Air-Fried Pumpkin Pie: A Tasty Thanksgiving Twist

Pumpkin pie is a popular dessert, especially during the fall and holiday season. It is traditionally made in an oven, but can you make pumpkin pie in an air fryer? The answer is yes! Air frying your pumpkin pie is a convenient option, especially if you're short on space in your oven. It's also a great way to save time and energy when cooking a holiday feast.

Pumpkin pie filling is a custard filling

To avoid this, a lower fan speed should be used when cooking a pumpkin pie in an air fryer. The "bake" setting is preferable to the "air fry" setting because it has a slower fan speed. The pie should be cooked at a lower temperature than normal—around 325°F.

The pumpkin pie filling is quite wet, which can lead to a soggy crust. To prevent this, the pie crust should be blind-baked before the filling is added. Blind-baking is the whole reason you can make pumpkin pie in an air fryer, as it cooks the crust through before the wet filling is added.

Blind bake the crust

Blind baking is an essential step in making a pumpkin pie in an air fryer, as it ensures your crust is cooked through before adding the filling. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to blind bake the crust for your air fryer pumpkin pie:

Firstly, roll out your pie dough and gently place it into a pie plate, usually 7" or 8" in diameter. Trim off any excess dough, leaving approximately 1" of crust around the edges. Fold the remaining edges in towards the pie, pinching or crimping them to create a decorative edge. This thicker edge will help the crust hold its shape during blind baking.

Next, press a sheet of aluminium foil into the pie plate, ensuring it covers the entire crust. The foil should be taller than the crust to facilitate easy removal after blind baking. Fill the foil with pie weights, dried beans, rice, or sugar. This step is crucial, as it will prevent the crust from puffing up during baking.

Now, preheat your air fryer to 300°F or 350°F. Place the prepared pie crust, still covered with foil and weights, into the air fryer basket. If your air fryer has a swinging door, this step should be straightforward. For basket-style air fryers, you may need to use a foil strap to lower the pie safely.

Return the crust to the air fryer and bake for an additional two to five minutes. The crust should now be dry on the bottom and lightly browned. If any puffing occurs, use an oven mitt to gently press it down and flatten the crust.

Your blind-baked crust is now ready for the filling! Remember, blind baking ensures your crust is fully cooked and helps prevent a soggy bottom, which is especially important for air fryer pumpkin pies due to the moisture in the filling.

Pumpkin pie in an air fryer is no different than in an oven

The air fryer is an indispensable part of the cooking arsenal these days. It makes quick work of anything that would otherwise be oven-roasted and frees up oven space for other things.

Air fryers are basically small convection ovens. They blow hot air around instead of just letting it rise from a single heat source. This helps cook at all angles evenly.

A great pumpkin pie is cooked gently so the mixture doesn't split and has a well-baked pie crust. Managing this, whether in a conventional oven or in an air fryer, can be easy if you keep a couple of things in mind.

Pumpkin pie filling is a custard filling, also sometimes called an egg-rich filling. Eggs are an important part of the ingredient list and they're responsible for binding the other ingredients, but they need to be cooked gently.

Blind-baking is the whole reason you can make this pie in the air fryer at all. Air fryers heat from the top, which is why you can't use them to bake double-crusted pies. Luckily, your pumpkin pie's crust will be cooked through before the filling even joins the party.

Despite its reputation for aggressive convection heating, you can both blind-bake and gently bake a pie in the air fryer. To tackle both of these things, use a lower temperature and the "bake" setting instead of "air fry".

The difference between those settings is the fan speed. Air frying triggers a much higher fan speed, while the "bake" setting is much slower. You can probably even hear the difference when you change the setting. The pie will still bake quicker than it would in a regular oven, but it shouldn't overcook on the top.

To make an air fryer pumpkin pie, start by preparing the crust. Roll out the crust and gently place it into a 7" or 8" round pie plate. There will be excess pie crust; simply trim it off, then fold the edges of the crust under to help create a thicker edge around the pie crust.

Press the edges of the pie crust into a scalloped pattern. After the crust is formed, press a sheet of aluminium foil into the pie, taking care to cover the entire crust. Make sure the foil is taller than the crust, as it will have to be removed from the pie while still hot and filled with pie weights. Leave yourself enough area to hold onto.

Once the foil is placed into the pie crust, fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. This helps keep the foil in place during baking, which makes sure the pie crust retains its shape. The crust is then placed into an air fryer that has been preheated to 300 degrees. The crust will bake for about ten minutes, then the foil will be removed and the crust will go back in.

While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin pie filling. All ingredients except for the eggs are combined and mixed together, then the eggs are added in.

After baking for ten minutes, the foil and pie weights are removed from the crust. The bottom of the crust gets pricked with a fork, then the crust bakes for another five minutes. Once the crust is fully baked, the pumpkin pie filling is carefully poured into the crust. Make sure not to overfill the crust; the filling should be about 1/4" below the top of the pie crust.

The pie is then baked at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. The middle should be set and not move when you gently shake the crust. If the centre is not set after 20 minutes, bake for an additional five minutes, check, and repeat if needed.

Once finished baking, pies should cool for at least an hour, and up to two hours. It may be easiest to simply take the air fryer basket out of the oven and leave the pie inside it while it cools. It can be a bit tricky to take the very hot pie out of the hot air fryer basket.

After that, transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours. The chilling time will also allow the pie to fully set up.

Pumpkin puree vs pumpkin pie filling

Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are two popular ingredients used in fall baking, but they have distinct differences. Pumpkin puree is simply 100% pure pumpkin, cooked and blended into a silky, smooth texture without any added ingredients. It contains no added sugars or spices and has a slightly sweet, earthy taste. On the other hand, pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made mixture that already includes sugar, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and thickeners. This makes it ideal for quickly preparing a delicious pumpkin pie, but it may not be as versatile for other recipes.

When it comes to labels, cans of pumpkin puree will be labelled as 100% pure pumpkin, pumpkin puree, solid pack pumpkin, or simply "pumpkin". Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, will be labelled as pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin pie filling.

In terms of ingredients, pumpkin puree made from scratch contains only pumpkin, but canned puree may contain a preservative like salt. Pumpkin pie filling contains additional ingredients like sugar, spices, and thickeners, which give it a sweeter and more spiced flavour profile.

The texture of pure pumpkin puree is smooth and velvety, while pumpkin pie filling is thick and custard-like. Pumpkin puree can be used in a variety of sweet and savoury recipes, from pumpkin muffins to pumpkin ravioli. Pumpkin pie filling, however, is best suited for pumpkin pies or other sweet desserts due to its pre-mixed nature.

While both products have their unique applications, they can be used interchangeably in a pinch. If you accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree, you can dial back on the spices and sweeteners in your recipe or balance out the sweetness for savoury dishes by adding salt, pepper, or acid. Similarly, if you purchase pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie filling, you can add sugar, spices, and possibly milk or eggs to achieve the traditional pie-filling taste.

Air fryer cooking time may vary

Additionally, the cooking time can also depend on the size and power of your air fryer. Different air fryers have different speeds, and the size of your pie dish can also affect the cooking time. For instance, if you are using a small pie dish, your pie may cook faster than if you are using a larger one.

Moreover, the thickness of your pie can also impact the cooking time. A deep-dish pie will likely require a longer cooking time than a thinner one. Therefore, it is essential to keep an eye on your pie while it is cooking and adjust the timing accordingly.

Furthermore, the type of pumpkin you use can also affect the cooking time. If you are using a fresh pumpkin, it is recommended to substitute the exact amount used in the recipe. However, if you are using canned pumpkin puree, you will need around 7 ounces.

Lastly, the cooking time may also depend on the specific recipe you are following. Different recipes may have slightly different instructions, which can affect the overall cooking time. Therefore, it is crucial to follow the recipe closely and make adjustments as needed.

Frequently asked questions