Insanely Easy Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk

A quick and easy, creamy and flavorful classic pumpkin pie without evaporated milk.

Large slice of pumpkin pie with cool whip.

This pie takes only minutes to mix up and the great thing about it is that you don’t need any canned milk to make it. It’s super easy because you can make it using half and half cream instead of having to go out and get evaporated or condensed milk.

Hey there! Before you scroll, there are lots of helpful things in this post…including an FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

Table of Contents:

If you’ve been looking for a pumpkin pie recipe that you don’t need evaporated milk to make (let’s just say someone forgot to buy it…#me), then this is the one for you. This pumpkin pie is so creamy and good and still has all the glorious taste of a classic holiday pie.

Make this pie to celebrate fall, Thanksgiving and any other time you get a craving for an easy pumpkin dessert.

Slice of spiced pumpkin pie on a white plate with text pin.

Ingredient Notes:

Now let’s talk a little about just some of the ingredients that are in this pie. (The printable list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)

Sugar: For this recipe, you’ll use both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. I think combining both types, gives the pie a nice deep flavor.

Flour: There’s just a small amount of flour called for in this recipe and that’s to help thicken up the filling a bit, so it will solidify.

Pumpkin pie spice or other spices: You can use either pumpkin pie spice or a combination of other spices to give you that same taste. Both options are listed in the recipe card below.

Eggs and egg yolk: The eggs will make this pie bake up and become solid.

100% pure pumpkin: This is the pumpkin that comes in a can, but it’s not the pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has all the spices and flavorings already incorporated into it. You want to use plain canned pumpkin. (See the FAQ section below for more questions about this.)

Half and half milk: This is used instead of using evaporated milk. It’s nice because if you drink coffee, then you might already have this.

Frozen deep dish pie crust: Using a frozen pie crust makes this recipe very quick and easy. A deep dish is preferred for this recipe, but there are notes in the recipe card below that will give instructions on baking in two standard-sized pie crusts.

(Make sure to check out the FAQ section below in this post for substitution questions.)

Baked pumpkin pie with fork on a plate.

How to Make this Pie:

Let’s talk a little about how to make pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and set a deep dish frozen pie crust onto a pie plate or just leave the pie crust in the foil pie plate if it came in one.

Also, set the pie plate or crust on a cookie sheet. This will make it easy to move in and out of the oven.

Step 2:

In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients except the milk and whisk together until smooth.

Pumpkin pie filling without milk and whisk.

Step 3:

Add the half and half milk to the pumpkin mixture in two parts, whisking well between each addition.

Pumpkin pie filling with milk

Step 4:

Next, pour the pie filling into the deep dish pie crust and bake at 425 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for 50-60 more minutes.

If using 2 regular-sized pie crusts (instead of a deep dish pie crust) start checking for doneness at around 30 minutes.

Step 5:

Once baked, cool the pie for about four hours on a wire rack before serving. This will allow the pie to fully firm up.

Baked pumpkin pie on a marble background.

Step 6:

Serve this pumpkin pie either plain or with whipped cream.

Slice of pumpkin pie without evaporated milk with cream on a plate.
Large slice of pumpkin pie with cool whip.

Insanely Easy Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk

A quick and easy, creamy and flavorful classic pumpkin pie without evaporated milk.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pumpkin pie
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Cooling Time: 4 hours
Servings: 6 slices
Calories: 403kcal
Author: Kara @ Quick and Easy Baking

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin (I used Libby's brand, not the pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup half and half milk (or heavy cream)
  • 1 9-inch unbaked frozen deep dish pie shell (see notes if not using a deep dish pie crust)
Have questions?Make sure to check out the Tips & FAQ section in the post!

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Add the deep dish frozen pie crust to a pie plate and set aside or just leave the pie crust in the foil pie plate if it came in one. Set the pie plate or crust on a cookie sheet. This will make it easy to move in and out of the oven.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients except the milk (so add the sugars, salt, flour, spices, eggs, egg yolk and pumpkin). Whisk together until smooth.
  • Add the half and half milk to the pumpkin mixture in two parts, whisking well between each addition.
  • Pour the mixture into the deep dish unbaked pie crust. Depending on how big your deep dish pie crust is, you may have a little filling leftover. (See notes if not using a deep dish pie crust.)
  • Bake at 425 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for 50-60 more minutes.
  • If the edges of the pie crust begin to brown too much during baking, you can make a tent out of foil to cover the pie and keep the edges from overbrowning.
  • The center of the pie will still be slightly jiggly when done, but a toothpick inserted into the center will come out mostly clean. (Don't worry though if it's still a little jiggly or if a little of the pumpkin filling comes out on the test toothpick at around the 60 minute mark, it should be okay to go ahead and take out.) The pie will solidify more once it begins to cool.
  • Cool the pie for about four hours on a wire rack before serving. This will allow the pie to fully firm up.
  • Serve plain or with whipped cream.

Notes

*If using 2 regular sized pie crusts (instead of a deep dish pie crust) start checking for doneness at around 30 minutes.
Storage: This pie can stand at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, then cover with plastic wrap or store in a pie saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
How to serve: Set the pie out for about 20-30 minutes or so to allow it to come closer to room temperature.
How to freeze: Cover the baked and cooled pie well with plastic wrap, then cover in foil and place in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, set the pie in the refrigerator to thaw completely. This may take 8 or more hours, so you may want to do this the day before it’s needed.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you may have about ingredients, substitutions, mixing method and more.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg
Baking at higher elevation?You’ll need to make adjustments for high elevations. This website does not specialize in that type of baking. Please take time to research high elevation baking websites for adjustments that should be made.
DislaimersTo see food safety, allergy & nutrition disclaimers, go here: Disclaimers!

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Tips & FAQs:

What type of canned pumpkin should I use?

You want to use the solid pack pumpkin in a can like Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin, not the canned pumpkin pie filling.

Can I use the canned pumpkin pie filling?

No, that’s not the same as the canned solid pumpkin. The pumpkin pie filling already has the spices and maybe the sugar in it and is much more liquid than the solid pack pumpkin. It will not work the say way.

Can I use my own homemade pumpkin puree?

I have not tried this recipe using pumpkin puree. I only used the solid pumpkin that is canned. You can try it with puree if you’d like, although it may not solidify as much as needed.

I don’t have pumpkin pie spice, what can I use?

In place of the 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, just use 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves instead. This is also noted in the recipe card below.

Can I use heavy cream instead of half and half?

Yes, that should work fine.

What can I use instead of evaporated milk in a pumpkin pie?

Absolutely. The recipe card below will show you how to use half and half cream instead of canned evaporated milk.

Can I use regular milk instead of half and half milk?

I have not tested that out, but I don’t think that would work as half and half is a bit thicker and has more fat content than regular milk. if you use regular milk, the pie might not thicken up enough.

Do I need to let the frozen pie crust defrost?

No, you can use it frozen.

Can I use a pie crust dough from scratch?

Of course. Any deep dish pie crust you like whether frozen or homemade should work.

Do I need to pre-bake the pie crust?

No, you don’t need to prebake the pie crust. It will bake along with the pie filling.

How can I tell when this pie is done baking?

The center of the pie will still be slightly jiggly when done, but a toothpick inserted into the center will come out mostly clean. (Don’t worry though if it’s still a little jiggly or if a little of the pumpkin filling comes out on the test toothpick at around the 60 minute mark, it should be okay to go ahead and take it out.) The pie will solidify more once it begins to cool.

Can this pie be frozen?

Cover the baked and cooled pie well with plastic wrap, then cover in foil and place in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, set the pie in the refrigerator to thaw completely. This may take 8 or more hours, so you may want to do this the day before it’s needed.

How do I store this cake and how long does it last?

This pie can stand at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, then cover with plastic wrap or store in a pie saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

What’s the best way to serve or eat this pie?

This pie is amazing with whipped cream and even a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.

Slice of pumpkin pie with fork on a plate.

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Supplies used for this recipe:

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Collage of pumpkin pie pin 2

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