Pumpkin pies are one of the most popular desserts to enjoy in the Fall and early Winter. Besides being delicious, it’s also relatively easy to make, but what is the best way to serve pumpkin pie?
Ideally, you want to serve pumpkin pie at normal room temperature, although you might also enjoy them slightly chilled or warmed up. Pumpkin pies are best served with whipped cream on top, although you can experiment with new toppings if you like.
In today’s guide, we’ll show you how to serve pumpkin pie in both the standard and alternative methods. Let’s dive in!
What Is the Standard Way to Serve Pumpkin Pies?
After baking the pumpkin pie, you’ll need to let it cool down to room temperature.
While you may eat it by then, it’s highly recommended that you leave it in the refrigerator for at least 4 to 6 hours so that it reaches the proper firmness first.
This also makes it easy to cut into proper wedges so that it’s presentable and easy to eat with a fork off a plate.
When the pumpkin pie is chilled, you may serve it at any time by taking it out of the refrigerator and allowing it to reach room temperature over a couple of hours.
Once the pie is neither hot nor cold, squirt a batch of light and sweet whipped cream on top, and you’re ready to eat a classic-style pumpkin pie!
Since you’ll be leaving the pie outside the fridge for a while, don’t add the whipped cream early on because it may lose its volume and fresh flavor while eating.
The reason why this serving method is ideal is that, at such temperature, the texture of the pie strikes an excellent balance between firm crust and silky smooth filling!
Can You Serve Pumpkin Pie Chilled?
You can easily serve a pumpkin pie chilled, which improves its firmness and makes it easy to cut.
In fact, serving the pie straight out of the refrigerator is almost as popular as the standard serving method nowadays.
Additionally, chilled pies are sturdier at handling heavier toppings if you’re planning to use whipped cream alternatives.
With that being said, make sure that the pie isn’t too cold or frozen inside while serving, as it may ruin the experience or hurt those with temperature-sensitive teeth.
Can You Serve Pumpkin Pie Warm?
Besides room temperature and chilled, you can also try out pumpkin pie warm. This serving style gives the pumpkin pie an oozy texture that is ideal in winter!
Once the pie is done baking, you can take it out of the oven, let it rest for a while so that it’s not too hot to eat, and enjoy it right away with some whipped cream.
Yet, the pumpkin pie won’t be firm at all and may cause a lot of mess.
To avoid that, it’s best that you follow the standard procedure of letting the pie cool down and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours before serving.
Once you want to serve warm pumpkin pie, take it out of the refrigerator, cut it into wedges, and reheat it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 300 °F.
Alternative Toppings to Try Out with Pumpkin Pie
In addition to changing the serving temperature, you can try out some new toppings and ways to serve pumpkin pie. Here’s a quick look at a few of those alternatives, although the sky is the limit here!
Maple Whipped Cream
This one is similar to regular homemade whipped cream but prepared with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a dash of salt while beating the heavy cream.
Coconut Cream
Beat 10 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 egg yolk and 1/4 cup of white sugar in a small bowl.
Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, spread it over a half-baked pumpkin pie and let it bake all the way.
Garnish with 1/4 cup coconut flakes and toasted almonds when you’re ready to serve.
Caramel Peanut Glaze
Combine 5 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet.
Cook and stir constantly over medium-high heat until the mixture fully melts and bubbles for 60 seconds.
Chop 3/4 cup of peanuts and combine with the mixture, then spread over the pumpkin pie when you’re ready to serve.
Final Thoughts
This marks the end of today’s guide that shows you how to serve pumpkin pie like a pro! As you can see, the ideal way to serve it is at room temperature with a squirt of whipped cream on top.
However, you can mix things up using a variety of alternative methods, such as using maple whipped cream, sprinkling some powdered cinnamon on top, or even changing the serving temperature.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.