Best Pumpkin Pie Recipes

It simply would not be Thanksgiving in America without pumpkin pie as part of the feast. An old-fashioned pumpkin pie recipe can be labor-intensive and often fail. Fortunately, now there are many other options that make making a pumpkin pie easy, fail proof, and sometimes healthier than the traditional alternatives.

Methods of Cooking

Most pumpkin pie recipes call for pumpkin in the following forms:

• Fresh Traditionalists start with fresh pumpkins. This is the tastiest and healthiest option, but also the most time-consuming. Start with fresh pumpkins, cut them into pieces, and either bake them or boil them until they are soft. They are then ready to use.
• Canned Many excellent varieties of canned pumpkin are available in grocery stores today. Some of them are just pumpkin and everything else has to be added according to the recipe. Others are ready-made pie filling that can be simply placed in a premade crust. This is the easiest and most convenient option.
• Frozen There are commercial varieties of frozen pumpkin available or any home prepared pumpkin can be frozen. Many people like this option because it is closer to fresh, but it can be made ahead of time and used any time.

Pumpkin Pie Nutrition

Pumpkin pie may not be a food that many people consider to be healthy, but some nutritional facts about pumpkin pie may be surprising. Using a standard recipe, there are approximately 325 calories in the average slice of commercially prepared pumpkin pie. They contain 46 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of fat, 2.4 grams of fiber, 450 milligrams of sodium, and 35 milligrams of cholesterol. What many people do not consider is that pumpkin pie also supplies vitamin B-12 and other nutrients. A slice of pumpkin pie provides 67 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A. It also contains vitamin K and E.

Popular Additions to Pumpkin Pie

Here are some ideas for variations on the familiar pumpkin pie flavor:

• Flax Seed
• Nuts – walnuts or pecans
• Cream Cheese
• Chocolate Chips
• Maple Syrup
• Orange peel

Top 5 Routes for "Pumpkin Pie"

1. Allrecipes.com Allrecipes has one of the largest selections of pumpkin pie recipes. They have recipes ranging from traditional to some interesting variations. They also have recipes using fresh, canned, and frozen pumpkin.
2. Verybestbaking.com If it is that classic famous Libby's pumpkin pie or nothing, this is one they want. This website is sponsored by Nestle's and features pie recipes that are just like Grandma used to make. The recipes use classic ingredients and are easy to follow.
3. Bettycrocker.com Betty Crocker and pumpkin pie just go together. This website allows users to rate the recipe and leave comments. This website has some interesting ways to bake pumpkin pies that are a little out of the ordinary. It even features crustless pumpkin pie recipes.
4. Kingarthurflour.com Most people focus on the filling, but one must not forget about the importance of the crust. This is one of the best sites for learning how to make the perfect crust. They not only have recipes, they have helpful tips and tricks that can help achieve perfection. They also have a Baker's hotline just in case someone needs a little extra help.
5. Foodnetwork.com This website features both classic pumpkin pie recipes and some interesting variations. If it is difficult to visualize what it should look like, they have videos to help sort it all out. These recipes are developed for top chefs, but easy enough for anyone. This site even allows the ability to add ingredients to your grocery list so that it can be printed off.