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So, I made this bourbon pumpkin pie to be the grand finale of our first annual “Neighborsgiving” last week. But like just about everything else that night, it didn’t quite go according to plan.
Let me back up.
As many of you may know, my neighbors in downtown Kansas City have been meeting together for our Neighbor Nights for a little over two years now. But being the wonderfully disorganized crew that we are, we have never quite gotten our act together to plan something together for Thanksgiving…until this year. We all love Thanksgiving, and love our neighbors, and we definitely love to eat together. So it seemed only natural that we get this Neighborsgiving started! I volunteered to cook a big turkey, and everyone rsvp-ed with an impressive array of classic Thanksgiving recipes that they planned to bring.
Well, to make a long story short, the turkey did not happen (I went out to buy it the night before, conveniently forgetting about — you know — that small fact that frozen turkeys take days to thaw). But my neighbor, John, volunteered to instead make a few beer can chickens, but those also did not happen (due to an exploding empty Pyrex dish that he set in the oven to catch the juices — oops!). Then he went to Costco to pick up a bunch of rotisserie chickens to feed 40+ people, but only two of those happened (because guess what night Costco conveniently ran out of chicken?!). Add to that about 5 other dishes people planned to make which did not happen (long work hours and botched recipes), some cute Pinterest-y table decor that didn’t happen (a neighbor ran out of time), and this amazing bourbon pumpkin pie that didn’t happen (because guess who completely forgot about it in the fridge), and well, you get the idea. Nothing quite went according to plan.
But you know what did happen?!?
We had the BEST time.
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Seriously, if I have learned anything about entertaining over the years, it’s that perfection is so overrated. Entertaining is about the people.
And when you get a great group of people together, great memories are bound to be made. And often, any seeming “imperfections” are what make time together all the more perfect.
For example, the big buckets of fried chicken that John picked up from Popeye’s after coming up short at Costco?! Pretty sure they were the hit of the night. The sweet potato casserole that my neighbor, Cynthia, ran out of time to make? Well, her improvised sweet potato “stacks” were one of the most delicious and creative sweet potato dishes I’ve ever had. And all of that Pinterest-perfect decor and tablescape that we ran out of time to make? Well, we literally ran out of room on the countertops and the table because there was so much food, which we all happily devoured.
It was awesome. And it made me so thankful yet again for this eclectic community of neighbors who have turned into friends. I love this crazy thing that we have together, and wouldn’t have wanted the night to go any other way.
Although, I will say that we missed out on this bourbon pumpkin pie… :)
Heck yes! It may look like a traditional pumpkin pie, but there’s a nice splash of bourbon in there. (And in the whipped cream on top!) And if you happen to like bourbon and pumpkin pie, I highly recommend you give it a try because it’s also super easy to make.
Just whip up traditional pumpkin pie batter and add in two tablespoons of bourbon.
Then pour the filling into an unbaked pie crust. (If you need a recipe or tutorial, here’s my post on how to make a pie crust.)
Then bake it up just as you would a traditional pumpkin pie.
Let it cool.
And then dive in!
Oh, and I highly recommend making a batch of homemade bourbon whipped cream to pile on top. You won’t regret it.
Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl, and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and the pumpkin until combined. Whisk in the sugar-spice mixture until combined. Then gradually stir in the evaporated milk and bourbon until combined. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350° F, and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, then refrigerate until ready to serve. (The pie will slice easier if chilled.)
Serve with bourbon whipped cream or your desired toppings.
To Make The Bourbon Whipped Cream:
Using an electric mixer, beat all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until the cream is whipped and forms soft peaks. Serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Notes
*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch of allspice
“Entertaining is all about the people.” Nothing could be more true! It sounds like a fabulous night celebrating friendship. And this pie sounds divine! My husband is obsessed with bourbon so I really need to make this for him.
P.S. I think you forgot to link to your pie crust. :) It looks so perfect, by the way!
The pie looks REALLY creamy. But I am loving the bourbon in the filling and then you slipped into the whipped cream. That is toooooo out of sight. I am lovin’ the idea.
I was just having almost an identical conversation with a friend. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” <– one of my favorite mottos. For example, for our recent family photo shoot I spent weeks getting coordinating outfits, sweaters, shoes, etc. only to discover it was a blizzard and we would be in coats and boots and hats (none of which we had purchased yet for the boys) so we scrambled in the basement to find hand me down outfits 30 minutes before the shoot. Well guess what, it worked out and I think our winter wonderland was perfectly unplanned. :) PS: I want to be your neighbor. PPS: I want this pie. PPPS: That whipped cream is so WHITE. Gorg.
I love this time of the year because it’s pumpkin pie time :) Love the twist with the bourbon pumpkin pie, it’s my type of pie . Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Hi Ali!
This crust and pumpkin filling look so delicious! I want to make this for Thanksgiving this year, but I was wondering if you do any prebaking of your crust? If not, do you experience any shrinking of your crust? I also read through your other posts on how to keep Pie crusts from shrinking and how to make a pie crust. Thanks for sharing such great tips. I just hope my pie turns out as beautifully as this! Thanks for your insight.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, Julie — we hope you enjoy this! We actually don’t par-bake this, but you definitely could, especially if you want a little crispier of a crust. We haven’t had any issues with shrinking though. We hope this helps and that you enjoy the pie!
Hello!! I am going to make this tomorrow! I am going to use a pre-made pie crust. Does it need to be deep dish like the Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe? Or just a regular pie crust? Thank you! I can’t wait to try it!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Jenny! A regular pie crust should be fine. We hope you enjoy!
Great recipe. Good flavor. Not as sweet as some pumpkin pie recipes, which I really like! The small amount of bourbon comes through after chilling. I gave it five stars because it is quick, easy AND delicious! I haven’t made the bourbon whipped cream yet, but am planning to do so. Sounds wonderful!
Hi! Can you make this ahead of time and freeze? Would it still be good? Wanted to make a few days in advance of the holidays. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yummy! The filling was rich and delicious. Didn’t crack at all- maybe because of the booze? Resulted in a beautiful looking pie.
Only suggestion is to blind bake the crust. Came out a bit gummy. I had never made a pumpkin pie without blind baking so wanted to try it, and it definitely helps to take the extra step.
Thanks for the recipe!
Definitely my kind of pie! This is a beaut!
“Entertaining is all about the people.” Nothing could be more true! It sounds like a fabulous night celebrating friendship. And this pie sounds divine! My husband is obsessed with bourbon so I really need to make this for him.
P.S. I think you forgot to link to your pie crust. :) It looks so perfect, by the way!
This looks incredible! I can already tell it’s going to be a family fav!
Why do you not bake the pie crust ahead of time?
Beautiful pie, Ali! Love your crust edge! So pretty! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Do I need to put foil over the pie crust to keep it from burning?
What a fun turn of events! Sometimes the nights that never work out are the most memorable!
LOVE the bourbon and love the baby in the background! ;)
The pie looks REALLY creamy. But I am loving the bourbon in the filling and then you slipped into the whipped cream. That is toooooo out of sight. I am lovin’ the idea.
What a gorgeous pie! Thank you so much for sharing!
This looks like my kind of pie and my kind of friendsgiving! Love that you guys made the best of it all. Happy Thanksgiving, pal!
perfection IS overrated! – looks like you all had a great time! too bad about the pie though, because it looks fantastic!
I was just having almost an identical conversation with a friend. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” <– one of my favorite mottos. For example, for our recent family photo shoot I spent weeks getting coordinating outfits, sweaters, shoes, etc. only to discover it was a blizzard and we would be in coats and boots and hats (none of which we had purchased yet for the boys) so we scrambled in the basement to find hand me down outfits 30 minutes before the shoot. Well guess what, it worked out and I think our winter wonderland was perfectly unplanned. :) PS: I want to be your neighbor. PPS: I want this pie. PPPS: That whipped cream is so WHITE. Gorg.
WANT. Happy Thanksgiving, friend!
I love pumpkin pie, love the bourbon twist on this!
This pie looks delicious and Neighborsgiving sounds like an amazingly good time!!!
I love this time of the year because it’s pumpkin pie time :) Love the twist with the bourbon pumpkin pie, it’s my type of pie . Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
I love this recipe it’s so simple and delicious. I’m making it for thanksgiving this year.
Thanks Sapphire, we hope you enjoy, and that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
that sounds really good
Hi Ali!
This crust and pumpkin filling look so delicious! I want to make this for Thanksgiving this year, but I was wondering if you do any prebaking of your crust? If not, do you experience any shrinking of your crust? I also read through your other posts on how to keep Pie crusts from shrinking and how to make a pie crust. Thanks for sharing such great tips. I just hope my pie turns out as beautifully as this! Thanks for your insight.
Thank you, Julie — we hope you enjoy this! We actually don’t par-bake this, but you definitely could, especially if you want a little crispier of a crust. We haven’t had any issues with shrinking though. We hope this helps and that you enjoy the pie!
If you are using pumpkin pie spice do you just whisk the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in the first step?
Hello!! I am going to make this tomorrow! I am going to use a pre-made pie crust. Does it need to be deep dish like the Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe? Or just a regular pie crust? Thank you! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Jenny! A regular pie crust should be fine. We hope you enjoy!
Great recipe. Good flavor. Not as sweet as some pumpkin pie recipes, which I really like! The small amount of bourbon comes through after chilling. I gave it five stars because it is quick, easy AND delicious! I haven’t made the bourbon whipped cream yet, but am planning to do so. Sounds wonderful!
Hi! Can you make this ahead of time and freeze? Would it still be good? Wanted to make a few days in advance of the holidays. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yummy! The filling was rich and delicious. Didn’t crack at all- maybe because of the booze? Resulted in a beautiful looking pie.
Only suggestion is to blind bake the crust. Came out a bit gummy. I had never made a pumpkin pie without blind baking so wanted to try it, and it definitely helps to take the extra step.
Thanks for the recipe!
Surprised i had enough for 2 -9”pie crust!
I make this pie every year, it is absolutely delicious and a real crowd pleaser. We use the left over whipped cream in our hot coffee MMMMmmmmmm!
Made this last year, INSANE crowd favorite. Excited to make it again this year!!!