I Tried Libby’s and Martha Stewart’s Popular Pumpkin Pie Recipes, and Here’s the Winner

There are few pies quite as revered as pumpkin pie. Despite it being an icon of Thanksgiving tables, pumpkin pie is surprisingly hard to get just right. You have to contend with pie dough—should you blind bake it or use a premade shell? A custard that bakes to a silky but sliceable consistency is also tricky.

I have baked dozens, if not hundreds, of different pumpkin pies during my time working in bakeries, as a recipe developer, and as a home baker, but I never found a recipe I truly love. On a mission to find a winning recipe that I would be proud to put on our holiday tables, I tested two wildly different pumpkin pies.

Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie can be found on every can of Libby’s Canned Pumpkin Puree and boasts minimal ingredients, including a premade pie filling. On the other end of the spectrum is Martha Stewart’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie, which, as you might imagine, involves from-scratch pie dough that you have to par-bake, along with more ingredients than Libby’s recipe.

There was a standout pumpkin pie in this head-to-head recipe testing.

How To Make Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie 

Libby’s isn’t the only pumpkin purée manufacturer—they’re just the most well-known. The “famous” recipe has been printed on the back of its pumpkin puree cans since the 1950s.

This recipe comes together quickly. In a large bowl, two eggs are whisked until smooth. Then, a whole can of pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are whisked in. Finally, a can of evaporated milk is slowly whisked in. The filling is poured into a pre-made, unbaked, deep-dish pie shell.

The pie bakes in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes. Then, the temperature is dropped to 350°F for the remainder of the baking time, 30 to 35 minutes. Libby’s recommends cooling the pie completely, about two hours, before slicing and serving.

How To Make Martha Stewart’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie

As you might imagine, Martha Stewart’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe is a bit more involved than Libby’s. However, she still insists that this pie be made with canned pumpkin purée and not roasted pumpkin. She warns that homemade pumpkin purée is too watery for this pie.

You start by making a batch of Martha’s pâte brisée pie dough and chilling it for at least an hour. After rolling out the dough, it is pressed into a pie dish and chilled again for 30 minutes. The pie shell is lined with parchment paper and pie weights, then blind baked for 30 to 35 minutes in a 375°F oven. The pie shell gets an egg-white wash before cooling completely.

While the pie shell is cooling, you mix up Martha’s pumpkin pie filling. Unlike Libby’s filling, which has you add the ingredients in stages, everything goes into the bowl together: brown sugar instead of white, three large eggs, a whole can of pumpkin purée, a can of evaporated milk, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Martha’s pie also calls for a tablespoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

The pie bakes at a lower temperature—325°F—for 50 to 55 minutes. Martha instructs that the pie be cooled completely before refrigerating until chilled, or at least six hours. It’s perfect for making ahead, but not ideal if you need a pie you can bake and eat the same day.

The Winner: Martha Stewart’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie 

I love any recipe that saves time and effort, especially if the results are good. Libby’s pie filling spilled over the crust while putting it in the oven, despite using the deep-dish pie crust called for. Thankfully, I had a sheet pan underneath it. It also sank considerably after cooling, making for a pie that was soft and soggy. The overall flavor was delicious, but I couldn’t get over the odd texture.

Martha’s pumpkin pie requires quite a bit more effort, but the results are well worth it. The pie filling is impossibly silky and smooth thanks to the additional egg and cornstarch, while the crust is perfectly crisp and flaky. The filling has all the flavors of pumpkin spice without being overwhelmed by pungent clove. Brown sugar instead of granulated sugar gives a deep, balanced sweetness. I credit Martha’s addition of cornstarch with the great texture of this pie—it thickens the filling without adding extra eggs.

Martha Stewart’s pumpkin pie requires some planning and a little elbow grease to roll out the pie crust, but it truly delivers on its promise of being “perfect.”