makes one 9-inch pie 
As much as I love our brined and roasted homegrown turkeys, pumpkin pie is still my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve tried bunches of different recipes over the years, but this one is heads and tails above the others. Three eggs instead of just two takes the custard texture to a whole new level, and swapping out the usual sugar for honey and the canned milk for real cream creates the smoothest, most decadent pumpkin pie you’ve ever had in your life. If you happen to be short on pie spice, there’s a recipe to make your own here.
2 cups pumpkin puree (here)
¾ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 unbaked pie crust (here)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, combine the puree, honey, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix in the cream and gently beat in the eggs. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover the edges of the crust with a pie shield (or strips of foil) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the shield and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.
Cool for 2 hours before serving. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream (here). I like pumpkin pie to be well chilled, so I make pies a day ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator overnight. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to serve room temperature pie too—just be sure to pop the leftovers in the fridge.