Main dishes aside, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the pie, specifically this delicious pumpkin pie with cookie crust, a gingersnap cookie crust to be exact. And family, of course.
Thanksgiving has always been a special time for our families. Not only is it my husband’s favorite holiday, but it’s also the day we got engaged, well five years ago to be exact. My entire family had flown to Phoenix that year. A Thanksgiving tradition that we always carry out during dessert is everyone goes around the table and says something that we’re each thankful for. When it was my husband’s turn, he talked about all the reasons he was thankful to have me in his life and that’s when he got down on one knee and gave me the surprise of my life!
And I truly was surprised. I had an inkling he would propose to me on Thanksgiving after I learned my entire family would be spending the holiday in Phoenix. However, after thinking it was going to happen all day and then nothing, at the end of dinner I turned to my sister (who was in on the secret) and told her I guess my hunch was wrong. Her reply, as she patted my hand: “There’s always next year.” Mind you I was trying to hide my disappointment (and maybe tears that were threatening to come).
That following year, in 2011, my mother-in-law and I started making the pies for Thanksgiving dessert. There were sweet potato pies, pumpkin rolls — we even added a blueberry pie to the mix, and of course pumpkin pie. This year though, I’ve decided to spice up the pumpkin pie with the addition of a gingersnap cookie crust! The combination of flavors works quite nicely to produce a pie that’s both sweet and spicy, thanks to the kick of ginger from the gingersnaps. The crust also has a great texture that’s part chewy and crunchy, which really compliments the pumpkin-y center.
I hope you and your family enjoy!
Pumpkin Pie Gingersnap Cookie Crust Recipe
INGREDIENTS: (Makes one 9 inch pie)
PUMPKIN PIE FILLING:
- 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
- 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
PUMPKIN PIE GINGERSNAP COOKIE CRUST:
- 14 ounces of ginger snap cookies, finely crushed (I’ve used Archway Crispy Ginger Snaps, Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps, and Sprouts Old Fashioned Ginger Snaps.)
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Crush cookies into finely ground up pieces. (If you have a food processor, you can also use that to speed up the process.) I used a rolling pin.
3. Thoroughly combine cookie crumbs with the melted butter.
4. Press your crust mixture into a 9 inch pie dish and bake for 12-15 minutes, then set aside to cool while you prep the filling. Your crust will be firm on the sides, but the middle will be soft to touch — don’t worry about this as it will firm up as the crust cools.
5. Combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and two whisked eggs.
6. Pour filling into crust and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. You’ll know pie is done when it jiggles (but doesn’t wiggle) and the middle has some give. You can also use a toothpick if in doubt — it should come out clean, but moist.
7. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
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