Make Pumpkin Pie Even Creamier By Adding This Fridge Staple

As the fall season settles in, there's one dessert on everyone's mind: pumpkin pie. The combination of warm spices and orange-hued squash makes for a cozy, sweet treat. While you may have a tried-and-true pumpkin pie recipe, there is always room for improvement. Sour cream might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pumpkin pie, but this fridge staple is the secret to making every slice even more creamy and silky.

Sour cream is commonly used to top tacos or build a tasty salad dressing, but the condiment is also often found in recipes like pound cake, muffins, and biscuits. Give your fall pie the sour cream treatment by incorporating it in the filling. Most pumpkin pies require about 1 ½ cups of evaporated milk, but you can swap in ⅔ cup of sour cream and use three eggs instead of two to help bind it all, then bake as you normally would. The resulting pie will have a tangy and creamy filling that's silky smooth. 

If you're concerned about the tanginess that sour cream might add, you can still include the evaporated milk. Instead of using ⅔ cup of sour cream, you can add ½ cup of sour cream in addition to 1 cup of evaporated milk. Or for an even richer filling, try using 1 cup of heavy cream instead of evaporated milk along with ½ cup of sour cream. Both options will have a deliciously custard-like filling with a much more subtle tart flavor.

Adding sour cream to your pie filling is only the beginning when it comes to elevating your pumpkin pie. Because incorporating sour cream won't drastically alter the core pumpkin flavor of the dessert, you'll have the perfect opportunity to build on the flavors of the seasonal treat. Give your pie a spiced twist by adding Mexican chocolate to the custard. Or, for a more decadent dessert, you could garnish the pie with a generous drizzle of luscious caramel before serving. You can even try making your pumpkin puree from scratch after your annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

If baking a pie from scratch seems like a daunting task, make sure to review the 15 most common mistakes to avoid when making pumpkin pie. And for those who want to skip spending time in the kitchen altogether, sour cream can still help upgrade your store-bought pie. Use a dollop as a simple tangy topping in lieu of whipped cream. No matter which way you do it, sour cream is sure to become the unexpected star in the classic fall dessert.