrefined organic sugar, organic spices, and a lard pie crust.

Although I didn’t have time this year, I have baked my own pumpkin.  If you have time, you can improve the taste and nutrition of your pie by making your own pumpkin puree. The Healthy Home Economist has good directions (and a video) about how to bake the pumpkin.  Make the puree a few days before you plan to bake your pie.  Her version of pumpkin pie is made with coconut milk instead of cream.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin puree, home cooked or canned organic
1-2/3 cups raw cream
2/3 cups unrefined organic sugar, Rapadura or sucanat (I use Rapunzel Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar)
3 eggs, preferably from pastured chickens (mine are from a local backyard farmer)
2 teaspoons organic ground cinnamon (I use organic Ceylon cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I use Frontier Organic ginger)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I use Frontier Organic Nutmeg)
1 teaspoon ground allspice (I use Frontier Organic Allspice)
1/2 teaspoon organic ground cloves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (recipe)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix filling ingredients in the order given.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool.  Serve with whipped cream or eat plain.

I made the pie a day ahead because we like it chilled in the refrigerator overnight.

The pie crust I used for our pumpkin pie is the extra one I froze after making Better than cake! Birthday Chocolate Cream Pie! (That post includes the pie crust recipe.) I could not get the thawed lard crust to roll out. It was just too soft and tender. I had to press the crust into the pie plate before adding the filling.  The crust for this pie was delicious. Pressing rather than rolling didn’t seem to affect the taste or look of the crust.