Julia Child’s Aunt Helen’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

I don't really want to buy a whole bottle of molasses and then use only 3 tbsps. Can I used all dark brown sugar instead?

This delicate, moist "pumpkin soufflé in a pie crust" is one of my favorites-—been making it since the late 1980s when a version was published in Julia Child's "The Way to Cook". It is both sophisticated and comforting, with the soufflé texture and the bourbon or rum and the lovely spices, and really impressive if you go for the 11-inch shell. The timed intervals to monitor the pie and lower the heat require dedication, but the result is worth the effort!

I've been making this pie every year since it came out in Parade magazine. The thing I like about it is the airy texture from the beaten egg whites and the assertive spicing. Some hints:
Prebake the crust so it doesn't get soggy. My current favorite pie crust is Kenji's on Serious Eats.
Use 9" deep dish pie plates, as the filling will puff up to the top of the plate while baking and then collapse a little.
The recipe halves easily and successfully.

Everything in the recipe halves easily and there is nothing in the preparation that would make the larger quantity more successful.

May I post on my post? I have made this pie, 3 times within a 2 week period. My 3rd. rendition was the "charm" I had pondered. I did not separate and treat the whites and yolks as separate entities. The out of shell whole eggs were simply whisked and added to the filling, like most of the pumpkin pies I have baked over the years. This was the best pie yet!

Is the ginger in this recipe dried or fresh? (I assume dried but wonder whether anyone has tried grated or minced fresh.)

That's twice as much sugar as needed. Really too much. Other spices OK. Nice touch with the whipped egg whites. Good for fluff.

Absolutely, only half the sugar. Make it brown sugar. Use up the molasses: a fast and great breakfast molasses bread is in Diet For A small Planet. That's a paperback from the '60's. Find it on Ebay.

Molasses is a good one to have in your cooking arsenal. It can be used in a range of recipes, from sweet to savory -- I've been surprised to find it used even in making a number of fairly common Asian food sauces. Plus, it lasts forever.

without mace, it ain't pumpkin pie.
do a double blind randomized trial; ,make 2 pies, one with another without mace, have the tasters compare the 2 and the mace bearing pie will win

Thanks to the commenters who warned that the recipe was far too sweet. I made it with only brown sugar and it was quite sweet enough.

I went in to this project thinking "how different can a pumpkin pie be?" Well, now I know. This pie is utterly sublime. The bourbon, spices, molasses, and the slightly higher amount of total sugars all played their parts in what will become our heirloom version of this seasonal treat. The pie shell absolutely needs to be a 9 inch "deep" dish rendition. I fully baked off the shell before filling. Additionally, I baked the pie at 350° for 1 hour, and then cooled.

Why would any good pumpkin pie chef use canned puree? Try the real thing like Winter Luxury Pumpkin which is easy to peel and prepare and tastes heavenly. Plus you get seeds.

Great soufflé texture. Made for Thanksgiving with Matt Beth Fritz, again with Ardell to take to Peter’s house Feb 23, 2024.

I have a 9 inch pan, but even by halving the recipe amounts, I still got two pie worth of filling!! @@

Amazing. I made one 9" pie using 1 1/4 cups leftover baked butternut squash (no pumpkin, canned or otherwise). I expect to make this one again and again. I was able to save time by whipping the egg whites in the stand mixer and everything else in the Vitamix.

Recipe makes 3 regular 9 in pies, not 2.

Note: the eggs are separated! Too bad for me that the ingredient list didn't say so.

Has anyone made this in a springform pan? Would it work this way?

You can lighten (or fluff up) any pumpkin pie recipe by separating out the egg whites, beating them and folding them into the main mixture. I always do this, though I never use the same recipe from year to year. I don't beat them stiff, which causes cracking, but til they are soft and fluffy. Nor do I bother with beating sugar into them. Just fold them into the main mixture. I prefer the lighter texture to the traditional dense (and sometimes gummy) custard.

Just like my Grandmother used to make. Perfect. Absolutely the best pumpkin pie.

Maybe it has a great taste, but 3 tablespoon of rum or bourbon made a soup, not a custard. I wish I had seen some kind of notice to bring my attention to it so I could reduce the liquid portion. Darn!

I made this for Thanksgiving 2022 & did not like the taste of molasses. It doesn't look nearly as good if you make ahead and serve it the next day. Lastly, the dark color was unappealing

Butchered recipe. 1/2 & no crust. No molasses, beat whole eggs & all dark brown sugar until ribbons. No rum so used good French brandy, no cream so evaporated skim milk. Cooked up very soft but held shape. Flavor was super outstanding intense. Forgot mace. Custard Did not crack or weep! Leaving it to finish cooking & cooling in open oven was the key to being done but not over cooked. If add molasses I will cut back on sugar as sweetness was perfect.

Doubled spices

My family said this was the best pumpkin pie they ever had!

A lot left out like baking the shells beforehand, maybe the author takes it for granted that everyone does this, but it is not evident to everyone.Also, the amounts of ingredients given yielded enough for at least 3 pies. I followed the directions closely, something is off with the measurements here. It also says you should end up with the pumpkin mix being a "puree" consistency, mine ended up looking more like a soup, using the exact ingredients they stated to use. Disappointed.

This pie is my Thanksgiving go-to. I now switch out 1-1/2 tablespoons of the bourbon for Fireball. Don't use 3 tablespoons of Fireball. More is not better here. Skip all cinnamon in the recipe. Everything else keep the same. I agree with other comments that call for blind baking shell. It really helps take this pie to the next level.