# Pumpkinless pumpkin pie...really!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010 "2012-12-04T23:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/1 "2012-12-04T23:09:32Z")
So I was looking around for a pie crust recipe online and came across this recipe for “faux pumpkin pie”. It’s made of cooked, pureed carrots instead of pumpkins. I was dubious, to say the least. The website seemed very confident, so I had to give it a whirl. It was amazing! I think next time I will increase the spices, and I should add that I had no evaporated milk so I used whipping cream and milk instead. I really really recommend trying this! I can’t get canned pumpkin where I live and every attempt at fresh pumpkin pie seems lacking. link: > **[Homemade Carrot Pie Recipe - An Alternative to a Pumpkin Pie!](https://www.pickyourown.org/carrotpie.php)** > > How to Make Homemade Carrot Pie - a 'faux pumpkinpie. This carrot pie looks and tastes like a pumpkin pie, but is actually better tasting, healthier and easier to make! Fully illustrated, with complete, simple recipe and directions. These are the... Is this ok to link to that here? It’s not a commercial site or anything. If it should be problematic I will be happy to comply with whatever needs to be done to rectify it. I stop short of Human Cent-iPad, though. -BB ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/2 "2012-12-04T23:55:23Z")
Glad to hear someone vouch for it. I have a recipe for carrot pie in a couple of different pie books, but I’ve yet to try it. ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/3 "2012-12-05T00:07:50Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Glad to hear someone vouch for it. I have a recipe for carrot pie in a couple of different pie books, but I’ve yet to try it. Do it, do it! No fear, it works! 🆒 -BB ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/4 "2012-12-05T00:12:25Z")
Not sure that I will try it, but I’ll bet it has a nice appetizing color. I read in the local paper a couple of weeks ago that for a while now pumpkins have been bred for appearance and size rather than taste. So the growers must be thinking of contests and decorations rather than cooking. I suppose there are fewer people making their own pies. And I have had the same disappointment as you in trying to make one from scratch. My solution this year was to top it with pecan streusel, warm carmel sauce and whipped cream. No calories in that! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/5 "2012-12-05T00:15:04Z")
Anything tastes like pumpkin pie, if you put enough nutmeg in it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/6 "2012-12-05T00:36:53Z")
I once made pie using steamed, mashed garnet yams in place of pumpkin. It was absolutely wonderful - in fact, I think it tasted better than pumpkin. I think any sweet, orange vegetable would substitute for pumpkin very well. ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/7 "2012-12-05T01:07:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anything tastes like pumpkin pie, if you put enough nutmeg in it. This. ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/8 "2012-12-05T01:11:44Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > My solution this year was to top it with pecan streusel, warm carmel sauce and whipped cream. No calories in that! Speaking of which- we had it for dessert tonight (the second of two I made yesterday), this time with fresh whipped cream with a little vanilla sugar mixed in. That was a bull’s eye. Calories make EVERYTHING taste better! It was great! ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/9 "2012-12-05T01:15:28Z")
Hey, this sounds awesome. Thanks for the link! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/10 "2012-12-05T01:17:49Z")
Sweet potatoes taste more like pumpkin than pumpkin does. So the secret to making pumpkin pie from scratch without canned pumpkin is to use sweet potatoes. If you try to buy a jack-o-lantern pumpkin and cook it, you are going to be sorely disappointed. They are bred for size and looks, and are bland and watery. To make pumpkin puree like you get in the cans, you need to get kabocha or other dense squashes that are bred for taste and sweetness rather than looks. But any dense sweet orange or yellow vegetable would work, carrot is a pretty reasonable substitute if you can’t get orange sweet potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/11 "2012-12-05T01:23:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anything tastes like pumpkin pie, if you put enough nutmeg in it. Is that [Jules’ secret sewer rat pie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c0zJSgHDnpw#t=15s) recipe ya got there? CMC ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/12 "2012-12-05T01:49:32Z")
Seconding the use of sweet potatoes and/or yams. Tastes more like pumpkin than pumpkin does. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/13 "2012-12-05T02:07:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anything tastes like pumpkin pie, if you put enough nutmeg in it. Pretty much. My favorite “pumpkin” pie is made from sweet potatoes. ETA: I swear I did not see any posts following yours, which appear to share my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/14 "2012-12-05T04:01:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Seconding the use of sweet potatoes and/or yams. Tastes more like pumpkin than pumpkin does. Third. I’ve been eating sweet potato pie my whole life, only to discover it hadn’t been pumpkin 35 years later. Carrots, unless the size of softballs, just don’t seem worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/15 "2012-12-05T04:32:59Z")
You can often find actual cooking pumpkins around this time of year if you have some fairly well-stocked grocery stores. They’re much smaller than the jack-o-lantern types. The best ones are a little larger than a softball. Of course, pumpkin is one of those things, like sweet potatoes and beets, that really doesn’t lose much but texture in the canning process, and if you’re using it in a pie, the canned puree works just fine. I’m still going to try this with sweet potatoes, though. We always end up with too many sweet potatoes in the fall. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/16 "2012-12-05T21:08:53Z")
A cooking pumpkin should work, but I’ve heard good things about using butternut squash, which is easier to work with, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/17 "2012-12-05T23:25:07Z")
I dunno, I’ve made pumpkin pies from canned pumpkin and they were good. But the one I made from a fresh pie pumpkin was so good, it was unreal. Of course the crust was home made and the whipped cream was real. I’d be interested in trying out the carrot pie. I always seem to have a big sad bag o’ babby carrots forgotten in the vegetable drawer. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/18 "2012-12-05T23:56:55Z")
This reminds me of Ma’s improvised apple pie using a green pumpkin in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s _The Long Winter_. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/19 "2012-12-06T18:04:01Z")
Here’s a real easy one that some people say tastes like pumpkin pie (I think it’s just because of the cinnamon.) [Amish Bread Pie](http://www.grouprecipes.com/78619/amish-poor-mans-bread-pie.html) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010/20 "2012-12-06T18:09:30Z")
Is this like the _Mock Apple Pie_ without apples that they print the recipe for on boxes of Ritz Crackers? Do you use Ritz in it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pumpkinless-pumpkin-pie-really/643010.md?page=2)