Quick and Easy North Carolina Pumpkin Pie

Sometimes a story starts with a trip, a chef or something wonderful I find at a farmers market. This one started with a friend asking me a very simple question:

“Do you have a recipe for a real pumpkin pie?”

Of course I do and I am happy to oblige.

Nothing fancy. No complicated technique or hard-to-find ingredients. Just a simple pumpkin pie, the kind you can make with fresh pumpkin puree or, a can of plain pumpkin, if that is what you have on hand.

Fresh Pumpkin or Canned Pumpkin: Which Should You Use?

Interesting to me that we don’t see always see plain canned pumpkin on grocery store shelves all the time, only at this time of year. What we do see a lot is something called “Pumpkin Pie Filling.”

Know that that is not the same thing at all and can really skew a recipe if you are not careful. So this time, if your option is to used a canned product, start with plan pumpkin puree and move forward from there.

If you have an option, your best bet is make the pumkin puree yourself. I promise, while it does take more time to prep, the flavor you’ll get back makes all the difference.

And, since it’s October, and local pumpkins are everywhere, this seems like a good time to talk about how to prep your pumpkin and DIY-it for your own pumpkin puree.

With just a few weeks to go before Halloween, the holiday that really put pumpkins on the map, pumpkins and other seasonal winter squash are showing up locally in dozens of varieties, shapes and sizes. It’s their season and they are ready to shine. And, they’re every bit as delicious to cook and bake as they are fun to carve.

Pumpkin pie recipe is coming up in just a few.

What Else Can You Cook with Fresh Pumpkin?

Fresh pumpkin, like other varieties of winter squash, makes for some very fine eating.

Beyond pie, think custards, ice creams, breads, cookies and muffins, along with savory soups, salads, pastas and side dishes. Roasted cubes of pumpkin seasoned simply with butter, salt and pepper make a wonderful addition to a hearty main-course salad or a side for grilled or roasted meats. Mix it with root veggies for even more flavor and nutrition.

One of my personal faves is the recipe for carrot and pumpkin soup you’ll find near the end of this article. Everything you need is available now, locally grown, at area farmers markets.

Pumpkin is also a good source of fiber and several vitamins and minerals.

Health benefits aside, legend and folklore have it that this grandest of gourds is also an aphrodisiac! So all of a sudden, pumpkin season could take on a whole new meaning.

I’ll leave it at that and let you draw your own conclusions.

How Do You Choose a Pumpkin for Cooking?

Even after Halloween, you’ll find locally grown pumpkins and winter squash at farmers markets and farm stands. Buy several to enjoy from now through the end of the year, and make and freeze puree to keep them even longer.

When choosing a pumpkin or winter squash, look for firm skin without soft spots or major blemishes. It should feel heavy for its size.

Feel free to ask the farmers who grew the pumpkins for specifics. When was it picked and how long should it last. Of the varieties they grow, which ones are the sweetest ( and therefore good for baking.) Knowing your farmer means you don’t have to guess. Farmers are always happy to answer questions. They want you to love their produce as much as they do.

Whole winter squash can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. A cool, dry, well-ventilated spot can help extend its storage life. Once you cut into any winter squash or pumpkin, refrigerate it.

Can You Cook the Pumpkin You Carved for Halloween?

For home use and display, big pumpkins, as long as you can lift them, make great Jack-o’-lanterns to light up the porch and welcome trick-or-treaters.

But here’s where the carving pumpkin and the cooking pumpkin need to go their separate ways.

Once “Jack” has been carved and spent several nights outdoors, all sorts of creepy-crawly things may have taken up residence. For cooking and baking, don’t try to reuse Jack. Buy another pumpkin specifically for the kitchen.

Before you start carving, save those seeds and you can toast them for an after carving treat. After you have carved (and enjoyed the fun of Halloween night), think compost.

Don’t Toss Jack in the Trash. Compost Instead

Once your Jack-o’-lantern has been carved and spent several nights outdoors, he’s no longer destined for pie or the pudding.

But he doesn’t need to go into the trash.

If you don’t already have a compost bin, maybe this is the year to start. Composting is a great way to reduce food waste, and eventually all those scraps become something wonderful for next year’s garden.

And if home composting isn’t your thing, there’s a locally owned Charlotte company that will do the work for you.

Crown Town Compost offers several subscription options, including bi-weekly curbside pickup, weekly doorstep valet service in select Charlotte ZIP codes, and subscriber drop-off locations in NoDa, Belmont and South End. They accept food scraps including meat and dairy, and subscribers get finished compost back.

There are plans for drop-off service, and for curbside pickup. Reach out to Crown Town here for the perfect set up to suits your needs.

It’s an easy way to keep food waste, including that past-his-prime Halloween pumpkin, out of the landfill while supporting a locally owned Charlotte business. And in the end, the compost is turned to soil. You, and your garden, can benefit from that as well. That’s worth your time and your dollars.

Smashing Pumpkins: An Easier Way to Make Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Now for the fun part.

If you are wary of wielding a big chef’s knife to cut apart a pumpkin, there is another way.

Smash it.

Put the pumpkin in a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and secure the opening. Take the bag outside to the driveway or another hard concrete surface.

Now throw it down.

Hard.

Do it again if you need to.

The pumpkin will break into manageable pieces, while the bag keeps everything contained.

Bring the bag back into the kitchen and dump the pieces into the sink. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp, then arrange the pumpkin pieces, skin and flesh together, on a baking sheet.

Roast in a preheated 375-degree oven until the flesh is fork tender and about the consistency of a baked potato. Depending on the size and thickness of your pieces, start checking at about 45 minutes.

Let the pumpkin cool just enough to handle, then scoop the cooked flesh away from the skin.

And just like that, you’re ready to make puree.

How Do You Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree?

Roasted pumpkin purees beautifully in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, a high-speed blender or even a stand mixer.

Process the cooked flesh until smooth.

I like to leave the puree plain at this point rather than seasoning it. That way I can use it later in either sweet or savory recipes.

Measure out what you need for today’s pumpkin pie, then freeze the rest for another day.

Portioning it before freezing makes life particularly easy. Freeze it in amounts you commonly use in recipes, label and date the containers, and you’ll have local pumpkin waiting for pies, breads, soups, sauces and more long after pumpkin season has passed.

This year, consider accepting my DIY pumpkin challenge. Roast and puree a local pumpkin, then freeze what you don’t use.

It’s a fun project, and the bonus is having local pumpkin tucked away in your freezer for recipes throughout the year.

How Do You Make an Easy Pumpkin Pie?

And now we have finally arrived at the question that started this whole conversation.

My friend wanted a real pumpkin pie recipe.

Here you go. Along with instructions for an easy from scrathc pie crust and my recently published pumpkin pie spice.

And remember, while I love making this with fresh local pumpkin puree when pumpkins are in season, plain canned pumpkin puree works beautifully, too.

Before we get to the pumpkin filling, let’s start with the pie crust.

For the pie crust. Make your own (My favorite recipe is here and shhhh, vodka is the secret ingredient!) or use a refrigerated crust, if you’d rather.

If you are going with a ready made crust, there are several good brands. I like the ones you roll out rather than the ones that come in a foil shell. You have more control, can flute them or finish the edges to your likeing and can roll them as thick or as thin as you would like.

If you want to play with the spices in the recipe, take a look at my Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe and Pumpkin Spice post. You can make your own blend and use it here instead of, or along with, the cinnamon called for in the recipe.

An Easy Pumpkin-Cleaning Hack from Brunch with Babs

It has never bothered me to simply put the pumpkin in the kitchen sink, reach in and scoop out all of that stringy stuff with my hands, then separate out the seeds.

But if you’re someone who loves a good hack and a little electrical equipment, I have another option for you.

For one, or actually two, of the best pumpkin-carving tips I’ve seen, check out this video from Brunch with Babs on Instagram.

Her idea of using a hand mixer to loosen all of those strings inside the pumpkin is pure genius. And cutting the pumpkin open from the bottom instead of the top? Simply brilliant!

If you don’t already follow Babs, you should. Her videos are entertaining, and so many of her tips and tricks leave me wondering why I never thought of that.

And whatever method you use, don’t throw away those pumpkin seeds. We’re going to roast them.

What Can You Do with the Pumpkin Seeds?

Whatever you do, don’t toss the seeds when you clean out your pumpkin.

Pumpkin seeds, often called pepitas, can be separated from the stringy pulp, rinsed, seasoned and roasted for one of the easiest, and one of my favorite, snacks of the season.

Heidi’s Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse the seeds well, removing as much of the pumpkin pulp as possible. Pat them dry between several layers of paper towels.

Spread the dry pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a lightly oiled or buttered baking sheet.

Then season them generously.

Something as simple as good salt and pepper is really all you need. I love using one of the flavored salts from Sea Love Sea Salt, and this season their citrus salt is especially good on pumpkin seeds.

For pepper, my own black pepper mix, made with a generous addition of coriander seeds, is going to be your best bet. Find the recipe in the very next section.

Toast the seasoned seeds in a preheated 200-degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour, turning them over about halfway through the baking time.

When the seeds are dry, toasted and crunchy, remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy.

Heidi’s Hot Pepper Blend

If you have cooked with me before you know my blend of fresh ground peppercorns turns up in just about everything I make. It is a blend I came up with years ago, and it packs a wonderful, aromatic punch that a plain pepper mill just cannot touch.

• Lampong peppercorns
• Tellicherry peppercorns
• White peppercorns
• Pink peppercorns
• Whole coriander seeds

Use equal amounts of each. I get my peppercorns and corinder seeds from Spicewalla, the terrific Asheville, NC spice company. Why coriander? It gives the blend a bit of a citrusy edge. Combine everything and grind to your liking, fine or coarse, in a coffee or spice grinder. It is the essential oils released from the freshly ground peppercorns that make all the difference, so grind in small batches as you need them.

One important note: skip the handheld pepper mill for this one. The pink peppercorns are too soft and will gum it up, so a coffee or spice grinder is the way to go. When you are done, grind a tablespoon or two of coffee beans and toss them out. They act as a filter and clear the pepper taste from the grinder, so it is ready for your coffee come morning.

Bonus Pumpkin Recipe, This One with Local Carrots

One more bonus recipe here, because when the weather starts to get cool, you are going to want soup.

Where Can You Buy Local Pumpkins Around Charlotte?

Pumpkins are plentiful this time of year, so you don’t have to look far.

Farmers markets and local farm stands are wonderful places to start, particularly when you’re looking for pumpkins and winter squash to cook rather than carve. Talk to the farmers while you shop and ask which varieties they like best for roasting, baking and pie.

And don’t forget Wise Acres Organic Farm in Indian Trail, NC.

Looking for a great family adventure while you’re buying local pumpkins this year? In addition to area farmers markets and local farm stands, Wise Acres in Indian Trail, NC is worth the trip.

You’ll need reservations this time of year, but they offer U-pick pumpkins and flowers. And there are goats, a train ride and a fun corn pit for kids.

And THE most delicious pizza.

Made with local ingredients, of course. Uno all Volta cheeses and the very best crust, plus lots more to love here.

Pro Tip: If you already have your pumpkins, and don’t need time to play on the farm; you can go for pizza on nights when they are open after 4 pm without a reservation. Its all first come, first served. Details are on their website. Be sure you read before you go. #TellThemHeidiSentYou

The One-Minute Read: It’s an easy as Pumpkin Pie

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin in pumpkin pie?
Absolutely. Roast the pumpkin until tender, puree the flesh until smooth and use it in your favorite pumpkin-pie recipe. For this recipe, you can use either fresh homemade puree or plain canned pumpkin puree.

What kind of pumpkin is best for pumpkin pie?
Look for smaller pumpkins sold for cooking rather than the very large varieties primarily grown for carving. Better yet, when you’re shopping at a farmers market, ask the farmer which variety they recommend for pie.

Is pumpkin puree the same as pumpkin pie filling?
No. Plain pumpkin puree is simply cooked, pureed pumpkin. Canned pumpkin pie filling already contains sweeteners and spices. They aren’t necessarily interchangeable in recipes. If you ask me, its always better to start with plain pumpkin and then sweeten and season to taste.

Can I use winter squash instead of pumpkin in pumpkin pie?
Depending on the recipe, many winter squash varieties can work beautifully in place of pumpkin. Butternut is an easy option, and if you spot Koginut squash at a local market, grab one and go with it.

Can you freeze homemade pumpkin puree?
Yes. Freeze plain pumpkin puree in 1-2 cup portions so you can pull out just what you need later. Label and date each container before it goes into the freezer.

Pumpkins for Halloween

Can I cook my Halloween Jack-o’-lantern after Halloween?
I wouldn’t. Once a carved pumpkin has spent several nights outdoors, it’s no longer great to eat. Instead, send Jack to the compost pile and out him to good use there. Buy a separate pumpkin or two for cooking and baking.

What can I do with the pumpkin seeds?
Roast them! Rinse away the stringy pumpkin pulp, dry the seeds thoroughly, season and slowly toast them until crisp.

One Pumpkin, Lots of Possibilities

So, yes, this all started because a friend asked me for a basic pumpkin pie recipe.

But that’s the wonderful thing about cooking seasonally. One question leads to another, and suddenly that pumpkin sitting on the counter isn’t just a future pie.

It’s dinner. It’s dessert. It’s roasted pumpkin seeds to snack on. It’s puree tucked into the freezer for another day. And eventually, what’s left can become compost for next year’s garden.

For now, though, start with the pie.

Sometimes simple is exactly what we’re hungry for.

More About Heidi Billotto

I’m Heidi Billotto, a Charlotte, NC-based food and travel writer, cooking instructor and the Executive Producer of the NCRLA Chef Showdown. Much of what I do comes back to the same thing: connecting people through food.

Over the years, I’ve built wonderful relationships with small family farmers, chefs, independent producers and makers across North Carolina and beyond. I love sharing their stories, introducing you to the people behind the food we eat, and showing you how to bring local ingredients home to your own table.

I write about food and food-focused travel, teach cooking classes, appear on television and radio, and spend a lot of time at farmers markets. Curiosity usually leads the way. I want to know who grew it, who made it, where it came from and, of course, what we can cook with it.

I love what I do, and I love sharing the people, places and food I discover along the way with all of you.

And whenever you see those five little words, #TellThemHeidiSentYou, know that they are my personal seal of approval. It means I have been there, I believe in the folks behind it, and I am sending you their way with my whole heart.

So go on… Look for locally grown pumpkins this year. Shop local farmers markets and farm stores where ever you live. Shop and support local businesses, too. And, when you do, be sure to…

#TellThemHeidiSentYou