[1] Pumpkin custard, a.k.a. pumpkin pie filling, baked in a pumpkin. The recipe is below (Gemini Photo).

[2] According to Tasting History, the first pumpkin pie—called pumpion pie—looked more like this. Here’s a recipe from 1670, interpreted for the modern table by Tasting History With Max Miller (photo © Tasting History | You Tube).

[3] This is pumpkin custard—with raisins. You could use it to fill a pie. Here’s the recipe (photo © American Egg Board).

[4] Here’s the pumpkin pie filling without the crust, i.e., a no-crust pumpkin pie. The recipe (photos #4, #5, #6, and #7 © Taste Of Home).

Now, some “different” takes on the modern classic:

[5] Streusel-top pumpkin pie. Here’s the recipe.

[6] Ginger-streusel-top pumpkin pie. Here’s the recipe.

[7] Pumpkin cheesecake pie. Here’s the recipe.

Some time ago we found an article featuring a photo similar to photo #1, claiming to be a facsimile of “the first pumpkin pie.” It was published in a regarded news source.

However, don’t believe everything you read. No known recipes from the 1600s say “bake custard in a whole pumpkin.”

In fact, surviving English and early American cookbooks from the 17th century don’t have any recipe that features a hollowed-out pumpkin, filled with custard, and baked).

Pilgrims did cook pumpkin in ways that resemble the idea. Accounts from the period mention:

 
But if you want to try what they did make, see the recipe link in photo #2.

To make the custard-filled pumpkin in photo #1, the recipe is below.
 
 
IT’S A FALSE NARRATIVE. HERE’S THE TRUTH.

Early “pumpkin pie” was not like modern pie. The early colonists’ “pompion pie” was pumpkin stewed with apples, spices, sometimes meat, and baked in a pastry crust.

When historical sources say that “the Pilgrims baked pumpkin with milk and spices in the shell,” usually refer to:

 
This would yield a stewed or baked pumpkin dish with a flavored liquid—more like a rustic pumpkin stew/porridge than a set custard or modern pumpkin pie.

 
The smooth custard filling in the modern pumpkin pie evolved in the 18th–19th centuries, after better ovens and pastry traditions spread in America.

> The history of pumpkin pie.

> The history of pumpkins.

> The year’s 8 pumpkin holidays.
 
So why does the “Pilgrims baked pumpkin pie in a pumpkin shell” story persist?

 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CUSTARD BAKED IN A PUMPKIN

The filling of a pumpkin pie is essentially a pumpkin custard: eggs, cream, pumpkin, sugar, and spices.

Avoid big carving pumpkins; they’re stringy and bland.
 
Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
For The Custard Filling

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Wash and dry the pumpkin. Carefully slice off the top (like a lid), about 2–3 inches across. Scoop out seeds and stringy pulp, leaving the flesh intact. (You can roast the seeds.)

2. LIGHTLY SPRINKLE the inside with a pinch of salt and the sugar. Place the pumpkin in a shallow baking dish that fits it snugly so it doesn’t tip.

3. PREPARE the custard. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the sugar, salt, and all spices; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half‑and‑half (or milk + cream) and vanilla until evenly combined. The mixture should be pourable and smooth, like pumpkin-pie custard without the pumpkin.

4. POUR into the hollow pumpkin, leaving at least ½ inch (1–1.5 cm) of headroom so it doesn’t overflow when baking. Note: If the pumpkin is very wobbly, you can wedge crumpled foil around it in the baking dish to stabilize it.

5. POUR hot water into the baking dish around the pumpkin to come about 1 inch (2–3 cm) up the sides (a water bath helps the custard cook gently).

6. BAKE for 60–90 minutes. Start checking at 60 minutes: The custard should be set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the very center. A knife or skewer inserted near the center should come out mostly clean, with perhaps a bit of silky custard but not any liquid.

Timing will vary with pumpkin thickness and how full it is; a deeper custard can take closer to 90 minutes.

TIP: If the pumpkin skin browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

4. COOL. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and lift out the pumpkin (use big spatulas or thick oven mitts; it’s fragile when hot). Let cool on a rack at least 20–30 minutes. The custard will finish setting as it cools.

5. SERVE warm or at room temperature. Scoop down through the custard and include some baked pumpkin flesh in each serving. Garnish as desired.
 
Variations

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