4 Ways To Make A Pumpkin Pie For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a feast of those favorite holiday dishes we dream about all year long. There's roast turkey, sage-scented stuffing, green bean casserole with fried onions, and, of course, pumpkin pie. It's one of the busiest days of the year for home cooks, and trying to time all those dishes that need cooking, baking, and chilling can be stressful. That's when it's nice to have some options; to help out, we have four easy ways to make a delicious pumpkin pie. 

There's a traditional pumpkin pie recipe here that's a littler easier to pull together, thanks to a few shortcut ingredients. Or, to let your oven off the hook completely, try a creamy, no-bake pumpkin pie. There's even a recipe that shows you how to make a pie in one of the best time-saving appliances ever invented: the Instant Pot. 

If you're hosting the big dinner, bringing dessert to someone else's house, or just want a pumpkin pie to dig into, here are four ways to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. 

Make a traditional pumpkin pie with this recipe that saves some time thanks to a few shortcut ingredients that may already be in your pantry. Instead of creating a filling using sugar and milk, use canned, sweetened condensed milk instead for sweetness and creamy texture. Pumpkin pie spice isn't just for lattes — use it in this pie, too. You'll get the perfect flavor without having to buy several jars of spices. Pour the filling into a store-bought or homemade pie shell and bake. Serve your beautiful pie with whipped cream and hot coffee.

Recipe: Easy Pumpkin Pie

On Thanksgiving, the oven is running nonstop. So let your Instant Pot help turn out a pumpkin pie that's deliciously moist. Just pick up a springform baking pan small enough to fit inside the appliance. In this recipe, the crust is made with your choice of crushed cookies or crackers. Press them into a lined pan and bake it briefly to toast the crumbs. Pour the spiced pumpkin filling into the pan and cook it in your Instant Pot for about 40 minutes.

Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Pie

Here's a pumpkin pie recipe that needs no cooking and still has all that classic, pumpkin pie flavor in a creamy, cheesecake-like filling. Create the crust using crushed graham crackers, or buy a pre-made graham cracker crust to save time. The filling is a blend of cream cheese, canned pumpkin, sugar, and spices. It comes together quickly and needs just two hours to chill. This is a great option for when you're short on time or for novice bakers who don't want to fuss with a traditional recipe.

Recipe: No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

For a unique twist on traditional pumpkin pie, try this recipe that performs a little magic trick. The filling, made with pumpkin purée, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices, whisks up in minutes and then goes into a graham cracker pie shell. The magic happens as it bakes: Two layers are formed, with fluffy pumpkin at the top and a silky custard below. Serve slices of the cooled pie with whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel.

Recipe: Layered Pumpkin Pie