Get ready to elevate your Thanksgiving dessert game with the best pumpkin pie recipe with condensed milk and easy graham cracker crust. The white chocolate in the pie filling creates a mouthwatering old fashioned taste with a modern touch. This simple-from-scratch creation will make you seem like a kitchen pro without the hours of effort!
Jump to:
Whether you use your favorite canned pumpkin (such as Libby's) or make it with fresh pumpkin by using your very own homemade pumpkin puree for pies and baking, this pumpkin pie with condensed milk and an easy graham cracker crust will be licking-finger good.
By incorporating some white chocolate in the pie filling and using white chocolate whipped cream as a garnish, this recipe gives your classic pie a modern touch. If you want to stay faithful to the traditional recipe with the old-fashioned, classic pumpkin pie taste, I tell you how you can make it without the white chocolate in the "Variations" section.
Some other Thanksgiving dessert recipes I'm sure you'll love are this easy apple crumble pie which is made in just one bowl, this Greek baklava with walnuts and honey which is flavored with all the warm spices of the season, and this delicious, 5-step classic French creme brulee recipe.
😍 Why this recipe works
This pumpkin pie recipe with sweetened condensed milk checks all the boxes:
✓ Easy and simple: With an easy graham cracker crust and a very simple method to incorporate the white chocolate to the pie filling you'll be surprised at how fast this pie recipe comes together.
✓ Versatile: You can make it with canned pumpkin or with fresh pumpkin puree. You can use your favorite homemade pie crust or make the easier version with graham cracker crumbs. And you can also use another type of cookie such as speculloos or petit beurre.
✓ Traditional flavor with a modern touch: The white chocolate doesn't overpower the pumpkin flavor, but complements it in the best possible way. There's also a delightful Mediterranean twist because orange zest is used instead of ground ginger. Don't be afraid though, all the old-fashioned taste is still there!
✓ No cracks: The addition of white chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk create a creamy custard filling (much like a pumpkin pudding) which bakes without any cracks.
📋 Ingredients
For this sweetened condensed milk pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust you'll need the following ingredients:
Graham crackers: they should be crushed into fine crumbs. You can make this in a food processor or by placing them in a food bag and crushing them with something heavy like a rolling pin or a glass bottle. Speculoos or biscoff cookies can be used instead.
White chocolate: Use baking white couverture chocolate. Not chocolate melts.
Pumpkin puree: Canned or homemade. Depending on the type it can have slight differences in taste and color.
Spices: A combination of ground cinnamon, orange zest, ground cloves and freshly grated nutmeg is used. You can also use your favorite pumpkin pie spice blend that you prefer for your pumpkin dessert recipes or just replace the orange zest with ground ginger.
Heavy cream: It's for the white chocolate whipped cream and it should be at least 35% fat.
Pro tip: make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature
🥣 Substitutions / Variations
Oreo crust: Give your pie a chocolatey flavor by using oreo cookies. You can see the crust recipe in this no-bake white chocolate tarts with oreo crust.
Use caramelized sweetened condensed milk instead of the regular, to give this pie a hint of caramel flavor.
For a pie without crust: You will basically be making a pumpkin pudding: Add 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch to absorb extra moisture. Don't forget to grease your baking dish with butter.
Without white chocolate: If you want to make the traditional pumpkin pie without adding any white chocolate you should also omit the whole milk and use 2 large eggs instead of 3.
For a less sweet pie: This pumpkin pie is on the sweet side because of the sweetened condensed milk and the white chocolate. If you want it less sweet, replace the whole milk with plain Greek strained yogurt. In this case, you will melt the chocolate by warming it with half a cup of the pumpkin puree. Once melted, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free crackers, cookies or wafers, or make this recipe without the crust.
Vegan or dairy-free (not tested): For a vegan or dairy-free option I would use store-bought or homemade vegan sweetened condensed milk (from full-fat coconut milk), vegan white chocolate, vegan cookies and vegan butter. However, I haven't tested it this way so I can't say for sure how it will turn out. Please let me know in the comments if you try it!
🔪 Instructions
Follow this easy step-by-step guide to make the best pumpkin pie recipe with condensed milk:
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, the cinnamon and the butter. Mix well until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Step 2: Transfer the cookie mixture to your pie dish. Use the back of a measuring cup or your fingers to press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan. The crust should be compact and smooth. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes.
Step 3: Transfer the white chocolate to a large mixing bowl and pour over the hot milk. Let it sit for 1 minute and then whisk until the chocolate is melted.
Step 4: Add the pumpkin puree, the condensed milk, the eggs, the salt, the vanilla extract and the spices to the bowl with the melted white chocolate. Whisk well until the pumpkin pie filling is smooth.
Step 5: Pour the filling into the Graham cracker crust and give the pan a gentle tap to remove any air bubbles. Then, bake in the oven until the filling is set but the center is still jiggly. Let the pie cool completely before decorating or slicing.
Step 6 (optional): Transfer the white chocolate to a small bowl. Heat one third of the cream until almost boiling and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute, stir until smooth and let it cool. Whip the rest of the cream (it should be very cold) with an electric mixture until stiff peaks form. Then add the cooled white chocolate mixture and mix until combined. If the mixture looks soft, whip again until stiff peaks form.
This is basically a whipped white chocolate ganache. Refrigerate it until the pie is ready to be served. You can add a spoonful on each slice or transfer it to a piping bag and garnish the pie with rosettes.
👨🍳 Expert Tips
Pick a canned pumpkin puree that you know it is low in moisture and not watery. If you use a homemade puree, put it in a strainer lined with a cheesecloth, wrap it well with the cheesecloth and squeeze it with your hands to remove some of the excess liquid. Measure the quantity after straining.
For no cracks: Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. This will help the pie bake more evenly.
For a less soggy crust: Prebake the crust and brush it with a thin layer of egg-wash, right after you take it out of the oven.
Before baking, give the pie a gentle tap to remove any air bubbles.
Protect the crust: The Graham cracker crust doesn't get burn easily. If you use a homemade pie crust and notice that it's getting too brown, use a pie crust shield or make your own homemade pie crust shield with aluminum foil.
When the pie is ready: You will notice a small ring near the crust starting to puff up, and the center will be a bit jiggly (once cooled the center will firm up).
Cool the pie completely before slicing it.
For evenly distributed whipped cream rosettes: Make the first 4 rosettes by forming a cross and then make the other 4 in between. This way you've got 8 evenly distributed rosettes that will also help you cut the pie in equal portions.
💭 FAQs
Once cool, you can transfer this pumpkin pie to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Custard-based pies freeze freeze well, which means you can make it ahead (up to 1 month in advance). In this case, it's more convenient to use an aluminum pie pan. Let your pie cool completely after baking and wrap it very thoroughly with plastic wrap. End with an additional layer of aluminum foil and store in the freezer. Thaw the pie in the refrigerator from the previous day.
No, sweetened condensed milk is not the same as evaporated milk and they can't be used interchangeably.
In many cases, like this one, it's better to bake the graham cracker crust because it will be more crispy and less soggy.
Yes, you can substitute a store-bought or homemade graham cracker crust for pie crust with no problem!
Some people say that making a pumpkin pie totally from scratch and using a homemade pumpkin puree made from fresh pumpkin is much more tasty! Others argue that canned pumpkin has better color and always the same moisture levels contrary to homemade puree. For example, a puree made from leftover Halloween pumpkin such as jack o lantern can be too watery or lighter in color.
At the end, you are the one who will decide which is better!
If you tried this Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Condensed Milk or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
🎥Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Condensed Milk 🎃🥧
Equipment
- 1 deep-dish pie pan that is 9 wide and 2 inches deep
Ingredients
For the Graham cracker crust:
- 8 oz (225 grams) 15 full sheets graham crackers (crushed)
- ½ cup (112 grams) butter ( melted)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
For the pie filling:
- 3.5 oz (100 grams) baking white chocolate (chopped)
- ¼ cup (60 grams) whole milk (very hot)
- 15 oz (425 grams) pumpkin puree
- 14 oz (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs (large)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground )
- ½ teaspoon orange zest (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves (ground )
For the white chocolate whipped cream (optional):
- 3.5 oz (100 grams) baking white chocolate (chopped)
- ¼ cup (60 grams) heavy whipping cream, 35% fat (hot)
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream, 35% fat (very cold)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, the cinnamon and the butter. Mix well until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Transfer the cookie mixture to your pie dish. Use the back of a measuring cup or your fingers to press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan. The crust should be compact and smooth. Bake the crust for 12 minutes.
- Transfer the white chocolate for the filling to a large mixing bowl and pour over the hot milk. Let it sit for 1 minute and then whisk until the chocolate is melted.
- Add the pumpkin puree, the condensed milk, the eggs, the vanilla, the salt, the cinnamon, the orange zest, the nutmeg and the cloves to the bowl with the melted white chocolate. Whisk well until the pumpkin pie filling is smooth. Try to not incorporate too much air into the mixture because it will create air bubbles.
- Pour the filling into the Graham cracker crust and give the pan a gentle tap to remove any air bubbles. Then, bake in the oven for 55 - 65 minutes or until the filling is set but the center is still jiggly. Let the pie cool completely and refrigerate. Decorate with whipped cream before serving.
- Make the white chocolate whipped cream (optional):Place a mixing bowl in the fridge until very cold. Then, transfer the white chocolate to a small bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let it sit for 1 minute, stir until smooth and let it cool.Transfer the cold cream to the bowl you had in the fridge and whip it with an electric mixture until stiff peaks form. Then add the cooled white chocolate mixture and mix until combined. If the mixture looks soft, whip some more until stiff peaks form.Refrigerate the white chocolate whipped cream until the pie is ready to be served. You can add a spoonful on each slice or make rosettes with a piping bag.
Trisha Powels says
This pumpkin pie was very easy to make, came out without any cracks and tasted delicious. I also loved the whipped cream with the white chocolate! Thanks for the recipe!
Makos says
Hi Trisha, I'm so happy you liked it!