You’ve worked so hard to ace that pumpkin pie recipe to fulfill your cravings, but, unfortunately, you end up with a layer of unappetizing moisture on the top.
Why do pumping pies weep like that sometimes?
Pumpkin pies weep if you cover them too soon while they’re still piping hot. Other causes for sweating or weeping include over-baking, moving from inside a cold refrigerator to a hot room, or a watery filling.
In this article, we’ll give you some advice on how to avoid this unwelcome scenario, so let’s dive in!
5 Ways to Prevent a Pumpkin Pie From Weeping
Thankfully, it’s quite easy to keep your pumpkin pie from weeping again in the future. All you have to do is recall which cause was the culprit, then make sure not to repeat it!
Here are a few guidelines to follow for the just-right moisture level in a delicious pumpkin pie:
1 – Let Your Pumpkin Pie Rest Before Covering
Sometimes, it can be hard to resist covering your warm pie with a piece of cloth after taking it out of the oven to keep it from drying out. While that’s not exactly wrong to do, it’s best to wait until it’s cooled down a little bit before draping a cover over it.
Otherwise, too much moisture will accumulate to the point of it turning soggy—definitely unappealing!
2 – Don’t Over-bake Your Pie
Pumpkin pies don’t need more than an hour in the oven, give or take five minutes.
Any more than that, your pumpkin pie—and most other pie recipes, too—will have water pooling on the top, which will give it an undesirable weeping appearance.
3 – Adjust the Moisture of the Pie’s Filling
This is a step you should take during the preparation stage—ensure that the filling of your pie isn’t too runny. The excess moisture will be trapped within the pie layers, and it’ll rise to the surface with nowhere to go, giving you a weeping pumpkin pie.
You can avoid this scenario by cooking your filling for just a little bit longer until its consistency becomes thicker.
Or, you could steer clear of using moist ingredients in the beginning by swapping canned pumpkin puree with homemade pumpkin puree.
4 – Avoid Pouring Too-hot Filling Over a Cold Crust
Once you’ve perfected your filling’s consistency, let it cool to room temperature before adding it to your pie crust.
This should prevent the formation of condensation on top of your pie, lowering the chances of ending up with a sweaty appearance.
5 – Make Sure Your Kitchen Isn’t Too Hot Before Taking the Pie Out of the Refrigerator
After baking your pumpkin pie and encountering no issues with excessive moisture—hopefully!—you may think about dropping it in the refrigerator for storage. That’s a good way to keep it from spoiling as long as you eat it within four days.
But, before you do that, you must make sure it isn’t hot before covering it with plastic wrap and putting it in the fridge. This should maintain a suitable moisture level so that you don’t end up with too-dry or too-watery pie.
Then, when you’re ready to take it out for a late-night snack, ensure that the temperature of your kitchen isn’t too hot before putting your pumpkin pie on the counter. It’s often the case if you’ve just turned off your oven, leaving your kitchen warmer than usual.
If you don’t let your kitchen cool down first, your cold pie may face condensation issues, too.
Can You Salvage a Weeping Pumpkin Pie?
In most cases, you’ll be able to rescue a weeping pumpkin pie if the moisture isn’t too much by gently dabbing its surface with a paper towel. However, if it’s already topped with fruits, whipped cream, and the like, that may be tricky to do.
There’s also the option to toss the pie in the oven for a few more minutes to allow the water to dry out. Just keep a close eye on it to avoid burning the crust.
On the other hand, a completely soggy pie may not be salvageable.
What Happens If You Don’t Remove Extra Moisture From a Pumpkin Pie?
Besides being incredibly unappetizing, an overly moist pumpkin pie has another disadvantage. It has a much shorter shelf life than a reasonably moist one.
See, water is a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. So, a soggy pie will be subject to spoilage at a faster rate than a normal one.
Final Thoughts
Why do pumpkin pies weep?
Well, pumpkin pies become overly sweaty due to drastic changes in temperature, using a runny filling, over-baking, and covering them while still hot.
Now that you know all these causes and how to fix each one, ending up with a weeping pumpkin pie should be unlikely to happen again!
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.
Kay
Thursday 9th of January 2025
Thank you for the Tip ! My pumpkin pie recipe calls for baking at 400* for 20 minutes, then finishing the next 40 minutes at 375*.
I do get a sweaty film on the custard. Do you think it could be the temp change during baking?