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Pumpkin Slab Pie Recipe

Perfectly creamy and spiced pumpkin slab pie truly feeds a crowd. Simplify Thanksgiving dessert with one big pumpkin pie—a wonderful alternative to making a couple smaller pies!

With a new week comes a new pumpkin treat! (Find all of my pumpkin recipes here, including pumpkin hand pies!) I made this pumpkin slab pie for our friends who visited over the weekend and while the pumpkin filling received glowing reviews, everyone commented on the thick, buttery, flaky pie crust. And the cute pie crust leaves and dreamy dollops of homemade whipped cream, too!

This Pumpkin Slab Pie Feeds a Crowd

We’ve all faced the “I need to feed an actual army of people dessert on Thanksgiving and don’t feel like making 1200 pies” problem. Today = problem solved. A pumpkin pie for an actual army of people. Slab pies are a great dessert if you’re hosting a large gathering because:

  • Slab pie is cut into bars so it’s easy to slice, serve, and eat (and less messy).
  • Guests can eat slices with a fork or hands.
  • Leftover slab pie bars are easier to freeze compared to traditional pie slices.
  • It’s similar to my pumpkin pie recipe but serves many more.
  • It wows a crowd and is festive, too!

For more crowd-pleasing desserts, here are our favorite Thanksgiving pies.

Pumpkin Slab Pie Filling

Channeling my favorite pumpkin pie recipe, I pretty much doubled each ingredient to make a much larger pie. Each ingredient plays an important role, so let’s review:

  • Pumpkin: This is a big pie so we’re using lots of pumpkin. You can use canned pumpkin puree or fresh pumpkin puree, but I always have the best luck with canned pumpkin in pie recipes. I like Libby’s brand.
  • Brown Sugar: I sweeten this pumpkin slab pie with only brown sugar, not regular white granulated sugar. I use a mix of light brown sugar (1 cup) and dark brown sugar (1 cup) for a layered flavor, though you can use one or another.
  • Eggs: We use 4 eggs in this slab pie filling. It’s just the right number—any more and the pie will taste egg-y.
  • Cream + Milk: The combination of whole milk and real cream create the most luxurious pumpkin pie you’ll ever taste.
  • Salt + Vanilla Extract: Salt and vanilla extract add flavor. (Try using homemade vanilla extract.)
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the pumpkin pie filling.
  • Spices: Gang’s all here! We’re using classic pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Feel free to use homemade pumpkin pie spice, see recipe Note.
  • Black Pepper: A pinch of black pepper adds one more phenomenal layer of flavor. It’s the secret ingredient I use in my regular pumpkin pie recipe and I simply couldn’t leave it out of this slab version. It’s bizarre, but I’ve gotten a lot wonderful feedback from readers on this! No one will know it’s in there except for you. (And all your pumpkin pie eaters will fall in love with the sweet spiced flavor.)

I use the same filling ingredients—only different amounts—for mini pumpkin pies too. Such a delicious combination.

Pumpkin Slab Pie Crust

All-butter pie crust is the only way to go for pumpkin slab pie! You know I have a special place in my heart for the shortening and butter combination in pie crust, but I find the all-butter pie crust (slightly scaled up here) is fantastic for slab pie. If you’ve made my apple slab pie before, you’re familiar with it. It’s enough for the foundation of this pie and you’ll have enough leftover to make adorable leaves, too. Make sure your pie crust ingredients are extra cold. It will help when it comes time to crimp and flute the pie crust edges, too.

Time-saving bonus! Begin the crust the night before. I always let my pie crust chill over night before rolling/shaping and highly recommend you do the same.

Optional Pie Crust Decoration

Use any leftover dough for some pie crust leaves. Roll out the dough and cut it into shapes using leaf cookie cutters. Bake the leaves separately. I like how the leaves look placed on top of the baked pie rather than baking them directly on the pie. (When I placed them on top of the pumpkin pie filling, they moved around and looked a little odd once the pie was finished baking.)

You could also top this pie with a spiced meringue topping like we do in this chai pumpkin meringue pie.

Best Pumpkin Slab Pie Pan

The most important part! Use the correct size pan. Any larger and you won’t have quite enough dough. Any smaller and you’ll have some overflow. You need a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan. It’s the same pan you need for pumpkin roll and pumpkin bars, too.

Prep Time 3 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 48 mins
Cuisine:
Courses:
Servings: 24
Description

This pumpkin slab pie feeds a crowd. It's perfectly creamy and spiced with an ultra buttery flaky pie crust and a secret ingredient everyone loves!

Ingredients You’ll Need
  • 4 cups (500g)
  • 1 and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1 3/4 cup (396g)
  • 3/4 cup (180ml)
  • 1 wash: egg 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml)
  • 2 (15 ounce)
  • 2 cups (400g)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups (480ml)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper*
  • optional: whipped cream
Instructions
  1. 1
    Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon (15ml) added. Do not add any more water than you need. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 3/4 cup (180ml) water. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the butter pieces. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Form dough into a ball. Cut off about 1/4 of the dough; this will be for the pie crust leaves and the rest will be for the actual pie. Flatten both into a 1-inch thick disc using your hands. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days) or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using. *If not making pie crust leaves, just wrap all the dough up, chill, and use it all for the bottom crust.
  2. 2
    Whisk all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl. It will be a little thick. Cover and refrigerate until you need it; or refrigerate up to 3 days.
  3. 3
    Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  4. 4
    Remove larger disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. Keep the other in the refrigerator as you work. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into (roughly) an 18×13-inch rectangle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan; there will be overhang on the sides. Smooth the crust out so it fits nicely into all the corners of the pan. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges, if desired. Brush edges lightly with the egg wash. Reserve remaining egg wash for step 6.
  5. 5
    Spread filling evenly into the crust. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the filling is only slightly jiggly in the very center. Remove from the oven, set on a wire rack, and allow to cool completely.
  6. 6
    As the pie cools, roll out remaining dough. Roll out into any shape you really want (doesn’t matter) and 1/8 inch thickness. Using leaf cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Brush each lightly with egg wash. Cut leaf veins into leaves using a sharp knife or toothpick, if desired. Place onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool before decorating pie.
  7. 7
    Decorate pie with pie crust leaves and/or whipped cream. Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Keywords: all-purpose flour, black pepper, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cornstarch, eggs, ginger, heavy cream, milk, nutmeg, pumpkin, vanilla extract
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