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How to Tell If Pumpkin Pie is Done

You have just planned the most amazing meal for your guests. Everything seems to be going on fine, from the turkey to the cornbread dressing. However, one thing that keeps you worried all day is your pumpkin pie.

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Most people have the same problem of how to tell if pumpkin pie is done. Several questions run through the mind at this point. Is the pie overcooked or undercooked?

How do I know when it is ready? Baking pumpkin pies is no easy feat. For one, it doesn’t require a water bath like most pies in the custard pie family.

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Instead, it makes use of a crust. Another significant between pumpkin pies and other pies is that it doesn’t bubble when done.

This post will show you how to check the doneness of a pumpkin pie and answer several other important questions. Let’s get started.

How do you check the doneness of a pumpkin pie?

Creating a great pumpkin pie mix is not so much of a challenge. From a recipe, you can figure out how to get the right consistency and flavor as well as the crimp to hold your mix together.

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The challenge is that they can tell you how long the pie should be in the oven but not how to tell if the pumpkin pie is done.

If you have been struggling with this issue, we have just the right solutions for you. There are several ways to check if your pumpkin pie is done. Check some of them below:

Nudge the pie gently

This method is similar to what you do when checking whether a cheesecake is done or not. All you need to do is open your oven door and nudge the pie gently. Now, we said nudge gently, not shake, there’s a difference.

If the pie is done, you should notice the following signs:

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  • The outer edges must be firm.
  • At the center, the pie should jiggle little. It shouldn’t be unsteady or sloshy.
  • The whole pie shouldn’t be wobbly.

Here’s the idea, your pumpkin pie shouldn’t wiggle like a wave. Instead, it should jiggle like Jell-o. If you notice that it is still wobbly, then you have to continue baking.

Use a knife

The regular method of testing if a cake is done is by inserting a wooden skewer or knife into it. Once the object comes out clean, it is safe to say that the cake is done. The good news is that this good old method works for pumpkin pies as well.

Insert the knife into your pie around the edge. The knife should come out clean but a little moist if the pie is done. Another option is to insert a probe thermometer into the middle of your pumpkin pie.

The thermometer should read 175F if the pie is ready. Some folks don’t like the hole that the knife or thermometer leaves on the pie. If you fall into this category, here’s a tip to help you. Cover the hole up with some sweetened whipped cream.

Change in filling color

Your pumpkin pie filling should gradually change in color as you get closer to the prescribed baking time limit. The filling should begin to look deeper than the original color.

Additionally, it should begin to puff up slightly. You might even notice some cracking around your pie’s edge around where the filling and the crust meet.

The cracks could also appear on the area where you had inserted your knife or thermometer to check for doneness.

If you are uncomfortable about the cracks or puffing, there’s nothing to worry about. The puff will gradually relax as your pie cools.

This will hide most of the cracks that appear on the pie. If you are still not convinced, cover the pie with sweetened whipped cream as we suggested earlier.

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Why is my pumpkin pie not cooking?

Great, you now know how to tell if pumpkin pie is done. But there’s one more challenge that we need to consider. Have you been in a position where you are baking a pumpkin pie and it refuses to get done?

There are so many reasons why this could happen. We will look at some of them and the solutions to the problem in this section.

Why your pumpkin pie is not cooking

  • One debatable reason is using fresh pumpkins instead of canned ones. Fresh pumpkins have several factors surrounding them. For example, they differ in taste, water content, and size. As such, there may be a disparity in how each one gets done. You should purchase a canned puree instead.
  • Not using enough eggs for your pie could make it cook forever. You should always add the right number of eggs without compromise. Never overdo it as excess eggs will cause cracks and make the pie fall.
  • You didn’t follow the “blind baking” instruction. The instruction requires you to partially bake the crust first before you fill it. By doing this, you ensure that the pie crust and filling bake at the same pace. It also protects your pie from being soggy.
  • Overcooking your pie. The general notion is that undercooking a pie will make it watery. Well, overcooking your pie makes it watery because the curdle and custard inside the pie break down at high temperatures.

Fixing the problem

  • Understand that there is a difference between wiggly and jiggly consistencies. When a pie is wiggly, it isn’t firm so it needs extra baking. On the other hand, when your pie jiggles, it has better consistency and it is firmer. Once your pie gets to this point, it is ready.
  • Check your recipe for the number and size of eggs to use.
  • Never put your pumpkin pie into the refrigerator immediately after taking it out of the oven.
  • Partially bake your crust before you add the filling.

How to Tell If Pumpkin Pie is Done-Conclusion

That’s it for how to tell if pumpkin pie is done. We have shown you several methods along with possible reasons why your pie is taking forever to cook. If you have any challenges, share them with us in the comments section below.

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