How to Fix Rare Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin spice may be the most coveted seasonal flavor in the world, but it doesn’t measure up to the sheer bliss of a freshly baked pumpkin pie.

Baking pumpkin pies to perfection is quite an art. Eating underdone pie filling can lead to uncomfortable consequences, so we’ve put together a quick guide to help you diagnose and fix underdone pie.

How do you fix undercooked pumpkin pie? If you take the tart out of the oven and see that it is undercooked, you can continue baking it in 5-10 minute intervals until done. However, undercooking can also be a sign that the tart has been overcooked, so it’s best to check throughout the baking process.

The following article will take you from pumpkin pie novice to master in just a few minutes, easily saving your undercooked pie.

How to tell if pumpkin pie is done

There are a few telltale signs that can help you decide if your pumpkin pie is done before you cut it. Carefully following the recipe instructions is a good start, but you can also look for these indicators:

• Check the color. The pumpkin pie filling will get a slightly deeper color when fully cooked, and the crust will be a nice golden brown. It’s a subtle difference, but if you have a good eye, it’s telling.
• Use a toothpick.  Just like checking to see if the center of a pie or cupcake is cooked, you can check the pumpkin pie filling with a toothpick. Insert it near the center of the cake and it should come out easily and cleanly.
• Add a swirl . Before placing the tart in the oven, use a spatula to draw a swirl in the center, spreading it out. When your pie is ready to take out of the oven, that swirl will appear curdled. If it starts to crack, you’ve waited too long.

Pumpkin pie, like many other custard-type pies, will continue to finish cooking after it has been removed from the oven.

This makes baking the cake tricky, because you don’t want to take the cake out too soon or too late. However, it will never be perfect right out of the oven. It needs to rest before reaching perfection.

A rare pumpkin pie can be almost raw or almost done and anywhere in between, but until it’s perfect, it’s not good.

Dough crust and runny filling are guaranteed ways to ruin your pie experience, but they don’t always mean the pie is undercooked. It may be a sign that something else has gone wrong.

Why is my pumpkin pie runny?

A runny pumpkin pie may actually be a sign that it has been overcooked, rather than undercooked. Cream pie filling, including pumpkin pie filling, should be thin when baked, but will thicken and solidify as it cooks.

If the temperature is too high or the tart cooks too long, the custard curdles and breaks, creating a watery tart. That’s why you want to make sure you take the cake out before it’s fully cooked, as it will finish curdling as it cools.

Overcooking can also make a pie filling appear cracked and dry.

Is pumpkin pie supposed to be stirred?

The movement of a pumpkin pie is a comically debated topic. Among pumpkin pie experts, there is an important difference between jiggly pie and wiggly pie. If they sound the same to you, here you can know the difference:

• Jiggle : like jelly
• Wiggle : like a wave

You want your pumpkin pie to be wavy, but never wavy. It should be firm to the touch, especially around the edge of the pie, but it should have a jello-like movement. If it shakes or runs, it’s a bad sign.

How to fix an undercooked pumpkin pie

If you’re convinced your pumpkin pie is undercooked, there’s a not-so-well-kept secret that might save it. Just bake it some more.

Many recipes, or even store-bought pies, have instructions for different types of ovens, with different temperatures or times for conventional and convection ovens.

Some pumpkin pie recipes that substitute ingredients, like our Pumpkin Pie without Evaporated Milk or Pumpkin Pie with Almond Milk, may also have different cooking times and temperatures.

If you accidentally follow the wrong instructions or simply have an oven that doesn’t follow the instructions exactly, it may not cook perfectly.

Another unfortunate reality is that sometimes your oven may not interpret the temperature in the same way that the oven of the person who made the recipe does. It’s not uncommon to hear people say that their oven is hot or cold, for example.

If you don’t notice that your oven isn’t getting as hot as you expect it to be, your cake is probably undercooked.

If you try to adjust the temperature to suit your particular situation, it always takes a bit of guessing and you can still run into trouble.

There are many reasons why your pumpkin pie might be undercooked, but there is one surefire way to fix it.

redo the cake

This will take a bit of guesswork and a lot of attention, but all you have to do is re-bake your pumpkin pie to help it cook further.

1. Preheat your oven to the recommended temperature for the initial baking of your cake, at least 350 degrees. If you suspect your oven is getting cold, you can increase the temperature by 10-15 degrees to compensate.
2. Put the cake back in the oven.
3. If the crust is well cooked and it is only the filling that is rare, cover the edge of the pie crust with aluminum foil to protect it from overcooking.
4. Leave it for 10 minutes and check again.
5. Since the cake has already cooled once, it won’t necessarily follow the signs above, but use a toothpick to check for firmness.
6. Leave in the oven for the necessary time, checking every 5-10 minutes to avoid overcooking.

Luckily, this problem has a fairly simple solution, as long as you pay close attention to your cake to make sure you’re not overcooking it.

But remember that half of the process of cooking a pumpkin pie is also letting it set, which means letting the pie cool.

cool pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie filling thickens as it cools. Although it may be tempting to eat it as soon as the oven timer goes off, you should let it cool well before serving.

Chilling the pumpkin pie will not only allow you to finish the cooking process, it will also make the pie infinitely easier to cut, not to mention a lot less messy.

Ideally, you should chill your freshly baked pumpkin pie for at least 4 hours. The filling will stay warm much longer than the crust on the outer edges, so don’t go by that.

How to serve pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie should be served cold or at room temperature. As stated, this helps the filling stay firm and easy to serve. Many people add a little extra sweet creaminess with a little whipped cream or ice cream on top.

If you’re intent on eating this custard tart warm, it’s best to fully bake it and allow it to come to room temperature and reheat before serving. This will ensure that it is well cooked before eating it.

Related questions

This little guide should have equipped you with all the tools you need to spruce up your pumpkin pie, but just in case you have more questions on your mind, we’ve rounded up some of the answers below.

Does pumpkin pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes, pumpkin pie should always be refrigerated after it has cooled. It doesn’t matter if your pie is store-bought, made with fresh pumpkins, or with canned filling, it needs to be refrigerated to keep it safe.

Since the pumpkin pie filling is a custard, it contains both dairy and eggs, both of which attract dangerous bacteria if left out too long.

Vegan pumpkin pie, while egg and dairy free, still needs to be refrigerated because it needs to be cold to set properly, even more so than regular pumpkin pie.

Does pumpkin pie rise?

The pumpkin pie filling does not rise, but puffs up as it bakes. The moisture inside expands and slightly increases the volume of the filling. This is one of the ways to know that your cake is ready to come out of the oven.

When the pie cools, it will return to its pre-baked level, although it should now be firm and thick, rather than loose and runny.

How long will the pumpkin pie last?

How long pumpkin pie lasts depends on how it was made and how it is stored.

Store-bought pumpkin pies can keep longer than homemade pumpkin pies, depending on how they were made. Some companies use preservatives to extend their shelf life.

There should always be an expiration date stamped on the pie box for you to follow.

Homemade pumpkin pie should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours after it has completely cooled. If accidentally left out, bacteria can grow quickly and imperceptibly, making you a prime suspect for food poisoning.

Once the tart has cooled, you should immediately cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge. If properly cooled and stored, it can safely last up to 4 days.

You can also freeze pumpkin pie, or leftover canned pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, though results will vary when thawed. It will maintain a good quality of freshness for about 1-2 months, but must be double wrapped.

Ideally, cover directly with foil, then place the foil-wrapped cake inside a freezer-safe plastic bag or container.